Holiday Chapter 6 -- Leigh's Stories

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Date Posted: 15:53:22 09/13/01 Thu
Author: Leigh
Subject: Holiday Chapter 6
In reply to: Leigh 's message, "Holiday" on 22:56:37 09/12/01 Wed

Chapter 6.

Carla Mendes plopped down into the empty seat across from Nikita and hauled her bag onto the table between them. �Oh god, what a day,� she moaned, pushing her shades up to the top of her head. She looked at Nikita who was dressed in a slim silk dress and diamond earrings, and then glanced down at her own dusty jeans and cotton shirt and grimaced. �You�d think that by now I�d learn to dress up a little when coming out to lunch with you.�

�You look fine,� Nikita replied. Raising her hand, she signaled to the waiter they were ready to order. Carla was her best friend. They�d known each other ever since they were ten and attended the same private school. After graduating from high school, the two of them had traveled across Europe before Nikita returned to continue her training at Section. Carla, always a bit of a free spirit, took up sculpting and currently co-owned a little shop in the Village.

�I take it you were working?� Nikita asked, nodding to the traces of dry clay on Carla�s arms, up by her elbow.

Her friend grinned. �Oh. Did I forget to wash there? Sorry.�

�You are such a slob,� Nikita answered, laughing.

�Yes, but you love me this way, don�t you?� Carla accused playfully. �Being with me makes you look all dainty and girly-girly. You with your diamonds and fancy designer dresses.�

�Dainty?� Nikita gave an undignified snort, and the two burst into a fit of giggles. She picked up her napkin, dipped the tip into her glass of water and then handed it over to Carla. �Here, clean yourself up before they kick us out of here.�

�That would be fine by me. I don�t know how you can stand eating in these places. Look at this! They�ve got two settings of everything. I�ve only got one mouth, why do I need two forks and two spoons?�

Nikita leaned back in her seat and smiled fondly at her friend. �Stop, will you? I asked you to lunch so that I could complain to you, not the other way around.�

�Yeah, yeah. Isn�t that always the case?� Carla answered. She finished wiping at her arm and then leaned forward, her attention focused completely on Nikita. �Okay, babe, I�m listening. You sounded pretty serious on the phone. What�s going on?�

Nikita clasped her hands in her lap and turned to look out at the view of the harbor. �You�re going to think this is stupid,� she sighed.

�What is?�

Turning her gaze back to her friend, Nikita said, �Stephen proposed last night.�

�What!�

"My thoughts exactly," Nikita replied dryly. Her mouth turned down at the corners.

Carla could barely contain her excitement as she leaned over further and grasped Nikita�s hands in hers. �So did you say yes?� She turned Nikita�s hands over and studied them. �Where�s the ring? You did say yes, didn�t you?�

Nikita pulled her hands back. �No, of course not! Why would I do that?�

�Why!� Carla rolled her eyes. �Oh don't tell me you turned him down. Nicky!"

Nikita frowned. �Oh don't Nicky me, Carla. You know how I feel about marriage. I'm just not ready.�

"You're right. I do know you, and if Stephen is really set on marrying you he's going to have to drag you kicking and screaming down that aisle."

Nikita turned her gaze back outside and a somberness filled her blue eyes. Carla, seeing the real misery in her friend's eyes, leaned forward and gently covered her hand. "What's really bothering you, Nik?"

Nikita remained silent for several long seconds. And then, she said lowly, �Do you believe in love, Carla?"

Carla�s brows arched. �Well, sure. Doesn't everyone?"

"I used to," Nikita answered. "But I'm not so certain anymore."

"Oh baby." Carla gently squeezed her hand. "Is that about Stephen? Are you afraid he doesn't really love you or something?"

"No." Nikita shook her head and turned her gaze back to Carla. "It's not Stephen. Well, it is and it isn't." She paused to gather her thoughts and then said, "Remember when we were young and talked of what we'd do when we grew up?"

"And we talked about the men we were going to marry?" Carla smiled. "I remember."

"I always thought it would be so easy. I had my whole life planned out..."

"... in that little timeline you had written in your diary." Carla nodded. "How'd it go? Finish college, climb the corporate ladder, become the youngest female CEO, fall in love, get married, have two kids, a mansion and cocker spaniel?"

Nikita chuckled. "I was so naive, wasn't I?"

Carla smiled. "Well if you were naive, then what does that make me since I believed in you and your dumb goals. I still do."

Nikita fell silent again for several long seconds. "Carla?" she said, after a while.

"Yeah, babe?"

Nikita linked her fingers together and rested her chin upon them. "I don't want to marry Stephen."

It was Carla's turn to be silent as she regarded her friend. Stephen, Carla thought, was a great catch. He was good looking, had a great job and was financially secure, and from the times she'd seen him and Nikita together, she'd seen that he treated Nikita well. But it was also obvious to Carla that for Nikita, these things were not enough. Sighing, she looked Nikita in the eye. "You don't love him."

Nikita shook her head. "No," she answered quietly. "I've tried. Really I have, but I just don't feel anything."

"Well what exactly are you looking for, sweetie?"

Nikita sighed. "God, I wish I knew. I don't know what I want. Sometimes I think I'm being foolish and that I should just marry Stephen. Maybe there is no such thing as love. It's just a myth that someone fills our minds with when we're young, and then we foolishly spend our lives looking for this -- this one perfect man who'll take our breath away and sweep us off our feet."

Carla smiled dreamily. "Wouldn't that be perfect?"

"Yes," Nikita made a face, "but it's not real. There is no such thing. Love is only a myth. A lie. Instead what you have to do is find someone whose interests match your own. Someone who is compatable, and dependable, and you can build a life with."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Carla asked.

Nikita groaned. "I don't want to marry him, Carla, but maybe I should."

Carla's back straightened as she sat back. "Are you crazy?"

"I thought you wanted me to marry him?"

"I want you to be happy, you knucklehead. And how can you be happy marrying Stephen when just the thought of it is filling you with such misery?"

Several seconds of silence passed, and then Nikita smiled broadly. "Oh Carly," she said, "what would I do without you?"

"You'd probably marry Stephen," her friend grumbled, and Nikita laughed.

"Well I still might, you know. I still have his ring."

"You didn't give it back?"

"Believe me I tried. He wouldn't take it. He said I should take it and think about it. His company's sending him out to LA for two months and he's promised to give me that time to think about it."

Carla raised her brows. "And do you think that time will change your mind or the way you feel?"

"I'm not certain. I doubt it, but I think it's the least I can do for him. He's agreed to accept the answer I give him at that time."

"And in the meantime?" Carla asked.

Nikita shrugged, "We've agreed to leave our relationship undefined."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning... no promises, no strings, no obligations."

Carla rolled her eyes with disgust. "You two are so romantic."

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Holiday Chapter 7 -- Leigh, 16:02:32 09/13/01 Thu