Chapter Three
Nate
I went to the Hamptons Peak often - very often, in fact. There were those Thursday evenings with Riker and Nate that I never missed, and I used to work out in the exclusive club’s gym four times a week during the spring and summer months before football season started. Of course, I often visited the club’s bars alone to mingle and to drop a few clever pick up lines on the chicks and a few admiring fans that hung around looking for a good time. Lately, though, I found my lines had grown stale, and the gals were less interested. It was common knowledge my career as a famous quarterback was all washed up.
Even when I took all of this into consideration, Sunday evening was still an odd time for me to show up at the Hamptons Peak. Usually, even the most social and party-loving members were home winding down from the weekend instead of spending their evening dining or throwing back a few drinks at the club.
Tonight was a special occasion, though, and I wasn’t coming here to drink, carouse or celebrate my Super Bowl victory. Wearing my Kiton suit tailored perfectly to accent my muscular frame, I stepped out of my sleek BMW, tossing the key fob to the valet with one hand and handing him a Ben Franklin bill with the other. “How are your classes going? And remember don’t squeal the tires.” Marcus gave me a thumbs up, slid into the driver’s seat and roared away. I chuckled to myself. This little game had become a habit. I remembered when I was a struggling college student and tipped him well several times a week. And I never heard a sound other than the purring engine when he drove away to park my car.
I checked my reflection in the glass entry doors and straightened my tie before the doorman pulled it open for me. This evening was going to be another perfect night here at the Hamptons Peak. Riker, Zeke, and their wives were having an upscale dinner party. My friends had gone to great lengths, booking the Wisteria Room, a cozy private dining room and hired a chef renowned in the Hamptons to provide our gourmet dinner.
I had considered long and hard before accepting Riker and Zeke’s invitation. Socializing was no problem, and I enjoyed both Claudia and Elena the few times I had been around them. Both ladies were always lovely to me. So, I had no real reason to decline except for one detail that had me wondering what they had up their sleeves. The problem was, if I agreed, I would be the only single person at the dinner party. There was such a thing as fifth-wheeling. And I wasn’t used to being the odd-man-out… by no means.
At first, when Riker had called with the invitation, I said I would get back with him, explaining some friends from the team had talked about stopping by the Hamptons for a visit. However, the truth was, they had canceled their plans several days before. It was the half-truth I used, allowing me time to think over my predicament before giving him an answer. I didn’t want my friends to start having pity parties for me, and I had suspected that was part of the reason for my birthday surprise.
A day later, Zeke called, after he and Riker had undoubtedly spoken. They had possibly sensed my hesitance and were offering to change the date to a day that would be convenient for me. This time, Zeke explained Claudia was bringing a friend, which meant I would not be the only single person at the dinner party.
After he mentioned this small detail, wild horses couldn’t keep me away. Knowing the people Claudia surrounded herself with; it was a guarantee this person would be intriguing… and curiosity was killing me. I told him, “I would love to come! Thanks for thinking about me. It just so happens, the guys from the team have canceled their plans.”I didn’t really lie… did I?
Yep, the Wisteria Room… the perfect atmosphere for an evening out with friends and a mysterious blind encounter.
I had to walk up a few stairs to reach the hallway adjacent to the intimate dining room, and I noted my knee didn’t hurt one bit. Just outside the door, I stopped to check my reflection in the floor to ceiling mirror one more time and gave myself a reassuring smile before making my grand entrance.
Inside, I was greeted by pleasant instrumental music played through hidden speakers at a level perfect for conversation. And under the crystal chandelier, a table complete with cloth napkins and the club’s finest silverware marked a setting for six, and a bartender dressed in a tux was waiting to take my order. But I waved him off, eager to discover who was my surprise dinner date.
I spotted Riker and Zeke right away, but I didn’t see their wives or Claudia’s friend. “Where are the ladies?” I asked after greeting my two friends.
Riker pointed, smiling, “On the balcony. Girl talk. Enter at your own risk.”
“Okay, I’ll just stick my head out there to say, hello.”
As I stepped through the open glass doors, I heard feminine voices, and birds were chirping in the nearby trees. The sound of trickling water came from the fountains below. And the sun was starting to set, bathing the Hamptons Peak’s gardens that stretched between the clubhouse and the pro shop in a golden light.
Something else shone golden too, something up here on the balcony. The reflected light stabbed at my unadjusted eyes, and I actually had to shade them for a moment before I could properly identify that object.
It wasn’t a single object. Neither was it two, or even a thousand. Thousands upon thousands of strands of blonde hair glowed golden in the light from the setting sun, and every single one of those hairs belonged to a gal who injected a thousand conflicting emotions into my heart all at once - Tammy.Oh shit…Tammy. Tammy is Claudia’s friend.
I swallowed hard and jammed one hand in the pocket of my slacks. Thankfully, Tammy was facing away, allowing me a moment to catch a deep breath and calm myself.
Now that I was standing there looking at my high school sweetheart, it made so much sense. I had seen her at Zeke and Claudia’s wedding, where she was the maid-of-honor. It would make sense that she and Claudia were best friends.
Finally, I cleared my throat. “Ahem… hello, Tammy.”
When Tammy turned to face me, she merely smiled and held out her hand, obviously not surprised to see me. “Hello, Nate. You haven’t aged a bit.”
I opened my mouth a few times to speak, but nothing came out. We both just stood there speechless as I shook her hand, then let go of it like it was a searing ember.
Then Elena jumped to our rescue. “Oh, hi, Nate. Glad you could make it this evening. You know Tammy, right?”
I had a feeling all three girls knew exactly what was going on here, but I wasn’t about to refute the situation with a smooth or not so smooth line. Now that the ice was broken, I was captivated by Tammy’s blue eyes and bright smile. Just last week I had been mentioning to the guys that I kinda wished I could reconnect with Tammy, and now here she was.
Coincidence? Almost definitely not, but that was fine with me. “Yeah. We dated in high school,” I mumbled to Elena, still caught by those eyes I remembered so well. “You’ve changed, though. What happened to all those freckles.”
“Well, really you have changed. You’re taller and… you’ve been working out.” She glanced at my thick neck and broad shoulders furtively.
“Yes, I have,” was the only response I could formulate. When we ran into each other at Zeke’s wedding, I didn’t have a chance to reallylookat her. Now that I did… wow. In so many ways, I recognized my beautiful high school girlfriend. Her hair fell to the middle of her back in shimmering blonde waves. Tammy’s blue eyes sparkled with fun and her figure… well, it was fuller, with lots of cleavage - sexier. But her long shapely legs seemed to go on forever as she stood in her heels, just like I had remembered.
But there were also differences - ones that stood out to me and highlighted the years that had passed. Tammy had grown up. She had let her bangs grow out, and her face seemed just a hint slimmer, which added to the elegance of her patterned green-and-white summer dress and tasteful necklace. There were more subtle differences that I could feel, but couldn’t place, and they fascinated me. I wanted to go deeper, ask more questions and discover how she had changed. Since we had only exchanged hellos so far, I took a small step backward.I need to cool it… don’t push too hard.
