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"In what way?"
"I know something will happen. But I don't know when. Or what. That's what worries me."
All the while, I kept running my thumb over her calf, even when the touch gave her shivers.
"We used to talk about the people we went out with. I'd like to do that again," I said, knowing my statement irritated her. "I want to know if your last relationship fulfilled you."
"As much as yours did, I suppose," she replied, sarcastically.
I could overlook that– because I would probably have reacted similarly if she had asked me a question about Nancy.
"What did you miss?"
"I don't know. A bit of everything, I guess. The sex wasn't bad, but… his skills were limited. I tried to show him how I would like it better, but he was not interested. He didn't want to learn anything new."
This was an answer I had not expected– so closely related to sex, even though I had not explicitly asked about it.
"And apart from that?"
"Well, at least he showed me what I don't want to get involved with in the future."
I nodded. Nancy had the same effect on me.
"And now I'm sitting in a restaurant with my best friend who's trying his best to seduce me– and I'm mentally debating how smart I am for getting involved in all this."
"Nothing has happened yet," I reminded her, gripping her calf tighter. She couldn't possibly be alluding to that. Could she? Besides, I wasn't trying to seduce Nikau, at least not at that moment. The kiss in Iowa had already proven how easily that could happen. But taking advantage of her was far from my mind. I wanted her to approach me of her own volition. I wanted the tension to become so unbearable that she couldn't help but ask if we'd ever stop playing around and make something real of it.
The moment would come. I was certain. I just wasn't sure when and under what circumstances it would be, which my impatient side wasn't really in favor of.
"It could ruin it all," she finally replied.
"Everything? Just because you get a glimpse of another side of me, your world view changes? You think that just because we might find ourselves incompatible on other levels, you can no longer look me in the eye and display the same carefree demeanor?"
A sigh escaped her. "I think ten years have passed and we're on thin ice anyway. The only question is what lies underneath."
The question of what lay beneath this ice was on the tip of my tongue. However, I was sure I was about to cross an invisible boundary that I would be better off ignoring at this moment.
"So… what exactly are you trying to say?"
"That I'm unsure and maybe a little confused. And that guy over there keeps staring in our direction." Her eyes glanced over my shoulder, probably at one of the guests.
I didn't turn around– too conspicuous. Instead, I signaled it didn't matter. No one could see what was going on under the table. And even if they did– it was a gesture to make Nikau feel safe. No more, no less. Hardly anyone could argue with that.
"Let's finish the meal and see what happens." I motioned for the waiter to take our order so she wouldn't have a chance to object.
* * *
I glanced suspiciouslyin the direction where Nikau had disappeared a good ten minutes ago. Just a quick trip to the toilet, but the small voice in my head whispered that something was wrong.
My first thought was that she had a change of heart and had run away from me. Then I remembered Nikau was old enough to speak her mind. She would not abandon me. However, I was even less comfortable with the other options, so after another two minutes I got up and took large strides toward the separated area.
I heard their furious voices from a several feet away, adding to the anger that was already boiling inside of me. Nikau wasn't alone. She was being harassed. By a man. Probably the one she had mentioned earlier.
I didn't know if it would have been easier for me if it had been the classic harassment– then I would have been justified in punching the guy in the face. But since I had clearly heard his last question to Nikau, there was no question as to what he actually wanted from her. Namely, information for his rubbish newspaper, which wanted a piece of the action and the big headline before anyone else. It was disgusting that he felt the need to verbally attack and physically harass an innocent woman.
Pissed off, I cleared my throat because he hadn't noticed my presence in the last few seconds. As his head snapped in my direction, I clearly saw the blood drain from his face.
Obviously his balls retreated too, because suddenly it wasn't so hard for him to take a step away from Nikau.
