Chapter 31 — Round 1: Natasha vs Stephanie
Natasha’s POV:
I was still wondering how to make Jude see that Stephanie was just with him for his money but I would need to do it subtly, I didn’t want him to be hurt irrevocably. But I knew that if he went ahead with his relationship with Stephanie he would be beyond recall.
I didn’t know how to do and my brow was furrowed in frustration when Joanna came back.
“Whoa! You are going to get wrinkles from that!”
I smiled and said, “ha-ha, you're funny.”
“Nope I am stating a fact, what happened?”
“um nothing”
“Natasha?”
“Yes?”
“Shut up and tell me what the hell is bothering you”
“Jude’s ex is back and she says that she will make sure that he won’t marry me”
“What? That’s preposterous! But what have you got to worry about?
That boy is in love with you!”
“Yeah, yeah you are right”
“Hey, do you want me to kick her ass for you?”
I busted out laughing, “No Jo! Gosh you are just looking for excuses to beat people up!”
“Hey nobody and I mean nobody hurts my best friend. Besides you would do the same for me”
I smiled and agreed if someone was to hurt her I’d go break their face and ask questions later. After all that’s what best friends were for, weren’t they? I glanced at my watch and realized it was time for me to meet the boys and the bitch.
“Hey Nats, we haven’t been hanging out much lately, let's do this again?”
“Yeah” I got up and hugged Joanna and we walked out together. She had a date tonight and had to go prepare for it. My phone rang and I checked to see it was Wade.
“Hey”
“Tasha meet us at the A&F store”
“ok”
I started walking towards the store when something hit my head. It was light and I almost dismissed it as nothing when I turned to see a crumpled piece of paper.
I picked up and looked around and didn’t see anyone I knew. I opened the paper and my heart rate quickened as I read the note.
“Enjoy while you can bitch”
I walked with shaking legs and as soon as I saw Wade I ran and hugged him breathing heavily.
“Hey, hey what’s wrong?”
I looked up and my eyes were shining with unshed tears. I showed him the note and the SMS.
“who the hell is this?” he asked angrily.
“Damned if I know!”
“Are you alright?” asked Sean, he had just read the note. I took a deep breath and nodded.
“You do realize you are being stalked right?”
“Y-yes”
“Who is being stalked?” asked Jude coming up behind us. Sean quickly brought him up to date on the situation and Jude’s face went red in anger. He pulled me to his side and put an arm around me.
“That’s it” he whispered fiercely “I am not letting you out of my sight” and he put his arm around my waist. My lips stretched of their own volition into a huge smile.
“Ahem” we turned to see Stephanie clearing her throat.
“Yeah?” asked Sean, really angry. I had seen Sean annoyed but right now the look he had on his face, well let’s just say he was shooting flames from his eyes. Stephanie looked taken aback too and backed off immediately.
“N-nothing, don’t you think we should move on?”
“Are you ok?” Jude asked stroking my back.
“Yeah, just a little shocked, I can’t for the life of me think who the hell would do this.”
“We will find out soon” promised Jude and just like that the fear I had in me a few minutes ago dissipated.
“So where do you want to go first?” asked Sean looking at me but before I could reply Stephanie spoke up, “I want to check out some shoes”
We all followed her into a show store where predictably she was looking at shoes that even put a hooker to shame. While she kept on asking Jude for his opinion. He seemed a bit distracted and kept glancing at me while helping Stephanie decide.
Sean and Wade tried to get me attention by trying to get me to shop for shoes but I was just not in the mood. Besides I had a lot of shoes I didn’t need any, I just bought a pair last night for crying out loud!
Stephanie picked out 4 pairs in the end and she didn’t even need shopping therapy. “Er do you need all of these?” asked Wade. She glared at him and then quickly smiled and said, “Oh yes. The ones that I have had are out of vogue now; my shopping trip has been long overdue”
I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to hide my annoyance. Wade mirrored my actions and said, “C’mon Tasha, I am sure I can find something to cheer you up”
I sighed and said, “I don’t know Wade, I just can’t imagine who the hell is stalking me!”
“Babe” said Sean linking his arm with mine and making me smile, “the whole point of this trip was to cheer you up. We might as well go home if you aren’t happy!”
Jude didn’t say anything but stared intently at me, he sighed when Stephanie called out to him.
“Jude! Would you please pay for me? My wage check will be deposited by tomorrow, and I’ll pay you back.”
“Don’t be silly Steph” said Jude frowning. You see he was just the kind of guy who paid at the date and paid for his girl. He had been brought up by his parents that way. Stephanie smirked at me as if to say one for me and zero for you. Ok I was pissed right now.
“So” I exclaimed suddenly, “I wanted to buy shampoo and some body lotion, let’s head that way?”
Wade took my hand and Sean walked by my side while Jude followed. We walked into the body shop and Sean and I spent a lot of time oohing and aahing over different products while Wade stood at the side staring at us in amusement. I picked up my favorite Strawberry body butter, Banana shampoo and conditioner, I picked up body mist. I was ecstatic. Previously these things were a luxury, but now I could afford to buy them.
Sean went berserk too as he picked up the olive shampoo and conditioner and mango body butter and then he went to look at a range of fragrances for men.
I paid little or no attention to Jude and Stephanie. Stephanie decided she needed a few things from here as well and started filling up her basket. The damn freeloader! How I hated her for taking advantage of Jude’s generosity.
I smiled as I came across beeswax styling wax for men, I picked it up for Wade. He was forever complaining about the damage hair gels did to his hair. I picked up a gift set of fragrances for Sean. Not that these guys couldn’t afford it but they had been so kind to me, I just wanted to show my appreciation in return.
I looked around and decided I was done shopping here, my mood was already better because of all the uplifting fragrances in here. I realized I hadn’t taken anything for Jude and decided for a long time what to take for him. He already had everything. Then I looked at the lip balms and smiled.
He had been complaining a while back about all the lip balms smelling to girly for his taste. I picked up four cocoa butter jars so that he would have a supply for a while. I proceeded to get my shopping billed. As I was about to pay Jude spoke up, “Stop!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I am paying for that”
I smiled at him and shot a triumphant look at Stephanie who glowered
at me and said, “No thanks Jude, I’ve got this.”
“But we’re engaged!”
“Huh?”
He came closer to me and whispered, “You are my responsibility”
“I appreciate that Jude I really do but you pay me for my job and I don’t want to get used to you doing things for me. Please respect my independence and let me pay”
I turned away and paid for my shopping. While Sean paid for his and Jude paid for Stephanie’s—big surprise. As we walked out I gave Wade, Sean and Jude their gifts. Sean was really excited and pulled me into a tight hug, Wade thanked me and kissed me on my cheek exclaiming, “How the hell didn’t I see this! My hair is saved!” he yelled dramatically. I giggled at him.
Jude looked at me really touched, “Thanks Nats” he said giving me a one-armed hug.
“You’re welcome” I said smiling. I looked at Stephanie, ha! Two for me and none for you McBitch.
But I didn’t do it to spite her; I did it because I felt like it. By now I had almost forgotten about my stalker and we kept moving from one shop to another. Sean had me in splits when he swore that a guy in the men’s changing room had squeezed his butt and that he felt violated.
“Get out of here!” I said still laughing.
“I swear he did!”
Wade was laughing with us too and Jude smiled. The guys bought some clothes, Wade also bought a pair of Police glares. Which looked really hot on him and I let him know that.
For some reason Jude frowned at me and looked away. I shrugged it off willing for him to see what Stephanie truly was. I hadn’t got a chance to tell the boys what Nick had told me. So when Stephanie pulled Jude to a lingerie shop we all opted to sit at the little café at the mall and rest our feet.
“So boys I need to tell you something” I said as we placed our orders. They looked at me quizzically and I filled them on what Nick had told me.
“So that’s why she’s come back to Jude,” said Sean slapping the tabletop.
“Yep”
“So let’s get Nick to tell Jude” Wade said.
Sean spoke up, “It’s not that simple, Jude already doesn’t trust Nick, he would hardly be a credible source”
I nodded in agreement; we stopped talking as soon as Jude and Stephanie approached us.
“Honestly, Steph, I think I've hit my credit limit on my card,” he said half-jokingly. Stephanie gave a very fake giggle and said, “Oh come on Jude you know that’s not true!”
“Yeah right” muttered Sean so that only Wade and I could hear him.
“Well what do we do now?” asked Jude.
I shrugged while Wade and Sean contemplated on what to do. “We could go for a movie” said Sean.
I shrugged again, I was ok with whatever. “Or we could go drinking!” said Stephanie. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Well Nats doesn’t drink so that’s out of the question” said Jude which made me grin like an idiot. Ha! Take that, three to me and none to you.
Stephanie looked like she was going to explode any second now but all the boys studiously ignored her and decided which movie to go to. Finally it was decided that we would watch a movie at Jude’s place. The boys decided that I would get to decide what movie to watch since I was so down.
“Final destination 5!” I said with glee, both Jude and Wade groaned.
“Oh and lets order some pizza and pick up some popcorn” said Stephanie. No one bothered to acknowledge her; I was sick of her demands already why wasn’t Jude sick of her? She made me want to gag.
We got up and started counting our bags so that we could keep track of them. I had one, Sean had two, Wade had two, Jude had one and Stephanie had five! Jude looked at me in surprise and said, “you have just one?”
“Yep”
“Why didn’t you buy anything else?”
“Oh come on Jude you know me. I don’t like sending my money, or anyone else’s, just because it's there in abundance!” I giggled convincingly as if I wasn’t taunting Stephanie at all. But she understood what I was doing and gave me the stank eye.
“Still, this was supposed to be your day of shopping therapy, I could’ve bought you something if you liked anything”
“Thanks but I already have everything I need”
He smiled at me and we all started walking towards the exit.
“Oh Sean!” yelled Stephanie, “could you help me with my bags?” Sean looked at me incredulously as if to say can you believe this woman?
But he turned to her and said, “Nope, if I liked you any better I might have considered it but nope” yep that was Sean for you he didn’t bother mincing words. She turned to Wade but didn’t say anything. Wade always looked at her with disdain but right now he was looking at her with a ‘I dare you to ask me’ look.
At the same time Sean took my bag from despite my protests, I mean it wasn’t even heavy. I could barely keep myself from laughing.
Stephanie’s face was green.
I got in next to Wade in his car while Sean got in the back with all our bags.
“See you soon” Wade yelled at Jude and took off. We arrived before Jude and got inside. I took all our bags and placed them neatly by the couch. Jude and Stephanie came soon and Stephanie just threw her bags across the couch. Jude looked at the ones I had laid out neatly and looked at the ones splayed across the couch with half of the contents falling out of them. I sighed and got up to pick them properly when Jude spoke, “Leave them be.”
I looked at him really hurt. I was just trying to straighten them up. “Stephanie pick your bags and keep them properly. You have just bought all of this stuff”
I looked at him in surprised, he seemed to be in a bad mood and so was Stephanie. I wondered if they had argued on their way back.
“Well I was about to!” she exclaimed and picked up all her bags in a huff and took them to Jude’s bedroom. I shrugged while Wade and Sean winked at me. It seemed to me that their plan was working, and I couldn’t help but feel happy.
Jude’s POV:
I was beyond irritated with Stephanie right now. All the while back to my place she kept wining about how Wade and Sean were mean to her and how they didn’t respect her. I mean seriously? What was she expecting? My brothers had stood by me when she had left me. They had seen how devastated I was. She would have to win them over everything doesn’t come easy and I let her know that.
“But you could’ve said something when Sean was being mean to me!”
“He is not your personal slave! Would it kill you to carry your own bags? If you can't carry them, then don’t buy all the things you don’t need. Maybe then you'll be able to manage your stuff!” I said raising my voice.
Throughout our time at the mall I couldn’t help but make comparisons between Natasha and her. The way she got along with my brothers like
Stephanie never could even when we were dating before. The way she didn’t spend unnecessarily and her independence. Compared to her Stephanie had felt like a leech today.
I was beginning to wonder if all of this had been a mistake. I mean, Stephanie’s behavior was nothing new but I probably didn’t realize it then because I didn’t have anyone like Natasha at that time. All he girls I had dated had been like Stephanie.
When I came back home and had seen Natasha trying to clear Stephanie’s mess it had been the last straw. I mean I know we had said that we would take it one step at a time but I was already losing my patience with this girl.
I made my displeasure clear to her. We did call for Pizza to watch during the movie because no one felt like cooking except for Wade and Nats and I wasn’t about to allow that remembering what had happened the last time they had cooked together.
We stopped the movie halfway to take a bathroom break and Natasha got up to use the washroom. As she was about to enter my bedroom, Stephanie stopped her, “You need to use the guest bathroom”
“Oh ok. Sure. Sorry, it's just that I am used to using this one.”
“Natasha go ahead” I said coming up.
“Um are you sure because I am ok with anything. I just need to pee for God’s sake!”
I laughed at her annoyance and motioned for her to go ahead and then turned to Stephanie, “I think I will decide who is a guest in my home”
She looked at me and said, “But Jude she isn’t even a guest! She’s the hired help!”
“No she isn’t!” I raised my voice again, “don’t you talk about her that way. She is like a friend to me dint you ever call her that again”
“I am sorry,” she said placing a hand on my shoulder, “I didn’t realize you felt that way about her”
“Well now you do” I said coldly. Just as I was about to walk away, I heard Natasha yell, “Oh my God! Jude!”
I ran into the room wondering whether she had got another message from her anonymous stalker. “What is it Nats?”
“What have you done?”
I saw her look at my closet in horror. None of my clothes were folded and half of them were hanging out of it which blocked the doors and wouldn’t let it close.
“I tried to keep it organized”
“Well you didn’t try hard enough”
“Umm I will clean it up I promise”
“Where is my stuff?”
“It's right there on the top shelf. I swear I didn’t touch it.”
“uh-huh, you do realize I am not cleaning this for you.”
I gave her my best puppy dog look and she said, “huh I am immune to it” she said turning away. Just then Stephanie stepped in and said, “I will do it”
“Really?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yeah” she said smiling.
“Oh in that case” said Natasha, “you better start now because his parents are coming tomorrow and you won’t be able to. All you have is right now” said Natasha and walked out of the room as Stephanie stared at her speechless. I swear I saw Natasha smile to herself as she left.
“Well” I said rubbing my neck, “I guess she is right”
Stephanie smiled a little uncertainly and said, “You really want me to do it?”
“Yeah” I said grinning, “I hate doing it and Nats won’t do it for me. Besides if mom and dad come tomorrow and find it like this they will think Natasha is a slob too.” Stephanie gave me a tight smile and started pulling out my clothes.
“Don’t touch the top shelf it belongs to Nats” I said and went to join the rest and finish the movie. When I went there all three of them were bent over in silent laughter, I frowned at them and they tried to control their laughter but eventually I joined them too. We watched the remainder of the movie and finished the pizza. We sat chatting and Stephanie had yet to emerge from my room.
It was getting late and Wade and Sean decided to leave. Natasha was staying over tonight. She kissed Wade and Sean goodbye. Sean told her to meet them for breakfast and asked me to come too if I could make it. I told him I had a client meeting. Just as they were leaving I realized Stephanie had to be dropped home.
I decided I will do the remainder of the cleaning or else I would have to drop her and I just wasn’t in the mood to be alone with her once more.
“Steph” I called out but there was no reply.
“Stephanie?”
Still no reply. I went to check on her followed by Natasha. I opened my room and gasped. All the clothes were pulled out of my closet but that’s the only difference I found while Stephanie lay across my bed sleeping. Wow how useless can one get? I was truly annoyed now and Natasha didn’t help matters as she laughed away and so did the boys.
I shook Stephanie roughly and she woke up with a start. “What the-?” and then she looked around and took in her surroundings.
“Oh Jude I am so sorry I had started cleaning I really had but then I had this awful headache and I thought I would just rest for a minute but I guess I fell asleep” she said wobbling her lips. Before this might have worked, but right now it pissed me off.
“You need to leave”
“Jude, I am really sorry”
“It's ok, but you still need to leave so that Wade and Sean can drop you off.” Wade and Sean gave me pained looks as if I had just announced that they would be serving a lifetime in prison.
“Why can’t I stay tonight and go in the morning?”
“Because my parents are coming in the morning and they might just decide to surprise me by dropping in early”
Reluctantly she got off my bed and started gathering her bags while Wade rolled his eyes at her and Sean muttered, ‘what a drama queen.’
She got up and looked at Natasha then looked at me and before I knew it her lips were locked on mine. I just stood there with my lips clamped shut. I had already told her that I wasn’t ready for any physicality till I was sure. A peck on the lips or cheek was ok, but she was trying to give me a full-fledged kiss. Finally she realized it was one sided and gave up.
She smirked as she realized that Natasha and the boys had left the room. I walked her to the door and she hugged me hard once again which got Sean muttering again. Finally she left and I closed the door and leant against it and sighed in relief. I looked up to see Natasha looking at me with her eyes narrowed, then she turned around and started cleaning the living room.
I stood up and joined her.
Stephanie’s POV:
I got into the car and slammed the door.
“Easy!” said Wade and I rolled my eyes. I rested my head against the seat. Today was a fiasco. I thought that I was only imagining that Jude had feelings for Natasha but the idiot actually cared about that simpleton!
I wanted to break something when he asked me to pick up the bags and lectured them in front of everyone but I controlled myself. First I needed to get him to trust me and then I needed him to cancel his ridiculous wedding to Natasha. I had been sure when I had challenged her in the beginning but I was not so sure.
I decided to try and get on Sean and Wade’s good side.
“So Sean are you seeing someone?” I asked.
“Not that it is any of your business but yes I am”
I bit back a retort and said, “that is nice. You must bring him to meet Jude and me”
Wade snorted and I asked, “What?”
“Nothing, it's just the way you take your and Jude’s names together, as if you both are a couple.”
“But we are a couple!”
“Yeah sure whatever helps you sleep at night. You know there’s only how much you can fool a person sooner or later he is bound to realize you are making a fool out of him”
“I don’t know what you are talking about!” I said my heart thundering.
“Well that’s too bad you will just have to wait and find out won’t you?”
I decided not to answer and looked outside the window. I hated both of them. There goes my plan of trying to win them over. I wanted to strangle them. They dropped me off at my apartment without even glancing at me. As I walked up to my door I realized I needed to do something drastic and I needed to do it soon!
Natasha’s POV:
Seeing Stephanie grab Jude in front of me and kiss him made me want to slap her. I wanted to pull her off him and yell at her, “He’s mine.” Hell I wanted to pull her off him and punch her and knock her teeth out! But I controlled my primal urge and walked out.
I was happy when Sean and Wade followed and informed me that Jude was not kissing her back. I did a little happy dance in my mind.
When Stephanie left Jude actually breathed a sigh of relief. He was tired of her already! Yay four to me and none to you Stephanie! I turned around before he could see the happiness on my face and started clearing the pizza boxes. After a moment Jude joined me.
We cleaned the whole lace in silence. Finally I sighed, I was tired, playing all these mind games was so tiring! I went to the bedroom and realized again that my night clothes weren’t there. I pulled out Jude’s clothes and went to the washroom. I smiled at how familiar his fragrance felt.
I got out and say Jude making my wall of pillows and grinned. I got into bed and we both lay in silence.
“I missed you” Jude said softly.
I smiled in the darkness glad he couldn’t see my face, “I missed you too” I replied.
“Nats do you like Wade?”
I smiled again and was so glad I had Sean! Damn he should be a love counselor or something! I made a mental note to buy him another gift.
“Yes I do Jude” I heard is sharp intake of breath and then completed my sentence, “I like him like I would like a brother”
“Really?” he asked suddenly all perky.
“Yeah really”
I took my phone out to set an early alarm so that I could organize the closet before his parents came.
“What are you doing?”
“Setting the alarm”
“For what?”
“Well I don’t what your parents to think I am a slob!”
“Why would they think that?”
“Because they know I have been staying her with you!”
“Yeah but they would think you are a slob only when they see this”
“Exactly my point!”
“uh Natasha they aren’t coming!”
I fell silent as I let the implications of this settle in.
“Then why did you say so?”
“Because I was worried about you! After I heard about your home being vandalized and now after the whole stalking incident I wasn’t going to let you out of my sight! It was the only way I could get
rid of Stephanie without her asking too many questions!”
Ok I know exactly what they mean in all those romance novels when the main character says she felt warm from the tips of her toes till her heart, because I felt exactly the same way right now. I smiled and said, “goodnight Jude”
“Goodnight Nats, I am glad you’re back”
So am I, I thought, so am I.