Chapter 57 Left hanging dry
I’m quick to my feet, following after him.
“Natte, wait,” I call.
He stops just shy of the bedroom door, and turns back to face me. “Will you tell him today or not?”
I let out a light breath, wrapping my arms around myself. “I will tell him, but I can’t today,” I shake my head. “Not today. Please try to understand.”
Moving forward, I reach for him, but he shakes his head, no.
The rejection from him hurts more than I ever realised it could.
He walks out of the bedroom heading for the main door.
“Don’t leave like this, please,” I say, desperation in my voice, catching hold of his hand from behind.
He stares down at my hand in his. The look on his face makes me let go.
“I’m not the other guy, Shia.”
“I know, and I will tell him, I promise you.”
He looks down at the floor. “Are you going to bring him to the hotel staff dinner?”
I press my lips together. “I can’t go to it and leave him and Terry here.”
“No. I guess you can’t.” His tone is sardonic.
“Do you not want me to come to the dinner? I can make up some excuse why.”
“No. Bring him to the fuckin’ dinner. I don’t care.”
Then it’s like an invisible force field settles down in-between us.
“I’ll do whatever’s easiest for you, Natte.”
“No you won’t. Telling him the truth is what would be easiest for me.” He gives me a firm stare.
I look away, ashamed that he’s right. Right that I won’t tell Will. Wait, not even Will—Pine, it’s Pine I’m supposed to tell that we should stop our night meetings.
“Just do whatever you want, Shia. I don’t give a shit anymore.”
Then he’s gone and the door is slamming behind him, and I’m left alone, knowing I have to pull myself together and go downstairs to face Terry. To act like everything is okay, when it couldn’t be any further from okay.
I glance down at the two bracelets on my wrist from the two men I love.
Now I just have to figure out which one I’m going to take off—Pine or Natte.
The dinner is insanely good.
Natte, Dennis and Tim are on top form—Natte most of all. It’s the last dinner with his friends and welcome dinner to his employees as their new boss, and he is making sure they finish on a high note.
I haven’t seen Natte since this morning. He’s avoiding me for obvious reasons.
I know it’s hurting him, Will being here, and I hate it. I can’t stand the thought of Natte being in pain in general, but when it’s because of me it’s a thousand times worse.
I wish I could make it better for him. But right now I feel like I’m caught between a rock—Natte—and a hard place—Pine.
For a change, the resort organized karaoke. I’m out front watching the banter at the dinner table with Will and Terry. I thought it would be better than stage side for obvious reasons, and Steve very kindly sorted me out some fantastic seats for the three of us. Vicky didn’t show up for this dinner due to a business emergency.
We’re seated close to the stage with a clear view of the door, so I can see when Natte arrives. Well, maybe saying seated is wrong because Terry and I haven’t sat down since the show started.
It’s hard not to fall into the pull of the show, because Natte and the guys are on fire.
I’m just glad I wore my floral print cami top and blue denim skirt as it’s crazy hot in here tonight.
And I don’t think the heat is helping with my wrecking ball nerves, but then I’ve been this way all day.
I’m trying to keep thoughts of what happened this morning out of my head and to focus on thinking about Pine, but it’s difficult, especially here now, looking at Natte, looking so beautiful up on the stage.
Natte finishes up singing one of the new hits, ‘Perfect Desire,’ and slows things down to an easy stop.
There’s some whistles from the audience, but it’s so silent that you could hear the beating heart of a mouse.
I find myself holding my breath along with everyone else.
Then the spotlight hits Natte.
He looks like a God up there. So beautiful with the world at his feet.
Eight hundred staff members who showed up all are waiting to hear what will come out of Natte’s mouth.
A man with the adoration of the world at his feet, and in this moment I can’t exactly figure why he wants me.
Natte steps back from the mic and pulls his cigarette from out of his back pocket, puts it between his lips, and lights it up.
Blowing the smoke from his mouth, I can tell he’s already been smoking a lot; that’s apparent enough.
He takes another drag of his cigarette and steps up to the mic.
The whole place is silent, once again, in anticipation of what Natte will say next.
He exhales his smoke as he leans into the mic and starts to speak. “Okay,” he runs his hand through his hair, looking contemplative. “I know the guys are going to kill me for this… but I’m thinking of maybe mixing things up a bit, doing something a little different.” Natte leans back from his mic, looking at Tim with a question on his face, covering his mic with his smoking hand.
Tim wanders over to him. Natte says something in his ear. Tim looks up surprised, then nods once at Natte.
Tim heads back past Dennis, leaning over the drum kit, and says something to him. I see Dennis look over at Natte, a puzzled look on his face. Natte lifts his shoulders, grinning.
The room is abuzz. The employees are wondering just what’s going on.
Tim jumps down from the kit and goes over and speaks to Sam.
Sam looks across at Natte and gives him a quick nod.
Tim walks back past Natte, putting his hand on his shoulder, he speaks briefly in his ear. I see Natte laugh as Tim walks away.
Natte looks back out at the crowd. “Okay folks, sorry about that.” His beautiful voice echoes around the stadium. “We’re going for a song change, but one I think you guys will dig. We’re doing something a little different. Since it’s karaoke, we’ll sing what we love and still do. It’s a personal favourite of mine.”
He takes another drag of cigarette.
“So all you ladies out there… no, actually guys too, how many of you have had your heart broken?”
Every hand in the whole place goes up.
“I’ve had my heart broken too, believe it or not, quite recently in fact,” he says.
Oh God.
“I’ll mend it for you, Natte!” cries a female voice from the room.
Natte chuckles into the mic. “I might have to take you up on that, honey.”
“Say when and where, and I’ll be there, baby!” yells the woman.
Then a collection of female voices all start screaming, vying for Natte’s attention.
My throat is starting to get tight. I’m nervous and on edge, knowing where he’s going with this. I know he can be unpredictable at times, especially when he’s been drinking.
“Okay,” he lifts his hand, quietening the crowd. “So tell me, out of all those broken hearts, how many of them was because your guy or girl cheated on you?”
Holy shit.
Some of the hands go down.
“Bad shit, huh?” he says into the mic.
“Okay…” He takes another drag of his cigarette and drops it to the floor, putting it out with his boot. “How many of these hands up have ever, in their time, been… a cheater too?”
My heart drops through the floor. I can’t believe he’s doing this in front of his workers.
A huge majority of the hands go down. I bind my hands together in front of me.
I sneak a glance at Will, my supposed boyfriend, but he’s watching the show.
I can’t even look at Terry. I haven’t really had a chance to talk to her about Natte. I gave her a brief overview while Will was in the toilet, but catching Natte in the bathroom attached to my bedroom told her all she needed to know.
She does not judge, like I thought, and I love her for that, but she did say I need to make a decision. And she’s right. I do.
I’m just not fully sure on which decision to make.
“Okay, well this song is for all of you who have been cheated on,” Natte continues. “And also for the ones they cheated with. The ones of you who were used and abused, filled with a shitload of promises, then left hanging dry. This one is for you guys…”