Chapter 4: Nat

I could not believe what I was seeing as I stepped from my car. Some Neanderthal was manhandling MY Sheila. She didn't know she was mine, but that was a mere technicality.

Sheila had been mine since she was just a little 7 year old girl following me and her brothers around, begging us to play with her. She was mine from the time she was 10, when she broke her arm falling out of our treehouse and I had to carry her 3 blocks home. She belonged to me when she was 16 and cried on my shoulder because her boyfriend had broken up with her. She had always been mine and always would be. Now that she was ready for me to tell her, I find her in some other man's arms.

I could have killed.

Marching over to the cozy couple, I demanded an explanation. "Just what the hell is going on here, Sheila? Who is this guy and why is he carrying you?"

I shot a venomous look at Neanderthal Man receiving a surprised look in return. Sheila, however, wasn't quite as accommodating.

"Nat! What are you doing back here? I thought you went home."

Keeping my eye on Neanderthal Man, I gave Sheila the obvious answer. "I came back."

That wasn't good enough for Sheila. I would have been surprised if it had been.

"No kidding, Nat. I figured that out all by myself. The question is why are you back? Is something wrong? Is it Todd? Or Mom and Dad?"

Sheila was starting to panic herself and for that I was sorry. I didn't mean to worry her. I just wanted her out of this other man's arms. I took a deep breath.

"Sheila, calm down. Everyone is fine. I just came back to see if I could take you to dinner. I figured you wouldn't feel like cooking after working on the apartment all day."

Sheila went limp until my next words registered.

"I thought I would find you passed out with exertion. Not cavorting with the neighbors. Guess you're not as tuckered out as I thought."

It was an asinine thing to say. I knew it, but I couldn't seem to stop the words from coming from my lips. Jealousy is a hard taskmaster. I had suffered through Sheila's boyfriends for years because I knew that she wasn't ready for me. Now she was ready and I wasn't going to tolerate any interference. Whoever Neanderthal Man was, he would just have to go away and find another woman. This one was spoken for.

Of course, first I would have to apologize to Sheila.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Nat? I was taking some boxes out to the trash when I tripped and fell, twisting my ankle. Mark here is my new neighbor, a paramedic, and has been kind enough to offer to help me back to my apartment since I can't walk. And for your information, Nathaniel Lewis Davis, I will cavort with anyone I damn well feel like!"

I knew I was in trouble after I said it. Sheila trotting out my full name only confirmed it. My mother was the only other person to use my full name and my lips twitched as Sheila played that card. She was angry, righteously so, and beautiful in her anger.