Marci walked slowly through the crowd. She was staring at Nathan as he talked to a group of his father's friends. In the spirit of summer, they were throwing yet another party. She hadn't really wanted to attend this one but she'd been given no choice on the matter. Inhaling deeply, she slowed down even further and took in the rest of the room.
"Keep walking Marci." said a whisper in her right ear. It made her shiver involuntarily. She had almost forgotten the man behind her. She turned slightly to look at him and he smiled rather sweetly. She wasn't minutely fooled.
"I could do this for you but it's always better from the horses mouth I think." he added with a gleam in his eyes she couldn't quite place.
She had been right, Drew had changed. He was definitely a person to be wary about. At least as far as Marci was concerned. She turned back and picked up her pace as she waked towards Nathan. It should be noted that the only reason she picked up her pace was because Drew was about to meld into her back. Panic rose and she strode purposefully towards Nathan.
He saw her approaching and looked over her shoulder to Drew with a raised eyebrow. No one is that dumb Marci thought to herself as she arranged her face into a suitable mask and greeted the old men with Nathan. They were polite and charming and she actually managed to wedge herself between them for a little chat.
"You must come out with us next time we go. I'll ask Nate for your number." The one called John told her. He was referring to a trip to the shooting range. Marci had always had a fascination for guns and shooting. If she was American, she'd be a very outspoken supporter of the NRA. She nodded and smiled at the lot. Nathan was watching her quietly. As was Drew on the other side of her. She felt very much trapped and she also felt horrible thinking of the impending conversation with Nathan.
"Nathan, come talk to me for a bit." She told him and took his hand. He was smart, his face showed sign of discomfort. Or was it sad resignation to a doomed relationship? Paranoia Marci, stop it, she told herself then reminded herself that he was going to be pissed or hurt or both anyhow so her paranoia was justified!
They walked outside and Marci looked furtively over her shoulder to make sure Drew wasn't following. She wouldn't put it past him to make this as uncomfortable as he could.
"I told you I didn't want to fight Drew for you Marci." Nathan said quietly. They'd found a spot on one of the garden tables outside. It was another award winning warm night in Malindi and it smelled of jasmine all over. On another night, it would have been heavenly. Tonight it felt clammy and stifling.
Marci widened her eyes and looked at Nathan intently. He was seated back, regarding her with slightly hooded eyes.
"I don't want you to fight him especially not for me Nathan." She said slowly, trying to find something suitably "new age philosophy" to tell him. She couldn't come up with a suitably intelligent or plausible reason for that piece of information so she trailed off. They looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
"So what happened that night at Barcode?" he asked leaning forward and fixing her with another intent gaze.
She leaned back into her chair in reflex and saw his face twitch slightly. She swallowed uncomfortably. Her throat was really dry. She looked at a nearby tap and resisted the urge to drink water from the garden hose. Nathan handed her his drink. She smiled in thanks and took a large gulp. She regretted it immediately.
Nathan drank his whisky like she drank her vodka, neat. It burnt her parched throat further and she sputtered ungraciously under Nathan's amused gaze.
"Nate, I told you I was coming back for her." A voice said behind her and her sputtering immediately ceased. For a moment she thought she was going to pass out. Unfortunately for her, she did not have "passing out suddenly" genes. How she wished she had the weak constitution of the Victorian ladies. A faint would have come in handy about now.
Drew walked into view and Nathan leaned back as they regarded each other silently. Marci was looking at both of them wondering which direction this was headed. Another one of those situations you just know cannot be salvaged in any way whatsoever.
"You told him what?" Marci asked Drew as he sat with them. She considered handing Nathan back his drink then changed her mind. Unladylike sputtering or not, this was the most uncomfortable setting ever. She needed some Dutch courage. How does one properly hold their head up when they are seated with two brothers they've slept with? One of whom is her boyfriend.
"Before I joined the foreign legion I told him I was going to come back and get you." Drew reiterated slowly, shifting his gaze from her to Nathan and back to her.
Foreign legion. No wonder the man had acquired an edginess to him that she hadn't been to explain earlier. She deliberately suppressed the mental image of Drew in fatigues. Regardless of the tension in the air, it was still such a hot image and it wouldn't do to get all flustered, would it?
"Drew, that was what, six years ago?" Nathan questioned with a laugh. Not a genuine one either and Marci just wanted to simply evaporate.
"Ok Nathan, Drew. Clearly I'm not totally in the loop here. However," she said looking at Nathan, "I feel it's best if we end this. The awkward moments and all are not worth it. I'm sure there are some serious moral questions to be raised as well."
Sighing deeply, she took a small sip of the whisky and continued talking to the brothers. They had both leaned back into their chairs and were regarding her with slight smiles. She ignored the smiles. "Drew, you are a whirlwind, whatever your agreement with Nathan about me, consider it rescinded by me. I feel like Brian should be here as well! Wow! I will now leave you two boys to talk, bond or whatever it is brothers do when they discover they like the same girl. Nate, give John my number, I'd like to go to the shooting range as soon as he can arrange it. Thanks."
With that she drained the glass, mustered some dignity and walked off. She didn't look back. Heading straight to the gate, she opted to walk the short way back home.
"Say it Marci. Loud." Drew whispered in her ear as she stood pinned to the wall of her bedroom. She looked at him defiantly and kept quiet.
"Breaking and Entering is a crime in Kenya. Seven year sentence I think. That hasn't changed over the last ten years Drew. Other things clearly have changed drastically just not the Penal Code." She responded instead after the silence threatened to stretch on.
