Mothers Know Best

Everyone was eerily quiet and perfectly still. Experience had told them any notion of life would make it their turn. Even though she was focused on the dog fur stuck to her leggings, she could feel his eyes on her like daggers. Not able to contain herself any longer, making sure to keep all parts of her body perfectly still, she raised her eyes.

“Oh, Natalie. Would you like to go next?”

Natalie could hear the sighs of relief around her as panic immediately crept up her body. She could feel the heat start to radiate from her body. Every time he spoke, she thought she would melt into a puddle. She could listen to him for days. Forget that he was one of the most gorgeous humans to walk to earth. Ever. He had the thickest Cockney accent with a little bit of South Georgia mixed in. Natalie was sure it was the only reason the girls came every week. She knew the guys came for the girls.

Without looking up, Natalie began to read. She was immediately interrupted by Nicholas, the godlike instructor that belonged to the voice.

“Natalie. Every week, I have to remind you?” She could hear the laughter in his voice and she raised her head. She knew what he wanted. She just wanted to hear him say it.

Standing and looking straight ahead at the clock just above Nicholas’ head, she began again. As she read she allowed her story to take her away. By the time she got to the last paragraph, she was swept away with the characters and scenes. Moving her entire body as she read and replacing the voices of each character with a new one. Finishing the last sentence, she looked around at all the dumbfounded faces. Completely embarrassed, she quickly sat down and began another thorough investigation of her leggings.

“Wow. Natalie. That was incredible. You have really improved since our first meeting, two months ago. Way to go.” Looking up she realized he was standing right in front of her. Like she could reach out and touch him. She had never been this close to him before and she just knew she would pee her pants. Before she realized it, he was patting her on the back. Melt. She knew she would melt. She was very thankful she had worn her hair down this week as she could feel the hear radiating from her neck. Bending down to her he softly said, “Really, Natalie. That was a stand-up job.”

Turn to look at the others in the group, Nicholas told them they would be taking a 10 minute break as it wouldn’t be fair to whoever went next since Natalie had just given the best performance of her 23 years. As he spoke, she slowly lifted her head. Looking back at her, he winked and squeezed her shoulder. Letting his hand sit just a little while longer, she thanked him and quietly excused herself.

She could hear the girls in the bathroom before she even got to the door. She knew she would be bombarded with questions – what was it like for him to touch her, did he smell as dreamy as he looked – and decided to walk past the bathroom to the one of the other side of the gym. She just wanted a moment to herself to bask in the glory she felt from all of his attention.

Eight minutes later she was back in her seat, writing notebook in hand, staring at the dog fur on her leggings. The rest of the session was a blur as she used every ounce of her being to concentrate on the spot where Nicholas had put his hand. Looking up, she was embarrassed to find that everyone was walking out of the gym as they had been dismissed. Glancing at the clock, she wondering to herself how an hour had already passed.

Throwing her notebook into her bag, she did not notice Nicholas standing behind her. Flinging her bag over her shoulder, she turned and walked smack into him. His reaction was to thrown his arms around her to catch her. Throw-up. She just knew she was going to throw-up. He was hugging her. Hugging her! She could feel herself instantly start sweating. She tried to take a step back and was unable to as he did not loosen his arms. Looking up at him, he smiled and asked her if she was okay. She opened her mouth to say yes and all she could do was nod. Slowly he released her and told her he looked forward to next week’s submission.

Wobbly kneed, she half walked – half ran to her car. Getting in, she let out a very long breath. She had not realized she had been holding it in and she took a minute with her eyes closed to savor how the day had gone. She originally did not want to come to this week’s writing circle as Samantha had become “me first aren’t I great” and Natalie just did not have the energy for it this week. Then she reminded herself there would always be someone like Samantha. She was danged sure she wasn’t gonna let anyone – especially Samantha with her blonde hair and perfect body – take this from her. And no, she was not thinking of her writing. She was thinking of Nicholas. She just wanted to always be in the same room as him. All the time. Any time.

Smiling to herself, she opened her eyes and saw a note on her windshield. Looking around her car, she slowly opened the door and stepping out with one foot, she grabbed the note and read it. Reading the last line, she burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” came a Cockney voice behind her. Quickly, she threw the note in her car and turned around. There, less than an arm’s length away was Nicholas. Lying, Natalie said one of the girls had left a note on her car congratulating her on today’s reading. It was really a note from Samantha declaring Nicholas to be her’s and for Natalie to stop acting like she had a chance. Nicholas stepped closer to her and looking down at her, repeated what he had said early. At least that is what she thought he said. Looking up at his face, she realized he was waiting for an answer. Recognizing her confusion, he quickly stepped back and apologized. Realizing she was blowing her one shot, she quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist as he was turning to leave.

“Honestly, I have no idea what you said. I can’t concentrate when you are that close to me.” Hearing herself say the words and unable to stop them as they tumbled out of her mouth, she just stood there utterly embarrassed at her outburst and was sure she would actually turn into a puddle this time.

And yet, the look on his face told her she had said the right thing.

The following week as all the writer’s filed into the gym for their writing circle, Samantha was the first to greet Natalie as she took her seat. Smirking, she reiterated what her note had said and walked across the room to the seat she always sat in, right next to Nicholas. Before her butt hit the cushion, she felt a gentle poke on her shoulder.

“Actually, if you could let Natalie sit there this week that would be great.” Samantha’s jaw dropped as she looked over at the face that was attached to that sweet, heavenly accent. Unable to comprehend that he had asked her - her! - to give up her seat to that mousy brunette whose face was covered in freckles, she continued her original movement and sat. Surely, she had misunderstood.

Heat rose on Samantha’s face as she watched Nicholas cross the circle and take the empty seat next to Natalie. Mortified, Samantha grabbed her backpack and started to storm out. Not realizing her bag was stuck between the two chairs, Samantha became enraged as chairs started to fly from the force of her pulling. Watching her struggle with her bag was quite the site. Looking around the room, Natalie could see that no one was going to help her and they all looked like they were holding in peals of laughter. Slowly, she walked over to the chairs and stopping Samantha from swinging her bag, she calmly released it from its captor. Without looking back, she grumbled thank you and stormed out of the gym.

All eyes were on Natalie as she walked back to her seat and pulled her notebook out of her bag. Pen in hand she waited to she what this week’s prompt was. Looking over at her in astonishment, Nicholas stood up and said, “That, writer’s, is your prompt. Write about what you just saw but write from the perspective of the mouse that just witnessed it from the rafter in the ceiling.” All eyes followed Nicholas’ finger as he pointed up. Sitting in the far corner of the gym, nibbling a cracker, was the cutest gray field mouse Natalie had ever seen.

Making his way to the restroom, all Nicholas heard behind him was the clicking of keys on keyboards and the scratching of pencils on paper. Thinking to himself, he was glad he had followed his mother’s advise and started this writing circle. She of course was right, as all mother’s usually are. This time though, he would have to tell her how right she was. Or maybe he would just show her by bringing Natalie by for their weekly Saturday night family barbecue.