Part Ten

"Oh My God!!" Cat screams, although it sounds more like a whisper with Journey blaring in the background. "What are you doing here?!" Before she can stop herself her arms are around his neck and only when she notices his hands are still by his side holding shots of Yaeger does she let go.

"Hey Cat, good to see you," Nick says looking around.

"You too! I can't believe it. I never thought I would run into you in New York! What are you doing down here?" She can't wipe the smile off her face. What luck, she keeps thinking, thank God she decided to go out with Dave tonight.

"I'm here for a friends wedding." He looks uncomfortable.

"No way, do you know Dave?" She points to Dave and Courtney who are still talking in the corner.

"Sure, sure, I know Dave." He tries to sneak a shot of liquor into his mouth but Cat scrunches her nose and shakes her head at him. "Thirsty?" She askes. After months of talking online she feels like she knows him, like this is a perfectly normal continuation of all the previous conversations they have had.

"I don't want them to go to waste." He smiles. There's the humor I know, she thinks.

"Well pass one over here," she takes a plastic shot glass from his hand and toasts the one he is left with. "Cheers! Here's to bumping into you, literally," she laughs and runs her hand over the stain on his right forearm.

"Ha, right! You too." He says moving his arm so she can't reach him.

"So, what's up? How are you? It's so good to see you." She can't believe he is here, that she is actually talking to him. This is so much easier than she thought it would be, and how easy that it just happened without her having to plan it all out.

"I know. This is crazy." He looks around again. "Hey, excuse me for one second. I need to give the rest of these shots to my buddies."

"Sure, no problem," Cat says before she notices that his hands are empty. Shit, she thinks, I always come on too strong. She walks back to Dave and Courtney. A bad feeling is growing in her stomach and she allows herself to wonder if she really has been wasting time on Nick. She can hear Hallie's voice in her head and she wishes her friend was here to reassure her fragile nerves. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Hi, long line in the bathroom." Dave asks.

"Ha," Cat forces a smile on her face.

"You okay?" He looks worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just too much Yaeger. Ugh."

"Don't I know it," Courtney says flashing her perfect white smile. "My fiance was supposed to bring me another shot. I don't know what hole he fell into."

"The weirdest thing just happened," Cat leans into tell Dave, "I just ran into this guy I used to date freshman year of college."

"Really, who? Maybe I know him."

Cat turns to face the crowd. She searches for Nick until she spots him huddled up to the bar across the room.

"See that tall guy over there, with the blue shirt and the dark hair, right up against the bar. The bartender is serving him now." Cat points at Dave, and she sees Courtney snuggle up next to him. "Right next to Courtney."

"Nick?" Dave asks. "That's Court's fiance. They are getting married in a September."

Cat has to choke back her tears. There is no way she can stay at the party. She can't face Nick again. As she turns to grab her purse she hears Courtney behind her.

"Dave, Davey, look who the cat finally dragged in." She shouts over the music.

"Hey Buddy," she hears Dave's friendly voice and the loud clap of a hand on a back.

She pretends she needs something from her purse and moves her lipgloss and wallet in a circle before she feels Dave's hand on her back. Her tears have frozen and a quick anger takes their place.

"Hey Cat, I want you to meet Courtney's fiance, Nick. Or should I say I want you to see since it seems you two already know each other." Dave laughs.

Courtney's grin turns into a tight line. "You know each other?" She asks.

Cat waits for Nick to answer. This is not her problem.

"Yeah, babe, we went to college together. Hey Cat, it's great to see you." He throws her a line hoping she's grab on and save him.

"Yeah, Nick, you too, although we did just say hello. Or maybe you forgot." Cat takes a swig of her beer.

"No way, when was the last time you two talked." Courtney asks relaxing.

"Um, I don't know. Years ago. I mean we haven't talked since school, probably." Nick sips his vodka through a small red straw. He won't look at Cat.

"I guess that's right," Cat starts. Courtney and Dave are looking at her now, "but we've been emailing pretty regularly for the last few months." She downs the rest of her beer and puts her purse over her shoulder. "Funny, you seem to have forgotten to mention your fiance." Cat looks at Nick who won't meet her gaze. "Sorry Courtney, Dave." She says and walks out of the bar.

When she reaches the street she is ready to scream. She walks quickly down the avenue to the train station, but can't force herself down the stairs, she continues walking south until she is almost running. She can't even think about what has just happened. What an idiot, what an idiot, what an idiot, she says over and over in her head until the tears finally begin to fall. When she reaches fifty-fifth street her legs are so heavy that she doesn't think she can take another step. She stops. She puts her hand up to hail a cab. A taxi is just two blocks north and she prays someone else won't catch it. She rubs her wet eyes with the back of her hand and waits. As the taxi approaches she turns to make sure she has enough cash.

"Cat," she hears. "Cat," Dave says his breathes short and hard, "are you ok?"

When the taxi stops he opens the door and climbs in next to her.