When in Paris

(15) Fifteen

Chapter 15

Nathan turned the video camera on Cathreese just as she shoved a piece of Pop-Tart in her mouth the next morning. "So Cathreese, my fair companion, what has been your favorite part of our adventure so far?"

She chewed slowly to give herself time to think. Dancing with him last night was most definitely her favorite part but she wasn't sure if she should say that.

"Be honest," Nathan prompted. "If everything has sucked then let me know."

Cathreese swallowed, "Dancing with you last night."

Nathan looked surprised, "That was your favorite thing? Dancing with me? We could have done that at home."

Cathreese just shrugged as she broke of another piece of her breakfast, "You said be honest."

"Okay, rewording the question. What was your favorite adventure worthy thing we did?"

Cathreese didn't feel like changing her answer, "Dancing with you."

Nathan lowered the camera in exasperation, "That wasn't an adventure."

"It was my first slow dance," she said simply, nibbling at the crust of her Pop-Tart. "It was an adventure to me."

"What's-his-face never danced with you?" Nathan shut off the camera and hopped up onto the counter, his heels knocking into the cabinet door. "Why not?"

"I never danced with him," Cathreese corrected. "I never wanted to."

"Why?" Nathan looked intrigued. "I thought you guys were really serious."

"Maybe I lied a little bit about the nature of our relationship," Cathreese kept her eyes on the crumbs she was stabbing with her finger. "All we ever did was kiss. And not that much."

"For three years?

"He never actually liked me. He just dated me because I was his best friend growing up. And I was 'hot'." Cathreese used air quotes and a distained expression when she said Caiden's favorite word to describe her. "I think he had another girlfriend."

Nathan spoke up immediately, "He was obviously stupid then. And blind."

"Huh?"

"He was an idiot to let someone like you go. And hot is a word better used for hookers and sluts, not nice, gorgeous girls like you. It's completely different. Hot is usually used if you just want to get in someone's pants."

Cathreese wasn't sure what to point out first; that Caiden had never once attempted to get in her pants or the fact that Nathan had called her hot himself.

She went with the second one.

"You called me hot. After you ran away from me on Tuesday."

"First, I didn't run away. And second, I just called you hot cause I was embarrassed about telling you something you didn't want to hear and I needed a way to play it off like it was no big deal. Hence the hot." He lifted the whipped cream can he got from the fridge to his lips and squirted the white foam into his mouth. He didn't seem embarrassed to be telling her this now. He acted like it was no big deal as he wiped some cream off his upper lip. "I apologize for degrading you like that. It was rude of me."

"Okay."

"Now ask me." He hopped off the counter and shoved the camera into her hands.