�How are your salads going?� the waitress asked. She obviously had not seen the display that had just gone down.
�Great, thanks,� Taylor said. �Can I get another Diet Coke?�
�Sure, and for you Miss?� she asked, turning to me.
�I�m good,� I said, not raising my eyes from my salad.
�K, be back with that in a second,� she said as she scurried off.
It took about five more minutes for Taylor to realize that I wasn�t speaking to him. It was like some light went off in his head all of a sudden, and he looked at me.
�Is something wrong, Natalie?� he asked me.
�Nope, everything�s just great,� I said.
�No it�s not�tell me what�s wrong,� he said, reaching across the table to try and capture my hand.
I looked up at his completely innocent face and my heart fluttered. No, Nat, keep being mad! I tried to
convince myself.
�You really want to know what�s wrong?� I asked him.
�Yes, I really want to know what�s wrong,� he countered.
�I hate that we can never go out without someone�some girl�coming up and fawning over you,� I told him quickly.
He closed his eyes for a few moments. I knew what was coming. We�d only had this fight 100 times. �I know you do sweetie,� he finally said. �I hate it too.�
No you fucking don�t!!! I yelled inside my head. �It�s just hard, you know?�
�Yes I know. It frustrates me that I can�t just be alone with you. But it�s not like I can do anything�� he said, his big blue eyes sad.
�I know you can�t,� I told him, my heart now completely melted. He always managed to have this effect on me.
�I�m sorry,� he told me lamely.
�It�s OK,� I replied, now convinced I was just overreacting.
He kissed the top of my hand before placing it back on the table. The waitress returned with a Diet Coke and our entrees, and we had a peaceful meal, just the two of us.
**********************************
An hour and two cappuccinos later, I had to make a stop in the bathroom. I was just moving my hand to unlock the stall when I heard people come in. I would have continued if I hadn�t heard what they were talking about.
�So I went over and said hello! I mean, wouldn�t you? He�s Taylor fucking Hanson!� It was Reagan, the girl from the table.
�Ohmygod! Is he still here?� a second voice asked.
�Yea, but he�s with�� Reagan stopped.
�With who? Holy shit, are Zac and Isaac here too?� the second voice asked excitedly.
�No. He�s with that Natalie girl.� I winced at the mention of my name.
�NATALIE?� She spat out my name like it was the unholiest thing she�d ever uttered. �The girl we saw on that website?�
�Yes! Oh my GOD it was disgusting!� Reagan continued. �She was just sitting there. Uuugghh� She�s so��
�Ugly?� Reagan�s friend offered. I bit my tongue immediately to stop from crying.
�Not even ugly�I don�t even know how to describe it. She�s been putting on a little weight lately. Like it matters though. She�ll get kicked to the curb soon enough. She�s like all those other sluts who just want to say they fucked a Hanson. Hell, I�d love to be able to say I did!�
Reagan and her friend laughed hysterically at that one. Tears sprang to my eyes at the mention of my weight. It�d always been a problem for me and the fact that this girl had noticed immediately told me it was diet time again. As for the topic of my sex life, I was about ready to jump out of the stall and strangle her. I did not �fuck a Hanson� and I was sick of hearing it. What Taylor and I shared was special�and our own damn business!
�Well, you never know, Rea,� the other girl started. �She could be in it for the money.�
�Well whatever it is, she�s obviously not doing her job. I know where Taylor�s hands were when her hugged me,� she continued.
�Did you say anything else to him?� the girl prodded.
�Yeah�so the girlfriend was looking at me, so I looked her right in the eye and told him�� I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the worst. �That I could make him so happy.�
�WHILE you were staring her down?� the friend exclaimed.
�Yep. But that wasn�t even the best part!� Reagan cried.
�It gets better? Oh my god, what was the best part?�
Reagan didn�t even have to answer her friend for me to know the answer. The best part was the fact that Tay didn�t counter her. Didn�t say how happy he was. The best part was that all Taylor did was smile
