CHAPTER 13

Nigel tapped his pen on the exam paper he was grading and lifted his eyes towards Sydney ’s office. Her door was open and her blinds were raised, so he could see her seated at her desk with her glasses perched on the tip of her nose as she worked at her computer.

Karen had already left for the day and he had decided to stay behind to finish up grading the midterms from Sydney ’s classes. He’d fallen behind the last week and a half because they had been so busy with relic hunting.

He stared down at the pen in his hand. They needed to talk, but he didn’t want to start another argument, and he certainly didn’t want to appear stupid by bringing up something Sydney seemed to have gotten over. She was business as usual when she came in that morning and after the stressful weekend he’d faced alone he found himself resenting Sydney ’s breezy approach to work.

He’d hardly slept a wink in the two days that they’d been apart, his mind churning with the thoughts of what she might be feeling, what the time in London really meant, all the things that Claudia had said and, of course, the stirrings of his own heart refused him any relief.

He found himself recalling all the times Sydney had touched him, or smiled at him over the last couple of years. Started analyzing certain comments and gestures, then berated himself for trying to see more to them than there really was. He didn’t know if Sydney ’s feelings had recently changed or if they had changed long ago and she had been hiding it.

And who was to say her feelings really were any different? What if Claudia was wrong and Sydney was just looking for someone to fool around with? How was he to know she was serious about a possible relationship or if she was just bored and was looking for something to spice up her life?

“Nigel?”

His gaze shot up to find Sydney standing in the doorway of her office, one hand on her hip, the other leaned against the door frame, a sign of her own exhaustion.

“That’s enough for tonight,” she said. “You can head home.”

“Are you going home?” he asked, quietly.

“I will in a bit.” She didn’t want to go home to an empty house and sit up all night thinking of Nigel and stuffing her face again. If she could get herself tired enough before going home maybe she’d sleep. “I have a few more things to finish up.”

Nigel nodded and dipped his head to start grading the papers again. “ Ill finish up too, then.”

Sydney sighed at his loyalty and remembered again why it was she loved him. She turned, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door frame. “While I appreciate your devotion to work, I really think the papers can wait, Nigel.”

“It’s better to get them done and over with.”

She walked over, stopped in front of his desk, and pulled the pen out of his fingers. “You’re young, intelligent and attractive. You should be out painting the town with some hot young girl, not sitting in this stuffy office grading papers.”

Nigel glanced up at her again. God she was beautiful, even when she looked exhausted. “On a school night?”

She smirked. “You’re not the student anymore, Nigel. You can go out any night you want.”

“Why aren’t you out with some buffed Adonis, then?” Why was she pushing him to date someone else after what happened in London ? Didn’t she understand how confusing it was when she paid him such a tremendous compliment, and then urged him to have an affair with someone else?

“I’m too old for the clubbing scene.”

“You aren’t that much older than me.”

She perched on the front of his desk. “I feel ancient sometimes.”

“That’s because of the places where we hang out,” he assured, relieved to have some semblance of their usual communication returned. “Hundred year old caves and Egyptian tombs are enough to make anyone feel their age.”

She smirked, set his pen in the cup holder on his desk next to his British flag and rose. “Well, I know any of the girls on campus would be yours with just a phone call.”

“I prefer older women lately,” he said, taking a chance and watching her reaction.

Sydney hid her surprise well. “I hear Mrs. Stepple is looking for a fine young thing since her husband died.”

Nigel shuttered as he thought of the sixty-three year old music teacher. “I said older not prehistoric.”

Sydney grinned and moved back to her office. “Suit yourself then.” She stepped back through her door and heard Nigel call her name. She peered through the doorframe at him. “Yeah?”

“Are…are you hungry?” Nigel asked, hesitantly. What was he doing? Was he mad? He said he wasn’t going to do this. This was crazy!

She smiled again. “I am. Wanna order something in?”

“Um…” He grabbed another pen out of the cup, needing something to occupy his hands. “We…why don’t we…um…go out instead?”

“Nigel, are you asking me on a date?”

“No!” He flushed. Why did she have to make everything into challenge or game of wits? “I…I mean, we could use a break from the office, that’s all.”

“Sure,” Sydney smiled. “Let me grab my purse.” She returned to her office, her heart pounding in her chest and grabbed her purse. She glanced out the office window and noticed Nigel had started clearing his desk, giving her time to quickly powder her nose and add some fresh gloss to her lips.

She paused and wondered why she was getting so excited? She rarely felt this nervous when going to dinner with someone, and it was just Nigel after all. She thought about her conversation with Claudia, considered telling Nigel the truth, but he was already showing signs of anxiety so she dismissed the notion. He wanted normal, she would make things normal for them again.

 She returned to the outer office. “I’m ready.”

Nigel glanced up from where he had been packing away his laptop in its leather bag and noticed the new sheen on her lips. He wondered what flavour gloss she had applied and if she might let him have a taste.

He felt the heat hit his cheeks and he quickly bowed his head and fumbled with the catch on his laptop bag. “Um…just uh…I’m ready too.” He tossed the bag over his shoulder, and then remembered he’d ridden his bike to work. “Um…” He set the bag down under the desk. He’d come back for it later. “Where did you want to go?”

“Let’s just walk to the pub on the corner,” Sydney suggested as switched off the light in her office and locked it up. “I’m in the mood for fish and chips.”

Nigel nodded and headed for the main door, holding it open for her and waiting until she had stepped through before turning off the lights and closing and locking the door with his own keys. “Me too.”

The night air hit them as they exited the building, but it was a warm New England night so the walk across campus to the Fox and the Firkin was a pleasant one.

“Look at those stars, hey?” Sydney commented as she glanced up at the blanket of silver lights above. “Not a cloud in the sky.”

“Mmmm,” Nigel agreed as he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. What to do, what to do? Should he broach the subject or just ignore it and enjoy a pleasant evening with his friend? But if her feelings for him had changed he’d be a fool not to take the chance of being more to her than just a friend.

He was startled when he felt himself yanked sideways and met Sydney ’s amused gaze.

“You were almost taken out by a lamp post, Nigel,” she said, pointing to the object he had almost walked into.

Nigel blinked. He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t been paying attention to where he was going. “Oh,” was all he could say.

 “Totally the post’s fault, it practically jumped in your path.”

Sydney’s hand on his arm lingered a little longer than necessary, before she dropped it back to her side but he detected her reluctance to release him. He wondered if such regret had been there before and he never noticed. He pursed his lips and they continued their walk.

Did she like touching him, he wondered? He thought back and started counting the times she had touched him. Granted, most of the time it was to shove him out of the way or haul him behind her, but there had been other times. A hand on his shoulder, a hug out of the blue. Now and then her hand would brush his, when they were in close quarters, and he had to fight not to wrap his fingers in hers because he was sure it was just an accident.

He recalled the words she said to him when they were searching for Al Capone’s gun. ‘I’m great at reading the signals, it’s the part after that I have trouble with.’ He couldn’t imagine Sydney having trouble with men. She was so beautiful and confident.

He remembered her playfulness when they went to his reunion, her flirting was far more bold than usual, but he had thought she was just bored and teasing him as she usually did. Either that or she was trying to loosen him up because of everything that was going on.  

Then he remembered when they had almost kissed and were interrupted by Preston . She had actually stammered. He couldn’t recall ever hearing Sydney stammer before. Could that weekend have sparked her idea for romance the next time they went to London ?

“Nigel?”

He stopped walking and found Sydney standing by the door of the pub.

“Are we going in would you prefer to stay in whatever universe you were just visiting?”

He flushed and pulled open the door for her. “Sorry, just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” she asked as she held up two fingers to the hostess who promptly seated them in a booth towards the back. She could see that he was thinking; his usually smooth brow had been creased in thought, his lips pursed as if trying to figure out a riddle.

Nigel slid into the seat opposite her and accepted the menu from the hostess. “What I want to eat,” he replied as he opened it and tried to decipher the contents in the dim, reddish glow of the lighting. “Oh look, they have crab cakes.”

Sydney opened her own menu. “I’m having fish and chips.”

“Crab is fish.”

She made a face at him as the waitress appeared. They both ordered a couple of cokes and the waitress returned with them a minute later. She took their order of fish and chips for two, and wandered off again. “I thought you were having crab cakes?” she teased and took a sip of her drink.

“I didn’t say I was having crab cakes, I merely pointed out that they were available.”

“It was very good of you to point that out, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Happy to be of service.”

Their banter was playful and light, but Nigel could still feel the tension between them. For one thing, Sydney was looking everywhere but at him and had already finished over half of her drink. “Would you like another?” he asked.

Sydney glanced down at her glass and set it back on the table. “No, I’m okay.” She wished their food would come so she would have something to do with her hands, instead of wishing they were on Nigel. “Um…Did you hear back from Dianne?”

Nigel shook his head, surprised by her attempt at small talk. Sydney was actually nervous! How was that possible? “No, I expect she is still looking over our samples. I’m sure she’ll call when she has something.”

“Yes, she’s good like that.” Sydney looked around, there was only a few other people in there, college students and their girlfriends. She turned her attention to the pictures on the walls, but they were hard to see in the dim lighting. “They make it so dark in here.”

“It’s supposed to be. It contributes to the ambiance of the pub.”
            “Yes, but why so dark? You can hardly see to read the menu.”

Nigel shrugged. “I suspect it’s for the customers then, allows them a little more privacy than a fluorescently lit restaurant would.”

Sydney bit down on her lip to keep from asking what level of privacy as visions of what she and Nigel could be doing in the hidden corners of the pub. She cleared her throat and was shocked to find that her palms were sweating.

“Syd?”

Her head shot up to look at him. “Huh?”

“Are you okay?”

“Fine. Just tired.”

“If you’d rather just go home…”

“No!” She was alarmed when she her face flame in embarrassment. “I…I mean, I’m hungry too.”

“Oh.” Nigel paused and looked around, then back at her. She was chewing on her lower lip and she only did that when she was trying to figure something out. He wondered what she was thinking. Could Claudia be right? Dare he take the chance that she was? “Can I come over there?”

Sydney blinked up at him. “Huh?”

He indicated her seat. “Can I sit over there with you? There’s a draft coming from somewhere and it’s going straight across my back.”

“Oh.” Sydney moved to the inside of the booth and watched Nigel rise and settle beside her. “Better?”

“Yes, thanks.”

Having him so close she could smell the delightful scent of his aftershave and there wasn’t enough room on the seat to keep their thighs from touching under the table. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, wishing she could do what she wanted most, grab his face and kiss him soundly.

Instead, she reached for her drink and finished it off.

“Another one?” Nigel asked again.

Sydney nodded and resisted the urge to ask for something stronger Nigel signalled their waitress, who quickly brought her a refill. She fanned herself. “It’s warm in here.”

“Not from that side,” Nigel teased.

Sydney normally would have just traded seats with him, but she was enjoying having him so close. “Well, I’d rather be warm than cold.”

“Yes, I remember.” He folded his hands together on the table and could almost feel the tension vibrating from her. He felt her shiver. “Are you cold?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Why?”

“You just shivered.”

“Oh.” The waitress returned with their drinks along with a basket of tortilla chips and Sydney immediately reached for one. “Someone walked over my grave I guess.” She shoved most of the chip into her mouth to prevent herself from saying anything else.

Get a grip, she scolded herself. It was just Nigel. They’d been in much closer quarters, hell they’d shared a bed together. She closed her eyes and groaned internally as she remembered the fiasco in London . How could she have been so stupid?

Nigel was watched a wide range of emotions flicker across Sydney’s face, watched her eyes close and practically heard her groan in despair. He tilted his head towards her and rested his chin on the palm of his hand so he could study her. She was worked up about something, she was regretting something. Several expressions flashed over her at once, and when she opened her eyes finally, he did not even pretend to look away.

Sydney blinked, startled to find Nigel watching her so intently. She immediately wiped at her face. “Do I have something on my nose?”

“No, your nose is perfect.” Just like the rest of her, he added silently.

Sydney lowered her eyes and smiled slightly as she reached for another chip. “What’s taking so long with that fish? Did they have to go out and catch it first?”

Nigel recognized a change of topic ploy easily, he’d done it often enough. Sod it, he had to know.  “Syd, don’t you think we should talk?”

“We are talking.”

No they were dancing around each other like a couple of school kids. “About before I mean.”

“Before what? Dinner?”

She wasn’t going to make it easy for him and he was tempted to leave it at that. If she wanted to sweep it under the rug, he was more than willing. Then, he thought of what he could be losing if he didn’t get to the truth. A chance with Sydney , a real genuine chance. “Before…in London .”

Sydney reached for another chip. “You made your feelings clear, there’s nothing more to talk about.”

“I think there is.”

“I don’t.” She glanced around for the waitress. “You think we could get some salsa for these chips?”

“Syd…”

“Drop it, Nigel.”

Nigel smothered a growl and turned away from her. Fine. She wasn’t willing to talk, they wouldn’t talk. He suddenly wasn’t very hungry and he stood up.

“Where are you going?” Sydney asked, a little too quickly.

“I’m tired, I’m going home.” He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and tossed some money on the table.

“What about your food?”

“I’m not hungry any more.” He put his wallet away. “See you tomorrow.” He pushed through the pub doors and grimaced at the heavy rain that had started to fall. “Bloody wonderful!” he grumbled as he turned up the collar of his shirt and hunched his shoulders against the downpour, he hadn’t even brought a jacket because the weather had been warm today.

“Nigel!”

He paused and turned to see Sydney running after him, also getting soaked in the process. “Go back inside!” he yelled at her, worried she’d catch her death in her thin skirt and top.

“Not unless you do,” she said, catching up to him. Her hair was clinging to her face and she had wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the sudden chill from the rain.

“What’s the point?” he demanded. “You won’t talk to me.”

“I will!”
            “Not about London .”

“Why do we have to talk about that? Why can’t we just forget it?”

He waved his arms at her, frustrated. “I can’t forget it, Sydney ! It’s all I can bloody think about!”

Sydney bit her lip and lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop it!” he ordered angrily, then suddenly caught her arm and pulled her into a covered bus stop, out of the rain. “Stop saying you’re sorry, for heaven’s sake!” He ran his hand through his wet hair and slicked it back from his face. “Why are you being someone you’re not?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…. stop acting like a shy and retiring female.”

“I’m not acting!”

“You’re Sydney Fox, a confident, beautiful and courageous woman, not this pathetically anxious over apologetic child.”

Sydney glared at him. “I am not being a child!”

“Then fucking talk to me!” Nigel shot back and immediately regretted it when he saw the stunned look on her face. He’d never sworn at her before and he was appalled to have let his temper get the better of him. “I’m so sorry. God, I…I didn’t mean…”

Sydney turned her back to him, overcome with emotions that were threatening to strangle her. She was shocked at his language, but more shaken that she had driven him to it. While she had certainly heard worse, in all the years they had been together, she had never heard that word come out of his mouth and it was truly alarming.

Nigel bit his lip and shoved his dripping hair out of his eyes. How could he have been so crude, with her of all people? She had probably heard worse, but not from him; never from him. He insisted on being as much of a gentleman as he could be, as much as she would allow him to be, and now she would think him no better than one of her behemoth friends.

  Sydney didn’t want to do this, not now, not here. She couldn’t bare her soul to him in the middle of a rainstorm in a bus shelter. She couldn’t handle his sympathetic dismissal when he didn’t return her feelings, not out here, where there was no where to hide.

Nigel started at Sydney ’s hunched form, a forlorn figure shivering in the rain and his friend’s turmoil eased his anger away. It alarmed him to see her this way, to see her so uncertain and afraid. She was as mixed up as he was and neither of them was giving an inch. They were both afraid to say what they felt, both afraid of rejection.

He could only think of one way to fix it. He had to kick-start her temper, bring her back around to the person she really was. “The least you can do is apologize, Sydney Fox.”

She spun around. “Excuse me?” Apologize? Her? He was the one with the potty mouth and she had to apologize? “What the hell for?”

“For London . You were unforgivably rude and you hurt my feelings horribly.”

His quiet accusation caused a stabbing sensation in her heart, and then her temper took over. “I hurt….” She sputtered. What about him walking out on her? What about the things he had said to her? “Now look, you were the one making me out to be the town tramp when all I was trying to do was tell you I loved you and… Mmmhhm!”

Sydney’s words were cut off as Nigel’s lips closed over hers. At first she was too shocked to respond, but then she melted against him and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer.

Nigel blocked out the rain and the noise and the cool night air and concentrated only on Sydney . Those three simple words had changed everything. He pushed his fingers into her wet hair and tilted her head to the angle he desired so he could deepen the kiss and shivered with pleasure as her own fingers gripped his head just as tightly.

Sydney shivered, this time in pleasure and clung to Nigel as if she was drowning and he the very breath that would help sustain her life. She’d wanted this for so long, been craving and fantasizing about it, and now here it was. God damn the man could kiss. She could feel her entire body respond in a shocking succession of vibrations. Never had she had such a reaction to one kiss, not even with Francois.

When Nigel finally pulled back it gave him a secret thrill to hear Sydney moan in protest. “Why do women have to make things so complicated?” he murmured as he caressed her cheek. “Why didn’t you just tell me you…your feelings had changed?”

“I didn’t know if yours had,” she confessed, her voice passionately husky. “I didn’t want to seem like I was pressuring you into something you didn’t want or…or make you feel uncomfortable.”

Nigel shook his head. “You call that sinful suite no pressure?”

“I meant it in a good way.” Sydney ’s fingers played with the hair at the back of his neck. “Does this mean your feelings have changed?”

“No, my feelings are the same they have always been.”

Sydney deflated and let her arms slide away from him. “Oh.”

Nigel caught her arms and pulled them back up to his neck, so relieved to finally understand the situation, he no longer felt nervous or awkward. “I’ve loved you from the first day I saw you, Sydney Fox. Nothing has changed.”

Sydney’s eyes brightened in wonder. “Really? Why…why didn’t you say something?”

“I tried a few times but you didn’t seem receptive.” He lowered his eyes, shyly, and then peered at her through his lashes. “I saw the type of men you were attracted to and I knew I would never been that kind of man.”

“Oh, Nigel. You’re a better man than any of them.”

“I was content to be your partner and friend, Syd. That was what was important to me. It’s still important to me.”

“So, you don’t want things to change?”

“I’m not sure. I…” He pushed a wet lock of hair back from her face. “It’s nice to be able to tell you, to not hide anymore. I don’t quite know what you’ll do with that information, so it’s a bit of a concern.”

            “Let me show you what I can do with that information.” Sydney ’s lips lowered to Nigel’s neck and she felt him stiffen and then melt against her as she ran her tongue over the side of his throat.

            “Syd…” he moaned.

            She put her lips to his skin and felt him shiver. “Let me, Nigel.”

            “I…I don’t want to end up….wrestling each other again.”

            Sydney grinned and kissed the other side of his throat. “Wrestling can be fun, if you do it properly.”

            Nigel closed his eyes against the sensations she was causing in him. “Syd…please…if you don’t stop…” He gasped as she started to suck on his neck and every nerve ending in his body responded. “Please tell me we’re…ah….on the…the same page here? That I…I…oh God…I’m not misinterpreting…”

Sydney’s mouth released him so she could straighten and meet his gaze. “We’re completely in sync,” she assured as she captured his mouth once more.

They were both startled apart by the bus horn that had pulled up to the stop. They flushed and grinned, guiltily.

“Um….perhaps we should continue this somewhere else?’ Nigel suggested as he waved the bus to drive on.

“How close is your place?”

“A few blocks, but we’ll get wet from the rain again.”

Sydney took his hand and pulled him outside the bus shelter and were immediately drenched again. “What rain?” she asked, happily.

He shrugged and smiled. “Seems dry to me,” he agreed as he linked his fingers through hers and they started a leisurely stroll to his flat.

A cab driver, having left his home of India only a few months ago, drove past them and shook his head at the two young people strolling down the street, as if it were a sunny spring day instead of raging thunderstorm. “Americans,” he scoffed to the lady in his back seat. “They are not knowing to come in out of the rain.”

Continue to chapter 14