Chapter 5: Showdown!

Jude's POV

I felt like a jerk as I watched Natasha's smile disappear and as she turned pale. I wanted to kick myself. We had spent the day having fun and honestly, I couldn't remember the last time I had so much fun with a girl.

All the girls that I had been with wanted to go to a fancy restaurant or clubbing or holidaying or just well you know stay in bed, if you get my drift. All except for one and I would not allow myself to think of her. We drove in an uncomfortable silence. As we reached the club, I sighed, I had to make this right, I had to apologize.

"Natasha, I swear I did not mean it that way. I am really sorry."

She maintained a stony silence, I thought of what else I could say, I considered sniveling. After all we were supposed to stay together for a year and I was already ruining it. I couldn't keep bringing up the fact that she was being paid for it!

"What I meant to say was Natasha that you look like a million bucks."

She turned to me her face red, and I gulped. I realized that it wasn't the smartest thing to say given the circumstances. Suddenly she busted out laughing and we both were laughing like idiots.

"It's ok Jude. I do realize you didn't mean it that way. I guess I may have over reacted a little" she said.

I shook my head, "No Natasha you had a right to be angry and I promise never to bring this payment stuff up again."

She nodded as I pulled into the parking lot of the club. As soon as I got out of the car my phone rang. I checked the display and saw that it was Gary.

"Hello" I said

"Jude" said Gary in a voice that I associated with trouble.

"Jude er Sophie is here." Gary said.

I smiled and said "yeah I know. I invited her."

I could hear Gary practically choking over the phone, "You did what?" I grimaced as Gary yelled over the phone.

'Relax I have it all under control!" I said and disconnected.

I grabbed Natasha's arm and guided her towards the entrance. I paid the cover charges and we went in. There was loud music playing in the background. I looked around and saw Gary waving us over. We pushed our way through to them. I looked around and saw my friends Jason, Jason's girlfriend Gloria, Luke and my heart skipped a beat as I saw Stephanie my ex- girlfriend. The only one whom I had truly cared about and the only one who had broken my heart. I almost stopped breathing when I felt a nudge.

I turned to see Natasha looking at me quizzically. I shook my head and smiled. I pulled her forward and started the introductions.

Suddenly I heard a shrill voice behind me, "Ju baby."

I turned and saw Sophie and immediately put my arm around Natasha. I watched as Sophie's eyes widened and her face fell.

"Sophie meet the girl I am going to marry, Natasha Blake." I yelled over the noise. I heard a choking sound and turned to see that Stephanie had choked on her drink.

Strangely that left me with a feeling of satisfaction and I smiled.

"Hey Natasha" said Gloria, "I am going to the washroom do you want to come with me?" Natasha nodded, she looked uncomfortable.

The two girls left together. Sophie turned to me with a fake smile, "Well congratulations Jude. I wish you all the best."

She came forward and hugged me, then softly so that no one would hear she whispered in my ear, "and if you ever need a real woman you have my number."

I literally had to pry her off me.

"Jeez" said Gary, "you called her here just for that?"

I nodded, "she wouldn't listen." Stephanie came to talk to me but I turned away to order a drink. I wasn't ready for this and I wanted to kick Gary for inviting her over.

Gary stood next to me while Stephanie chatted with Luke.

"Why the hell did you invite her?" I asked Gary.

"Well" he said looking slightly abashed, "I wanted her to see on what she missed and what a great girl Natasha is."

I nodded, sometimes I felt Gary was madder at Stephanie than me. I wondered where Natasha was. I never understood why girls never went alone to the washroom and why they took so much time every single time they had to go to the washroom!

I turned around and saw someone that made me nearly crush my glass in my hand. There striding towards us with a huge smile on his face was one person that I hated the most.

"Jude, bro!" said Nick and came forwards to give me a hug but stopped when I raised a hand to stop him. Natasha chose the exact moment to return from the washroom with Gloria. She came close to us and looked from Nick to me.

My jaw was clenched and my nerve was ticking in my jaw. Nick looked disappointed, like he had expected to be welcomed with open arms.

Ok so I get it you must be wondering who the hell is Nick? Nick used to be my other best friend until a year ago when I had walked in my apartment to see my girlfriend and he in a; well let’s just say in a compromising position.

They both tried pleading and begging me for forgiveness but I had just cut them off from my life. Stephanie was the only girl that I had given my heart to, she was the only girl on whom I had never cheated on and she broke my heart into a million pieces literally.

I pulled Natasha and kissed her passionately and I admit it I did it just to brush off Nick and Stephanie but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. Natasha's eyes widened but slowly she started responding and whoa it boomed into a full-fledged smoking hot kiss.

"Ok already! Get a room people!" shouted Gary.

Natasha and I broke apart and looked at each other.

We were breathing hard, she was blushing "er missed ya?" I said still breathing hard.

She giggled and pecked me on the cheek. She saw Nick and looked at me. I shrugged and said "this is Nick."

Natasha smiled at him and I didn't like the way Nick was looking at her. She stuck her hand out to shake it with Nick and Nick instead of shaking it put it to his lips. I saw Stephanie narrowing her eyes at them and saw Natasha get uncomfortable with his lingering touch.

I pulled Natasha's hand and said, "come on let’s dance." Gary, Luke and Gloria had joined us. Whereas Stephanie seemed to be furious with Nick while he studiously ignored her. I saw him staring at Natasha and I wanted to punch his face.

After a while, the boys and I went to get drinks. Natasha wanted cranberry juice. Seriously, this girl needed to have some fun in her life. As we were returning, I saw Natasha dancing with Nick.

I stopped in shock and Gary bumped into me. He looked up to see what the problem was.

"oh oh.' He said. Yeah oh oh didn't begin to cover it.

I walked furiously towards them, and froze when I heard Natasha singing along the with the track that was playing which happened to be Justin Timberlake's 'Sexy Back'.

"Dirty babe"

"you see these shackles, baby I'm your slave"

"I'll let you whip me if I misbehave"

"'coz no one else has made me feel the same"

I frowned, her words seem to be slurred and Nick had his dirty hands on her back, which I was happy to see she shrugged off. She turned around and saw me and gave me a huge smile, I looked at her puzzled.

"Judeeeeee" she yelled, "I loved the mocktail you sent for me!"

"Natasha, babe what are you talking about?" I asked frantically.

She looked at me and smiled widely, and she looked pretty scary. This is the most I had seen her smiling otherwise she always had this brooding expression on her face, like she had a lot of troubles.

"The mocktail that you sent through Nick, I like it!" she said pumping her fist in the air. I turned around to look at Nick who looked like he was about to make a run for it.

My anger got the better of me.

I walked towards him and said "What did you give her?"

He looked at me and gulped, "I didn't know she didn't drink. I just gave her some vodka with pineapple juice!"

Really? He didn't know she didn't drink that's why he told her that I had sent the drink. I looked at Natasha dancing about happily. I saw Gary look at me and he tried to send me this message that I should calm down.

I saw Gloria who seemed to have come from the washroom and with her was Stephanie.

Suddenly Natasha, caught her head and said, "I don't feel too good" and she scrunched up her face in pain. Gloria rushed to see what was wrong with Natasha. In that moment when I saw her in pain, I saw red. Nick had no right to do this.

It was her decision that she didn't want to drink and he had tricked her into it. He had taken advantage of her trusting nature and the fact that she had trusted someone so easily truly scared me.

I felt this overwhelming protective urge. I turned around and put all my weight behind the punch, and punched Nick in the face.

"You don't get to mess with my wife and get away with it you bastard!" I yelled as he lay there clutching his nose.

Gary pulled me off him and Natasha stood there shocked. Stephanie kneeled next to Nick trying to stop the blood that flowed from his nose.

Natasha looked at me and whispered, "But- but Jude we aren't married yet." Then she passed out!