Who: Mallory and Nate What: Womanly Advice Package over the phone Where: Nate & Evie's Condo / The Lot Home When: Backdated. Feb 5 Warnings: None
Womanly advice. Huh.
The brunette couldn't help but look at the phone curiously after she received the voicemail, and now when she finally felt she could devote enough time (and mind) to the issue. Things at the house seemed to be getting stranger by the day, and something in the back of her head gave her the nagging feeling she should start trying to find out why. However - that had nothing to with Nate. First things first.
So, she flipped through her contact book to find her local photographer friend, and sat comfortably back in the chair as it rang.
Nate had been working on his widely too expensive Apple computer on a couple of projects when he half heard the phone. So deep in an artist's trance, he almost ignored the ringing at his side, even though he had placed his ringer on its highest setting to avoid this very thing. People had been calling him all day. Many of them very important people.
At the third ring, he snapped out of it and flipped it open to look at the name. Mallory might not have been important on a global scale but right now, she was one of the most important calls he could take. He saved his work and leaned back, finally answering, "Hello. Nathaniel speaking."
"Hello, Nathaniel. Mallory speaking," she replied in a mock professional tone, the snicker on her face almost audible over the phone. "I believe you put in an order for one of our Womanly Advice packages?"
Nate could see the snicker. He was very good as visualization. It lighten the nervous mood in his mind as he let his body flop to his back on the condo floor, the phone held to his ear, "Yeah, I did put in an order for that package. I hope I don't have to wait six to eight weeks for delivery because I have a problem."
"Well, sir," came the response from the other end, "We can give you the benefit of our service here over the phone - or we can upgrade your shipping to Expedited. Which would you like?"
"I'll let you decide my needs," He began and then took a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling. "I told Evie I was going to ask her to marry me. She told me not to ask because now wasn't a good time and then told me we could talk about it after she visited her sisters. I need to know what to do."
Wow. She hadn't quite been expecting that. "The simple answer is to let her be and wait. Pushing her into anything isn't going to help you. Just, continue to show her what she means to you and that spending the rest of your life with her is what you want - and if she wants the same she'll come around." And as for it not being a good time? Well, that seemed right. Maybe things were just weird all over Miami instead of just at the Lot household and day care.
Nate let out a sigh. He wasn't very good at the wait and see game. He just didn't understand what had happened. It seemed so contrary to Evie. "But I just don't get it. She already knows I want to be with her for the rest of my life and she moved me into her condo. A wedding would be right up her alley and yet… it seems so foreboding, you know?"
"Maybe she has some personal issues to work out before she's ready? Marriage isn't a small thing, boyo. Have you thought about more of a longterm engagement, like more of a promise than a set-and-go thing?" Mallory laid her head on the back of the small couch she sat on. "It just may be that she feels it's rushing it a bit."
Now he was more confused. Evie had told him that she was a goddess on the second date. He would never have thought that rushing it a bit would be a problem. Nate got up off the floor and laid down on the couch, "I guess I can see her having some personal issues. Maybe even business issues, but it's not like I was going to ask her to drop everything, go down to a justice of the peace and get married tomorrow. Aren't engagements like a year or something?"
She shrugged. "Traditionally? Yes. But this is modern times, not medieval. Some engagements are weeks or months. Some are years. What did she say when you asked her, other than 'not yet'?"
"Maybe I should tell her when she comes back that I didn't expect anything overnight…Hold on. I'll tell you exactly what she told me." He rubbed his temples and then cycled with through his phone to find the text messages. "She told me and I quote, 'Don't ask.' Then when I asked what happened, she told me ' Now is not a good time. We'll talk about it when I'm done visiting my sisters. Okay?'. Then I told her alright, but I was worried her response was 'There's nothing to be scared about. Promise. I love you.' "
"Doesn't sound like you scared her off," Mallory admitted. "But when you guys talk about it, whenever it is, suggest a lengthened engagement. If all she's worried about is it not being a good time to plan a wedding and all that, then at least you have the security of knowing it will happen, just perhaps later than the norm."
"All I wanted to do was give her something I thought she would want. I guess I can't do anything until she comes back." Nate paused for a moment as Sadie placed her head up on the couch. With a soft smile, he scratched the Dalmatian behind the ears, "What really worries me is she isn't coming home for some amount of time…"
Mallory frowned. "How long is she away?"
"She didn't say, but it has to be to get away from me." Sadie was licking his hand but that didn't make Nate feel better right now. It suddenly dawned on him. "She said she was going to visit her sisters, but she lives with one of her sisters. Meaning she is visiting sisters that don't also live with me."
"Now I think you may just be a tad paranoid." She pointed out, frown still on her face despite the fact he couldn't see it. "But, your right. Not much you can do until she comes back."
"Maybe you're right. I just feel shaken up by everything." He nudged Sadie aside as he got up and filled her water bowl. Dalmatian only came to him for one of three things, petting, playing and water. She didn't have squeak toy and she got petted, so it must be the last one. "I guess I'll just work on being ready to welcome her home."
Mallory nodded. "That's the best you can really do for now. Don't worry about it too much or you'll drive yourself nuts, and that can just get messy."
"Though if I do go nuts, I think that means my art gets better." Nate joked as he settled back down on the couch, "At least that's what art history classes taught me."
Mallory snorted in amusement. "Yea, well, they also appreciate your art more once you're dead - so be careful of that."
"Being dead would certainly make it a long engagement." Nate laughed openly now. "Thanks Mallory. This really helped."
"No worries. But hey - call me if you need to talk again. Though next time I won't be opposed to kidnapping you and going on a drunken photo spree so we can laugh at our idiocy later." She laughed, and pulled herself off the couch. Funny as it was, she was serious. Count on Mallory to swoop in and get you drunk just to make you feel better. Nate grinned at the suggestion. "I'm not big on the drinking part, but kidnapped for a photo spree sounds fun. I'll keep that in mind. Unless you kidnap me before I call you again."
There was a small bit of maniacal laughter from her end. "We'll see, Nate. We'll see."
"It would be good to hang out. Even if it is as a prisoner." Nate's only concern was he may be encouraging her too much, but it sounded like a fun maniacal laughter, "Take care of yourself, okay?"
"God knows I could get out of the house for a little while to do something fun." Mallory said as she took a look at the little notepad where she normally wrote the To-Do-For-Dahlia lists. "I will, and you take care too."
"Will do. Again, thanks for this. I really needed it. Later." And with that Nate clicked 'End' on his phone and flipped it shut. The conversation had cleared his mind and some of his worries. Sometimes it was just good to talk things out and actually speak one's fears. So, he settled back in front of his computer and reverted the image he had been working on. It was all wrong. Too much of his concern had sunk into it. He had to start again.
Summary: Mallory returns Nate's phone call and offers him some Womanly Advice for his situation with Evie and then some friendly banter just because.