One Night Changes Everything

Allowing herself this moment of delusion she continued to kiss John…but it wasn’t John she was kissing
It had probably only meant to be one sweet kiss. But the oddest thing happened...
Realizing that she didn’t see Mitch when she had been with Monk, or had been looking at John she had felt secure in the idea of a possible future with John. But the idea went out the door as John kissed.
Mussings over a possible relationship with John had been closely backed by the image of Adrian’s face in her mind.
Allowing herself this moment of delusion she continued to kiss John slowly…but it wasn’t John she was kissing. Her mind……her heart…made her imagine it was someone elses lips kissing hers lovingly. The emotions she felt in that moment overwhelmed her. Close to tears she kept her eyes closed as she continued to feel the lips move over hers. The sweet feel of his lips against hers, it made feelings she had buried two months ago surge up from deep inside her as he hesitantly kissed her.
Maybe it was that reason that she could delude herself into imagining that Adrian was kissing her. The way his lips hesitated over her own with such uncertainty……it was the same as all those months ago. She had kept her eyes closed back then and missed the look in his eyes. Those beautiful eyes of his that could tell her exactly how he felt……eyes that made things inside her shake and crumble down. Wanting to feel that, wanting to see what he was feeling, she had opened her eyes and had stared into brown eyes that made her think it was Adrian……………for just a second.
The brown eyes were shocked but……they weren’t his……and she new it.
Half closed eyes opened wide and she found herself staring wide eyed at a very shocked and dazed John Night. The look spoke of how intense the kiss had been. Because it had been a kiss that spoke of a deep love……which he could have never expected on a first date from anybody.
John’s word came out slowly and whispered… “woah...”
John stared at Natalie, looking scared even as Natalie pulled herself together.
A huge flush spread across her face as she realized what she had just done. Apologizing with mumbled words she didn’t give John the opportunity to say or do anything as she quickly grabbed her purse and ran out of the restaurant.
Within a few minutes she had a flagged down a taxi and quickly instructed the driver to take her home.
Julie felt worry build inside her as she watched Monk clean the dishes. This was a very normal thing for Monk…except they were the dishes that had already been deemed clean and placed in the cupboards.
Having started almost immediately after walking through the door, he had already cleaned two cupboards full of dishes. Personally she had never seen him clean so fast…he was usually extremely meticulous when he cleaned anything. Honestly she had no idea why he was acting this way……unless the sight of her mom kissing John really upset him more than it should have.
Julie sat at the dining room table and watched Monk for a good twenty minutes before the opening of the front door caused both to turn and stare as Natalie walked through the door. Julie quickly glanced over at the clock on the wall and realized that her mother was home extremely early.
“You’re home early!!” Julie exclaimed as both she and Monk stared at Natalie.
Natalie looked from Julie to Monk and noted something in his eyes, but before she said a word he had turned back and continued to clean. He looked angry for some reason.
Putting down her purse on the couch she walked over to Julie.
“Please tell me you behaved yourself like I asked you to!!” Natalie said to Julie. Natalie had thought that maybe Julie was the reason for the anger in Monk’s eyes. She could have never imagined it was because of her.
“Julie behaved herself…” Monk said to Julie’s defense as he continued to keep his back to both women, “unlike some of us.” He whispered out the last part.
Natalie heard him say something else but was uncertain what exactly he had said. “What?” She asked.
Shaking his head he murmured “Nothing…”
Natalie let it slide and soon turned to stare at Julie. “You maybe seventeen but it’s still a school night…”
Julie opened her mouth and protested. “Mom! I’m seventeen now, don’t you think I can judge when I go to bed.”
“Actually,” Monk finally turned around and spoke, “I need Julie to drive me home.”
Both Natalie AND Julie looked at Monk in shock.
Natalie blinked several times and then shook her head “Wait! You want Julie to drive you home??”
Monk nodded his head slightly and looked over at Julie, trying to avoid Natalie’s eyes all together.
“Why?! I can drive you home Mr. Monk! It won’t…”
“I’d just prefer it if Julie drove me..” Monk interrupted Natalie and this time kept his eyes locked with Natalie for a few seconds before looking at a very confused Julie.
Julie remembered how when they had finally arrived at La Via restaurant that Mr. Monk had said that he needed to remember not to ask her to drive him anywhere.
Natalie though…knew exactly why Monk was acting this way. He had been against her going out with John from the very beginning. In the years she had known Monk she had learned one thing……….Monk was stubborn. Now as she looked into his eyes she knew who the anger was directed towards.
It was directed towards her. And the only thought that traveled through her mind at the realization was…….That’s not fair!
Natalie had gone on the date thinking that she was protecting them all! Fortunately it turned out that John was actually a nice guy. It wasn’t fair that he got to be angry at her.
Crossing her arms she stared at Monk and let her own anger at him come out……because she herself had many reasons to be angry at him as well.
“Mr. Monk Julie has to go to school tomorrow morning and it’s already late..”
“It’s only 10:30.” Julie said, completely against the whole curfew idea at her current age. How could she have known that this argument was not what it seemed?
“NO! Mr. Monk I’ll drive you home, but Julie needs to get ready for tomorrow.” Natalie said as she went over and grabbed her purse as she stared at both Julie and Monk.
Monk shrugged a shoulder and said “Fine.” Not meaning the word at all from the attitude that he was displaying. Julie rolled her eyes and got up from the table and went towards her room.
Natalie stood there with her arms crossed as Monk walked passed her. Both had stiff body language.
Natalie then followed him out the door.
Neither of them spoke in the car. Both of them angry at the other. Natalie though knew exactly why, but Monk…..Monk didn’t know the real reason. He thought it was because Natalie had said that she didn’t want to go on a date with John…but then she went out with him anyway. Monk didn’t realize that even with that excuse……he had no real reason to be angry at her.
His mind continued to replay the way she had kissed John over and over in his mind. And every time the anger in him grew. He didn’t know why and he didn’t know he was acting irrational.
“So how was the ‘date’?” Monk asked as he tried to keep his anger out of his voice and not look over at her.
Natalie was startled from him actually speaking but quickly overcame it.
“It was ok…John’s a nice guy.” Natalie said as she continued to stare ahead.
Monk huffed out a laugh and turned his head towards the passenger window murmuring “I bet he is.”
Unfortunately for him, the car was small and very confined, so Natalie heard exactly what he said.
Natalie’s head titled and her eyebrows furrowed “Excuse me?!”
Monk closed his eyes briefly, realizing she had heard him. Turning he looked at her.
“I don’t trust him.” Monk said frankly.
Natalie had turned her head and stared into Monk’s eyes, which she saw had turned almost black with accusation in them.
“Yeah well….I think he’s a good guy Mr. Monk. He wasn’t anything but a gentlemen tonight.”
Monk’s mind immediately replayed the sight of her kissing John and saw how gentlemanly John had acted.
“Right,” Monk said nodding his head and turning to look out his window then turned back to look at Natalie as she continued to drive “is that why you kissed him?!” The question was accusing in nature and the anger in it was also shocking. Yet the question also did something that Monk didn’t want Natalie to know.
Natalie slammed on the breaks causing people behind them to honk their horns. Swiftly she placed the car in park and turned and stared with anger at Monk.
“You were spying on me??” Natalie asked with anger, trying to hold back the feeling of her stomach dropping at the knowledge that he had seen her kissing John.
Monk squirmed, knowing he had mistakenly informed her that he indeed had been spying. Quickly he said the first thing that came to mind.
"It was Julie's idea..."
"JULIE!! Mr. Monk are you trying to tell me that you were both spying on me?!"
Monk twitched and touched the rear view mirror with his finger, but Natalie slapped his hand away awaiting a response from him. Monk could see the anger and disappointment in her eyes, but really he felt like he was doing what any friend would have - he was looking out for her.
"We were both worried about you..." Monk began slowly, "we wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to you.."
"Mr. Monk I understand that your worried about me - but that gives you no right to invade my privacy..."
Getting aggravated Monk's anger came out. Twisting he stared at her as his hands shot up and to the side of him.
"I DON'T TRUST THE GUY!! I don't like the idea of you seeing him Natalie...there's...there's something wrong about all of this." Monk said as he held his hands up in front of her, trying to explain what he was trying to really tell her.
Natalie nodded her head and looked away and then back to him. " Yeah well...I like him Mr. Monk."
It was a lie, but Monk had no right to dictate to her who and who she couldn't date, even after everything that happened between them.
Natalie was about to turn back and drive again when Monk spoke again.
"You didn't even WANT to go out with him!! I'm sorry (gesturing with his hands and a swivel of his head in exaggeration) that I don't understand why you wanted to even kiss him!"
And the words came out of her mouth before she could stop them, and it hit both of them hard at the reality of the words.
"BECAUSE I CAN'T KISS YOU!!" Natalie yelled out and then squeezed her eyes shut and felt the tears in her eyes and crossed her arms and brought her hand up to wipe away the tears as she turned and looked out her own driver's window.
Monk just stared at the back of Natalie's head, and tried to register what she had just said...but the only thing that traveled through his mind was what he said.
"Nothing ever happened between us...Nothing ever happened between us...Nothing ever happened between us..." Monk said shaking his head, it was what they had agreed to. It was what he desperately had to hold onto to keep himself from thinking about it.
He didn't see her tears travel down her face as he said them. He didn't know how much it hurt to hear the words - because she had known that's what he would say.
Wiping away her tears with her hand she sucked in a fortifying breath. Waited until she could breathe again, and then said what she knew she had to say. Knew that no matter what had happened - that the truth was the same as it had always been.
Monk couldn't love her...because she wasn't Trudy.
Closing her eyes and sniffling she answered him.
"You're right Mr. Monk..." Turning back she put the car in drive and sniffled, "nothing ever happened..." With that Natalie began to drive again, breathing roughly as she still tried to control her emotions.
Monk stared at her for only a little while before turning to stare at the road ahead of them. Monk didn't know what to feel at the moment, so he just thought about what had just happened. He didn't know why he didn't like John Night...but he didn't!! The second he had seen Natalie lean over and kiss John...how could she like him...the way she had seemed to be lost in the kiss had been like a knife twisting in his chest...but nothings changed! nothings changed!!...yet as he glanced over at Natalie...he knew that something had.
Looking back at the road thoughts resounded in his mind, even as he lay in bed that night - thinking back to what had happened......Why did she go out with him?? Why does she even like him??
But the last thought that traveled through his mind was the one that plagued him. Why do I care??