Playing For The Other Team [REMAKE]

Chapter 18

Nathan does - against his better judgment - send Jonathan a text before going to bed. Sorry for running. I got nervous. I'll make it up to you, he writes before putting the phone aside and spending half the night struggling to fall asleep.

The reply comes in the middle of the night and makes it even harder to fall asleep; You can make it up to me with another date.

Nathan can barely contain the excitement and the anticipation of going out with Jonathan again. Just the thought makes his stomach feel warm and fuzzy, and he wonders what they might do and where they might go next.

It's written all over his face when he helps Jennie clean up in the kitchen after breakfast the next morning. He's got his head in the clouds and barely hears what his stepmother has to say until she's calling out his name to try and get his attention.

"Nathan!" She waves her hand to try and get through to him.

He turns and blinks at her, zoning back in from his daydreams. "What?"

"How much of what I've said have you heard?" Jennie looks amused as if she knows what he's thinking about.

Nathan gives her a sheepish smile. "None of it. Sorry."

"I asked you," Jennie says, and she speaks slowly this time. "When are you going out again?" She's been particularly curious, and despite being embarrassed to tell her everything, Nathan's told her just enough to keep her somewhat satisfied.

He shrugs as he picks two plates from the dishwasher to put them away. "I don't know when yet," he admits. "Maybe during the week? Might be weird on a school night, though."

Jennie agrees. "School comes first," she tells him.

"Right."

"And do you have any plans for the second date?"

"No?"

Shaking her head, Jennie puts her coffee cup down on the counter. "The second date is important. That's where you seal the deal. The first date is to impress, and the second date is when you make sure they're the right one."

Nathan snorts. "I don't think that's how it works." He puts the plates in their rightful place and picks up another one from the dishwasher rack. "Just because that's what dad did doesn't mean it will work for me."

"Your father is a romantic, but he'll never admit it," Jennie laughs.

"Well, now I have to ask," Nathan says, turning to look at his stepmother. "What did you two do for your first and second date."

Jennie beams at him. She makes herself comfortable on the barstool she sits on. "For our first date, he flew us out to a huge vineyard he'd rented for the two of us. It was extraordinary. Just like in the movies," she gushes.

"I'm not flying Jonathan to a private vineyard," Nathan says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's not the point," Jennie says. Her smile grows wider and smugger. "Guess what we did on the second date?"

Nathan shrugs. "I don't know. What did you do on your second date?"

"We played minigolf."

Nathan shakes his head. It doesn't sound right. "Dad may love golfing, but he hates minigolf," Nathan points out.

Jennie laughs. "Yes, he does. And he's insanely competitive."

"Insanely competitive," Nathan agrees.

"But he took me out to play minigolf, and he let me win. That's when I felt like he really wanted to get to know me and make an effort and try things for me even if he doesn't like it," Jennie explains. "It isn't that he's willing to do things he doesn't like for me. It's the fact that he wants to be with me no matter what we do." She leans her head in her hands. "When you want to be with someone, it shouldn't matter much what you do. You should enjoy the time you have together."