Daddy fucked up our reservation. Maybe he forgot or the restaurant made a mistake as he said. I am not sure which but the longer we wait in the car, the angrier Mum grows. She’s angrily typing on her phone, probably to one of those her rich friends who come to the house to drink our wine while they gossip.
Hayden is busy with his tab. I peek over his shoulder to see the game he’s playing and a soft sigh leaves my lips. So many guns and shooting. My phone has been silent since we left the house. Ben must have gone for the dinner. He hasn’t texted me. I don’t want to ruin his not-so-family time but I miss him.
We look up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Daddy. His boots create prints on the thin layer of snow covering the path. He jams his hands into the pockets of his jacket and expels a breath of white air.
His facial expression spells bad news and his steps falter before he reaches us. I glance at Mum. Her arms are crossed on her chest and she’s glaring daggers at Daddy. When our eyes meet, she looks away.
Hayden nudges my side with his elbow, I throw him an annoyed look and he motions to the restaurant. The diners inside look happy, we would be happy too if we had gotten the space Daddy claimed he called earlier to reserve for us. He must have forgotten and Mum doesn’t look so happy about it. I am not. I don’t want to eat another slice of pizza.
I grunt when he taps me again. “There.” I follow his line of vision to the families by the window. They look excited as they munch on their dinner and my stomach rumbles its annoyance. Thanks, Daddy. Hayden sighs when I don’t notice what he’s showing me. Twisting my head, he says, “There. The one at the other end. By the left.” There are four tables by the window. I lick my lips. “What’s Liv doing there?”
My eyes finally centre on the table and the family he’s referring to but I don’t see Olivia. I see Ben in a tux. Why is he on the same table with her? A waiter approaches their table, she looks up to him with a smile and twirls the end of her hair around her finger. I gag in my brain. Must she flirt with everyone?
Olivia turns to Ben, he nods at something she says and they both nod at the waiter. My blood runs cold when he smiles at her. There is a man on the opposite seat across from them, a man and two women. One of the women has her arm wrapped around the man’s elbow. It must be his mum’s husband. She’s pretty.
On another look, I spot Mrs Beckham, Olivia’s mother. What’s going on with my boyfriend?
“Do you miss her sometimes?” I ask Hayden. He curls his hand into a fist and shrugs.
Olivia and I were cool but we became closer when they started dating. It feels like such a long time ago and we never talked about the break up. Does he blame me for telling him? He never thanked me. Just broke up with her. His fingers move on his screen, I wonder again if he thinks about her. If Ben and I ever break up, I want to believe I will think about our happy moments and smile. I think I will miss my Benny.
I steal a peek to the restaurant and poke the back of the driver’s seat until Mum turns back to glare at me. I fake a smile which disappears when my eyes return to the window. They are still there. Why? For some reason, I half-expected them to disappear.
“Do you think he likes her?” I find myself asking. He’s a guy, he should know if another guy likes a girl.
Our voices are hushed so Mum doesn’t hear us. Our eyes clash and Hayden shakes his head. “Doesn’t look like it. Didn’t even know Liv was friends with Ben.”
Yeah, she’s friends with everyone in her league. He returns to playing his game so I don’t bother to reply him but the careful tone of his voice doesn’t escape me. Mum smacks her lips in front of the rearview mirror. I try to remind myself Hayden is only looking out for me but that fear of the impossible slithers through me.
Who says Ben won’t cheat on me with Olivia? He even calls her Liv. She cheated on her boyfriend once. Nothing will stop her now she’s single. Will Ben stop being friends with her if I ask him to pick between both of us? What’s it about Olivia that he can’t do without her? It doesn’t seem like only friendship to me. She’s at his family dinner. Her and her mother. Are they family friends now? I didn’t even get invited to their dinner date. Why does she get to see him on new year and I don’t? Why didn’t he mention her?
I dial his number. He picks his phone from the table, stares at the screen but doesn’t answer. His action drives a stake through my heart, I am ready to redial his number when my screen lights up with his text.
Benny: Sorry, can’t pick now. I miss you.
Ben’s head is bent over his phone as he awaits my reply. The stake pierces my broken heart when Olivia places a hand on his shoulder. Slight relief floods me when he gently pries her hand off him. The witch sticks her tongue out at him and her hand returns to his shoulder. Ben glares at her but does nothing.
I reread his message. He didn’t call me babe. I look at their table. Olivia is talking to Asher. He laughs at what she says. I can’t hear the sound of his laughter but a tiny smile springs to my lips. If Asher is happy, Ben is happy. If Ben is happy, I’m happy. But I don’t want Olivia to be the source of Asher’s happiness.
The words to reply his message finally come to me. I wipe my hands on my dress, then start typing.
Me: Miss you more, babe. Where are you?
Pursing my lips, I drum my feet into the floor. Daddy is pacing outside with the phone pressed to his ear and Mum has gotten busy with her iPad. Hayden’s earbud is plugged in. They are oblivious to my inner turmoil and I put on a false smile to keep it that way. It’s just a dinner. I am reading too much into it.
Benny: Out with mom and her husband.
Me: Just them?
Benny: Asher’s here too. He says hi.
He didn’t mention Olivia but she’s seated between him and Asher. Should I be worried? I think I should.
Me: hiiiiii
Benny: Asher wants to send you a selfie.
Ben shows Asher his phone. Asher slides in between him and Olivia and I release my breath. He holds his phone up for a selfie but Olivia butts in. All attempts to take a picture of them are ruined by her. I see the other woman’s lips moving. Olivia’s mum too. She says something that earns her an eye roll from Olivia and Ben’s mum giggles.
Benny: sorry, no selfie :/ got interrupted.
By who?
I wipe the text before I hit send. The lines blur the longer I stare at them. My heart aches. My phone pings as I am about to slip it into my purse but I don’t bother to check his text. He can have fun with Olivia.
Daddy knocks on the window. The smile on his face is big enough to light up a room but I am not in the mood for food. My appetite is gone. Snow coats his hair, he shakes his head and pokes a hand into the car to scatter my curls. I scowl and smoothen my hair. Usually, I would laugh but this time, it annoys me.
“Alright.” He looks away from me. Mum drops her iPad. “It has been sorted out. We can go in.”
Mum’s hands jam together in excitement, she grins from ear to ear and my stomach churns. My heart skips as my gaze wanders to the window of the eatery. They are laughing. Olivia isn’t even that funny.
“Let’s go somewhere else,” I blurt out.
Daddy’s jaw falls. Hayden stares at me, then subtly glances at the restaurant.
“Yeah, I don’t like this place,” he supports.
Mum twists in her seat to get a look at her kids. Her eyes move from me to Hayden, I try to smile but it comes off as a grimace. “Honey,” she draws out. “I agree with the kids. We should go somewhere else.”
Daddy slaps his hand over his forehead and I almost feel bad for him. “Great.” He slides into the car and slams the door close. Mum giggles. She leans over to kiss him on his cheek and his annoyance fades. His hand lingers on her leg when she moves back to her seat and his eyes flash with mischief. “Where to?”
Somewhere there’s no Ben and Olivia.