My life was one big, fucked-up mess, and I’d been putting off my idea for over a week. It was time to get things rolling.
Reaching into the pocket of my slacks, I pulled out my phone to look up Victor’s number. It was time for me to set-up an appointment so we could catch up.
Five
Emmalynn
I sat around the apartment for most of the afternoon while I waited for Melanie to arrive home from work. I tried to read over the lecture and write more notes, but focusing on schoolwork was futile. My mind kept drifting back to Mason.
Maybe I should have stayed to listen to what he had to say. But would it really have mattered?
A part of me wanted to say no, but deep down I knew that was a lie. Maybe it was the forbidden aspect of the situation that made it seem exciting, fresh, and new. There was just something about him that called to me. It was like nothing I’d experienced before, even with Tim, and we were together for three years.
I didn’t understand it, and that was what scared me the most. He had a pull on me that I felt like I had no control over. And most of the time, I had no self-control when he was near. It was freeing, but dangerous for my heart. I knew if I let myself get wrapped up in all things Mason, my heart would end up being crushed, more so than it was with Tim.
Mason said he wasn’t the ‘ever after’ kind of guy, and I believed every word.
Melanie arrived home a little after six, which was later than I was expecting, but with her schedule, she was lucky to get off that early. By the time we both got ready and were able to leave, it was past seven-thirty. We didn’t arrive to the restaurant until eight, and I was starving.
“I hope to God it doesn’t take long for us to be seated. I can feel my stomach trying to eat itself,” I whispered to Mel as we walked into the restaurant.
She turned and looked at me with one of her ‘are you serious’ faces. “That doesn’t even make sense,” she said as we waited to speak to the hostess. “And stop complaining. Most nights, I don’t even get to eat until nine or ten. You should get used to it; you’ll be going through the same thing before long.”
I sighed as she turned to speak to the hostess and looked around. I’d never been to Diablo’s before, so I wasn’t sure what kind of place Mel was taking me to. Everywhere I looked, people were dressed in business attire and deep in conversation, like they’d just left their office and came straight over to finish business.
Mel turned toward me with a smile and guided me to take a seat at one of the chairs against the wall.
“It’s about a forty-five-minute wait,” she said with a sympathetic look.
“I guess it could be worse.” I laid my hand on my growling stomach and looked around to see if anyone had heard it. I shouldn’t have skipped lunch. It wasn’t like I was so occupied that I forgot; I was just too busy daydreaming.
I turned to ask Mel about getting a menu to glance over, but noticed her straining her neck to stare at the occupants in the dining area.
“Uh, are you looking for someone?” I asked as I looked around with her.
She shrugged. “No.”
She sat back in her seat and I followed suit, watching her wandering eyes as we sat in silence.
She’s acting weird.
I eyed her suspiciously as she fidgeted in her seat. When she looked up again, I saw her eyebrow rise as she stared straight ahead. It was her tell that she thought something was interesting.
Following her line of sight, I saw a good-looking guy taking an order at one of the tables.
“Who’s the guy?”
She turned to me quickly and said, “Who?”
I smiled and nodded in the direction of the guy. “The guy you’re drooling over.”
She scoffed and looked up toward his retreating back. “I’m not drooling over any guys.”
I stared at her and waited for her to turn back to me. When she did, I smiled.
She sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ve been here before, and the guy’s kind of hot.”
“Is that why you wanted to come here tonight?”
She laughed. “Well, there’s nothing like dinner with a view, right?”
I laughed as well, shaking my head at her. I was about to come back with a retort when I heard a throat clear beside me.
“Well, isn’t this a surprise.”
Mr. Stanley, Mr. Cline, Tim, and some guy I’d never met before had just walked in the door.
I reached over and grabbed Mel’s arm. This could not seriously be happening. Of all the places to have dinner, this was ridiculous.
“Hello, Mr. Stanley.”
“Surprise, indeed,” Mr. Cline stated as he walked over to stand next to Mr. Stanley. “Are you waiting to be seated?” he asked Melanie.
I turned and looked at her to wait for her reply as she glanced over his group. She had to know that the last thing I wanted to do was eat in the same restaurant as Tim and his dad.
“Well, actually,” she said before clearing her throat, “we were just talking about going somewhere else because the wait is too long.”