The car blasted in warm air, fogging up the windows slightly. The streetlights blurred as they went by in a rush.
However short the drive had been, I wished it lasted twice or even three times longer. But coming upon Lars' vehicle parked in front of the restaurant, I glanced at Aiden knowing that the following hours, unable to be with him, would be bland rather than entertaining.
His hands were ready to catch me if I suddenly stumbled when I left the car.
Together, we walked into the restaurant, keeping our distance as if we barely knew each other. There were no brushes of hands, no closeness or familiarity.
Reaching the dark wooden stand, a tall bald man in a suit greeted us with the same routine smile he gave the couple in front of us.
"Do you have a reservation?" He asked.
"Yes. It should be under the name 'Aubrey'."
The man's eyes scrunched as they searched the bright screen in front of him. "Ah, yes." He turned around and subtly pointed at the large round table beyond the large crystal vases. "Table for eight. You must be the last to arrive."
Aiden nodded and walked past him first. I shared a smile with the man as he smoothly moved onto the next family of people.
"You guys made it." Myra synched a brow at Aiden, "With no trouble, I hope."
"It was a lovely drive," I assured her, scanning over the available seats left on the decorative table.
"I saved you a seat next to me and Peter." She told me. "Aiden, you're sitting-"
"Farthest away." He stated with a sarcastic smile, "I do have eyes, Myra."
"Well, Aubrey seemed eager to talk to you before so she saved you a seat next to her and Mike."
Aiden stepped around the table to the both of them. He tugged out his chair and sat down. A waiter appeared and poured some water into his glass. The whole ordeal seemed out of place, robotic almost.
"Here," Peter pulled out my chair, inviting me to sit beside him.
I muttered my thanks for the kind gesture and sat down, straightening the cutlery in front of me even though they had already been in a perfect position.
"You look very beautiful, by the way." He handed me a menu and a caring smile.
"Thank you." I lowered my head into the menu card, reading the incomprehensible list of cuisines.
Some were in French, and the ones that were in English I'd never heard before. The descriptions didn't offer much help either.
Peter turned to me, breaking his conversation with Zoe. "So, what are you having?"
"I haven't the slightest clue," I told him honestly. "I don't think I even understand the menu."
He chuckled and spread the menu wider into his line of sight. His hand grazed mine as he pointed out each food and explained what it was. He seemed to be an expert on the topic.
"I come here quite often." He explained and flipped the page in the menu. "Are you very hungry?"
"Yes, I was sort of hoping I could get a burger and chips..."
"Here are your burger options. I would recommend you order the chips separately, that way you get more of them and don't starve."
I turned to him slightly, expressing my curiosity about fancy restaurants and the little amount of food they were known to serve.
He shrugged, "These sorts of places focus more on aesthetics, a combination of smells and tastes. All in small portions to give a richer experience."
I swallowed my water, slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry... was it rude of me to ask something like that?"
"No, God, no. As much as I love a nicely decorated plate, sometimes you're just hungry. That's why you eat little here and go to a fast food place down the street afterwards."
I half-laughed, easing into his conversation. When I glanced up, Aiden laughed with Aubrey, talking with her quietly. My spirits for a 'rich dining experience', as Peter had put it, wasn't so adamant at that moment. Especially when I caught Aubrey rubbing his forearm.
An hour later after the waiter took our orders, we all received our plates of exquisite looking food. Each plate was drizzled or sprinkled, some with a basil leaf sitting on the main attraction.
Impatiently, I attacked my plate with a fork. According to Peter, this was turbot with morels, crisp chicken skin, peas and vin jaune sauce. I didn't understand what any of it meant except for the peas and the chicken. But in the first bite, I had finished most of the plate, which amused Peter, who watched me eat it 'incorrectly'.
"How else are you supposed to eat it?" I inquired with genuine curiosity.
"You take a little bit of everything into a forkful... You don't stuff the whole thing into your mouth if you want a-"
"Don't say 'rich dining experience'." I swallowed the forkful, watching him grin. "How expensive is this plate, anyway?"
He gave me the price, and instantly, I could feel my insides churning.
From that moment forward, I promised myself I wouldn't order anything else except water, and that was if they didn't bill you for that, too.
"Emma," Mike caught my attention. "Do you like your food?"
I looked at everyone else's plates, still almost intact, then looked at my empty one.
"It was great."
"First time in a fancy restaurant?" He lifted his chin, accepting the mouthful of food he cut up.
"Yes, in fact, it is." I flicked my gaze between him and Aiden. Both looked at me. Although one was more enthusiastic about it,
Mike took his attention from me and quickly placed it on Zoe.
Peter began talking to me for a while. It was mostly about cuisines and food, informing me all about delectable dishes and their ingredients. It was a genuinely pleasant experience, even if I couldn't completely enjoy it with Aiden.
I lifted the glass of water to my lips, listening to his continuous rant. Perhaps it was the wine he consumed while we waited for food and he was now drunk as a result of it, but he was more charismatic and open about things, in contrast to when our conversation first began.
"Maybe I could show you another place a few blocks from here that serves the best pasta in the city," Peter announced loudly, raising the eyes of everyone to look in our direction. "What do you think?"
Everyone watched on as I struggled to say something. But my thoughts were running to Aiden.
"You two would make such a cute couple!" Myra teased, her words slurred and movements wide. "Wouldn't they make such a cute couple, Aiden?"
Everyone went quiet.
Aiden stared at me. He swallowed what remained in his glass and set it down, playing with the flat base. No one knew what he was about to say.
"You're drunk, Myra. Instead of commenting on ridiculous things, I recommend you leave them both alone and start drinking some water."
"I recommend... you come by the apartment sometime, Peter. Emma is usually studying alone... maybe you could do it together. Just a thought." Myra took the joke further.
A smiling, sober Peter turned to me. "What do you think, Sweetheart?"
As soon as the word fell from his mouth, I recoiled into my seat. I stared at Aiden, wondering what that same word meant to him. And it was visible.
Something inside him boiled to the surface as his hands tightened. The placid tone he had only a moment ago vanished. A scowl took its place. His brows lowered and drew together. His eyes fixated deeper onto Peter, glaring coldly. His lips tightly pushed together.
"Sweetheart?" Lars laughed with a mock to his tone.
Now, Aiden was stiff. Mike nudged him, obviously feeling the need to contain and calm him down.
The moment Mike nudged him, his eyes flickered to me. He glanced around the table to the pairs of eyes on him and cleared his throat. "Excuse me."
He got up from the table, buttoning up his blazer, and left.
"Where did Aiden go?" Mike questioned his absence.
"Probably some bar. Hell, even some girls' place. Who the fuck cares?" Lars scoffed.
I stilled in my seat.
As the night went on, Aiden's chair remained empty. It was the only thing I could seem to focus on.
Everyone, including myself, was dropped off at home by Lars. Myra, on the other hand, would go with him to his apartment.
Before entering my building, I thanked them for a pleasant evening and waited for them to leave.
I climbed the small concrete stairs that led to my apartment door. I was surprised to find it unlocked, despite my memory of locking it. The lights were on, flooding the hallway floor with a yellow glow.
Sceptical, I pushed the door open, clutching my purse in the other hand.