"You look beautiful, Lilly."
Her mother-in-law caressed her cheek. It was the first time that she met her since she had just come back from her charity trip to Africa.
"You and Matthew will make beautiful babies," she said, clapping her hands together. "I can't wait to see my grandkids!"
Lilly stole a glance over her shoulder to look at Matthew who was in deep conversation with his father and her father. He accidentally looked up and their eyes met. When he saw her looking, he arched his brow so sexily that she choked on her saliva, thinking of having a mini-me of Matthew sent shivers down her spine and how in the word a brow can be so damn sexy.
She averted her gaze first for her cheeks were burning in embarrassment that she got caught looking.
"Lilly has to get her diploma first. A grandkid has to wait for a bit."
She cocked her head in her mother's direction. She didn't think that she would be vocal with her opinion about her not getting pregnant. Then, she remembered that she had talked about it with her father and her mother's decision has always been based on her husband's wishes.
"Oh! Yes, you've just finished high school." She got her hands and patted them gently. "Where are you going to college?"
"Y university," she smiled carefully. Her cheeks were still burning from Matthew's gaze.
"Oh, Matthew graduated top of his class in H university and—"
She smiled at her mother-in-law's story about Matthew but her thoughts were flying about what will happen after this dinner. She didn't talk it out with Matthew. Is she going home with her parents or is she going with Matthew? And if she will go with Matthew, where are they going?
She pressed her legs together and chewed on her lower lip with the naughty thoughts that formed at the back of her mind. They have been in this restaurant for more than two hours. They had finished their meal but the men were so engrossed talking about business that they girls had to entertain themselves by talking about the latest gossip.
But she was so nervous about what was going to happen after this dinner that she excused herself to use the bathroom.
When she was in the bathroom, she called Tiffany but she didn't answer her phone. She dialed Susan's number and she answered on the first ring.
"Hey, Sue…"
"Lil, uhmm…today is not a good time.
She knitted her brows because she never remembered a time where it was a bad time to call Sue. She always answers her call but then, she heard Tiffany screaming in the background and she knew.
It was bad timing to call because the two of them were together and didn't inform her. She scoffed at her reflection in the mirror.
"Lil, sorry. I promise to call you tomorrow, kay?"
Susan's apologetic tone of voice just made her guiltier than she already was.
"No need to say sorry, Sue. I also have something to apologize to you… to both of you but right now, it's bad timing, as you say."
She dropped the call before Sue could say anything. She stared straight at the mirror and felt a sinking feeling deep down. The feeling of being alone has been more constant nowadays. Her friends won't talk to her, her so-called boyfriend, Reagan was too busy partying with his friends and didn't need her.
She chuckled sarcastically at herself for the biggest joke was on her. She's now a married woman. To a man that is still a stranger. But then, all in her life wasn't really hers, to begin with. Her friends were her friends because they just asked her to join their little circle because of her social status. She knew it from the start but she had fun being with them, thus, she didn't mind.
Her boyfriend—Reagan became her boyfriend because Tiffany suggested that it would look on her status at school to have one of the popular guys to be her boyfriend. Reagan fits the bill and both of them knew that they were not in a relationship because they were in love. Like can be subjective and she could honestly say that she liked Reagan but not romantically…speaking of Reagan, she has to break up with him.
She exhaled a deep sigh and pulled her shoulders back. "You can do it, Lilly. You're not a little girl anymore. You can start choosing things that you like." She gave herself an encouraging smile before stepping out of the bathroom.
When she returned to their table all of the adults were already saying goodbye. Her palms sweated and her heartbeat turned erratic. She blinked multiple times, exhaling small breaths, trying to steady herself as she approached them slowly, she made sure to avoid Matthew's eyes.
"Matthew, you don't need to visit the office too soon…"
Lilly swallowed a nervous breath when she heard what her father told Matthew, laughing gleefully while he tapped his shoulder. Her nervousness turned into full-blown anxiety when she noticed that Matthew wasn't smiling and the corner of his eyes had a hint of disgust as he stared at her father.
'What's going on?' She had no time to observe Matthew more because she was suddenly assaulted with the scent of Chanel No. 5 from her mother-in-law.
"Visit us soon, Lilly."
Mrs. Grayson kissed her cheeks that were painfully pulled into a bright smile. She kissed her mother-in-law back and murmured a soft "thanks."
"Don't be too shy around us, Lilly. You and Matthew will be just fine. I'm sure of it."
She nodded and smiled and hoped to god that they would all just leave already. She wanted to be alone. And her wishes were granted after another round of goodbyes and cheerful wishes and then they were alone.
Matthew had his hands shoved deep in his pants pocket and she stood next to him quiet as a mouse.
"Let's go," he said, turning his back to her.
"Where?" She stupidly asked.