Chapter 4: The Dinner
Nick looks around trying to find the cups. " Where are the cups?"
"They are in the kitchen, Cole come with me." Phoebe replied, then she turned around and walked into the kitchen.
"Yes ma'am." Cole replied, then he turned to Nick "she still me like a kid."
"Just go get the cups." Nick said.
Cole turned around and entered the kitchen, "what are you doing?"
Phoebe was scattering everywhere and was crouching on the counter looking into the cabinet.
Phoebe was startled then she turned around and said, "I'm looking for the cups," as she was about to climbed down when she slipped but Cole was quick so he caught her before she could reach the ground.
Cole held her in his arms, "are you okay?"
Phoebe pushed him away, " Yes….. thank you." She said embarrassingly, then she turned around to keep looking for the cups.
Cole watched her looking for and was contemplating if he ask about the coming back to Seattle.
"Are just going to stand there? Aren't you going to help me look for the cup?" Phoebe said looking at the lost Cole, then Cole made up his mind to ask.
"How are doing?" Cole asked slowly with compassion.
"What do you mean?….. I told you I'm fine," Phoebe said trying to cover the pain in her voice.
"Phoebe you know what I am talking about, so just tell me how you doing?" Cole asked again but this time he moved closer to her, Phoebe took a step back and rested on the kitchen counter.
"I just don't want to talk about it," Phoebe said as she turns her face from Cole's.
Cole then took a step back and said in high spirit, "okay!"
Phoebe was shocked, because she expected Cole to ask again but he just said okay, "really okay that's what just said?"
"Yeah did you expect more?" Cole asked.
Phoebe was about to say something when Nick opened the door and asked, "hey what's up with the cups?"
"I just found it," Cole replied and walked towards Phoebe and whispered in her ear and said, " anytime you want to talk…. Just know I'm always here," then he took a black plastic bag behind her and turned around and left with Nick.
Phoebe looked at the door for a while before turning around to look at where Cole just took the bag from, "I can swear I checked here," Phoebe said to herself.
At the living room,
Cole sat on the couch drinking chocolate with chocolate all over his mouth, Nick walked over with a cup in his hand and sat down beside him, "what's the in quote deal between you and Phoebe?" Nick asked.
"What do you mean in quote deal?" Cole asked as he looked at Nick.
"I mean I saw you guys in the kitchen just now getting all emotional," Nick said
Cole dropped the cup he was holding on the table and asked again, "what do you mean emotional?"
"Exactly because you don't do emotions," Nick said, then took of a sip out of the cup he was holding.
"First of all I do emotions and Phoebe was going through a lot I tried to comfort her as a friend," Cole said as he picks up his cup from the table.
"Okay," Nick said with no emotions on his face but Cole knew he didn't believe him.
"I serious we're just friends." Cole said again.
Nick drinks from the cup he was holding and said with no emotion on his face again, "I said okay."
"I…" Cole wanted to say something but decided to let it go.
Nick was the one person who could get under Cole skin and make him feel stupid like really stupid.
Cole looked at his mum and asked, "mum where is dad?"
"He is in his office, he will be down when it's for dinner," Megan replied.
"Ma'am dinner is ready," a young lady in her early thirty's wearing a short blue gown and a apron said.
"Thank you Isabel," Megan said.
Isabel has been their cook for nine years and was quite familiar with the family.
Isabel now her head at Megan and turned to Cole and said, "young master welcome back."
"We've talked about this," Cole said with disapproval.
"Sorry master Cole," Isabel apologizes.
"Just Cole please and good evening Isabel," Cole replied, Isabel nodded and left.
"I'll go get your dad, you guys can go to the dinning room," Megan said as she stands up and climbed the stairs.
Cole and Nick entered the big dinning room decorated in antique, the room was very spacious with a Italian 10 chairs dinning table in the middle of the room.
When Cole and Nick entered the room they were shocked on the food on the table, they were all their favorites, Cole turned to Charlotte who was sitting beside Phoebe and asked, "you did this, how do you know about….?"
"This might come to you as a shock but I am your sister," Charlotte replied, "I know more than you think I do even Nick," she added.
"I don't know what to say now," Cole said feeling guilty.
"How about I was right and you were wrong?" Charlotte teased.
"Don't get over yourself," Cole said smiling.
"Thank you Charlotte and Phoebe," Nick said.
"You're welcome," Charlotte and Phoebe said.
Cole looked at Nick in confusion and said, "what's wrong with you? What's with this emotional shit? I told you before don't try to suck up to them."
"What?" Nick asked, Cole shook his head then went to sit down.
"What?" Nick asked again before sitting down.
Megan and Philip entered the dinning room, Philip sat on one end of the table while Megan sat on the opposite.
As soon as everyone started eating there was a awkward silence that only the soi5 of cutleries could be heard, everyone was looking for the perfect topic.
"So how the company?" Philip asked Megan finally breaking the silence.
"It's stressful but fine," Phoebe replied.
"Good to know….. Your dad called me and he asked how you were doing and that you are not picking his calls?" Philip asked.
Phoebe was feeling uncomfortable with the topic so said "it's nothing I've just been busy, I'm going to the bathroom excuse me," she drop her fork and left the dinning room and there was a awkward silence again.
"So congratulations Cole and Nick on your graduations," Philip broke the silence once more.
"Not now," Cole thought because he knows trouble is coming, then he smiled at his dad and said "thank you, glad to hear."
"Thank you sir," Nick also said.
"So Nick what's your plan now that High School is over?" Philip asked.
Nick dropped his fork and knife and replied, "I'm actually going to Jeff Antoine college here in Seattle to study Electrical engineering."
"Really? Isn't that a private school the fees should be of the roof?"Philip asked.
"Actually it is but my elder brother is covering it for me," Nick replied.
After Nick father and his immediate elder brother died, Nick have mainly be moving from place to place and he really didn't have it for him except his Cole who was always there for him until his elder brother who left home when he was thirteen returned three years ago as a successful marine engineer and rented an apartment for Nick and also promise to take care of his tuition and any other things he might need.
"Oh the marine engineer right?" Philip asked.
"Yes sir," Nick replied.
"I got to say I was wrong about you, you actually are not that bad," Philip confessed.
"Thank you... I guess," Nick said feeling a bit relieved.
Cole who has been feeling uncomfortable with the discussion because he knows his father was trying to spite him, dropped his fork and excused himself, "I think I need to use the bathroom too." Cole left the dinning room.
"Two down four to go," Charlotte said.
Cole entered the home and open one of the liquor cabinet and took out a 1934 Croatian vodka and smiled, "me and you are going for a long ride," Cole said to the drink and closed the cabinet before walking out.
Cole walked to the balcony and saw Phoebe sitting on the edge of the swimming pool with her legs in the water, he walked to her with the vodka in his hands and sat beside her, then Cole saw a half bottle of another wine beside her.
"It seems like you beat me to it," Cole said.
"To what?" Phoebe ask confused.
"Getting drunk?" Cole replied smiling.
Phoebe chuckled and said, "I really need this."
She turned to Cole and asked, "is that your offer still opened?"
Cole smiled and nods.
"I....I…. I don't know but it still hard for me to say," Phoebe said.
"Okay why don't we just drink maybe it can reduce your pain or pains," Cole said as he opened the vodka he was holding.