A black kia forte arrived at a small restaurant at eight o'clock in the evening. Eddie came out from his car and assisted Daisy in getting off. They both made their way into the small dimly lighted restaurant. The place was occupied with a few persons who's faces were familiar to him. They both selected a table next to the window and made themselves comfortable.
A waiter approached them and served them a menu and patiently waited for them to make their orders. It was a short list of dishes so it didn't take long for them to decide what they wanted.
"I'll have meatloaf and a can soda." She said very softly.
"Just give me the usual." He says.
The waiter simply nodded and scribbles down a few things on his note before leaving with their orders. They were once again alone and speechless and seeming clueless of what to say.
"It seems you come here quite often...," Daisy said.
"Yeah well umm...not until I got this job."
"Oh I see...,"
"Yeah. I do know how to cook if that's what you're implying."
"You do?." She asks with an amused look.
"Yeah. You don't believe me...?."
No it's not that I don't, am just finding it difficult to picture you wearing an apron." She blurted while laughing heartily.
"I'd look dashing, trust me." He boasts with a proud smirk.
She scoffed at his comment and looked away while chuckling silently. The waiter returned with a tray of nacho, a plate of meatloaf and two can sodas. He laid it out on their table and quietly left. They both started to chow on their meals. Eddie was distracted by how she was gnawing on her meatloaf. It was a bit amusing and oddly satisfying to watch that he forgot, he still had food on his plate.
She eventually noticed he had been staring at her the whole time and felt a sudden pang of anxiety as her face gradually reddened with embarrassment.
"Sorry..I ..I just not eaten anything since morning." She explained.
"It's alright." He said, "I just didn't know you fancy meat."
"Hahaha, what?. You thought I was a veggie?."
"Look you can't blame me. It's not my fault you look like one."
"What?. How?. Do I look a veggie?."
"Yeah you look like one of those vegan devil worshippers?."
"Hahaha oh my goodness." She says, "That's a bad joke Dr Murphy...,"
"Uh-uh, tonight I choose not to be addressed by my work status. So call me by name."
"Okay roger that captain." She chuckled softly.
"Please don't call me that."
"Call you what?" She feigns ignorant and says in a more daring way, "Captain?."
"Now I see why the alien wanted to eat you so bad."
"Is that how you're gonna thank me for saving your life?."
"Tsk...saving my life?." He laughs at her preposterousness and says, "Am the one whom you should be thanking."
"Oh really....,?."
"Uh-huh, if it wasn't for me you'd someone's else's supper right now." He said.
"And if it weren't for me, you'd be headless meatloaf right now."
"A headless meatloaf...??" He rephrased her statement with an absurd look and a growing budding laughter.
"I dunno what that is..." She whispered with an adorable look as they both burst into laughter.
Eddie's smiley face went cold the moment he laid his eyes on a couple whom happened to have just entered into the restaurant. It was his ex wife Katie and her new husband Antonov Vadim. The one man who had stolen his joy. A familiar strong feeling of relentlessness and hatred ran through his insides. And he became oblivious to all that was happening around him as his whole focus centered on that very couple.
"Eddie?. Eddie!?, Eddie!. Dr Murphy!!." Daisy called out.
"Yeah...,??" He sounded startled.
"I said, I need to head home before ten." She said, "It's gettin' late and I don't like staying out late."
"Yeah yeah sure, but um first can please spare a sec. There's these friends of mine that I'd like you."
"Friends?. You have friends?."
"Of course I do." He says in a bewildered manner, "You think am some sociopath?."
"I never said that." She whispered.
"Whatever just come let's meet them." He said as he gently gestured to her to follow him.
They both came out from their table and approached the couples whom were still going through the menu that'd been given to them by same waiter. Katie had long sighted Eddie the moment they walked into the restaurant. She'd tried convincing Vadim that they leave, but he was very adamant. So all she could resort to was hiding behind the menu book.
"Hello Katie." Eddie whispers mischievously, "Mind if we join you guys?."
"Mr Murphy what you doing here for?." A man with a thick native accent asked in a hostile manner.
"Same thing you came here to do." He promptly retorted, "To eat."
He abruptly sat down beside them and gestured for Daisy to do the same. She meekly obeyed and sat down, but the unwelcoming and unsettling eyes of their supposed friends made her feel very nervous and afraid. Katie was also looking troubled, she knew both men and what they were capable of. She wasn't prepared for the trantrum that they were about to display.
"Com'on guys easen up. We're just here to say hello, that's all." Eddie said with an unfiltered tone that indicated the triviality of his words.
But his pugnacity and truculent attitude had already given off a signal of the imminent rivalry that was about to trivial. He was seeking for trouble and was about to get it.
"You've said hello." Katie says, "Now please leave Edd...,."
"Shut up Katie." He rudely cut her off.
"Чертов ублюдок. Как ты смеешь так разговаривать с моей женой? Я оторву твой язык и скормлю его своей собаке."
[Fucking bastard. How dare you talk to my wife in such manner. Am gonna rip of your tongue and feed it to my dogs.]
He abruptly rose up and grabbed him by the collar while threatening in his native language.
His grip was tight and felt almost like a deja vu of the previous incident that had transpired between him and the ferocious alien. He tried shaking off his hands but it proved futile.
"You let me go now or I'll bash my head on your fuckin' ugly face and make you bleed till daybreak." Eddie warned.
"Vadim please stop." Katie pleaded.
"Yeah Vadim, you better listen to your wife." Eddie jeered.
But the huge man didn't bulge, instead he drew his face closer and whispered menacingly into his ears. "Words Mr Murphy. Only words, becos you not a real man."
"Am more of a man than you'll ever be. Your precious wife can testify to that." He whispered back.
"No you're not." Katie suddenly spoke and, interrupting their little skirmish. "You're not even a man. You're still that fifteen years ago boy who can't take a loss."
"You let go off my shirt now. Or the next warning you'll get is my a headbutt." Eddie warned once more and choosing to ignore Katie's hurtful words.
The big man gradually released his grip on him but his intense piercing gaze was solely fixed on him. Eddie quickly slapped off his hands as soon as he felt his grip loosen. Their eyes were still focused on each other and it seemed like their staring contest would take an eternity.
"Eddie let's go." Daisy quietly said.
"It's Dr Murphy!...," He chided lividly.
"Tsk...Fuck you Eddie."
She shot back before slamming a few dollars on the table and storming out of the restaurant in fury. Yet he's eyes were still solely invested in that of his enemy.
"You remember this night." Vadim whispers . "I will forget to be nice next time."
"Fuck you." Eddie swore while flexing his index finger at him.
"Honey please let's go. Let him be." Katie pleaded as she tugged at her husband's huge arm.
He nodded quietly and obediently followed her and they both walked out of the restaurant, leaving Eddie who kept ranting and throwing curses at them. After moments of raining insults to the shadows of the already gone couple. He slumped on the seat and called out for the waiter.
"You sell good alcohol here right?."
"We have brandy and vodka sir."
"Great. Get me two bottles of both."