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CHAPTER FOUR
You were totally not invited.
“I don’t feel like icecream though.”
“Just that statement makes me worry,” Sese commented as he backed his car into a parking spot. “You love icecream.”
Aby sighed as she ran a hand through her blonde locks. “It freaks me out too. But believe it or not, I’m actually not in the mood for it.”
“Well, let’s go shopping then! Seeing as how we’re already here and everything.” He unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car. There was nothing else Aby could do besides follow him. He was her only method of transportation home.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? You can’t still be hung up over Jay.”
“Just a bit?”
“Ugh, no – wrong answer. As your best friend, it’s my job to snap you out of this trance you’re in and to be honest; I think it’s about time to get over him already. I mean, I know your date with Ty didn’t go well yesterday, but at least you were doing something about letting go of Jay. I hate watching you mope around like this.”
Aby stopped in front of a shop to examine the dress on the mannequin and gather her thoughts before replying to Sese. “It’s hard, you know…”
Sese nodded softly and patted her on the shoulder. “I mean, I loved him, you know. And the disastrous date with Ty only opened up more wounds. I mean, seriously, what kind of person does that? I know Jay wouldn’t ignore me on a date for a fact.”
Sese patted her again. “There’s no point crying over spilt milk. If he was stupid enough to dump you, then he’s not worth your tears.”
“Ugh! It’s just so frustrating. I was finally happy, you know. He promised me so many things, and I was stupid enough to believe him. Then the fucking curse struck again – and once again, I watch as my life crumbles around me. You know what; this is all Rick Rexleys’ fault. Ugh, how much I loathe him right now.”
“Oh wow, calm down hon, it’s bad for your complexion.”
Aby shot a glare towards Sese, but he was too caught up with the large sale signs hanging all around his favourite store. She should have known by now shopping wasn’t the best place to have a heart-to-heart with Sese. Everything mattered little besides filling up his wardrobe when Sese’s placed in a clothing store.
“Oh look hon! This dress would totally bring out your eyes!” Aby looked down at the short flow-y green dress Sese was holding up to her. She had to admit, it was a rather cute dress, but she just wasn’t in the mood to shop today.
“Um, yeah…it is pretty nice.”
Sese looked defeated. “Aw hon, I hate it when you’re like this.”
“Like what?”
“All pouty and depressed looking.” He put the dress back on the rack and grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
Not feeling up for much else, Aby allowed Sese to lead her to their favourite icecream store where they ordered their usual fondue set.
“Hey Abs, you still haven’t given me complete details on your date with Ty. What exactly happened?”
She dipped the star shaped icecream chunk into the melted white chocolate before looking up to catch Sese’s eyes.
“There’s not much to say, really.” She took a bite of the icecream. “Ty was just being Ty. I can’t believe I actually agreed to go out with him. I should have known he’d ignore me completely, but god, I just feel so stupid right now. I don’t think I can look at him anymore.”
“So let me get this straight, he ignored you, flirted with the cute barista, and ignored you some more to have a catch up session with his friends who’d just come back from London? What a bitch!”
“You can say that again.”
“Bitchhhhhh!”
Aby laughed, feeling a bit better. It’d seemed like it’s been a while since she’d last laughed. Laughter really was the best medicine – already, her spirits were lifting. Jay who? Ty what?
Sese brightened as he wiped his mouth on a napkin. “Ugh, about time hon. The lengths I’m willing go to for you. I bet I’ve gained at least a five kilos from all that sugar.” He waved a hand around at the icecream fondue set they’d ordered. “Oh my God, time to go. I have to go to the gym tonight!”
Aby rolled her eyes but grinned brightly. It was times like these when she fully understood why she was friends with Sese in the first place.
“Something smells good!” she exclaimed as she hoisted herself up to sit on the counter.
Sherrie turned around as she finished checking on the pasta and closed the oven door once more.
“Pasta surprise. My friend’s mum gave me the recipe last week, and I thought I’d try it out since dad had just bought home a stack load of pasta last night.”
Aby nodded as she picked up some cheese from a bowl and ate it.
“Can’t wait. It smells awesome, just…please don’t burn it.”
Sherrie rolled her eyes as she started cutting up the tomatoes for the salad. “It was one time. Are you ever gonna forget about it? I mean, it wasn’t my fault! The pasta and the cheese were just conspiring against me!”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure.”
Sherrie spun around. “And stop eating the cheese! I need to sprinkle another layer on in five minutes.”
Aby retracted her hand just as Sam walked into the kitchen holding a large bunch of flowers and a bright pink box tied up with a gold ribbon.
“Aww!” Aby jumped off the counter and helped her brother with the load in his arms, “Sammy’s got a secret admirer!”
Sherrie spun around and smirked. “Really now? Is my baby bro finally growing up?”
Sam shot them both glares. “Ugh, females. How can you not think this fine piece of specimen standing before you is one piece of hot-“
“Okay, please stop right there! Before you scar everyone,” Sherrie cut in quickly.
Sam rolled his eyes. “Please, like I really want you two swooning over me. Incest much?”
Aby felt herself shudder. “Just shut up already Sam. Before I get nightmares from this.”
Sam smirked as he thrust the flowers and the pink box in Aby’s direction. “Yeah whatever Abs. Besides, these are for you. They were sitting on the door step.”
“What? No way, I just came in though, and there was definitely nothing on the doorstep five minutes ago.”
Sam shrugged as he helped himself to the cheese from the bowl. “Maybe it was left after you got home?”
“Well obviously,” Sherrie cut in as she walked over to examine the flowers and box, “way to point out the obvious Captain Retard. And stop eating the cheese!” She slapped away Sam’s hand as he reached into the bowl again. “Anyways Abs, check to see if there’s a card.”
Aby grabbed the bunch of flowers and peeked in between the flowers as Sam grabbed the pink box and undid the golden ribbon. He lifted off the lid just as Aby was pulling out a small card she’d found buried in between the rose and the blue-dyed orchard.
“Oh, oh! Read it out loud!” Sam nudged her. “And dayum, these chocolates look good. You don’t mind if I eat one, right?”
Aby shook her head as she opened the card and reached over for a chocolate herself.
“Roses are red, orchards are blue,
I know the ocean separates me from you.
You say we are different,
But give me a chance,
To prove that I can be your man.”
“Aww, how sweet!” Sherrie exclaimed as Sam shot her a disgusted look.
“Oh my fucking god, what in the world was that?! What a disgrace to the male specie.”
Sherrie hit the back of Sam’s head. “Abs, don’t listen to him. I think it’s adorable. Does the card say anything else?”
Aby nodded as she popped the piece of chocolate into her mouth. A sweet familiar fruity taste exploded on her tongue, but she couldn’t quite recall what that particular taste was.
“There’ s a P.S. on the bottom. Ugh, it’s so small.” She squinted at the miniature scribble on the bottom of the card before her eyes widened in surprise. She couldn’t help but let out a laugh as she shook her head in wonder.
“What is it?” Sam asked as he popped another chocolate into his mouth. “Oh, and this stuff is good. Wonder what it is though. Here, Sher, try one.”
Sherrie reached over, grabbed a chocolate and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise and she smiled brightly as she continued to chew. “Wow, that is some good chocolate. Anyways Abs, what’s it say on the bottom of the card?”
Aby grinned again as she read off the tiny writing. “P.S. I don’t care if you’d only licked, bitten or actually consumed one of the chocolate covered dates, but because you’ve come in contact with a ‘date’ you are entitled to go on one with me this Saturday. No excuses. I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Wow, this guy is pretty confident with himself isn’t he? I mean, how could he predict that you’d open the box at all?” Sherrie asked as she took the pasta out to sprinkle a new layer of cheese on top.
“Well, isn’t he gonna turn up regardless? It’s just a coincidence that Abs did consume a chocolate,” Sam chimed in. “Anyways, are you going to go out with this guy? Because I can totally answer the door for you and punch him in the face on Saturday if you don’t want to.”
Aby laughed. “Well, considering all the effort he’d gone to in preparing this,” she waved her hand over at the flowers and box of chocolate, “I should at least repay him by going on one date, right? It’s the right thing to do.”
“But what if his ugly?”
“Sam!” Sherrie exclaimed in shock, “Don’t be so discriminative!”
He shrugged. “It’s not like you’re not shallow either. Remember Billy Hayes?”
Aby watched her sister blush at the name. Billy Hayes was a guy who’d had a massive crush on Sherrie last year. Sherrie had been flattered with all the attention she’d been receiving from the ‘mystery guy’ until she found out the guy was Billy Hayes, a poor bloke blessed with a large nose, small watery mouse-like eyes framed in a rotund face finished off with a triple chin. To say the least, Billy Hayes was not a looker. No one could blame Sherrie when she started avoiding Billy like he was the plague.
“Billy was different!” Sherrie snapped. “Besides, Aby’s admirer seems more normal than Billy. He left me a box of worms once, for god’s sake! I think the box of chocolates speak for itself.”
Sam was close to pissing himself from laughter at the expense of Sherrie’s bright red face. Sherrie frowned at him before deciding to ignore Sam altogether and turn her attention back on Aby.
“Look, Aby. You should be flattered that there’s someone out there that likes you so much.” She grabbed one of Aby’s hands. “Don’t you think it’s a sign that all this is happening right after Jay? Maybe someone is trying to tell you it’s time to move on.”
Sam finally stopped laughing and cleared his throat. Both Sherrie and Aby turned to look at him. “For once, I actually agree with Sherrie.”
Aby bit her lip as she took in a deep breath. “What-am-I-gonna-wear?!”
“Uhh…” Sam scratched his head, “I think I’ll leave that one for you to answer Sher…”
“I’m glad you did.”
“That’s what you get for forgetting your uniform at home. As sorry as I am that there was only this set left in the drawer, I can’t help but agree with Phil that the skirt would totally reel in the customers.”
“You mean the male ones? I’m sure the females won’t be as overwhelmed by this.”
Her manager Lissa nodded and smirked at her all the same. “Customers are customers after all. As long as you work your sexy pair of legs towards our advantage, no one will complain. Especially the boss.”
Aby frowned as she gave one last unsuccessful tug on the skirt. “Remind me to kill both you and Phil after work, alright?”
“Will do. Oh look, there’s some new customers.” Lissa poked her head out of the change room doors. “Damn, they’re females. Oh wells.” Lissa pushed Aby out the door. “Do us proud, babe.”
Aby blushed as she passed a few tables on her way to the one near the back where the new customers that’d just come in were heading. She could feel the eyes on her legs, and couldn’t help giving her skirt another tug unsuccessfully. She heard someone whistle from the other side of the restaurant but paid no heed to it. It was definitely going to be one long shift today. Aby cursed Sam inwardly for accidentally spilling his glass of milk all over her just as she was about to head off to work. Talk about bad timing.
“Hi guys, would you like to know the specials for today?” Aby looked up from her order pad after writing down the table number. Her eyes widened in surprise as she met a pair of dazzling blue eyes in which she recognised. “Oh, I know you. Sidney right?”
The girl with the bright blue eyes raised an eyebrow in boredom. “Yes. And yes, Brock and I are back from London. Yes, we miss it heaps. No, we can’t come to your party next week, as honoured we are that you’d fully planned out a welcome back party for us, and yes, I’d like to know the specials.”
The blonde girl across from Sidney giggled and shot Aby a smirk as Aby stood there feeling a bit lost and confused.
“Um…what? Party?”
Sidney Spencer looked up from her menu and really stared at Aby this time. She gave Aby a once over which only caused her to blush some more.
“I recognise you from somewhere,” Sidney stated.
The girl across from her giggled before exclaiming, “Oh my gosh Sid, I’m sure she’s just another one of your admirers. Please, she’s totally not worth your time. We should definitely order and go back to organising this welcome back party which I’m totally excited about throwing for you and Brocky.”
“Oh yeah, sure, whatever Libby.”
“It’s Linda!” the girl giggled, obviously taking no offence to it.
Sidney ignored her as she turned her attention back on Aby. Her blue eyes raked over Aby’s face, as if she was trying to figure out where she recognised this particular waitress from. “What’s your name?”
“Um, Aby.”
“Hmm, right. What are the specials again?”
Aby rattled off the list of specials for the day and waited as the two girls told her what they wanted. She wasn’t surprised when Linda ordered only a diet coke but was mildly shocked when Sidney ordered two main meals as well as a side of fries. Regardless, she took down the order and was just about to turn and leave when Sidney spoke up once more.
“Thanks…Aby.”
Aby was a bit taken aback, but she wasn’t surprised when she caught Linda giving her an indiscreet dirty as she walked away to put up the order. She assumed Linda was a bit pissed off that Aby’d taken a bit of her limelight because Sidney had paid attention to her.
She was back at the girls table after she’d taken a few more orders from other tables. She felt a bit relieved to find only Sidney sitting at the table, texting away on her phone.
“Here’s your salad main, and pollo romano.” She set the two plates of food down just as Sidney put down her phone. Aby was just turning to leave when Sidney spoke up.
“You’re that girl from Wednesday, aren’t you?”
“S-sorry?” Aby stumbled, a little shocked that Sidney did remember her.
Sidney raised an eyebrow. “The one with Ty.”
“I…uh, yeah. I suppose. We were…kinda on a sort of date…thing.”
Sidney scoffed. “Right.”
“What? Are you saying I’m lying?”
“Oh, no, no! Please don’t take it that way. I was just trying to imply that you were pretty fucking lucky to score a date with him, but Brock and I did kind of butt in and ruin the whole thing. Sorry about that. I guess we’re just more important than you.”
Aby stood in shock as Sidney’s words sunk in. It was obvious Sidney’s apology was insincere and laced with sarcasm, this was proved correct, as Sidney smirked.
“I mean, don’t take it the wrong way, but I’m back now, and I really don’t think Ty would have time with little flings like you. Sorry.”
“Excuse me?” Aby hissed lowly. “Okay, one; I would be fucking stupid if I were to give Ty Harper another chance. God, his not even worth the trouble. Two; it wasn’t a ‘fling’, alright. It can’t even be considered a ‘date’. And three; I’m actually going out with someone else tomorrow, so please, don’t worry about me, you can have Ty all for yourself. You two are perfect for each other.”
“Oh, we are, aren’t we? I have to agree on that.”
Aby shot a disgusted look at Sidney, which she ignored as she picked up her cutlery.
“What are you still doing here,” the blonde girl snapped as she slid back into her seat. “This is a private lunch, and you were totally not invited. Right, Sid?” Linda the blonde girl looked towards Sidney for confirmation.
Sidney looked up lazily once more. “Totally.”
Aby hurried away before she could do anything she would regret. It was definitely going to be a long shift.
