Hidden Behind Everything Happy

Dinner With The Boyfriends Parents

The time really did fly when you were having fun, we had finished our exams for the week and just chilled in Friday, watching movies which were diversely related to our topics. Watching The Nightmare On Elm Street to examine for psychology which was both illegal and frightening, and I was in a class without my Riley. Which was a scary enough experience on its own.  

Then I was back at home, pulling off my skinnies and putting on a knee length blue skirt, then a black vest top with a blue butterfly necklace that hung a little too low into my cleavage for my taste, but it was Riley's favourite. Surprise surprise.  

I put a pair of small blue and black wedge heels and grabbed my royal blue bolero so that I didn't freeze walking into their house. I had my hair in a plait stretching around my head from left to right, and a little blue barrage of forget-me-not flowers attached to my hair grips. I didn't wear much makeup, just mascara and clear lip gloss. And that was mostly due to the fact I was nervous, I had never been to a formal dinner with Riley's family. I had met them before on parents evenings and things but I hadn't ever been to Riley's house at his mums. We'd been down to his dads house for three days over the beginning of Summer, I hadn't had to worry about him, he was a surfer. And everybody knows how laid back surfer dudes are. And boy did he live up to my expectations, saying dude all the time and the word gnarly was added to my vocabulary. That was the only time Riley had been to the seaside, us living inland. He'd loved it.  

I was glad really, because California has a lot of sea, sand, sun and surf.  

He picked me up at seven, I thought he looked very dapper to be going back to a dinner at his house.  

"Hello Munchkin" He said pecking the end of my nose sweetly as I grabbed his hand.  

"Hello Star-burst" I said making it up on the spot, I didn't have a proper nickname for Riley other than my Riles.  

"Star-burst?" I crinkled up my eyes as I smiled because I knew he loved to see it, he knew it as my sign I was genuinely happy.  

"They were my favourite sweets as a kid, I was addicted, I got such a sugar rush from having a few, so they remind me of you" He frowned like I had said something incredibly stupid.  

"So I taste good?" That was all he took from that, maybe not the most romantically minded boy but still, he was MY boy.  

"I meant your like a drug. You give me a rush" He laughed warmly making me feel all cuddly and fuzzy on the inside, I remembered how I felt when I found out my dad was dead, and wondered how my mother must have felt? She hadn't still been in love with him though, they weren't together anymore. I guess that answered my question; she felt like ignoring it and lying to me about it.  

"Come on, I don't want to be late. Mum made me get here fifteen minutes early though. She's been singing your praises all week, I think you could do god damn anything tonight and shed still love you" I smiled, at least I had his mothers and fathers favour in the bag. But apparently his step dad was harder to please. 

The car journey took ten minutes, it was triple that if you walked though, taking into account the amount of congestion on these roads and it took a while waiting to cross over. I kept biting my tongue, I was nervous. Super nervous.  

Oh dear god, I felt sick.  

Not only did I have to worry about impressing Eric (The rich, stuck-up, thinks women are second class citizens step dad) but I was also embarrassed about saying I love your son to Mrs Jacobs and to top it all off I was going to have to get a minute alone with her to ask her to ransack her sons wardrobe. God, I put myself in one pickle of a situation.  

"Ready?" Riley whispered playfully, he could see I was nervous. I didn't feel great, it was like walking into the lions den. I hoped Eric wouldn't spill the beans on my surprise getaway, I didn't even know if he knew. I would have to be ultra careful then, because that was one thing I was determined to keep quiet.