Model Behaviour

23: "Sweetheart, what have you done to our love?" - Keaton Henson

Alisha, who was sat beside me, placed a hand on my forearm with a sympathetic smile. “You okay?”

I shrugged. “As good as one can be after watching someone walk away with their future.”

She frowned. “Why don’t you just call the studio to send you another copy of your contract?”

“Because it has to go through my manager which right now is Debbie and she in turn has to check it out for any knits or bugs, send it my way to sign and then send it back.”

“Is that really necessary though?”

“Apparently so.  I’ve already asked. I mean, I can go down to Salon with a lawyer but I don’t want it to come to that unless it really has to come to it.” I looked down at my untouched apple pie and sighed.

With a pat to my arm and a swipe of her spoon toward my pie, she said, “It might be the only way to go.”

Yeah, I know.

Once again I looked over my friend’s only then realising what day it was. I looked over at Jake and Miranda and said,“What are you all doing here anyway, it’s Valentine’s Day. Randy it’s your first one married.”

“I’m married every day. Valentine’s Day is just another day, Liv.”

I shrugged a little at her reply thinking that well, I’d want to spend my first Valentine’s Day with whom I married with, well, who I married. Then again come hell or high water I would be anywhere, anywhere, for Randy. And I guess that’s what she’s doing for me now.

"You know she had no right to walk away like that, Olivia."

"But what would you do?"

Miranda's annoyed sigh almost blew the candle out between us. "You say they haven't been together for years. He is his own person and so is she and so are you."

"She was shocked."

"Why are you defending this? Do you want her to end this? Do you have no hope at all?"

"Would you?" I countered suddenly feeling annoyed. "You didn't see that look in her eye like after seeing us together everything made perfect sense or something. So no, I don't really have that much hope at the moment especially since she hasn't responded to my missed call.”

Miranda’s frown was answer enough. Clearly she didn’t know what she would do and even if I was in Debbie’s position I wouldn’t know what to do. Sure, maybe I’d be a bit awkward at first but I would at least call back or put the poor girl out of her misery. I felt like I was waiting for the jury to come back with their verdict.

And as my eyes strayed over to the opening door with two very familiar faces I realised I was extremely guilty.

I watched as Eddie and his sister, Phoebe, walked into the restaurant both of them clearly looking for someone. Must have been Miranda judging by the way she waved them over.

“Thanks a bunch, Miranda.” I sighed.

“He wanted to see you. I couldn’t very well say no, it’s your birthday after all.”

I caught Eddie’s wonderful eyes but quickly averted them, shoving down the feeling of utter content to the very pit of my stomach. I wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms for as long as I could think of and wish away all the secrets, all the lies. But life wasn’t that easy now, was it?

“Happy birthday, Liv!”

I blinked and stood automatically, wrapping an arm around Phoebe in a quick hug. “Oh, thank you. I’m surprised to see you.”