Inheritance

Chapter 6

A few minutes of friendly chatter went on before a waiter eventually came by our table to take our drink orders and pass out menus. The table filled with silence, as we each surveyed through the expensive food options.

My phone vibrated, just as Coco sent me a look.

Coco: Switch seats with me. 

Me: Why? 

I obviously knew why, but I wanted her to say it.

Coco: You obviously know why. I want to sit next to Ahmad. We shared a little moment earlier. I want to see where this could go.. 👀👀

"So, Coco what do you do?" Ahmad asked, after seeming to settle on a food choice and placing his menu down. Coco shot me a brazen look before she smirked at Ahmad.

"Sorry, I can't hear you from all the way over here. Sasha, do you mind if we switch seats for a quick second?" 

To anyone else, Coco's question sounded quite innocent. But I knew better, as she spared me a subtle wink. This girl...

"Um, no. I don't mind." We quickly exchanged seats, just as the waiter returned with our drinks.

The switch meant that I was now seated next to Kendall, who was too busy chatting with Patricia to notice. I watched from my peripheral, as she made all sorts of provocative eye and mouth gestures at him. Was the man truly this dense or was he simply uninterested in what she was clearly serving to him on a platter? 

When my phone rang, I became momentarily grateful for the chance at a quick escape from third-wheeling on two fronts.

"If you guys don't mind, I'm just going to take a quick phone call." I left the table and headed straight to the bathroom. 

Looking down at my phone screen, the name on the caller ID read Marjorie. I slid my finger across the screen, promptly answering the phone call.

"Hey, Marjorie. Sorry I didn't call you back."

"No worries, I-I thought you might have been avoiding me. I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be visiting the states soon. I have a surprise to tell you and your uncle."

"Why does this sound like a pregnancy announcement? Don't be so dramatic." I scorned, stopping my sentence short when I heard a man's muffled voice in the background. "Who's that?"

"Don't worry, darling. I'll just be going now. Love you, bye." She rushed to end the call, leading me to wonder what exactly she had been up to in London. 

At face value, Marjorie was my biological mother. Though, I would never actually call her that. 

She had gotten sober over the years and moved to London, where she was able to start a new life. She claimed that she had lost her sense of identity while living in America and needed to rediscover her "purpose" somewhere else. After running off with my father over twenty years ago, she birthed two children. When the man eventually abandoned them to chase a high, she knew she had to do better for herself and for her kids. 

Since then, she had been working a daytime clerical job to take care of her family. From time to time, she would call me to ask for some financial support, and I would dutifully help her. After all, her children were also my siblings and I wanted the best for them. 

Because we didn't visit each other often, there were still so many things left unsaid between the two of us. She would never take accountability for the trauma she caused in my life, and I wasn't quite ready to completely forgive her just yet. Still, I chose to be the bigger person and take small steps in repairing our relationship for the sake of moving forward. 

At best, we were making progress on our relationship day by day.

When I returned to the table, the waiter had already begun to jot down orders on his note pad. With everyone paired off, I was forced to keep busy by way of my phone. When my phone vibrated in my hand, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of the simple text.

Unknown: Hey Sasha, wyd? 

Unknown: This is Caleb btw. I hope you haven't forgotten about me. 

Me: Sorry, Caleb doesn't ring a bell. 

Me: Just kidding, but no I haven't forgotten about you. I'm actually at a dinner with some friends. It's so boring.

Caleb: Oh really? That's lame. I know something that'll be much more fun. How about I tell you over coffee...?

"Sorry to bore you." Kendall remarked, as he took a slow sip from his wine. 

His voice cast a dark undertone, while his expression reflected his slight annoyance. He obviously had read the private text messages exchanged between Caleb and I, which bothered me.

"Did anyone ever tell you it's rude to read other people's texts?" I glared at him, as I awaited an apology that never came. 

He clenched his jaw at my question, revealing a very prominent curvature springing from his jawline. His eyebrows equivalently lowered, creating a casted shadow over his dark eyes. 

"I see you have a sharp mouth. It'll get you in trouble one day, if you're not careful." He turned away from me, dismissing our conversation entirely and redirecting his attention towards Patricia.

~~~

Oop😙😙

~Chelly😘😘