I'm Normally Perfect (re-upload)

Chapter Twenty

The bell went on the oven timer and Alex went to freshen up for dinner. Whilst setting the table I considered what I'd submit to the contest, proud that Alex wanted to read more of my work. I thought she was being nice the first time and that winning the prize from the student paper was merely a fluke.

I held my breath while she took her first bite. 'This is very good, Catherine.'

I beamed, 'Thanks.' After trying it (it was actually edible!) I asked, 'So, what else happened today?'

She hummed a note then said, 'Not much.'

I could tell she was keeping something back, 'Are you sure?'

She looked up from her plate and narrowed her eyes a bit, 'Are you attempting to read my mind again?'

'I won't have to if you just tell me.' She remained silent. 'You don't want to tell me?' I fully advocated the right to privacy, but was hurt that she felt she couldn't tell me something.

'I don't wish to reap your judgement.'

I said, 'I wouldn't judge you,' in what was meant to be gently, but it came out petulant.

With only her teeth, she removed a bite of chicken from her fork and regarded me whilst chewing, 'I ran into an old flame today, "ran into" isn't utterly accurate. He stopped by my office just after term started and invited me to lunch some time. So...we had lunch today.'

'Oh.' I felt as if I'd been punched in the stomach. She surely caught my hurt expression. 'Thanks for telling me about the lunch. Why didn't you tell me about his invitation?'

She shrugged and pushed food around her plate, 'I wasn't certain I was going to go.'

I picked around my food, as well, no longer hungry, 'Why did you not want to tell me that? About going, I mean?'

When our eyes met again, she was concentrating very hard, 'You have a way sometimes, Catherine. As though you hold everyone's actions against them. As though, if someone doesn't have the most logical, reasonable excuse for doing something then they're being selfish.'

My mouth was dry. She'd never been openly critical of me. I hadn't realised people saw me that way, and I certainly hadn't realised I had somehow made Alex uncomfortable, I'd never meant to. I didn't know what to say, though, as I did think that people were often too selfish. That didn't mean that Alex couldn't go to lunch with whomever she wanted. Hoping to let her know I wasn't upset I asked, 'Did you have a good time?'

She nodded, and said guardedly, 'It was nice.'

'That's good.'

She took a deep breath. 'He asked me to lunch again, and I accepted.'

'Okay. I mean, I know that you're not asking permission, or anything. I mean, it's good you're going...I don't know what to say, I've never known anyone who had a date before. That sounds weird.' I decided to pay attention to my plate—at least there were no surprises there.

She relaxed and smiled, 'I understand what you're saying. No one has announced their romantic life to you before.'

I wasn't wild about her calling a lunch date her "romantic life"; it occurred to me that she meant to get back together with him. 'Oh. You said you used to...,' I didn't know what to call it, 'date?' She nodded, 'For a short while. A few months five or six years ago. It wasn't particularly serious.'

'So what happened? Or is that none of my business?' I felt myself going red, not knowing what was appropriate to ask.

'His job requires him to travel quite a bit.' She had a sip of her wine.