The Aristocrat

They call it two new additions

"Yeah," I said through gritted teeth, voice strained as I forced my lips to curve in a smile, "Nice to see you to Mr. Young."

"Robert," My mother jumped in, correcting me with a pointed stare, "Darling it's Robert outside of school."

In both their hands were a glass of white red. Robert placed it gently down on the glass table in front of him, but my mother's drink stayed glued to her hand. She swirled it around, taking a tiny sip. Her bright eyes still watched me over the rim of the glass.

"Right, sorry Robert," I said, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.

He must have sensed it because he straightened up, and cleared his throat. The arm he had slung over the back of the couch, retracted and rested in his lap. He smiled at me again, "It's fine, you can call me which ever you prefer."

"Thanks," I said, managing to compose a half-hearted smile in his direction. My eyes left him as soon as they could, turning back to my mother, "Well, I just wanted to let you know I was leaving."

Lowering the glass to her lap, she furrowed her brows and asked, "For dinner with your brother?"

"Yes, him and Grace," I confirmed, my hand holding onto the frame of the doorway as I hovered in my towering heels.

"She is a lovely thing that Grace," she cooed, drifting back and forth between me and Robert. An adoring smile touched her lips, "Good for Oliver I think, don't you?"

"Yeah," I agreed for the first time in a while. I was glad that she could be happy for at least one of her kids, considering he was in the exact position in life she wanted him to be. The way she was smiling now, it was the way she smiled when she told people about me going to university.

"Send them my love," She instructed.

"I will," I nodded, leaning off the doorframe and walking in the opposite way from the living room, "Night."

"Oh wait, Andra?" she called out to me through the apartment again.

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget Savanah Hollis and I are away for the weekend for a spa retreat so you won't see me till Monday," She reminded me, her voice still raised as we communicated at a distance.

"Ok," I replied, picking up my keys from the side table and putting them in my clutch, "Have a good time. Bye."

"Bye," Was the last night I heard the two of them say simultaneously before I disappeared out the door and slammed it close behind me.

*

Brad pulled the car right up to the front of the restaurant, allowing me to slip out of the car easily. A light shower of rain bothered the city tonight and my hands shot up instantly to cover the top of my head.

"Andra," My name was called to the left and my eyes run across the street until I saw Oliver through the moving crowds of people. Him and Grace stood directly to the right of the restaurant doors, covered from the rain by the large canvas attached to the building.

"Oliver," I sighed in relief, rushing towards them. My heels clicked against the pavement as I manoeuvred myself the best I could through the rushes of people.

When I approached them, I drew my hands down from above my head and used them to reach out for Oliver. He responded by embracing me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and squeezing me tight.

"Andra," Oliver smiled, pulling away and gesturing towards the beautiful red-head beside him, "You remember Grace?"

I did remember her but not as pretty as she was now. With silky auburn hair that framed her slim face and delicate features, there was no wonder how she'd caught Ollie's eye. Together the pair made one of the best-looking couples I'd seen.