Baby on Board

Bullshit

So many questions. Finally, tonight was an opportunity to ask Martha outright what the situation is. 

Lottie had been the one to suggest that I take Martha out, stating that she wanted a night in alone with Sera. Lottie often liked to kick me out of the house for a few hours for some girl time; last week, she booted me out to go to Boy's Night at Elias' while she, Martha and Sera had a movie and pampering night. Well, Sera was there but I don't think they painted her nails and braided her hair. She was a casual observer, especially as she now seemed fixated on stuff like people's faces.

Tonight, though, Martha was mine. It had taken a lot of persuasion because she didn't want to go out with me. It wasn't until I told her that I was thinking of taking her to Sebon that she started to change her tune. Suddenly, going out for food with her father wasn't so much of a chore anymore. I should feel honoured, I think. Still, I booked the table and then I did some research about what films were showing, picking one that I thought she would like. 

"Why couldn't you wait until the weekend to do this?" Martha asked, her voice sounding thoroughly put out. It was grating on me and I found my blood starting to boil at how ungrateful she was being. 

I suck in a deep breath and try to calm myself before I answer. "Because, on weekends, you like to go out with Keira and Logan and whoever else it is you hang out with these days. Talking of which, who do you hang out with these days? Still mates with that Aussie girl?"

"No, Jade and I don't hang out anymore," Martha answered. She doesn't explain. "Look, no offence, Dad but we could have stayed home to have that chat."

Her words slipped from her lips as I pulled up outside the restaurant. Turning the ignition off, I turned to her and told her not to move. Jumping out of the car, I entered Sebon and was met by a petite blonde as soon as I walked through the door. I apologised, firstly, for being late and then went on to explain that I would no longer need the reservation. I paid a hefty amount of money to cover the cost of an empty table and then wished the woman a good evening. 

When I got back into the car, Martha watched as I turned the key and pulled back into the London traffic. "Uh, Dad, are we not going there, then?" Martha asked. I didn't bother answering her. Instead, I navigated the roads and started to look out the window for a takeaway place that we could go to instead. When I found one, I parked as close as possible and then got out of the car, waiting for Martha to do the same. "Where even are we?"

"We're going there," I point at a random Japanese restaurant just down the road. It was a chain restaurant that did take out, not that I cared. My strides were long and while I knew I should slow my pace for Martha to keep up, I didn't. "Keep up, Martha."

In the time it took for us to order, for the chefs to make up our food, and for us to pay and leave, thirty minutes had passed in which neither Martha nor I made an effort to speak to each other. The drive back to the house was similar. The silence in the car was deafening but I didn't care; Martha had said that we could have stayed home to have our chat, so that's what I was going to do. 

She tried to run away, of course. When I parked in front of the main house, Martha got out of the car and walked through the house towards the patio door that would lead her back to her mews house. I shouted at her to stop, turn around and go to the kitchen. Martha stared at me like she was about to defy my orders but from the glare I gave her, she knew better than to go against my wishes right now. Doing as she had been told, Martha went down to the kitchen.

"Why are you back?" I heard Lottie's voice come from behind me. I jumped a little from fright which made her giggle but she attempted to conceal it. I didn't buy her mild coughing fit. "I thought you were eating and then going to the cinema. I know it's been a while since I had a dinner and movie date but I'm sure it's supposed to last longer than-"