Girl on the Bench [Completed]

I love you still

Rosa

After the awkward start to the lunch, we spoke freely. We seemed to have similar tastes in music and films. Dominic was different when he relaxed, the worry lines eased on his forehead and when he laughed, he looked really happy. It was nice to see.

The food arrived and we ate, continuing to talk. The beer garden filled up with people as the sun blazed down. It's rare to have such great weather in Scotland and people were making the most of it. We were cocooned in our little corner, there were plenty of seats so we weren't crowded by others.

Dominic had just finished telling a story about someone he knew and I laughed loudly. He watched me with a bemused expression on his face.

"What?" I said, touching my face in case I had something on it.

Dominic leaned over the table and gently brushed his lips against mine. I blushed.

"Been wanting to do that since I saw you today," he said gruffly.

I laughed again and he grinned at me.

"DOM!"

I turned to see a thin, leggy blonde wearing a red, fitted dress slide through the throngs of people towards us. Despite the heat, she was wearing a black leather jacket. I frowned, that's odd.

She plonked herself next to Dominic and kissed his cheek. Dominic had changed, he had tensed up and, even though he was smiling at her, he wasn't happy.

"What are you doing here? I think Paul wants to see...ouch!" She rubbed her arm and grimaced at him.

What was that about?

We sat awkwardly until the girl leaned over and took my hand.

"I'm Lola. Who are you?" She purred.

"I'm Rosa, hi." I replied. "Are you Dominic's sister?"

She nodded and wrapped her arm around his stiff frame.

"Yup! Older, not wiser. He's my guardian angel, aren't you Dom?" She pecked him on the cheek again.

Lola was beautiful, she had angles that would make a model cry but there was something that was gnawing at me. She seemed hyper but not. Her pupils were huge. She grinned at me and I saw a small drop of blonde underneath her right nostril.

Ah, Coke.

I handed her a napkin and gently touched my nose.

"I think you've had a nosebleed," I said.

Lola laughed and blotted her nose carefully.

"Thanks, darling doll. Look at you, aren't you a little Scottish rose? So how long have you and Dominic been shagging? It can't be long since.."

Dominic stood up quickly, "Lola, come with me."

Lola smiled sheepishly and, in spite of the situation, I felt myself warming to her. Dominic and Lola walked off inside the bar and I fished my phone out my pocket. God, Chris had sent me texts.

Rosa, are you ok?

Come on, Rosa. I've spoken to Soph and she says you're a mess.

Thanks for that, Sophia.

I can come over. We can talk.

You're still my friend, Rosa.

I love you still.

I shoved my phone face down on the table hard, wishing it was Chris's face. What an arsehole! I tried to rearrange my thoughts into the most angry diatribe I could reply with, when Dominic sat back down. He was flushed.