Expectations

Chapter 9

To say the dinner with Alex, his mom, and Chris was awful would be an understatement. Maybe I'm overacting, but it was pretty bad. I don't think I even got to say more than five words during the dinner, aside from telling the waitress my order.

The whole dinner was spent having Chris and Sandra talk about business involving Alex while I awkwardly picked at the grilled chicken and veggies on my plate. Then, majority of the time, Alex kept shooting me apologetic glances from across the table. I've never wanted to escape a dinner more in my life than last night.

The last half of the dinner, I sat there having a mental war inside my head of whether to politely excuse myself and leave or sit through more torture. I ended up staying for numerous reasons, even though I know for a fact they wouldn't miss me or notice I was gone. One, I didn't want Alex to feel worse about this than he probably already did; two, I didn't want to seem rude, especially in front of my bosses; and three, I couldn't find an appropriate time to cut into their intense business conversation.

Finally, when the torture was over, Alex insisted on paying the bill and we headed back to our rooms. Well, me back to mine and them to Alex's to discuss further business.

As soon as I get to my room and plop down on the bed my phone dings, signaling a new email.

From Alex: I'm so sorry! I had no clue they were going to show up. I'll make it up to you, I swear!

I let out a sigh and run my fingers through my hair. How do I respond to that?

To Alex: You don't have to make up anything to me. Its ok, promise.

It was ok. Even though the dinner was awful, I know it wasn't his fault.

From Alex: Scouts honor?

He replies, mocking me from when we first met.

To Alex: If there was a scout's honor hand solute emoji I would totally send it to you right now.

From Alex: They should get on that. I mean, it would be way more useful than these stupid, useless things.

He replies, attaching the various different sizes of the black and gray square emoji's.

I let out a chuckle and we continue a mindless conversation about emoji's for the rest of the night over email.

The next morning, I end up sleeping in an extra fifteen minutes, deciding to wake up Alex first and then grab breakfast while he gets ready to go to the second day of rehearsals.

Once I'm out of the shower, I decide on a flowy, maroon top with some jeans and sneakers. I was going to wear my white pants, but the incident from yesterday is still too fresh for me to want to attempt to wear them again.

At 7:56 a.m. I grab my phone and room key and go to the door, ready to walk down the hall to wake Alex. When I open my door I nearly have a heart attack because Alex is right there looking like he was about to knock on my door.