I Write Romances, Not Live Them

Chapter 23

I had picked out the restaurant carefully and considered all my options before selecting El Matador, a Mexican bar known for a dance floor just as spicy as the food. The outside neon lights didn't disappoint my expectations. The place was hopping with people and some Latin music could be distinctly heard outside the doors. A couple I recognized as Marissa and Elliot were sitting outside on a wooden bench as they waited for us. I came to them excitedly with Henry at my heels. Elliot's eyes wandered towards the coming movement and the moment I had been waiting hours for came.

His eyes wandered up and down me with his mouth slightly gaped open and eyes wide. I smiled in extreme satisfaction until I felt a hand come around mine. I turned confusedly at Henry gripping my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. Then I remembered we were supposed to be together, and I put on my acting face again. Henry didn't seem to notice the change and almost seemed to have a more pleasant demeanor than before.

"Hi!" I greeted cheerily.

"Hey, Addy!" Elliot spoke, the familiar hello was like a breath of fresh air in my lungs. He turned away from me and looked to Henry, "And what's your name?"

"Henry." he said curtly, not even trying to sound enthusiastic about meeting the man I fawned over.

"I'm Elliot, and this is Marissa." He said very kindly, gesturing to his date. She always seemed to be wearing black, also known as the color of her heart. The dress was not tight fitting like the ones she wore to work, but comfortable and easy, a pattern of shimmering fabric so understated that it was beautiful. She looked to me warmly and waved. In her mind, this must have been the most funnest experience everrr! She thought I was out of the game and moved on. She thought the fighting was over, there was a cease fire, we were done with games. It's a lot easier to hate someone when they're not being completely nice to you.

We walked in, Elliot and Henry ahead getting to know each other which left Marissa and I to ourselves.

"I'm so glad you suggested this, the place looks like so much fun." Marissa exclaimed, sounding generally excited for the night ahead.

"Oh yeah, loads of fun."

And then we smiled at each other, each one making hers bigger until teeth were showing and cheeks hurt from stretching too much. And I seriously felt like locking her in the back freezer and just getting this over with.

Salsa was brought out to the table and small talk was exchanged while we all snacked on it. Marissa felt the need to tell the oh-so touching tale of how she and her mom used to make homemade salsa together with the tomatoes they grew in the greenhouse on top of their building. I almost felt like adding how my parents couldn't grow weeds to cover our patched lawn, but decided against it, nibbling on a corn chip. It was clear that Henry and Elliot weren't the best of chaps like Marissa and I supposedly were, they always seemed to avoid talking to each other and Marissa was left to carry on conversation and ask questions.

"So, where do you work, Henry?"

He finished off his glass of water and let it down harshly on the table before responding. "The coffee shop by her apartment." He sounded about as interested in the date as an Amish man would be watching a documentary on the invention of the lightbulb.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, clearly excited over something. "Is that how you two met?"

"Yep." Henry responded, snapping the 'p'.

I decided to play on it, grabbing Henry's hand from underneath the table, lacing our fingers together again, and setting them joined on top of the table for everyone to see. "I just knew he was special." I fake gushed, sounding like some silly, love-struck teenager.