Unforgettable Feelings

Chapter 18

"Heard anything from Fred or Mia?" Josie asked.

"No," Izzy said. "You?"

Josie shook her head as a waiter passed by.
"Can we order now, I'm starving."

"Izzy ordered for you."

"You're the best," Josie said to her friend. "So, how are you? What's been happening in Leicester?"

"Ugh, you know, work work work," Izzy said. "It's never-ending."

"Tell me about it."

Their food arrived a few minutes later and they ate and talked, then ate some more. Izzy talked about the dance tour she was having when she and Andre got back to Leicester.

"How long are you staying anyway?" Josie asked as she ate her dessert.

"A week," Izzy said.

"Maybe two." Andre looked at Izzy.

"Maybe three?" She asked them with a smile.

They both looked at her.

"Oh my, is that...?" Izzy's gaze was directed above Josie and Andre looked in the same direction.

"Fuck!" Andre cussed.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh..." Izzy looked at Andre who looked back at her.

Andre looked at Josie.
"Nothing."

Josie looked at Izzy with a raised brow.

"It's no one, I mean nothing."

Josie rolled her eyes and twisted herself in an uncomfortable position to see what was going on with the two of them. Everything came to a stop like it always did when she found him in places she least expected.

"What...?" She cleared her throat and looked at both of them. "It's ok. It's no problem."

Kaiden was with someone older than him on the other side of the restaurant talking to the chef.

"Are you sure?" Andre asked. "We can leave."

"Oh c'mon," Josie said. "I'm not going to run away from him anytime he happens to be in the same place I am."

"You used to do that." Izzy said.

"In high school maybe." Josie defended herself. "So, back to our conversation, please."

"Or not," Izzy said. "He's heading this way."

Josie's hands fisted in her lap as she awaited the inevitable.

Kaiden was heading out of Harper's with his dad next to him after dinner when he spotted Izzy at a private corner of the restaurant.

"What...?" He smiled when he saw she was looking right at him. He then made his way towards her.

The setting in that private section of the restaurant was different from the other sections of the restaurant. The décor, the furniture like the chairs were king chairs with the elongated backrest that went above your head when you were seated. Izzy was seated with her back to the wall and Josie opposite her, Andre on her right and Izzy's left.

As Kaiden made his way to Izzy, he couldn't see who she was with, just her.

"Isabelle, it's so good to see you." He said when he arrived at her table.

"Kaiden, it's good to see you too?"

"What are you doing here?"

"She's having dinner with me." Andre answered as she leaned forward, the chair's design no longer keeping him hidden from Kaiden's gaze.

"Andre?" Kaiden said. "It's good to see you."

"I wish I could say the same."

Josie snapped her gaze to Andre telling him to behave.

"Leon. Andre Leon." James said as he joined his son at the guest's table.

"Mr. Williamson." Andre got him and answered stoically.

Josie felt the breath leave her as frowned.
Mr.?
Kaiden's dad?

"You are one of my regulars," James said.

"It's a fine establishment you have," Andre said. "I haven't found anywhere better."

"I'm glad to hear that," James said. "Who's this beautiful lady?"

Izzy got up smiling and joined Andre as Josie sat frozen in her seat.

"This is my wife, Isabelle Leon."

"It's so nice to meet you. Kaiden spoke a lot about you."

James looked at his son.
"We met the first time I went to Leicester."

"Oh, you must be Izzy then."

"That would be me." Izzy smiled. "And this is my friend Josie."

Josie shut her eyes tight and tightened her fist, her jaw clenched as she waited for this moment to pass by without her having to join in.

"Josie?" Izzy called her.

Josie looked up at Izzy from where she sat and slowly got up. She then turned around to face James and Kaiden Williamson with a smile on her face.

Kaiden's eyes had moved from the stare-down he was having with Andre while his dad spoke to Izzy and to Josie who was smiling at his dad.

"Mr. Williamson, it's a pleasure to meet you."

James smiled back at her.
"I remember telling you to call me 'James' the last time we met."

Josie's smile fell slowly as a memory of that night came flooding back.

No!
Not now!

Her heart was hammering in her chest so loud it was drowning out every other noise and all she could hear was her rapid heartbeat and her breathing.

"Josie?" Andre called her and Izzy placed a hand on her arm which made her snapback.

She looked at Izzy and Andre beside her and back at James.
"Sorry Mr. Williamson, I-I'm having a hard time remembering." Her nails dug into the heel of her palm as she tightened her fist even more.

Kaiden's jaw clenched.

She didn't want to remember that night and definitely not in front of Kaiden...ever.

"Of course. It was a long time ago, I don't blame you." James said with a smile. "Well, I wouldn't hold you up any longer. It was really nice to meet you." He said to Izzy and Andre.

"You as well." Andre said.

"Have a goodnight." James said and tapped his son before he left.

"Andre." Kaiden said in a goodbye.

"Kaiden."

"Izzy, it was nice to see you."

"You too, Kaiden," Izzy said. "Maybe we'll meet up while I'm around, catch up."

"That would be lovely."

"Good." Izzy smiled.

Kaiden looked at Josie who stood there, still not acknowledging his presence.
"Josie."

Josie forced herself to look at him and gave him a curt nod before she took her seat, hiding from his piercing gaze.

Kaiden left Harper's joining his dad outside.