The Other Side
CHAPTER TEN:
We ended up going casual as agreed on pulling up next to an old diner of mine called 'The Old Mill' where my grandfather and I would always go when he was in town. I parked the car as close to the restaurant as I could; almost right next to the door, which was lucky since the air was a bit off today. I stepped out of my car and was about to head to get Cam's when I heard a slam of the doors and smelt a whiff of perfume. Her ankle boots tapped against the broken stone parking making her way towards me.
"Is this an actually mill?" She asked looking up at it, brightly looking towards it huge wings. I nodded stuffing my hands into my pockets trying to keep the car warmth within them. The wooden panels had been refurnished a while back and the owner had this idea to put twinkling lights on it to grab attention. It definitely did just that since it could be seen from the motorway towards here. At the back there had been an additional building or so added for extra space since the business had really grown to make millions a year. "Pretty sweet." Cam muttered softly folding her arms across her chest. The doors opened as a group of older people came out laughing and scent of raw steak hit me making my mouth water instantly.
"Come on." I smiled nodding towards the entrance. Cam gave me a steady look before taking the lead. Walking into The Old Mill I could definitely see some changes since the last time I was here and that must have been 8 months ago minimum.
"Good evening and welcome to The Old Mill. Table for 2?" A waiter asked from the little counter, she had a note pad, phone and a bunch of menus sat along with colouring pages for kids. I looked at Cam and nodded. "Table for 2." She smiled pulling out the two menus she hand placed her fingers upon. "The lover booth?" She asked then looking into Cam's eyes. That shock me a little. First of all, I didn't even know there was such a thing as 'the lover's booth' and secondly Cam in no way looked like my girlfriend we were standing at least a truck distance away from each other. "Erm..." Then again, this might help. "Sure why not." I smiled putting my hand on the small of Cams back on her pixie top. Cams eyes met mine and I saw the soft rage in them but I smiled anyway trying to make her forget. The lady led us through the crowded restaurant passing the salad bar and into a very remote area. There weren't many people there 2 tables for 2 were only occupied.
"Have you been here before?" She asked with a sweet smile her blond hair in a plait was starting to come out of its rubber band hold.
"Yes." I smiled as Cam took her seat by the table assigned for us. The girl smiled at me as I took my seat.
"Perfect, your waiter will be with you shortly, please help yourself with the salad booth." And with that a quirk smile she left us both looking anywhere but at ourselves. I glanced down at the ruby red menu, which was lit up by dimmer lights above our head. This all gave The Old Mill a very old and authentic look.
"This isn't a date." I suddenly heard making me look up at Cam to only now notice her hair was too in fact in a messy plait. How did I not realize that earlier? "I thought I made it clear that this is just...you repaying me." She said wincing slightly.
"I never meant to imply this was a date. I've never been to the 'lovers booth' here before I just wanted a little knowledge." I simply shrugged taking her lit up blue eyes from the ceiling lights into my vision. She wasn't like anyone else and I had to use that to my advantage. "So..." I dragged now pulling up the menu turning the page, "What did Gabe want?" I asked not wanting to meet her eyes trying to quickly think of something to cover up the fact that he asked her out.
"I don't know, he said he'll tell me tomorrow." Cam sighed turning the page on her menu too. "He's a really nice guy." She seemed to be nodding - I didn't want to look up since now my face of joy knew I had a couple of hours to woo this girl into my arms and away from Gabe's. "I don't think I would mind if he did decide to ask me out." And my breathing stopped; blood run up my veins quicker, my mind exploded.
"You like him like that?" My voice sounded horrified and Cam noticed since her eyebrow shot up confused at my tone. I cleared my throat quickly getting rid of the voice. "I mean, you know the guy 2 weeks or something and you already think you love him?"
Cam put down the menu tapping her fingers against it, "I never said I'm in love with him. I said he was a nice guy Dylan. There is a difference. And..." Ashe trailed her stopping at a cliff. I waited a short moment to listen if she would carry on but she only turned the page.
"And what?" I asked watching her long finger scan down the page. It took her a while to look up at me shrugging and say, "I don't believe in love." She shrugged simply placing her hand beneath the wooden table shrugging. "I mean true love. It's just something I wasn't really brought up in throughout childhood, a lot of marriages split and couples broke up..." She looked up at me who was looking directly at her, "but you don't really care." And her sight travelled back to the menu flipping the page once more. The fact that Cam wasn't all that into love was a bit of a surprise, I have never met someone who doubted love since all girls love love.
"I do want to know." I finally said pulling the menu up to eye level, "How is it that a girl doesn't believe in love?" I peered from over the edge raising an eyebrow. Cam shrugged running a finger down the length of her braid finally settling on closing her plastic menu as if she knew the waiter was just around the corner.
"I'm Penelope, and I will be your waiter for tonight. Are we ready to order?" Her voice was slow and calm: perfect for the environment. She wore her black hair in a tight bun and her caramel skin glistened softly beneath the lights.
"Yes." Cam nodded now looking back at the menu, "Um, I'll have the mixed steak grill with...chips and...corn on the cob." Cam smiled looking up at Penelope smirking like a little girl. The waitress quickly write everything down on the little hand pad she had with her slowly turning her head to give me a small smile, I snapped out of thought and glared down at the menu not seeing the words properly for a moment. "Times 2." I smiled at the raven black haired girl who nodded cheerfully quickly scribbling that down too.
"Drinks?" She questioned taking out menus
"Coke's fine." I smiled.
"Foster." I turned to Cam was smiling brightly. "A pint of Foster." The lady just smiled trotting off leaving me in wonder. How is she still surprising me?
"You don't drink light now do you?" A laugh escaped me. It felt bare not to have then menu in front of me to divert my attention too but something clicked making the scenario so much more comfortable.
"Never had Foster before."
I laughed leaning in closer to her. "You're under age."
"She didn't seem to mind." Cam whispered back, "That's what happens when you're attracted to some one." She laughed pulling at her plait. I moved back catching her eyes.
"She's what?" My voice jumped making Cam rock in her chair with slight laughter. Carefully I looked from the girl sat before me to the waitress by the bar leaning across the counter to grab the attention of the bar lady. "She? Penelope? Lesb-"
Her hand covered my mouth quickly. "There's nothing wrong with being attracted to the same sex Dylan! You accept them like everyone else." And cautiously she moved her hand back away nodding in approval. "Good." She agreed unraveling her cutlery as Penelope returned with a tray balanced on one of her hands with a glass of coke and a pint of fosters.
"Here we go." She smiled brightly at me and then turned to Cam gently setting the pint down and brooding her smile further. "And here is you TAG." She winked passing the TAG number not to me, but to Camellia who smiled back taking it nicely before looking at me and saying,
"Here baby, keep it safe for me handsome." She winked.
I froze. I was actually frozen. Penelope slowly moved to look at me hugging the place tray closer to her chest as I quickly nodded and took the thin paper out of her hands. "Thanks...sweetie..." I drowned stuffing it in my back pocket getting up.
"Ok, if you want anything else holla at me." She smiled but not as majorly as before.
"She might be, but I'm not." Cam wrinkled her nose before taking a sip getting white frost on her upper lip, which she licked off with her tongue. Is it just it or me there something straining my breathing space below? I let out a soft laughing dodging that she turned me on and dodging the remarks and nicknames she gave me. Baby? Handsome? Well are those un-original...
Surprisingly her name-calling flashed past me as if they never happened. Our food didn't take long to arrive, it never did, and that was the beauty of eating here. There was soft talk between us and every time Cam were to look down either because she was asked something or because she was deep in thought I tried to catch her eyes but they never touched mine always avoiding my eye contact. "So...er..." She began running her last chip into the tiny cup filled to only half way up now in sweet chilly sauce, "how do you know about this place?" She asked still running that one chip into the sauce leaving a snail mark where it hit the white edge.
"Well...me and my grandfather don't spend much time together..." I began my eyes stuck to that single chip being played with, "and I guess you could call time like this as bonding. He met my grandmother here when he was studying in a close by university." The chip froze as she pulled it back up taking a bite with her perfect teeth the side razor sharp.
She smiled at me watching me, "that sounds sweet." She nodded, "you grandparents sound like a love story." She smiled back at me.
My eyes zoomed into hers with my arms propped up on the small table for two. "Love story?" I snorted. And this was coming from a girl who didn't believe in love. "It was anything but a love story. More of a horror you could say. My grandfather loved her dearly and I'm sure the feeling was mutual, but my grandmother was the spontaneous type. Up and about and loved to try out new things." Her soft face appeared in my vision over taking Cam's concentrated face. "She was every guys dream back then apparently. She had body and brains and enchanting beauty. The old man was lucky to have snagged her and he tried as badly as he could to win her over. Eventually he did of course, so much that a wedding took place when he was just 20 and nana was on the outskirts of 19..." Cam blue eyes flashed back into place, "but he didn't fight for her anymore after that. What was his was his. End of your 'love' story. She felt betrayed and neglected after a while and left after giving birth to my dad to start her own life with out him."
Cam stayed silent for a second sipping on her now fizzy drink through a straw her eyes deep and shallow, wonder and thought confused their sparkle.
I cleared my throat making her eyes beat up to the sound. "Haven't really ever seen her, on old photos maybe but never in person." I shrugged ending the story there. For a second Cams eyes went droopy, she seemed in some sort of inner conflict before she opened her mouth to attempt to say something but the annoying ringing of her phone cut through the moment.
"Hello?" She answered as if surprised she even had a phone. There was a short reply before her blue eyes relived and widened softly taking in her surroundings. "In a n hour?" She questioned bring my attention back; I nodded quickly raising my arm getting the notice of Penelope signaling for the cheque. "Ok, no, I promise it's spotlessly clean. You wont even tell." Cam nodded pulling on her plait. "Yeah, sure. Bye." Her eyes seeped in to mine. Pretty blue.
"Hey...um..." Cam began opening the door as the car quietly ran, "cheers." She said after while pushing the opening wider, she placed her leg out carefully making me wonder if there were perhaps any sensors how delicately she tried to get out.
"No worries." I mumbled back watching the girl close the door running her hands through her hair before swinging the keyed gate open. The second it swung back into place I drove off heading in the direction of home. I knew I was going to be in deep shit once I got home but for some reason it wasn't motivation enough to drive through every red light that stopped me. With out hassle and worry I scrambled out of the low car coming up to a basketball which I just booted across the plot opening our front doors using the key hidden in the fern above the door bell - a key put in before heading out. No way was I repeating that awful fall!
"WHAT IN THE RIGHT MIND MADE YOU THINK THAT?" My mother's scream could be heard coming from the kitchen. She really shouldn't be stressing, the woman's pregnant for screaming out loud! "Well, Malcolm, expect cardboard boxed by your office door bright and early. Good Bye!" She huffed slamming the registry phone in place. My mother was very look-alike to my sister. They shared many features that I lacked. One thing my black haired mother and me did have in common was our hotheaded nature, something my baby sister hadn't received.
"Mum..." I warned a gurgle of laugh at the end of my word, "You know Sophie doesn't like you screaming." I smiled pointing to her belly and shrugging out of my coat.
"Sophie?" She quizzed a crooked eyebrow.
I slapped my forehead. "Shit...or is that what my kids name is?"
For a second my mothers bright blue eyes widened in horror before restring my playful smirk she stormed my way slapping me around the head. "Mature Dylan." She scoffed obviously pissed off. She sighed opening the fridge as I took hold of the unopened letters on the counter. "Where were you?" She asked groaning straightening her back. My mother was heavily pregnant at 6 months, she of course kept the gender a secret but we all suspected a girl how my usually liked to wear pink when she could.
"My friend did me a favor a couple days ago..." I said carefully choosing my words, "I had to make it up to her."
That froze my mum as she pulled the milk bottle back, starting at my flat face wondering where her mind was. For some unknown reason she thought twice at commenting it and instead said, "You're grounded young man."
"I owed her thought, you taught me to be a gentleman." A shrug came from as I turned the enveloped over reading the names. "Plus, I'm not late-late its only 7pm." A name stood out big on the paper.
"It half past nine Dylan."
My hands grabbed the paper tighter in a deathly hold. Looking up I saw my mum with her hand on her hip cocked and eye wide. "Right...sorry." I whispered taking the rest of the letters as she dismissed me returning to the milk bottle and screwing the cap back on. I took that as an opportunity to slip the envelope into my trousers as my mother explained house rules of grounding.
"Mother?" A silver voice called from upstairs. My baby sister waked into sight with a massive smile on her face and a single wink my way before passing my mum a necklace. "Could you do it up please?" She asked sweetly. My mother nodded whipping her milk-stache and gesturing to my sister to turn. My mum, a good distance from my sister clipped the pendant into place as I watched.
"Where you off to?" I asked pointing to her short dress revealed bare arms and curled hair.
"None of your business Dylan. Keep your nose out."
I let out a humorous laugh flipping her off. Atta girl, feisty and truth speaking. "Can't I be concerned?" I smiled a crooked smiled starting to walk to the doorway about to make my way to the stairs when I heard a knock on the door. "Plus, if anything we'll know where you are and-" I opened the door revealing a shocked looking John. "Whom you're with..." I finished taking a straight posture a sudden kick in me made we square my jaw.
"Er...sup'" John nodded to me, "Ja-"
"Give her time." I said snapping him shut. "Let me explain something." I said stepping out giving my sister warning look to wait not act. John nodded subtly taking a step back to allow me to walk past shutting the door closed. Darkness that I hadn't noticed coming home took us over as I said, "nice weather huh?"
John's eyes snapped to mine before saying, "your point?"
"My point..." I laughed taking a couple steps around him, "my point is that it would be a shame if someone were t fuck it up. Wouldn't you say so?" I asked a small smirk of mine. John only nodded agreeing with me. "So don't fuck up it up, and there will be no harsh moves. If my sister comes back covered in snow, soak in rain, pounded by hailstones or hit by lighting, you wont live to see tomorrow's sunny day. Understood?" I quizzed just as my sister stepped out say bye to our mum who held the door open waiting for me to finish my talk. John nodded his eyes steady on mine. "Good." I mumbled patting his back in a kind gesture. "Night." I smiled and walked back to my mum whom only gave me a small smiled as I rushed up the stairs to my room.
Carefully, as if a bomb, I pulled the slim paper out from my trousers setting it in between a stack of papers placed on my desk. I didn't even bother opening the letter addressed to me sent from Yale. I didn't need to. With that thought I grabbed a towel from my blue room and walked to my draw in the far corner. Pulling the top drawer open I searched for a pair of joggers before jumping up at the sound of the vibrating phone on top.
"Dyl speaking." I said placing the phone to my ear pulling out a dark pair of joggers.
"Hey man." Jack said into the speaker. "Just called the ring. They said they're ok with you coming by tomorrow to train, you up for it man?" I heard a crack from his side and knowing Jack, it was either his neck or his left knuckles.
"Tomorrow..."
"You need all the training possible." H reminded me another cracking sound. He was anxious and worried. That made ME anxious and worried in return.
"Yeah. I'll see you there."