Page 78 of Hot and Bothered
I did as she said, not giving Grace another look. I could feel her scowling behind me as she closed the front door. She no doubt wanted to get the upper hand, to discomfit me before dinner, but I hadn’t given her the chance.
It turned out she hadn’t needed to, because I felt plenty discomfited when all eyes turned to me as I walked into the dining room. My father, Jacob, and Jacob’s mother and father, all with their eyes trained on me.
My father had his usual aloof expression, but from the slight easing of his eyes, I could tell he was relieved I’d shown up. He wouldn’t have said it out loud, but he had probably wondered, just like Grace, whether I’d chicken out or not.
Jacob’s parents had haughty looks to them as if they had better places to be, with a hint of displeasure in their pinched mouths. That was enough to tell me they were still upset, since they were both usually so stoic. I’d dated Jacob for not quite a year and yet I still could barely read them.
As for Jacob, he had a sympathetic smile on his face, the tilt of his head letting me know he was aware of how uncomfortable this was for me. He stood up and pulled out the empty chair next to him.
“It’s good to see you again, Alice,” he said. “Please, take a seat next to me.”
It was a lovely gesture, considering what I’d done to him. Any chair at that table had the risk of turning this evening into a disaster, but at least I wouldn’t have to put up with cutting remarks muttered under breaths if I choose the seat beside him.
I slid into the chair quickly, nodding politely at Jacob’s mother, who was on the other side of him.
My mother sat across from me with my sister Grace next to her. The two fathers at the table had claimed their places at either end.
I waited for someone to speak first, but they all looked at me expectantly. My father’s mouth was set firmly with a demanding jut of his chin. My mother’s eyes were narrowed insistently. My sister raised a single, sardonic eyebrow, as if to say,are you going to get on with it already?
This was where I was supposed to say I was sorry.
I supposed I was. I had caused a lot of trouble for these people, caused a lot of worry. I didn’t regret not going through with the wedding, but I could have done it in a much less explosive fashion.
I felt a brush of knuckles against my knee. Jacob gave me an encouraging nod. It was odd for my courage to be bolstered by the person I’d offended, but it gave me an easy place to start.
“Before we start dinner,” I began, “I want to apologize.”
No one said anything.
My throat went dry. I took a quick sip from my glass of water and tried again.
“I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused. I should have thought about the ramifications of my actions. I never meant to hurt anyone.” At this, I turned to Jacob. “I never meant to hurt you. Really. It’s just… I couldn’t…”
Under the table, I bunched my napkin in one fist. Jacob laid his hand over the one wrapped around my water glass.
“It’s okay,” he said. “A lot of people get cold feet.”
“It wasn’t cold feet,” I said. “I just couldn’t—”
“We appreciate the apology,” Jacob’s father spoke over me. His pinched mouth eased by the smallest of fractions. “It doesn’t make up for everything, of course, but it’s a start in the right direction.”
“A good start to the evening, I’d say,” my father replied.
The words from those two men were apparently enough for the subject to be dropped — for now, at any rate — and for dinner to begin. I let out a small sigh. All in all, that hadn’t been horrible.
The staff began bringing out the food, starting with an amuse-bouche consisting of a single cherry tomato, sliced in half, drizzled with olive oil, and topped with a spring of parsley, all presented with a flourish as each plate was set down in front of us.
After months of burritos and pizzas and bar snacks, all this pomp and circumstance over a single freaking cherry tomato was enough to make me choke out a snorting laugh through my nose.
“Is something the matter?” My sister Grace pounced on the opening. “Is the food not to your liking after months of stale, dive bar pretzels and soggy nacho chips?”
“Spend a lot of time in dive bars, do you?” I shot back. “I’ll have you know, Sin and Tonic was rated one of the best in the city for its food and drink.”
“Sin and… what?” Jacob’s mother asked carefully.
“Sin and Tonic.” I lifted my chin and met her eyes head-on. I wasn’t ashamed. “It’s the bar I—”
“Alice.” My mother shot me a warning look and shook her head imperceptibly.
