Page 169 of The First Taste
Tony purses his lip. “I’ll tell you what. Get me and my friend here each a glass of red wine. We’ll both have a steak, medium well done, with a baked potato. These two ladies will have salads, dressing on the side.”
I blink. Unease slides through my stomach as the waiter nods and vanishes toward the kitchen. I am not sure why this stranger just ordered my food.
I would gladly rather order for myself and pay for my own food. I’m sure that mostly people would feel the same. But looking at my father, I can’t figure out why he doesn’t say a single word.
“So, Kaia,” Tony says, steeling his fingers. “You do ballet?”
I pull the crystal goblet of water towards me that the waiter drops off, bobbing my head. “Yes. I’ve done ballet for my entire life. Ever since I was old enough to lie,” I joke.
Tony nods slowly. “How tall are you?”
“Umm…” My gaze slides to my dad, who is sipping his glass of wine. “Five foot five.”
“And you’re what… a hundred pounds?”
My neck heats. I look down at the table in front of me, not understanding what is going on. “I don’t really know.”
“She’s full of shit,” Hazel says, not even bothering to look up from her phone screen. “She weighs herself every morning. Isn’t that right, Kaia?”
I kick her hard under the table. She just smirks at me.
I take a sip of water as I consider whether I should just bolt from the table. The only thing keeping my here at this point is knowing that my dad would probably chase me down and physically force me to come back.
“Would you say you have a lot of boyfriends, sweetness?” the old man says.
For a second, my brow furrows. Who is Tony talking to?
I lift my head and see that he and my dad are staring straight at me. I blink rapidly.
“Excuse me?”
My dad clears his throat. “Kaia hasn’t had time for anything other than ballet. Trust me, Tony.”
Tony shoots my father such a withering look that I can almost feel it over here. “I’m not interested in hearing your spin on things, Don. I want to hear it from the lady’s mouth.”
I glance back and forth between my dad and Tony. “I don’t think that’s an appropriate question. I think maybe I should leave?”
I flush. The last word comes out as a question when I meant it to be a declaration. I start scooting out of the booth as Tony shakes his head.
“Don, control your fucking daughter. This is not going to work if she’s gonna be mouthy. The guys at the cat house want a girl that is easy to work with. Nobody likes a smart mouthed hooker.”
Cat house? Easy to work with?
Is he… is he suggesting that I… should be a prostitute? Is he considering somehow buying me from my dad?
I’m not sure what they’re talking about, but I don’t want to stick around to find out. Hazel snickers as I gain my footing and start off toward the entrance.
I put my head down and burst out the front door of the restaurant. My heart beats so loudly in my ears that all other noises are distorted, sounding far away.
I sprint down the block, not making it very far before I hear my dad’s voice behind me.
“Kaia Madeline Walker! Stop right now!”
That causes my feet to slow, even though I know I should keep going. As if I’m pulled by some force I can’t understand, I turn around.
My father is bearing down on me, his face red and his expression dismal. “Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
My tongue darts out to wet my lips. “Dad, that man seemed to be under the impression that I would be… a hooker.”
