Chapter Eleven
Present Day
Theo and I went down to the carpark. He’d retrieved his car from the bar because we walked to the truck and climbed in.
He drove to Kaliso, which was a beautiful restaurant that had always been completely out of my price range, but I’d always wanted to go.
My prom date Chrisopher was meant to take me before prom, but instead he’d gotten shitfaced and we’d never made it there.
“Why here?” I murmured as I took the seatbelt off.
“You know why.” He replied getting out of the truck.
My brain remembered that night, seven years prior and I wondered if that was what he meant. By “you know why” I didn’t press though.
Prom Night 2015
My date was totaled.
“Look at him.” I groaned. “He’s so drunk I’m surprised he hasn’t barfed in the punch.”
Sloane shook her head. “He’s such a dick!”
Jasper leaned in and whispered something in Sloane’s ear. Sloane nodded and then looked at me.
“Can you occupy my boyfriend with a dance? I need to use the ladies.”
I just shrugged. I’d yet to dance at my own senior prom and at least being a stand in for Sloane meant I could pretend I wasn’t a complete loser for a while.
Jasper dragged me on to the floor and we danced to the song that was playing, some stupid pop song that everyone else seemed to love. It was too upbeat for me, not nearly angsty enough.
“You deserve better than that jackass.” Jasper said with a smile. “Sloane told me that he booked a hotel room for you both. Please tell me you’re not going to go.”
I felt my face redden. Of course Sloane had told him, she wouldn’t have said it facetiously, but it still embarrassed me.
“Fuck no.” I’d only been dating Christopher for a couple of weeks.
He was my second ever boyfriend. After the first disaster I wasn’t sure I’d ever date again.
But Christopher had been nice at the party where he’d asked me out - maybe I’d been blinded by beer goggles.
No, I’d definitely been blinded. Still it had been nice to be asked to prom and not go as my best friend and her boyfriend’s third wheel - even though that had happened anyway.
“Good.”
The song ended and Sloane still wasn’t back so Jasper and I danced to the next song, which was a bit slower.
Jasper was a perfect gentleman and even though I knew he and Sloane were just trying to make me feel better, I was beginning to feel like an idiot.
It had been about 20 minutes and I was about to suggest sending a search party for Sloane, but then someone tapped Jasper on the shoulder.
I wanted to run, because at first I thought it was my stupid drunk date.
Only when he spoke my heart melted.
“Can I cut in?” Theo said, filling my giddy little heart with butterflies. Jasper grinned and did some kind of bro handshake with Theo before stepping to the side.
Theo looked amazing, he always looked amazing, but somehow he was wearing a tuxedo, his soft curls tucked behind his ears. His hands were warm as they wrapped around mine and he pulled me into him, my chin on his shoulder and we slow danced together. God it was unfair how good he smelled.
“Tell me he at least took you to Kaliso like he promised.” He asked, dryly.
I’d told Sloane about the plan, that Christopher had booked us a table at Kaliso, and Theo had been making coffee at the time. I hadn’t realised he’d been listening.
“He was drunk when he picked me up.” I replied. “Stumbling and slurring. I almost didn’t leave the house.”
Theo stopped moving and then lifted my chin to look up at him.
“Never let a boy make you feel like you are not the centre of his world, Imogen.”
We kept dancing. Late into the night, until the prom ended and my date. Christopher tried to get me to go with him after ignoring me for the entire night.
“But I paid for the hotel room.” He slurred, leaning against the lockers in the corridor. Theo had his arm around my waist. I went to speak but Theo spoke for me.
He let me go and then pushed Christopher against the lockers. Hard.
“She’s not going anywhere with you. In fact if I hear you even breathe near her again I’ll make you regret it.”
Christopher held up his hands and looked at me. His face twisting, almost in disgust. “Hey bro - she was just meant to be an easy lay… sorry. She’s all yours.”
Theo punched him. His nose started bleeding instantly. We left before either one of us could get in trouble.
He took me home, and there was a moment at the door when I thought he might kiss me, but then the porch light came on and my parents opened the door.
We never spoke about that night again.
Once we were seated the server brought us the wine list. My stomach was still seedy after the night’s drinking so I ordered sparkling water and Theo ordered a stella artois.
Once we had our drinks we poured over the menus, I glanced at the offerings, the prices eyewateringly steep. I made a good salary at my job, but fifty dollars for a bowl of calamari seemed extravagant.
“It’s my treat.” Theo mused. “Get whatever you like.”
When the server came back I smiled and looked up at her. “A chicken salad please.”
She looked at me, up and down and for a moment I wondered what she was thinking. By her gaze I had to assume it wasn’t anything good. She didn’t ask if I wanted or needed anything else before smiling widely at Theo. “For you sir?”
I looked at Theo, who surprisingly wasn’t looking at the server or the menu. He was looking at me. His eyes were full of confusion. He placed his hand on mine from across the table.
“A salad?”
I wasn’t sure why what I’d ordered bothered him, but it clearly did. The salad was the cheapest thing on the menu, and the healthiest. Turns out that despite teenage me wanting to come to Kaliso, adult me still hated eating in front of people I didn’t know.
“Theo.” I begged.
He looked at the server and then ordered the calamari bowl, a carbonara and medium rare steak.
Once the server was gone he let go of my hand and picked up his beer, taking a long drink.
“Do you want to tell me why you didn’t order what you actually wanted?”
I closed my eyes. I hated how well he knew me. Sometimes it felt like he almost knew me better than Sloane. I’d wanted the calamari, and the pasta - but I hadn’t been able to bring myself to say those words to the 20-something thin, beautiful server.
“It doesn’t matter.” I replied. “I’m happy with the salad.”
“No you’re not.”
“Theo.”
“Imogen.”
I pulled at my clothes, the lingerie was suffocating now, not because it didn’t feel nice underneath my clothes, but because I was sure I didn’t belong in it.
“I have a phobia around eating in front of people I don’t know.”
Theo softened his gaze, he put his hand back over mine and gave me a sad smile.
“Try just focus on me then.” He smiled. “After all, I ordered pineapple on pizza for you, so you don’t have that phobia around me.”
I laughed and shrugged. “Of course not, you’re Theo. I’ve seen the abominations you used to make.”
“Abominations? Like what.”
“Marshmallow fluff and Peanut butter on toast.” I said with a grin.
“Hey!” he said with mock offense. “That was a culinary treat.”
“Fried oreos.”
“That one was good, especially with ice cream. You can’t knock it.” He argued and I shrugged and smiled.
“Fine, it was pretty good but… Condiment Sandwiches.”
Theo cringed and shuddered. I remembered the day he’d made it.
Sloane was upset and he’d been trying to cheer her up.
His sandwich consisted of every condiment possible in their fridge and cupboard.
He’d eaten it, fully intending to down the whole thing for her enjoyment, but he ran to the bathroom and threw up everywhere, which was arguably funnier for us at the time.
“Okay okay okay. I yield.” he took another sip of his beer and then looked at me. “I have a more refined palate now.”
“Debateable.” I teased. “You still don’t appreciate pineapple on pizza.”
The food arrived not long after. Theo looked at me and smiled as he moved the Calamari into the middle and the carbonara right across to my side of the table.
“Theo.”
“Eat with me.” He smiled. “Just me.”
The food was delicious. Even the salad that I hadn’t really wanted. I was glad he’d ordered the pasta for me though, because otherwise I probably would have been hangry back at the hotel. Once we were finished, he paid and left a tip for the server.