Chapter 25
Zoe
I should be more focused on Friday night. That’s the birthday dinner, the event I had in mind when I made this plan two months ago.
Instead, I’m thinking about Bennett.
When I began sleeping with him, I thought we’d get it out of our systems while living together.
But I miscalculated. The more we have sex, the more I crave it—and it’s only gotten worse since he started kissing me.
The man kisses like it’s the only thing he wants out of life.
Sure, maybe he was out of practice, but he’s certainly not lacking in skill.
Why am I the first person he kissed after Ginny? I desperately want to believe it means something, but I’m afraid to talk about it. I just lose myself in his kisses again and again.
On Friday, I leave work a little early. Bennett said he’d come home to pick me up, even though the restaurant isn’t all that far from his office. I offered to take an Uber to Markham, but he wouldn’t hear of it.
Back at his place, I fix my makeup and change into a dark sweater. Hopefully, I won’t make a mess while stuffing my face with lobster and crab.
I’ve never been to a restaurant quite like this one. According to some people, it’s the place for Chinese seafood in the Toronto area. It isn’t the biggest or most famous restaurant, but it has a loyal following.
I grimaced when I first saw the prices, but I reminded myself that Bennett can afford it. I have no idea how much money he has, but it’s definitely enough to afford a single expensive meal.
Actually, his parents will probably want to pay, and I feel guilty at the thought of them paying for me, the fake girlfriend.
I wince. I hate thinking of this as fake.
When I hear Bennett drive up, I lock the door and go to meet him. Once I’m in the passenger’s seat, he leans over and kisses me. Not a perfunctory kiss on the lips—oh no. He cups my cheek and gives me a deep kiss until I feel need building up in my core.
Then he pulls away, and it takes several minutes for me to recover.
“Let my parents pay,” he says when we’re almost there. “I’ll argue with them a little, but in the end, I’ll let them cover the bill. It’s important to them.”
“Are you sure?” I ask.
He nods. “Is there anything I should do? To guarantee a satisfactory revenge for you.”
This is the event we’ve been working toward, yet nothing comes to mind. To be honest, I haven’t thought about it a lot lately. Plus, Clifton already encountered us together on Halloween.
“No,” I say. “Just seeing his expression will be enough.”
As we’re shown to our table, my palms start to sweat, and I realize how much I care about making a good impression on his mom and dad—it seems more important than revenge.
I’ve done meet-the-parents dinners a number of times, and I’m pretty good at them, but this situation is a little different from usual.
I glance at the lobster tanks before turning back to Bennett.
He’s wearing a crisp lavender dress shirt, and knowing him, he won’t make a mess of it while eating.
“You good?” he asks, squeezing my hand under the table.
When I first met him, I thought he was cold, but now, I can hear the concern in his voice. Bennett Chung isn’t who I assumed; he’s surprised me.
“Yeah, I just…”
I trail off as an older couple approaches our table.
The man and woman are both beaming, and Bennett makes the introductions.
They seem positively thrilled to meet me, and it’s a little unnerving.
But they have two unmarried sons in their thirties, and I guess I represent a hope that this will, eventually, change.
They must also see me as a sign that Bennett has been able to move on.
When I look at his father, I’m reminded that this man lost his job because he insisted on being there for his son in his time of grief.
I feel a flicker of remorse. We’re lying to these nice people, but maybe we’re not really lying, and maybe Bennett won’t have to tell them that we broke up.
My gaze drifts to the right. Clifton is standing by the door. Someone leads him to our table, and I can see the exact moment he notices me. His eyes widen. He stills for a moment and looks backward, as though wanting to bolt.
I try to contain my glee, but I allow myself to squeeze Bennett’s hand.
“This is my younger son, Clifton,” Mrs. Chung says to me.
“We’ve met before,” I say, then turn my smile to Clifton.
“Ah, you have?” She seems delighted by this, and I’m not sure why. Perhaps she assumes it means that Bennett and Clifton were hanging out together without their parents.
Ha.
“We have,” I confirm.
My ex visibly pales, which is very satisfying.
Bennett pours him some tea.
Now that I know why they don’t have more of a relationship, I’m enjoying the opportunity to get under Clifton’s skin even more. Seriously, what did I ever see in him?
Okay, he’s decent looking, and I recall that he had a way of making me feel special. But it’s nothing like what I experience with Bennett, who’s now taking out his glasses to look at the menu.
“You need reading glasses?” Clifton sneers. He’s quiet, though—I don’t think his parents can hear it.
Bennett glances up briefly, then looks back down, as if deciding that doesn’t merit a response. I, meanwhile, glare at Clifton.
Hey, asshole, if you keep it up, I’ll tell your parents exactly how we know each other.
In all honesty, if I got reading glasses, Eddie would tease me about it, too. Though it would be with good humor, which certainly isn’t present here.
I study my menu. I assume we’re going to get one of the lobster—or lobster and crab—set dinners.
When Bennett’s father asks what I’d like, I say it should be up to the people with birthdays.
They eventually settle on a meal that’s supposed to serve four to six: lobster prepared in three different ways, plus some crab.
Bennett leans toward me and asks if I’d like something to drink, but I say I’m content with my tea.
I wonder if he’s leaning so close because he wants to, or because he’s trying to sell our relationship to his family?
At any rate, it’s a little hard to think when he’s this close to me, reminding me of all the kisses we’ve shared in the past week.
“How do you two know each other?” Mrs. Chung asks, looking between me and Clifton.
“We have a mutual friend,” I say sweetly. “Her name is Macy.”
Clifton chokes on his tea.
Yeah, you’re not going to enjoy this fancy lobster dinner.
But I don’t want to make things too awkward. Bennett’s parents seem oblivious to the tension between me and Clifton. I think they just see what they want to see: their eldest son is happily in love…or at least in a relationship.
Mr. Chung turns to me. “Bennett says you work in payroll.”
I launch into a brief description of my work, and I answer questions about my education. In comparison to Bennett, I don’t sound impressive, but there’s no insinuation that I’m not good enough for him.
The soup arrives in a large bowl, and the server dishes it out for us. It’s pretty good, but it has nothing on the rest of the meal. There are towers of lobster, all amazing, though the lobster in Maggi sauce is my favorite. Bennett serves me what he deems to be the best pieces.
Mrs. Chung puts a piece of lobster on Clifton’s plate and says, “You’re not eating as much as usual. Is something wrong?”
His gaze slips to me before he answers, “No, I’m good.”
A wave of guilt washes over me—maybe I’m not made for this revenge business. But I found him fucking my best friend on a kitchen chair! Besides, he was an asshole to Bennett when Ginny died, and it’s that knowledge, more than anything, that pushes aside my guilt.
I help myself to the mounds of food, and by the end of the meal, I’m stuffed.
Bennett tries to pay, as he told me he would, but in the end, he relents and lets his elders handle it. I do feel a little bad that they paid for my meal, but I know he takes good care of his parents.
The entryway is quite busy—it’s a popular restaurant on a Friday night—and I get separated from Bennett as we leave. Clifton and I are the first to step outside, and we stand off to the side. It’s a cold evening, and I pull on my toque.
“I still can’t believe you’re dating my brother,” he mutters.
I just give him a polite smile.
“In fact,” he says a moment later, “I really can’t believe it.”
Fear sizzles down my spine—is he genuinely suspicious? But Bennett and I have done a good job of acting like a couple all evening. In fact, it didn’t feel like an act.
Even if Clifton has some slight suspicions, what’s he going to do with them? He has no proof of anything; he still had to deal with me at his birthday dinner. He still looked incredibly pale when I said we’d met before.
“Well,” I say, “you better believe he’s a much better boyfriend than you ever were.”
He rolls his eyes.
Bennett emerges from the restaurant and loops his arm through mine.
“It was so nice to meet you,” Mrs. Chung says. “I hope we’ll see you again soon.”
“Yes.” I swallow. “Me, too.”
The emotion behind those words is real: I genuinely do wish to see his parents again.
And maybe…
As Bennett drives home, my feelings are a mess. I don’t tell him what Clifton said; I don’t think it means anything, and I’m not dwelling on it right now.
No, I’m thinking about how, even though this was satisfying, it was a little anticlimactic.
I’m also acutely aware that there’s nothing tying me and Bennett together now. We’ve accomplished our goal, and I’m moving out on Monday. It’s all going exactly as planned, yet I feel bereft.
Because I don’t care about revenge anymore.
I just want Bennett Chung.
But does he want me in the same way? Is he ready for something real?