Chapter 8 - The café
We park close to the café and walk right toward the door. I feel awkward. I glance over my shoulder. A car has just parked a few feet away from us, and a short stocky man is putting quarters into the parking meter. He sure is taking his time. I lean into Eric, "I think we have a tail, the man at the parking meter." He glaces over his shoulder and smiles.
"Yup, that's Officer Wilson. I take it Jack has put you under surveillance. Come on, don't worry about him, let's eat." With that Eric lays his hand on the small of my back and leads me into the café. I look back once more and wink at Officer Wilson, Eric laughs and the door closes behind us.
The waitress sets us down in a corner booth. We both order and the waitress slips away. I turn to Eric, I nod at our surroundings, "I think we better stay on neutral topics, don't you think."
Eric nods and takes a very serious look, "So Miss Adurea, what do you think about the weather?" I look straight into his eyes, and crack up, but he holds his pose. "This is an important topic you know."
"Well Mr. Weiss." I take a deep breath and suppress my smile. "I think that the weather is very nice here in L.A. It's a good break from the rain in London." This time Eric cracks up. "Seriously though, I do like LA better than London. I was meant to move back to the states in a month. That's when, our... our internship was going to be over." The lightheartedness of the evening dies. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't bring that up."
Eric reaches over and grabs my hand, "No it's okay. If you want to talk about it I'm here." I shake my head and pull my hand away.
"I'm okay." He looks right into my eyes, I shift in my seat. I feel like he's reading me like a book. "No really, I'm just still in shock."
"Gee... wonder why." Our dinner comes and we both slip into silence as we eat. I had no idea how hungry I was. I chow down my pasta, before Eric is even halfway done with his. I put another fork full of pasta into my mouth, Eric looks me straight in the eyes, "Can you even taste your food?" I try to suppress my laughter, and end up snorting. We both crack up again, but my cheeks are burning red.
I lay my hands up on my cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I guess this isn't one of my shining moments." I can feel the heat still rising in my cheeks. I look up into Eric's eyes, I can see he's not grossed out, but I still feel ridiculous. I'm nervous now to eat. So I pick up my fork and just start to push my food around.
"I don't know what you were taught, but I was always taught that playing with your food, was worse than scarfing your food down." I'm caught. I start to eat again.
The rest of dinner flies by and soon the café is closing. My head is starting to pound again, I reach into my pocket and take two more codeine. Eric watches me and speaks, "I think it's time we get you to bed." He pays and we walk out of the café. We wave to Officer Wilson who has now taken a seat at a park bench and climb in the car and drive off.
During the car ride, I slip into guilt. What am I doing? I should go and comfort Cassie, but I can't. I can't just move on from this, I know to much now not to get involved. The car door opens and Eric offers me his hand. I reach out and grab in and shake my head. I didn't even notice that we had arrived. I follow Eric into the house, and follow him while he gives me a tour of the place.
We end up back at the front doors, "So there will be guards watching the front door twenty-four hours, so I wouldn't try to escape if I were you."
"I'll be good, I promise. I'll wait until someone comes and fetches me." I shuffle my feet, "So... umm... good-night." I lean up and kiss Weiss on the cheek, "thanks for dinner, that's exactly what I needed."
He stands there for a second in shock and then mutters for a bit. I fight the corners of my mouth from smiling. "Good-night Zanna," and with that Weiss leaves.
We park close to the café and walk right toward the door. I feel awkward. I glance over my shoulder. A car has just parked a few feet away from us, and a short stocky man is putting quarters into the parking meter. He sure is taking his time. I lean into Eric, "I think we have a tail, the man at the parking meter." He glaces over his shoulder and smiles.
"Yup, that's Officer Wilson. I take it Jack has put you under surveillance. Come on, don't worry about him, let's eat." With that Eric lays his hand on the small of my back and leads me into the café. I look back once more and wink at Officer Wilson, Eric laughs and the door closes behind us.
The waitress sets us down in a corner booth. We both order and the waitress slips away. I turn to Eric, I nod at our surroundings, "I think we better stay on neutral topics, don't you think."
Eric nods and takes a very serious look, "So Miss Adurea, what do you think about the weather?" I look straight into his eyes, and crack up, but he holds his pose. "This is an important topic you know."
"Well Mr. Weiss." I take a deep breath and suppress my smile. "I think that the weather is very nice here in L.A. It's a good break from the rain in London." This time Eric cracks up. "Seriously though, I do like LA better than London. I was meant to move back to the states in a month. That's when, our... our internship was going to be over." The lightheartedness of the evening dies. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't bring that up."
Eric reaches over and grabs my hand, "No it's okay. If you want to talk about it I'm here." I shake my head and pull my hand away.
"I'm okay." He looks right into my eyes, I shift in my seat. I feel like he's reading me like a book. "No really, I'm just still in shock."
"Gee... wonder why." Our dinner comes and we both slip into silence as we eat. I had no idea how hungry I was. I chow down my pasta, before Eric is even halfway done with his. I put another fork full of pasta into my mouth, Eric looks me straight in the eyes, "Can you even taste your food?" I try to suppress my laughter, and end up snorting. We both crack up again, but my cheeks are burning red.
I lay my hands up on my cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I guess this isn't one of my shining moments." I can feel the heat still rising in my cheeks. I look up into Eric's eyes, I can see he's not grossed out, but I still feel ridiculous. I'm nervous now to eat. So I pick up my fork and just start to push my food around.
"I don't know what you were taught, but I was always taught that playing with your food, was worse than scarfing your food down." I'm caught. I start to eat again.
The rest of dinner flies by and soon the café is closing. My head is starting to pound again, I reach into my pocket and take two more codeine. Eric watches me and speaks, "I think it's time we get you to bed." He pays and we walk out of the café. We wave to Officer Wilson who has now taken a seat at a park bench and climb in the car and drive off.
During the car ride, I slip into guilt. What am I doing? I should go and comfort Cassie, but I can't. I can't just move on from this, I know to much now not to get involved. The car door opens and Eric offers me his hand. I reach out and grab in and shake my head. I didn't even notice that we had arrived. I follow Eric into the house, and follow him while he gives me a tour of the place.
We end up back at the front doors, "So there will be guards watching the front door twenty-four hours, so I wouldn't try to escape if I were you."
"I'll be good, I promise. I'll wait until someone comes and fetches me." I shuffle my feet, "So... umm... good-night." I lean up and kiss Weiss on the cheek, "thanks for dinner, that's exactly what I needed."
He stands there for a second in shock and then mutters for a bit. I fight the corners of my mouth from smiling. "Good-night Zanna," and with that Weiss leaves.