Chapter 13 Red Wines and Dangerous Talks
Finally, DeTaste.
They got down from the car at the packing lot that was right in front of the restaurant. Just then Chris and Jett came out to greet them.
“You look really beautiful tonight, Amryelsa.” Chris said, helping her out of the car.
“Thank you. You look stunning yourself.”
Jett stepped forward and helped Ivy.
“Red,” Chris commented, looking straight at Ivy. “Is there anything you wouldn’t look breathtaking in?”
“For someone who has only seen me in my formal office wear, that’s a bold statement.” Ivy chuckled nervously.
“Is that so?”
“Dinner!” Jett declared, breaking off the awkwardness. “I’m hungry and Chris has handed me with a lot of business to do after this so. Shall me–”
Elsa hurriedly stepped forward at that moment, almost tripping over the stairs but Chris caught her just in time.
“Elsa, are you okay?”
Ivy rushed from the other side of the car over to her.
Elsa didn’t answer, instead she held on firmly to Chris’s arms that had being her rescue.
“Are you alright, Amryelsa?”
“Yes, just missed a step but I’m not sure I can go all the way up the stairs by myself.”
They were just threw steps but Elsa was Elsa. Although something about what was going on right now didn’t seem much like her.
Was Elsa playing the damsel in distress right now?
Ivy caught a subtle wink from her and her inside recoiled in something that felt like sharp pins digging against the walls of her stomach.
That was a subtle hint they would give each other anytime they wanted the other to play along with a particular situation.
“Maybe we should go to a hospital and cancel this dinner date. We need to get that ankle checked immediately.” Chris said and Jett hummed in agreement, while typing away on his phone.
He was probably checking for the nearest hospital or something.
“Maybe two of you will go. I will stay for the food.” Jett finally looked up from his phone.
Maybe he never even was checking for an hospital!
“I’m okay, seriously, I just need someone to help me up the stairs.”
Aggressive wink.
Ivy really wanted to be selfless and help her but for some reasons, her body just wasn’t taking orders from her right now.
It felt like as if her tongue had decided to stay rooted to the roof of her mouth despite her numerous attempts to speak up.
What exactly was wrong with her?!
“Amryelsa.”
“Today is her birthday,” she finally broke away, taking control. “… and she has been looking forward to this dinner all day. I’m sure it’s fine. She said it’s fine, so it should be fine. We’ll just get some ice and we’ll be good. Will you please hold my purse and my heels–”
“What are you doing?” Chris asked, looking down at the purse and heels she had stretched to him.
“I’ll carry her up. There are just three steps or something. I can’t be dead by the end of it.”
“Okay, hand me those heels and purse.” Jett pushed away from the car he was leaning against. “Only helping cause you are the ‘Yours Girl’.”
Then eh collected the purse and heels from her before looking back at his phone. What was he doing on that anyways? “You’re welcome.”
“Nevermind.” Chris said, lifting Elsa up in his arms before Ivy could reach her. Jett nodded handing Ivy back her things. Then he walked ahead of them so that he could help with opening the door.
“Oh, you areally didn’t have to.” Elsa said as bashfully as she could, before mouthed a ‘Thank you’ to Ivy who was following behind.
Ivy’s heart hurt like as if a dagger was been driven through it then twisted over and over again.
Tonight was going to be one hell of a long night.
***
“So Ivy, tell us about how drawing went for you?” Chris asked.
“She was totally terrible.”
Elsa laughed as she gulped down her third glass of wine.
The table had a certain vibe, it felt awkward and almost forced. Jett was focused on his phone while he typed away, eating once in a while and taking long gulps of red wine from the bottle they had brought with them to the restaurant.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
The wine Bottle had on it the name “WineRed”.
What a name.
Elsa must be really happy that Chris came for this dinner, because every now and then, she was falling over him while taking more and more of her wine.
Getting drunk.
Ivy wouldn’t have noticed if this simple action of hers wasn’t causing her heart to clench painfully everytime.
Why was she constantly feeling like this?
It was just a one night stand, Ivy.
Get over it!
Chris wasn’t helping matters at all though, he kept involving her in conversations.
“Tell him, Ivy.” Elsa looked sideways at her, her head leaning lightly on Chris’s shoulder.
“We should talk about other things. Likeeee… Elsa’s wonderful singing skills!”
“Oh, really. I didn’t know you could sing.” Chris said.
“Nice.” Jett hummed, just to make them know that he was alive and present, probably.
“She sang at World’s Voice, won the competition three times in a row, got a wonderful offer but she turned it down.”
“Why?”
Ivy grasped Elsa’s left hand softly, and she looked up at Chris who looked really interested in finding out whatever that reason was.
Damn, those brown beautiful eyes of his!
“I was going through a life crisis, I needed her and she dropped everything else to be with me.”
That wasn’t the whole story though. At that time, Ivy had also gotten overwhelmed with the fame, started leaning into taking drugs too. She had needed someone by her side at that time too.
They had helped each other but that part of the story wasn’t something she wanted to tell.
Chris had a subtle smile on his face and his gaze was once again trapping her in. She blinked, her heart racing, her gaze moving to Elsa as quickly as possible, before smiling yet again.
“Elsa is just wonderful. I don’t deserve her, yet I have her. I feel really lucky.”
“I love you.” Elsa slurred.
“Nah. Away from me with all that muchiness.” Ivy chuckled.
“Look who’s talking.”
“Bet you have some muchiness of your own too. More than you’ve already displayed.” Chris said.
“I don’t.” Ivy shook her head, suppressing a smile.
“Then maybe it isn’t muchiness.” He leaned forward, so that despite the fact that she was sitting to his left and Elsa was in-between them, it made her feel like as if he was freaking close. “Maybe something wild.”
Ivy wanted to move away, but her fingers twirled around her wine glass instead.
“I don’t have anything.”
“I bet you do. You just need someone quite your speed to ignite it.
She gulped.
Memories.
Her heart raced at them before she suddenly frown.
Was Chris flirting with her right now? Or was she just overthinking it?
Overthinking it.
Definitely, overthinking it!
She really needed to stay away from this man!
“My goodness, I jussst s-spilled wine on your dress, l’m s–” Elsa slurred in apology.
Ivy stood up immediately.
Great, a opportunity sent by the heavens.
“Is there a way I can help with that?” Chris asked, already standing up.
It was just a wine spill. Why so dramatic?
“I’ll fix it.”
“Let’s go–”
“Don’t worry.” Ivy pushed her gently back on her seat. “You stay here, I’ll fix it.”
“Will you be fine alone?” Chris asked again.
“Hello, Bodyguard.” Jett teased, his gaze still fixed on his phone, taking a gulp from his wine glass once again.
“I’ll be fine. Thanks.” Ivy said walking away hurriedly.
This was starting to get awkward.
She found her way to the Ladies room. Good thing she was wearing red, she was able to get the stain under control.
Along with repeating to herself as she looked into the mirror.
“Chris makes Elsa happy. Chris is for Elsa. Elsa is happy and so you are happy.”
When she was done, she plastered a smile on her face and walked out of the Ladies Room.
While she was walking back to her table, she bumped into someone and whispered a quick apology. She continued walking but then she suddenly stopped, her heart racing, her hands sweaty.
While she had bumped into that woman, she had caught a reflection of someone in one of the small beautiful mirrors that were hung on the wall.
She looked back immediately to see if she had been right but he was gone.
Nevertheless, she could have sworn she had seen Girald.