“Bertha, these rolls are amazing,” Gillian said, putting one on Hawk’s plate. “You know, I have this chocolate spread that would bring them to the next level if you’re interested?”
And that was why there was always an empty seat beside her. The closer the proximity, the harder it was to ignore those types of comments.
Bertha smiled. “I’m sure you do.”
Oscar’s chair shifted closer. “Talking about delicious, Tippi, you have to try this meat Bertha made.” Oscar stabbed a piece on his plate and then held out his fork for me to eat off.
I went to push Oscar’s fork away and tell him to get the hell out of here with this hand-feeding act. I wasn’t the type of woman who enjoyed being hand-fed, ever.
But Gillian’s movement stilled my own. As she began to butter the roll on Hawk’s plate, Oscar’s offering looked better. I’d let Oscar feed me, whether I liked it or not.
I leaned in and groaned as the meat melted in my mouth. Oscar wasn’t kidding.
“Wow, that is good. Bertha, you really outdid yourself. I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted anything more delicious in my life. You must’ve had a line around the block waiting to get your meals.”
“Well, I was pretty busy,” Bertha said. “I had a good half of Xest ordering from me. It got to be tiring after a while, all the hustle and bustle—”
“Oscar, I need to talk to you in the other room,” Hawk said, his chair clanging as he got up.
The room went silent as we all watched the two of them leave.
Now what? If Hawk thought he was going to dictate who I was with, even if it was pretend, he had another thing coming. I went to stand, but Bertha grabbed my arm. My sweater blocked the tingle of magic-to-magic contact, but it was still not a done thing in Xest.
Her shaking head and serious face mirrored her actions. “They’ve been friends and allies for a long time. They can work it out. Oscar can handle himself.”
I sat back down, and a glass of wine was placed in front of me. “Have a drink. It’ll make you feel better,” Musso said.
Someone should’ve poured Gillian one. She appeared to need it as she watched the door.
Raised voices carried into the back, but it was the kind of yelling you did when you didn’t want anyone to hear. The words were muffled.
Oscar must not have put up much of a fight, as they both walked back in shortly after they’d left. Hawk entered first, looking more determined. Oscar walked in right behind him. There was a flash of a smile right before he wiped it off his face, as if he weren’t supposed to be happy about the outcome.
Hawk walked over to his spot and picked up his plate and glass. Maybe Oscar had won? Looked like Hawk didn’t want to eat with us tonight after all. Then Hawk walked around the table, with Gillian watching his every move. Instead of leaving, he continued until he was standing in front of Oscar’s seat.
Oscar walked over as well and picked up his plate before heading toward Hawk’s abandoned seat.
Hawk settled in next to me.
“What’s… What are you doing? Why are you switching seats?” How was I supposed to eat now? It was hard enough ignoring Hawk when he was at the same table. Now his elbow might brush mine.
I reached for my wine. There was going to be at least one refill in my future.
“What happened to my glass?” I scanned the table, wondering where it had disappeared. I glanced at everyone but Gillian. She was another one I’d have to ignore tonight.
No one said anything. If someone had taken my wine by accident, they weren’t owning up to it.
“You can share mine,” Hawk said, moving his glass in between us.
It seemed a bit intimate, but no worse than eating off Oscar’s fork. Not a big enough issue to start one of our fights in front of everyone. This dinner was already too much of a struggle to make it through without at least another few sips of wine.
I took the glass and was a little greedier than I probably should’ve been. By the time I put the glass down, the entire table was staring at me in varying shades of shock.
“I was thirsty.” They kept staring.
One would’ve thought I’d stolen the entire bottle and had an alcohol problem with the gaping mouths. Oscar was the only one who seemed quite pleased with my chugging ways.
I went back to eating, determined to ignore all the oddness of today. This meal couldn’t be finished fast enough.
I was chewing huge chunks of meat, trying to get done, when the sniffling started. The sounds were coming from Gillian’s side of the table. Had things gotten so bad that Hawk had to sit next to her or she had a meltdown? I glanced up, hoping she was getting sick instead. It would be much more respectable.
She was staring at me and Hawk, crying. No one was saying anything, as if this were normal. It was like the entire place had gone mad overnight.
“He’s just sitting here instead of there. It’s not a big deal. I’m sure he’ll sit with you again tomorrow.” The more I talked, the louder and uglier her crying got. By the time I was done, she was bawling.
Why was no one saying anything? She didn’t like me. Shouldn’t someone else step in?
“Hawk, can you go sit next to her so we can all eat in peace?” As much as it grated on my last nerve, no one was going to be able to eat if something didn’t happen here. He’d either have to move or I’d have to go eat in my room.
“I can’t,” he replied crisply.
I turned to him. He was looking at Gillian. His face was solemn, but he wasn’t getting up or saying anything.
The only thing that paused Gillian’s sobbing was the occasional hiccup. She tossed her napkin down, scrambled up from her chair, and ran from the table.
Bertha was shaking her head and looking down. It was as if the entire table knew something I was oblivious to.
“I tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen,” Musso said.
“Tell her what?” I asked.
Bibbi looked like she could barely suppress her words. Her lips were pressed together so tight that I would’ve needed a pry bar to get her to speak.
I shook my head and stood. We might have our problems, but someone had to check on Gillian.
“You’re not the one who should go,” Bertha said, reaching out to me like she’d tackle me if I tried.
Zab shook his head.
Bibbi, lips still pressed together, had owl eyes as she slowly shook her head, warning me off.
“I have to handle this.” Hawk got up and walked out of the room.
I hadn’t wanted to go after Gillian, but that didn’t stop the burning in my chest as I watched Hawk go instead. It was ridiculous, really. Hadn’t I suggested he sit beside her?
Maybe the problem was that when she was upset, he felt the need to go to her. When I got attacked, battered and bruised, the only need he felt was to tell me how I’d failed. Who wouldn’t want to hit him over the head?
The only upside was that I could eat in peace, because this dinner was the best I’d had in a month. I added another serving to my plate.
“What’s going on with them? They having a lover’s spat or something?” I grabbed another roll to sop up the gravy.
No one said anything as they all looked at each other.
“If this is a secret, it’s not a good one, since everybody appears to know but me.” I took a huge bite, not really caring if they took half the night to come out with it, since I might be eating for that long. This meal was that good.