“Are you excited about tonight?” she asked, changing the subject.
I laughed dryly. “I wouldn’t exactly call it excited, but I’m definitely anxious.”
She gave me a questioning look.
I pretended I didn’t notice. I knew if I told her what was happening, she’d try and talk me out of it.
“Well, I hope you have a fun time. I spoke to Gus’s mother earlier. She didn’t even know he was planning on going to the dance until today. It sounds like he waited until the last minute to get a new suit. Boys.” She laughed and shook her head. “They just never plan ahead.”
Oh, but I knew that Gus had planned ahead. The conniving prick. Fortunately, he never planned to get caught either.
She continued. “I just hope you two have a wonderful evening. Even if you are just going as friends.”
“It’s certainly going to be a night to remember,” I muttered.
She looked puzzled. “Is there something I should be concerned about?”
I assured her that everything was fine and it was just my nerves making me a little weird.
“That’s to be expected. Wait until you get married someday. Why, when your grandfather and I had our wedding…”
I listened to her talk about her wedding day, a story I’d heard a few times but enjoyed anyway. Especially now that my parents were gone. One never knew when the person reminiscing would be gone. As she was wrapping it up, I received a text from Gus.
Gus: OMW
Me: Ok. Can’t wait.
He responded with a smiley face and I was tempted to send him a turd emoji.
“What’s so funny?” Grandma asked, as I put my phone away.
“Nothing. Gus is on his way.”
“You two are going to have so much fun. I just can’t wait to hear about it.”
Gus arrived about thirty-five minutes later. When he saw me, he whistled.
I smiled.
“You look gorgeous,” he said, handing me a small box. “This is for you.”
A white corsage.
“Thank you,” I replied, taking it out of the box. “Uh, am I supposed to wear it on a certain wrist?”
“Your left one. Here, let me help you.”
I held out my arm and watched as he tied the corsage around my wrist.
“Gus, you look so handsome. Doesn’t he, Mackenzie?”
I forced a smile to my face. He did look nice in his suit and had obviously taken special care on his blonde spiky hair. He also wore cologne and had recently shaved. Had I not known what he was really like, I might have thought him quite handsome. But, right then and there… everything about him was ugly.
“He’s looks great. Handsome,” I added.
He grinned. “Thanks.”
Grandma Rae took a couple of pictures and then we walked outside.
“I was going to get a limo, but they were all booked,” he said, opening the passenger door of a black Tahoe. “I hope this will do. It’s my father’s.”
“It’s great,” I replied.
He waited for me to get in, shut the door, and then hurried around the vehicle. I could see a small smile on his face and wondered if he was already anticipating his moves for the evening.
“So, where are we going to eat?” I asked, when he slid into the truck.
He named a restaurant I’d never heard of.
“It’s an Italian place. It’s usually hard to get reservations but I managed to get us in,” he added.
“Sounds great.”
“It’s pretty spendy but… you’re worth it.”
“That’s so sweet of you,” I replied.
“I want this night to be special.”
“Oh, something tells me it will be.”
Gus smiled.
When we arrived at the restaurant we were seated in a booth near the back.
“This is great,” I said, looking around. The restaurant was definitely five-star.
“I eat here with my parents sometimes.”
“Oh, nice.”
Gus told me to order whatever I wanted, starting with the appetizers.
“Is that okay?” I replied, when I requested the lobster and prime-rib combo. This was after ordering caviar for the appetizer, which I told him I’d been dying to try.
“Of course. I love a woman with an appetite,” he replied. “And get whatever you want. Money is no object.”
“You’re so sweet.”
He smiled and winked.
After ordering a huge course, with all the extras, the waiter left and we talked about random things. It was definitely awkward, but I wasn’t about to make it easy for him.
Then the appetizer arrived. He showed me how to put the caviar on a cracker and then handed it to me. I took a bite and wasn’t a fan. Which made everything easier.
“Oh, gross,” I said loudly. “How can people eat that shit?”
Embarrassed of my outburst, in such a fancy restaurant, his cheeks turned red. “It’s fine. You don’t have to eat any more of it.”
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’ve never ordered it at a restaurant before. It’s pretty expensive.”
“Then, you go ahead and have at it.” I dropped what was left of the cracker onto my appetizer plate.
Gus was too focused on eating that he didn’t see me unwrap the small packet of pepper from my purse. I put a little on my finger, inhaled it, and sneezed all over the caviar.
“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry,” I replied, holding back a grin. The horror on his face was almost comical.
“It’s fine,” he said, pushing the plate away. “It happens to all of us.”
“I would have covered my mouth but it kind of just came out of nowhere.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Really.”
Next came the salads.
I’d made sure to do an upgrade on that as well.
“Would you like another Island Fruit Mixer?” the server asked. It was a fruity non-alcoholic drink that cost twenty dollars. It was served in a glass you could take home and came with a miniature umbrella. Not worth it but very yummy.
I looked at Gus.
“Yeah, of course,” he said. “Order another one.”
“Thanks. Yeah, I’ll take another Island Fruit Mixer.”
When the main course came, I took a couple of bites of prime rib and then went to work on the lobster. When Gus wasn’t looking, I made sure to “accidentally” knock it off of my plate and onto the carpeting below.
“Oh, my God,” I gasped. “I can’t believe I just did that!”
“Accidents happen,” he said with a strained smile.
Gus got up and leaned down to pick up the lobster. Noticing his wallet, sticking partly out of the back his pocket as bent down, I couldn’t believe my luck. I leaned down and pulled gently on the edge with one hand while squeezing his shoulder with the other, to distract him.
“I am so sorry. I’ll make it up to you later,” I purred near his ear while taking hold of the wallet.
Focused on my promise, he stood up, smiled, and placed the lobster on an empty bread plate. “Sounds interesting.”
I grinned back. “It will be.”
The waiter came and asked if he could replace the lobster.
“No, that’s okay. I’m full anyway.”
Gus stared at my full plate of food with a not-so-happy expression.
“Is that okay?” I said to him. “I think the salad filled me up.”
He forced a smile to his face. “It’s fine.”
“We’ll get you a to-go box,” the server said.
“That won’t be necessary,” Gus said. “It’ll go bad in the car. I’ll try and eat some of her food.”
“Okay.” The waiter turned to leave.
“Wait, do you have cheesecake?” I asked him.
The man turned around and smiled. “Yes, of course. We have three different kinds.”
I looked at Gus. “I would do anything for a piece of cheeseca
ke. I haven’t had it for so long. Could I order some?”
“Sure. I thought you were full though?”
I smiled. “One can never be too full for cheesecake.”
He looked up at the server. “Could we see the dessert menu?”
47
Chase
To keep my mind off of Mackenzie, I rented a boxing match on cable and invited the guys to come over to watch it with me. Sonny, Tyler, and Mitch rolled in around seven-thirty with pizza and beer.
“We need to keep it chill,” I said, popping open a beer. “I promised there wouldn’t be any wild parties here.”
“It’s just us,” Tyler said.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m warning you now,” I said dryly.
“Where’s Bruce?” Sonny asked.
I shrugged. “I called him and he said he had plans tonight. I think he has a date. He’s never missed boxing match before.”
“A date? Well la-dee-fucking-dah,” Sonny muttered.
I raised my eyebrow. “You sound bitter. Didn’t things work out with you and Kara?”
“I don’t know. She’s been acting a little weird. Ever since this morning when I tried calling her,” he said, staring at the television. “I don’t know what her problem is.”
“You’re still going to Sadie Hawkins aren’t you?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
I had a feeling that Kara’s coldness might have to do with me and Mackenzie.
Knowing not to press the conversation, I dropped it.
“Speaking of chicks, what happened between you and the new girl last night?” Tyler asked, grabbing a plate of pizza. “I heard you gave her a ride home.”
“Nothing.”
“What, no chemistry?” Mitch asked, chuckling.
“I’d like to study some of her biology,” Tyler said with a wicked smile.
“Leave her alone,” I said sharply.
The three looked at me.
“She’s been through some shit with her parents dying and stuff,” I explained.
“Bummer,” Tyler said. “Maybe someone should tell Mattie. Or Bruce.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“He told me that Mattie wanted to ruin her and asked for his help,” Tyler said.
That fucking bitch just wouldn’t give up.
“And he agreed?” I asked.
“He didn’t say in so many words, but he’s had it bad for Mattie since the sixth grade. He’d do anything for her,” Tyler replied.
I thought back to the party and how Mackenzie had been threatened. I didn’t want to believe that Bruce was involved, but I’d be an idiot to think otherwise.
48
Mackenzie
After ordering cheesecake, I watched Gus try to eat both his meal and mine. He actually put down almost everything.
“Wow, impressive,” I said, when he set his fork down.
“I’m stuffed though.” He looked over toward the restrooms. “I’ll be back. I’m going to the Men’s Room.”
“Okay.”
As soon as he left, I pulled out the small vial of magnesium citrate Kara and I had gotten from the drugstore earlier. I looked around and then poured it into his strawberry lemonade. The laxative was supposed to work fairly quickly, although I’d never used it before. I quickly mixed it with the straw, grateful that the waiter had just refilled his glass.
“Feeling better?” I asked, when Gus sat back down at the table.
He smiled. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
The waiter returned with my cheesecake. I grabbed my fork, took a bite, and made a face.
“What’s wrong?”
“It tastes funny.”
He frowned.
“Try it,” I said. “You’ll see what I mean.”
Gus took a fork and tasted it. He looked at me like I was crazy. “You can’t be serious? It’s delicious.”
I tried again and shuddered. “Sorry, but it definitely has a weird aftertaste.”
He sighed.
I put my fork down and pushed the plate away. “I can’t eat this.” I let out a ragged sigh. “I knew I should have ordered the chocolate cake. Dang it.” I looked over at Gus.
Sighing, he motioned for the waiter, who arrived quickly.
“Yes, sir?” the man asked.
“Can we order a piece of chocolate cake?” he asked unenthusiastically.
The waiter smiled. “With or without ice cream?”
“With,” I said quickly.
“What she said,” Gus said.
Of course I didn’t want to overdo it, so I ate most of the cake and thanked Gus for being so nice.
“I feel so bad that I ordered all of that and didn’t eat hardly any of it. And it was so expensive,” I added.
His smile seemed forced. “It’s fine.”
I blotted my mouth with the napkin and stood up. “I really need to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
He picked up his glass of lemonade. “I’ll be waiting.”
I smiled again and headed to the Ladies’ Room. Once inside, I opened up Gus’s wallet and found that he had eleven one-hundred dollar bills inside. I thought it was odd that he carried so much cash, but knew he was a gambler.
He probably has some side-bets going on for tonight, I thought in disgust.
In any case, I didn’t have the heart to throw the money away. It deserved to go to a worthy cause.
Like a charity?
Grinning, I took the cash out and dropped the wallet into the trash bin. I then returned to the table.
“Are you okay?” I asked, noticing that he was looking a little uncomfortable.
He shifted in his seat. “I’m fine. I think I just ate a little too much.”
“That was a lot of salty food, too. You should drink more of your lemonade or you’ll get really thirsty later.”
“True.” He raised his cup to his lips and took a long sip.
I pulled out my phone and looked at the time. “We should get going soon. The dance starts at eight, right?”
“Yeah. It’s okay though. We can get there later. In fact,” he leaned closer, “I got my hands on some booze. I figured we could party a little before we get there.”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? I’m not drinking anymore. I mean, you can but I’d rather just go to the dance, if that’s okay?”
He looked disappointed. “I guess.”
“I don’t want to ruin your fun though. If you want to drink, be my guess.”
“We’ll see. My stomach is a little funny anyway. I probably won’t either.”
“It could have been the cheesecake,” I said. “I told you it tasted funny.”
The waiter brought us our bill, which was pretty lofty from the look on Gus’s face. He reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. “What the hell?” A look of panic spread across his face.
“What’s wrong?”
He grabbed his suit jacket, which he’d hung up on the hook next to us, and began searching through the pockets. “Nothing, I hope.”
I watched him look everywhere for his wallet. Not finding it, he excused himself.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
He stood up. “I think I dropped my wallet in the truck. I’ll be back soon.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He left the restaurant and returned a short time later.
I grinned up at him, already knowing the answer. “Did you find it?”
“No,” he replied, looking upset.
My eyes widened. “What are we going to do?”
He let out an irritated sigh. “I’m going to have to call my dad and have him drop off some money.”
“Do you want me to buy dinner?”
He stared at me for a few seconds and then smiled sheepishly. “Could you? I’ll pay you back. I promise.”
“No problem.” I reached into my purse and then sighed. “I forgot to bring my wallet. I guess I didn’t think I’d need it. I’m s
orry.”
“Don’t be. This is all my fault.”
It damn well was…
He dialed his dad and arranged to meet him outside in ten minutes. Meanwhile, the waiter returned and asked if everything was okay. Gus explained that he’d forgotten his wallet.
The waiter frowned.
“But, my dad is on the way. He’ll pay for everything,” Gus added.
“Okay. Just let us know if there’s a problem,” the waiter replied.
“There’s no problem,” Gus said, an edge to his voice.
The waiter left and as we waited, I heard Gus’s stomach begin to make gurgley noises.
“Are you okay?”
His stomach made another loud rumble and he quickly stood up. “I hope so. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared toward the bathroom.
Chuckling, I pulled out my phone and sent Kara a text.
Me: Kids are being dropped off in the pool. I think it’s going to be a big party.
Kara: LOL! It worked?
Me: So far.
Kara: Keep me updated.
Me: Will do.
Gus was gone for quite a while. In fact, his dad, Steve, showed up at the table and paid the tab before he returned.
“Where is he?” Steve asked me after handing the waiter his Visa.
“In the bathroom. He’s been there for a while. You might want to check on him,” I replied.
Steve chuckled. “From the size of that tab, he’s paying the price in a different way. That kid needs to watch how much he eats.”
I smiled.
“I’ll go and check on him.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
He disappeared and then returned with Gus a few minutes later.
“Are you okay?” I asked Gus.
He looked so embarrassed, I almost felt sorry for him. “I think I ate something bad.”
My eyes widened. “Are you going to be okay?”
He nodded. “I’m fine now.” Gus turned to his dad. “Thanks for taking care of the bill. I think I left my wallet at home.”
His dad frowned. “Well, I couldn’t find it. Just be careful tonight. You don’t want to get pulled over without your driver’s license.”
After Burn (High School Bully Romance) (Diamond Lake High School Book 1) Page 22