Chapter 8. A Change of Plans
Lilly Bradley
I stopped halfway up the stairs of the new building where we were temporarily living until we found a permanent place. The elevator was out of service, and I wasn't going to wait an hour to go up, so I decided to take the stairs despite my feet screaming for me to take off my shoes. I had walked a lot, dropping off applications at various companies after more than four interviews. The waiting for them had felt eternal. After resting, I grabbed the strap of my briefcase again and slung it over my shoulder to continue on to the apartment.
When I reached the door, I let out a big sigh of exhaustion. I thought about how swollen my feet must be right now. But who in their right mind wears stiletto heels to drop off applications all over the city? You, Lilly Bradley. Only you would think of wearing them to appear a bit taller.
"You made it!" my mom greeted me as she opened the door.
"Yeah, hooray..." I said with a half-smile.
"Wow, what a face..." she commented, pulling the strap of my briefcase to help me when she saw I hadn’t moved much upon entering. "Those heels..." she scolded me. I walked into the living room and collapsed onto the nearest couch. Carefully, I took off my heels and was shocked. "I definitely need to give these shoes a break." The lines were marked on my skin from the pain.
"Oh, that feels good..." I sighed, massaging one of my feet. I looked at my mom, who seemed a bit uneasy watching the scene.
"You should get rid of all those high heels. You know what I think about them," my mom said, leaving the briefcase on the other couch and then sitting on its arm to look at me. "Your sister visited me at the new office they assigned me this afternoon."
"That's nice..." I was quite focused on massaging my feet.
"Could you accompany her to dinner later?" I frowned at her request and looked up at her.
"Accompany?" My mom nodded.
"She’s having dinner with the son of one of my patients, and I don't want her to go alone."
"That's inappropriate, Mom. You shouldn't do that just a few days into your new job."
"I know, but I couldn't get Leah out of that dinner."
"Well, she shouldn't go then."
"She can't do that. It's the son of my new patient."
"And you can excuse yourself by saying it's inappropriate and you didn't think about it until you got home."
"Lilly..." my mom used that "Come on, don't be mean" tone. I stopped what I was doing and let out a huff.
"Fine. Has Leah arrived yet?" She shook her head.
"She's still at work. But I have the restaurant address and the time. Just wait for her outside."
"Fine," I said, grabbing my heels and then my briefcase. "I'll go shower to get ready." I walked to my new room and heard a "Thank you, Lilly" behind me. I really didn't feel like going out for dinner. My plans to stay in bed watching Netflix until I fell asleep cuddling Morpheus were canceled. I typed a message to Leah, letting her know I would go with her to dinner and that I would wait for her outside the place at the agreed time. I took a shower, dried my long hair, and opted for something simple, straightforward, and not flashy: black vinyl pants that clung to my body, a white blouse, and my hair down. This time, I wore some ankle boots, put on light makeup, grabbed my purse and coat, and headed out.
"I already called the car," I announced to my mom, who was in the living room. My dad was still at the hospital.
"You look quite... simple," she said, frowning.
"I'm not the one having dinner with your patient's son. I'm just the third wheel on a date."
"You dress up more for interviews..." she murmured.
"Mom, I'm very tired," I said, then paused briefly. "I'm a bit worried since I'm the only one in the family who hasn't found a job."
"Someone will come along, have faith." I let out a discreet sigh. Tonight, I would only have dinner and then head home to sleep.
At the restaurant.
I adjusted my coat, growing impatient, and looked at my watch again. Leah should have been here by now. I dialed her cell again, but she didn't answer. I muttered under my breath, deciding that if she didn't show up in ten minutes, I'd call a ride and leave.
My phone rang from inside my coat, and I quickly fished it out. The screen displayed Leah's name, and I slid the button to answer.
"I hope you have a good excuse and are about to arrive," I growled as soon as I answered.
"Sorry, I still have a lot of work. Could you just go ahead and have dinner?"
"Excuse me? Dinner? With our mom's patient's son?"
"Yes, please. I can't get away any sooner."
"You're crazy. I'm going home. I don't know him, and I don't feel like having dinner with a stranger."
"Please, please, I'll make it up to you. Besides, you owe me a lot."
"That's another continent, so it's a clean slate."
"No, no, come on, do it for me. I promise I'll make it up to you." I bit the inside of my cheek, debating.
"Fine, fine, you owe me. I'm going into the restaurant... Who am I looking for?"
"The reservation is under Isidora Harding."
"Alright, it's just dinner, right?" I asked anxiously.
"Yes, just dinner, a conversation, and then home. He doesn't know who you are or what you look like, and he'll never know that it wasn't me. So, relax." Okay, then, I'll go in.
"Thank you, Lilly," Leah said playfully on the other end.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I said before hanging up.
I turned toward the restaurant's facade and took a deep breath, thinking it was a mistake to agree to dinner with a stranger. A well-dressed man opened the door.
"Welcome, miss."
"Thank you." As I entered, I felt the warmth of the place, the murmur of diners in their own conversations, candles on the tables, and an exquisite aroma that immediately relaxed me. I approached a blonde woman who smiled at me.
"Good evening, welcome to Scalini, the best Italian cuisine in the city. Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes, under Isidora Harding."
The woman's eyes fixed on me as if I were an alien or from another realm. Seeing that I was waiting, she quickly cleared her throat and then gave me a half-smile, still surprised.
"Oh, excuse me, they're waiting for you." I felt the knot in my stomach tighten with nerves. It was a very elegant and expensive restaurant, so I couldn't imagine the man waiting for Leah. I followed the blonde woman to a secluded area away from the other diners, a private section. She stopped in front of a door and stepped aside to indicate I could enter.
"Is it here?" I asked.
"Yes, it's the private room. Go ahead, they've been waiting for five minutes." I grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open to enter. I heard "Lucky" behind me and glanced back to see the woman disappearing the way we came. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. There was no one at the table. The light was dim, but I could still see the space clearly. Had he left? It had only been five minutes. I sat down, deciding to wait another five minutes before leaving.
I heard the door behind me. My heart raced. I didn't know whether to turn around or wait for him to take his seat on the other side of the table and greet him.
"Good evening," his deep voice sent shivers down my spine, making me tremble in my seat.
"G-Good evening," I said without turning, in a low and awkward tone. Oh, God, what's wrong with me? I heard him start walking until he rounded the table and sat across from me. I lifted my gaze to the man on the other side. We both frowned.
"You again?" he asked, surprised.
Oh God, the man from the service!