Jeremy downed the drink in his hand and placed the glass down. “You, me, Shona, your girl..what?” he stopped when Ryder shook his head.
“Rosetta and I broke up about a week ago.” He said it with a straight face, but Jeremy could see the hurt in his eyes.
“Oh, sorry, man,” Jeremy shook his head. “I didn't know about that. How are you holding up?” He felt like a heel not knowing what was happening with his friend. Ryder was good at hiding his emotions but as his closest friend, he should have caught up with him. Jeremy knew how his friend had felt about Rosetta, the only woman he had been serious about for the past two years.
“She said it wasn't working out anymore. She went back to Venezuela the day before yesterday actually. Wanted to revive her modeling career.”
Jeremy shook his head. That was another reason why he never got into serious relationships. You invest so much of your time and energy only for it not to work out in the end. “I am sorry, man. I can tell Becca to cancel the dinner and we head out to the club instead?”
“She is the one cooking?” Ryder asked.
Jeremy nodded as he reached for his mobile phone.
“Will she be joining us?” Ryder moved away from Jeremy, a plan already forming in his head. “It won't hurt if she did. She'll be my date.” He sent Jeremy a cheeky smile.
“You sure?” Jeremy narrowed his gaze as he looked up at his friend. “We could go to the club, get stoned, get laid and curse out all the women.”
Ryder shook his head, laughing, “what are we, twenty-one? I am good. Besides, I am getting free homecooked dinner so why not? And Becky seems like a sweet girl with a brain. I would really like to know what she really thought about my article.” Ryder shrugged, removing any expression from his face that would give away his plan.
Jeremy narrowed his eyes on him. He knew Ryder for a very long time, known him to a point that he would know if his friend was up to something, and that innocent look on his face was a dead giveaway. Tilting his head, he tried to figure out if he was up to his friend's antics. Shrugging, he replaced his phone back into his pocket and hoped for the best.
Rebecca stood in front of the mirror in her room, studying her reflection with a frown. Jeremy had called her to tell her that she was to join them for dinner that evening, something that she was not prepared for. Her refusals to do so had gone unacknowledged by Jeremy, who had hung up after giving her the message.
With a groan, she removed the peach-colored dress and reached for a black one. Putting it on, she moved back to the mirror. Smoothing her hands over her hips, she turned to her side, 'this should do it!' she scrunched her face. Glancing at her watch she quickly pulled her hair up to a lose bun and pinned it up. After applying her makeup which consisted of a light pink lipstick, soft blush, and very minimal eyeliner and shadow, she slipped her feet into her low pumps.
After a quick check on the mirror, she took a deep breath and walked out of her room. Making her way to the kitchen, she did not see Jeremy coming down the stairs until he was a few steps away from her. With a surprised gasp, Rebecca turned to him.
“Oh, hi!” she smiled at him, pushing away a loose strand from her face. “I didn't hear you come in.”
Jeremy had stopped on the third stair, his hand on the cufflink he was trying to pin. His eyes traveled down her body, taking in the black dress and low pumps. She looked good, great actually. He frowned, wondering where that thought came from.
When he did not reply, Rebecca wiped her hands on her stomach, “i-is this ok? I was not sure how formal the dinner was.”
Jeremy mentally shook himself into reality. Clearing his throat he made his way down the remaining stairs. “It's fine.”
Rebecca frowned. He did not sound impressed, “I could always change if it's not appropriate.” She did not want to embarrass him in front of his friends.
“No, I said it was fine.” Jeremy made his way to the dining room, as he left Rebecca staring after him. He walked straight to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a shot and downed it in a gulp.
“Are you alright?” Rebecca walked in with plates in her hands. She went forth to set the dining table, opting to use the smaller table in the room.
His friends had always wondered why he had two tables in the room. It was all his mother's fault. He had wanted a huge table for entertaining his friends, but his mother had wanted the intimacy of a small table for a small family. To appease his mother he made a decision of having two dining tables, one a centre piece while the other on the side.
“Jeremy, are you ok?” Rebecca asked again a bit louder as she stood straight from leaning over the table to place the plates down.
“Why do you ask?” Jeremy asked absentmindedly.
Rebecca shrugged, “you seem preoccupied.” She bit the inside of her lip, knowing she was overstepping.
Jeremy cocked his head to the side, his eyes unreadable, “so you now know me well enough to know when I am preoccupied?”
Rebecca bent her head to hide her blush and disappointment. She did not mean to pry, she just wanted to know what was bothering him. Her mother had always told her that if there was something that she could do to help a person with thoughts.
“I am sorry, I didn't mean to pry,” she gave him a small, tight smile and turned away from him, walking to the kitchen.
Jeremy closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “Becca…”
Rebecca turned slowly, reluctance in her movements, “yes?”
He opened his mouth to apologize, only to be interrupted by the doorbell. “Get that,” he said instead as he turned to pour himself another drink.
Rebecca took a deep breath to calm herself down. She had never been discharged that way, ever! Walking slowly to the door, she pasted a smile on her face before pulling it open.
“Hello!” a cheerful voice greeted her as she pulled the door open.
Rebecca's smile deepened, becoming real as she watched the petite woman walk into the house, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. “Hi, Shona.”
“You remember my name,” Shona laughed as she removed her jacket and placed it on the jacket holder. “I thought you wouldn't remember me with my clothes on.”
Rebecca blushed faintly as the other woman reminded her of the first time they met. “No, I remember you. Please follow me,” she led the way to where Jeremy was.
“Darling!” Shona exclaimed as she threw herself in Jeremy's open arms. They went straight into making out.
Rebecca swung from leg to leg as she witnessed the couple kissing as though she was not there. Blushing she turned to head to the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Turning to see if Jeremy and Shona were done, she shook her head and went to the front door.
“Aah, you must be my date for tonight,” Ryder drawled as his eyes traveled up and down on her body. “A very sexy date, for that matter.”
Rebecca ducked her head to hide the pink flush as she moved aside to let Ryder in. “Jeremy and Shona are already in the dining room,” she told him as she made her way to the kitchen. She quickly switched off the stove and started arranging the serving plate.
“Need any help?” a deep voice asked from the doorwar.
Rebecca turned in surprise at the voice, “I-no, I am alright.” She watched as Ryder came into the room, a glass of whiskey in his hand.
“Oh, I don't mind,” he said as he stopped in front of her, his smile that of amusement. “I have to escape the kissing couple anyway They can't seem to keep their hands off each other. Have they been like that since Shona arrived?”
Rebecca shrugged and refrained from answering, instead she focused on the job at hand. Balancing the serving dish, she started making her way to the dining room.
“Give me that,” Ryder said as he placed his drink on the cabinet top and reached for the serving platter in Rebecca's hands.
“It's alright,” Rebecca replied as she tried to go around him.
“Nonsense,” Ryder removed the platter from her hands and led the way. “Come with my drink, will you?”
Rebecca stopped for a few seconds, staring after the tall man before her before shaking herself back to reality and collecting his drink, and following him.
“Lady and gentleman, dinner is served,” Ryder called as he strode into the dining room, placing the platter on the table.
Shona turned from Jeremy's arms and walked towards the table behind Jeremy, “mmh, something smells delicious!” She took a seat that Jeremy was holding out for her. “Looks delicious as well!”
Jeremy took a seat next to Shona, “can't wait to tuck in.”
Rebecca started pulling her own chair when Ryder stopped her. “Nonsense,” he mumbled. “You are my date so it's my pleasure to hold the chair for you.”
Rebecca smiled up at Ryder, missing the slight frown on Jeremy's face. “Thank you, Ryder.”
“Anything for my pretty date.” Ryder winked at Rebecca before taking his own seat.
Shona burst out laughing, “when was the last time you were on a date, Ryder? You seem so excited tonight!”
“It's not frequent that I get a date with a woman who has read my work and appreciated it.” Ryder raised his wine glass towards Rebecca before taking a sip.
Shona turned her brown eyes to Rebecca, “really now?” She seemed genuinely interested. “Where did you read it?”
Rebecca was never used to being the center of attention, that was Lily’s forte. She blushed a bit looking down, “at the university.”
Jeremy cleared his throat, “I am famished! Can we eat?”