Can't Resist His Charm

Can't do dinner

Bryan

My eyes widened as did my parents. “Uh, are you sure? It’s Sunday Nat-”

“Yes, it’s fine,” she cuts my mother off quickly. My mother is big on Sundays. She might not attend church every service but she tries to at least once a month. But mum is a sucker for family time and she knows the reverend would want his daughter home, in her house today.

Natalie had never come over on any Sundays, especially to have dinner- any other day but not today.

“I’ll just call your mother-” my mother starts saying again, her hand on my father’s forearm, looking a bit taken back. They both do not notice how much I don’t want her here. How could I even mention that Damian most certainly did not either?

“It’s fine. They know I’m here,” Natalie almost shrills out.

“Well, I guess it’s fine,” my father says with a wide smile and my mother adds, “Well, if you’re certain then it’s fine. The more the merrier, I always say. Damian is here for dinner too.”

I could not believe they bought that story. Well, if it was not my parents then it was Amanda who told her Damian was staying for dinner and it definitely was Mel who informed her that Damian was here in the first place. My father walks to the patio taking the cordless landline phone with him and mum into the kitchen to start dinner. Mum calls me in the kitchen with her to help her prepare the vegetables which I am grateful for as I don’t really want to see Natalie’s face at the moment.

My relief is short-lived however when my bestie walks in and volunteers her services. Mum smiles and points to a dish with potatoes and instructs, “Peel those and dice them up.”

I’m irritated even more when mum mentions that Damian had cleaned and marinated fish earlier- not with my mother but with Natalie, for she had interrupted our family time. My family is bonding with my newly founded friend and it had to go on pause because of her.

I literally grit my teeth when Natalie says, “Oh, he’s such a cutie for helping you aunty, I wish I had seen that.”

Amanda is tasked with making a fresh salad. I roll my eyes and mutter, “Easy on the dressing, will you?” for she really overdoes it.

I feel like laughing so loud when I get a text from Damian later that evening at exactly 4:45 pm but I don’t say anything to anyone. I had texted him earlier that we had another dinner guest- I was just prepping him for it. [Can’t do dinner. I’m hungry though, can you bring me a plate when she leaves?]

[Sure] I reply and place my phone back in my jeans pocket looking at my soon-to-be ex-best friend as she beat my sister in a game, from on the couch behind them. Mum had shooed us away when my dad returned from his phone calls.

Mum starts to serve dinner promptly at 5 pm.

“Oh, mum by the way Damian had to go home. He says to apologize to you but definitely another day,” I smile when I say it looking at my mother knowing she is about to ask for Damian.

My sister looks disappointed but Natalie frightens me. She stares at me- not even a care in the world that anyone could see her giving me the death glare. Nobody notices however as they’re busy filling their plates.

“Oh, that’s too bad. Hope everything is well home, he did ask for tilapia,” my mother looks at me questioningly, her hand hovering over the steamed broccoli she just scooped onto my father’s plate.

“Everything is fine mum. He just had something to do,” I rested her worry, looking at the honey-lime fish. The smell is so heavenly that my tongue produces water inside my mouth. My mother can cook so well, I really don’t understand why she does not cook more often. She should.

“Why, what happened?” Natalie insisted on a real answer still not grabbing a plate for her food. In fact, she looks like she wants to hit me with the spoon I just picked up, as I spoon rice onto my plate.

“Oh, Nat, he called earlier but I forgot to say. Homework stuff. Pass me your plate, I’ll serve you.”

She stares at me in such a way that I am supposed to be uncomfortable and truthfully, I am a bit but I am still wanting to laugh at her. I mean how much clearer does a guy have to be for you to understand he does not want you? To my mother, I say, “Mum, pack a plate for him and I’ll take it to him since he requested the fish. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

My smirk is wiped off my face when Natalie says in the middle of dinner, “I’ll go with you when you drop it off.”

“Drop off what,” I try to play dumb but my mind is whirling.

“The food for Damian,” she smiles as she sips her chilled water. “You can drop me home after.”

“I- thought you came with your car?”

“I’m feeling tired. I’ll leave it,” she answers sweetly with a wide smile that is starting to give me a slight quivering feeling.

My parents do not know that Natalie is obsessed with their absent dinner guest and nods as if she is making sense. Did I say plate? Damn. Honestly, Nat is scaring me now and I think a bit before I reply. I realize I have to be extremely careful with this one… “Uh- no. I meant I’ll give him tomorrow. Pack it in a box, okay mum.”

An hour later Natalie is gone and I press my hand against my chest thankful when her car pulls away. What is wrong with her? She had waved at me as I saw her off as if nothing was strange about her conduct at all. Did she really not know she was behaving well…psychotic?

I turn back towards the house and I see Damian’s silhouette, against my room window. From the way it looked, I can tell he is looking at the car that just pulled out and heading down the street. I look at his outline a few seconds more before he turns away from the glass and disappears.

Right- food. He’s famished.

I head back inside but it’s not until another hour later he gets his food for my parents were in the sitting room, situated right next to the stairs and the open room faced the bottom of the stairs. I could not very well just walk on by with a plate of food and casually say I’m hungry- or even I am going to eat in my room. That’s a double no-no. My mother will have a fit.

Damian glares at me as I open the door, balancing the heavily laden plate in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. I hear his stomach greeting me and I give him an apologetic look.

“Sorry- mum and dad-”

“I saw her leave a long time back,” he accuses but makes no attempt to move forward for the plate, remaining seated on my bed. His jaw clenches and he turns his head slightly to the side, hands still on his thighs, fingers entwined. I can tell he just had a shower too, for his hair is still hanging over his forehead.

I smile for he is pouting and it’s cute. What a sight. A grey, long-sleeved, sweater-wearing Damian, in my black shorts, muscled legs exposed and white bedroom slippers on his feet.

“As I was saying, my parents remained between the kitchen and the den. The stairs were in their eyesight so I had to wait. Come on eat, I know you’re hungry,” I coax walking up to him.

He broods and it’s so attractive- I clear my throat. What the-