the Officer and his Beauty

Chapter 17

Madisons pov

We both stayed quiet, and this night had gone from the best to the worst when we rolled into the parking lot of a decent restaurant with a three-star rating, which wasn't saying much. Nate walked around, helping me out of the car. I smiled at him. he smiled back and squeezed his big hand over mine, and I felt better; he was trying, and that’s all I wanted, for him to try because that was what I was doing.

We walked up to the hostess, and she was checking Nate out, making me jealous instantly. I held him harder with my hand in his, and he must have felt it because he just made an amused smile and smiled charmingly at the woman in her thirties and looked at him like she had any right; she didn’t!

“Hey Nate, what’s up?” she smiled more when he grinned back, and I felt the ugly feeling in my stomach grow even bigger; she knew him?! Was she his ex-girlfriend, just like that mean redhead I had met today!? Because she couldn’t have him! He was on a date with me!

“Hey Karen, how the kids and useless bum of a husband you have?” he chuckled when she smirked back like they had some jokes I wasn’t in on, which made me mad too. Oh god, why was I acting so silly all of a sudden? Like every part of my brain was missing when Nate was around; it was annoying!

“Oh, Jim’s fine and the kids are doing well too; Clara’s swim team just made it third place, so that’s good. Aiden is still just home playing video games.” She smirked even more when he gave her a real laugh, and I just stared at them, people around this town; they loved Nate, they really did.

Just look at this woman; she was basically worshiping him the second he walked inside, not knowing I was there. That had never happened to me; I was the one that people saw first, me!

“That’s great to hear! You tell that loaf that he better be careful, a woman like you being here every night. Being at the office is dangerous, Karen…” he chuckled when she rolled her eyes playfully like she was used to his flattery.

I hated that I got jealous again; she had a husband and kids. Still, I wanted to do nothing more than pull Nate along so he didn’t fall for the older woman; he was mine tonight, and nothing would change that!

“Yeah, I can tell from you having this pretty girl along, Madison Scott?” she suddenly turned to me. I blinked like I had been listening too long and wasn’t prepared to answer. The hostess made a sight like I was just as stupid as she thought, tapping her pen on the book before her and making me feel even worse; I wasn’t stupid, I wasn’t!”

“Yes, the one and only... Maddie is staying with Nana and me, remember? She used to work for Mr. Scott before the…. Incident….” I wanted to close my eyes, hearing Nate sounding awkward when discussing what happened. My dad was a criminal, and everyone in this town knew about it and gloated when they were just jealous! My dad was not a bad guy! Just because he was smart and made money didn’t make him bad.

I wanted to start sneering her off when I didn’t have the chance to feel Nate's hand shift. He pulled me to him and smiled like he didn’t care about all that.

He was the only one around here who felt that way; everyone else was laughing at me and my family, and the intense sadness made me want to leave immediately.

“Yeah, I can see more than staying if you are here….” The woman made a slightly mocking tone in her voice when I exhaled. People around here didn’t like me, and I had no idea why?

“We are on a date.” I finally looked up, making Nate go completely stiff. The woman was slightly shocked when she gaped with her mouth before she caught it and made a slight cough like she wasn’t just as baffled over it as Nate.

“Yes…. Karen. We are on a date, so if you have any openings, I sure would like a table; we can wait if it's full.” Nate seemed to snap out of his confused haze when I frowned. He told me this was a date, so why was it a secret?!

“No, no, it's fine for you, Nate; I always have something…. you are like family, and I would never make you wait… and your date isn’t used to that, I’m right?” she did smirk at me, and I forced myself to answer, sure wasn’t you b***h….

I was biting my cheek when she looked over her reservations, waved us along, and showed us to a table in the back that I didn’t like; what was this? Hiding Nate from the world that he had a date with me?

I frowned when he pulled the chair out, and the stupid woman just smiled at us when she wasn’t leaving; even if she had put us in the back, she sure wasn’t giving us privacy.

“So, Nate, the usual, and the young lady?” I gritted my teeth when she talked about me like I was a kid like Nate was babysitting me and not kissing me so that I couldn’t walk without feeling like I was about to faint, b***h!

“I don’t know…you don’t have anything vegan on the menu, don’t you?” He smiled, making my heart skip when the woman scoffed at his question. I frowned, not knowing being vegan was a crime.

“I don’t know… We got fish if that’s what you mean, but no vegan …. Sorry…” she shifted her eyes at me like he hadn’t asked. I rolled my eyes, not trying to hide it; that was perfect. Now I knew why this place only had three stars.

“Well, fish it is then, thanks Karen.” Nate winked, making her smile when I watched her walk away in amazement; what about me?! Maybe I didn’t want fish?!

“Hey… don’t worry about Karen. She’s fine. She’s just not used to me dating anyone else since Melissa… that’s all…” He became silent when my mood sank. Of course, she knew that redhead. It seemed like in this part of town, everyone knew what happened the minute you stepped outside your own yard.

“Whatever, I don’t care….” I hated that I sounded so immature; I really wasn’t! I didn’t think so... Nate just gave me a reassuring smile, and I followed him.

He looked so handsome, and his eyes were warm; I loved that about him. My thoughts were caught off by the hostess, who was back and served what I believed was a beer for Nate and sparkling water for me. Well, I guess it wasn’t a juice box like I had expected!

“I didn’t order this.” My patience was wearing thin when Nate didn’t say a word, as if he was afraid to open his mouth, and the brunette just looked at me like I was supposed to be happy and shut up; not happening!

“Well, unfortunately for you and me, my daughter follows your i********:, and so I know that you can’t be served alcohol, even if that's probably what you are used to where you are from.” Her voice sounded so cold and hateful at the end when I just made a shocked face back at her; who said anything about me drinking alcohol?! That was just her being judgmental!

” I want a diet soda of whatever you guys have here. I bet you can do that even if I don’t drink alcohol anyway, okay Karen?” I said her name over pronouncing it; of course, the bitch´s name was Karen, and she fitted in with it and probably had two viral shorts about her yelling at some poor salesman and a dog owner.

Nate seemed like he didn’t want to start a fight, but I did; she was here to ensure I had a good time, and until now, she had just been rude to me!

Nate didn’t even say anything to my defense?! Like he wasn’t the big guy that could take down anyone. He was suddenly afraid of the tall brunette staring at me like I was dead if I kept this up.

“Yes. We can do that; any particular flavor?” she gritted her teeth when I smirked back at her, hating every second of my existence.

“You know what? Surprise me.” I made a more prominent smirk when she didn’t even hide her sneer, and Nate looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world than right here, in the same restaurant he had taken me to.

She didn’t even answer, just muttering something about me being a b***h, and storming off, just like Maisie did when we had a fight. She told me that I was the one that was immature here?

“Oh god…...that was not good at all….” Nate seemed to be talking to himself when I made a frown; what was his problem? He wanted to date me, but he couldn’t be publicly seen with me? That was ridiculous!

“You know what? just take me back, and I will pack my things and leave.” I stared, upset at his face, still lost in weird fear and guilt when he looked at me from where he had been staring like I didn’t exist just a second ago.

“What!?” I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms; he was so stupid! Just look at him, not even understanding what I was telling him and sweating like a pig from being seen with me here, on a damn date!