Hollywood and Vines (A One Direction Fanfic)

Chapter 3 - The Engagement

June 17

I tugged on the bottom of my lime green mini dress as I entered Lady Margaret's, my eyes flickering from the dim, romantic chandeliers hanging in various places throughout the restaurant.  Mom approached the front counter to confirm our reservation and a waitress soon directed us to our table of three.

"I'm sure Ethan will be here soon," Mom beamed.  I observed that she was practically bouncing in her chair.  

Something was about to occur.  I could feel it.  There was no other explanation as to why Mom invited me to Lady Margaret's with Ethan.  Nobody goes to this restaurant with their daughter.  It is understood to be exclusively for couples.

"Yeah.  Probably," I replied sleepily.  My stomach tightened as I inhaled sharply.  Reaching for my stomach, I gazed past Mom when I noticed Ethan dressed in a fine suit stepping toward our table.  

The way Mom furrowed her brow led me to believe that she was going to ask me if I was okay, but when Ethan had arrived behind her and tapped her shoulder, she spun around.

"Sorry I'm a little late,"  Ethan smiled.

"You had me worried," exclaimed Mom as she stood up to hug the man she had been seeing since Tuesday.  

Ethan slid beside Mom in the booth and pulled up his menu that the waitress had placed on the table.  "You wouldn't believe the traffic."

The pains in my  stomach became increasingly agonizing as I glared at Ethan.  After he'd given his explanation for being late, something inside me was screaming, fake, fake, fake! and I'm not sure why.  I didn't exactly believe he was lying, but there was something about the way he said this just triggered something inside me that caused me to react the way I did.

"Oh," Mom tossed her hand in the air carelessly.  "That's fine.  I understand.  I was just eager for you to get here so we could share our exciting news with Holly."

I knew it.  

Ethan leaned back in his chair temporarily and folded his menu.  "Ah, yes, of course.  Shall I tell her or should I?"

"Let's tell her together," Mom whispered, gazing admiringly into his eyes as she leaned into him.

"Okay, Honey."  He nodded, grinning.

"Holly, dear."  Mom folded her hand over the table.  "You know that Ethan and I have been seeing each other for a very short amount of time, but we've actually known each other since high school, you see.  We dated for two years but broke it off when we graduated.  When we reconnected the other day, I couldn't believe that he had the same name as my boyfriend in high school.  I thought it was a coincidence at first, but when I looked into those piercing blue eyes of his, I knew instantly that it was him."

"And I knew that your mom looked like my high school girlfriend," Ethan added, "but she had a different last name plus a daughter, so I didn't know what to make of it.  But I needed to find out, so I asked her out, and it so happened that she was, in fact, my high school sweetheart."

"It's almost as if we picked up where we left off when we discovered this."  Mom glanced upward toward the heavens, the elegant lights from the chandelier dancing in her eyes.  "And I knew it was destiny."

Silence struck the air and both Ethan and I looked to Mom expectantly, but she was frozen in her daze.  Ethan instead, finished for her.  "Molly, we wanted to share with you--"

"It's Holly," I snapped.  Normally I would withhold from verbalizing my frustration, but I knew the words that were soon to be spoken from his mouth.