"Mani are you alri-" I put my hand up to silence him and look down as the tears roll down my cheeks. I slide out of my seat and silently make my way to the ladies toilets.
"Ugh God." I look at the state of myself in the mirror; mascara running, foundation smudged, a huge dark stain on the front of my dress.
I go into a stall and grab a wad of tissue to dab at my face. I hear the door open as I put the tissue in the bin. I turn back around and there's Jason, looking as worried as can be.
I sigh as new tears roll down my cheeks. He doesn't say anything, he just puts his arms around me as I cry into his chest. Flip sake I don't even know why I'm crying.
"Because what she said hurt you." He answers. Was I thinking out loud? "Babe look at me."
I shake my head against his chest. "Mm mmm."
"Why not?" He asks softly.
I hesitate. "I'm embarrassed."
"Why?"
"Because I'm ugly when I cry and all my make-up's ruined and on your top."
"I don't care about my top." He pulls away and I put my head down. I know he wants to see my face but I can't let him see me as such a mess. "Baby," his deep voice coaxes me. "Let me see that beautiful face of yours."
"It's not beautiful." I whisper.
"Oh my days of course it is." He puts a finger underneath my chin. His gentle touch makes me tingle. "Babe whatever that girl said to you is a lie. About your looks and about you being frigid: those are lies. Obviously she's jealous of you because you're the most gorgeous, stunning, beautiful girl I have ever, and I mean ever laid my eyes on. You're not skinny and you don't look ill. You've got a sexy body which I can't stop looking at." He bites his lip and runs his eyes up and down my body to prove his point. "Damn." I chuckle. "And about you being frigid-"
The door opens and a group of girls a few years younger than me walk in. They spot Jason leaning on the sinks and look at each other. One of them, the shortest one, gives us a smile and a thumbs up.
"What that girl said to you ain't true by the way." She says.
"Thank you." I reply genuinely.
She goes into a stall as do her two other friends and Jason puts his arms around my waist. "Seeee," He says. "And like I was saying before," He speaks quieter, and leans down to my ear, "We know you're not frigid cos we both know what went down on our first date."
My eyes widen and he kisses my neck lightly. I take in a sharp breath and sigh. "Come on Jay there's girls in here." I whisper.
"It's not like we're gonna do something. Unless you want to." He looks at me in the mirror and winks.
I laugh. "No thank you."
He smiles and swings his arm around my shoulders. He holds the door open for me and we both step out the toilets and into the main part of the restaurant.
"You okay?" Marc asks when I sit down. I nod. "I'm guessing you don't wanna stay any longer."
"No." I mumble.
"Aight you want a lift?"
"I wanna stay with Jay." I tell him and he nods, standing up.
"I'm sorry this didn't go to plan Mani. If I could take back what she said-"
"It's fine." I say bluntly. I don't know why but I'm annoyed at him.
I know he can sense it and backs off. "Anyway it was nice meeting you Jason, you're a cool brudda you know." He daps him and grabs his takeaway box.
