The bass of you

Chapter 36

Chase has been a while. It's been like ten minutes - a lot longer for the average guy to return from having a piss. My margarita arrives, along with Chase's five more martinis. The waitress carefully takes them off the tray, placing them down on the table. I can see her briefly looking at Chase's empty spot, probably thinking about where he's gone.

Me, too. Me, too.

I down half my margarita as the waitress walks away and then rest my head on my knuckles, with my elbows on the table. I'm not bored or anything like that, but I am feeling a little lonely. It's kind of embarrassing too, being sat here alone, even though I'm obviously on a date. It looks like I'm being avoided by the lead guitarist of Black Dagger when really, I have absolutely no idea what he's doing. I hope he's not avoiding me.

Another ten minutes pass and still no Chase. I'm debating whether I should go and look for him, or ask a member of male staff to check on him in the toilets, which sounds pathetic, but I'm not sure whether I should be worried or not. His prolonged absence is making me all too nervous, and I'm sitting here alone like a total idiot. I down the rest of my margarita and huff impatiently to myself. I might drink two of Chase's martinis and order for the two I would drink to be replaced. I have nothing better to do.

Then my phone starts vibrating in my pocket, I can hear the ringtone muffled in the pocket of my leather jacket. Dipping my hand in the pocket, I take out my phone and squint at the phone screen. It's my brother. What does he want? He just had to phone me now. Tapping the answer button, I take a deep breath in and raise the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mon, how's it going? Put Layla on the phone."

Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Why?" I ask, feeling the panic brew inside me.

A long sigh breathes into the phone from Dyfan. "Don't be a bitch, mun. Just put Layla on the phone," he says, obviously fed-up of me already.

"She's in the bathroom, I'll tell her to give you a ring back. Just tell me what this is about."

"Well, I'll wait for her to come out then. Shouldn't be long."

Bloody hell, Dyf. Why do you have to be so difficult?

Sighing, my palms sweating, I quickly try to think of something. "She's having a shit."

Really Monica? That's your big excuse for Layla not coming to the phone? Layla is going to kill me for saying that.

Dyfan chuckles. "Yeah, well, I'll still wait."

"No."

"Uh, yeah, Mon. Wait..." Dyfan's voice suddenly grows suspicious, I can hear the sharpness in his voice. "Are you trying to hide something?"

"No."

"Yes, you are. I can hear it, mun. What you hiding?"

"Nothing."

A waitress comes in and I can hear the plates of food being set down on the table in front of me, hoping that Dyfan can't hear the ceramic clink against the wood as they meet. As I'm turned the other way, it's understandable that the waitress doesn't realise I'm on the phone. She says that she hopes we enjoy our food and asks if she can get me anything else. Holding the phone to the side, I turn to face her, and order myself two margaritas. Then I turn back to the phone and raise it up to my ear again.

"Mon? Mon? You there?" Dyfan is asking, probably having asking for a while since I was talking to the waitress.

"Yeah, I'm here."