Cross Roads

Chapter 7

Jason. The name of the punctuation which perforated the awkward atmosphere surrounding the dramatic table at Paradiso del Cibo. The tattooed guy who pretended to be a bartender serving water at the single's high stool waiting area. He is the one, who was finally able to create a momentum in the otherwise stilled table. Both women, were lost in thought. Sam with her wondering if she and her brother are never meant to get over their differences. And Katie wondering if she will ever find someone who will understand her and not make fun of her. Well, that was the thought Katie pretended to think while at the same time she was freaking out over liking Sam's giggle. Sam, on the other hand now knows for sure that Katie is straight and possibly likes her brother. Or the guy her brother pretended to be. So, there was no way she would be setting herself up for another heartbreak in the future which would inevitably be there. Be it with Katie declaring she is indeed straight after dating her or at first. And if not that, then she might risk the chance of Trent and Katie falling in love and history repeating itself. Either way, Sam knew that whatever this is could never happen. And that made her frown at her own foolishness of still sitting here. She should have paid and left.

"Ladies. How are we feeling?" Jason with his smirk and insane amount of tattoos asks both the women. Katie and Sam stunned, looks at him in shock at first then in admiration over the artwork on his hand which is at their eye level. Katie almost blushes at the mere thought of wanting to ask if she can put her finger over the ink on his lower arm. And Sam's frown deepens thinking if Katie is blushing just even being in the near vicinity of this hot dude then what is she doing with her.

"Good. Great." Katie replies nodding a little.

"Should I top off both the glasses then?" Jason asks producing the wine bottle he was hiding behind him.

Katie's eyes widen at the sudden realization, having forgotten their last order, she all but gives a subtle nod. Jason smirks still eyeing both the women. "So, the trend is not trending anymore, am I right Ms. Katie Lovejoy?"

"What?" Katie asks caught off guard with this question. While Sam continues to eye their behavior and sulk.

"Earlier on I said it seems to be the trend for this evening to be stood up by their date, so I was way off, wasn't I?" Jason tries to regroup. He cannot give away the reason he walked up to the two women instead of Eddie who was on his way.

"Yeah, I guess. Turns out I just assumed it was Mr. Sam Davis whom I was supposed to meet tonight but actually I was supposed to meet a Ms. Sam Davis."

"So, all good now, right"

"All good...umm what's your name again?" Katie asks drawing a blank at the tattooed guy's name.

"Ah that's okay. Its Jason." Katie frowns at what is okay but did not want to ponder on. Jason bowed a little, nodding as he left the bottle on the table and walked away.

"So, our wine is here." Katie starts not having a clue as to how to restart the conversation. Or maybe start since they never did have a conversation only accusations.

"I can see that. Glad though that this is costly. Do you think we have made the bill near about ten thousand by now?"

"What?" Now Katie asks shocked. She never thought this could be possible but with two bottles of costly wine and all the appetizers, they just might be over ten thousand by now. "I mean I think it is over."

"Good. He needs to pay. In some form." Sam mutters, clenching her jaw.

"I hope you do not mind me asking but it seems to me that you do not have a good relationship with your brother." Katie asks but then kicks herself for asking. Because she knows she does not want to talk about Trent, but then again, her arch nemesis is her date's brother. Even though she is not thinking of Sam as her date, but she is. And something has shifted inside Katie as she is not regarding Sam as the enemy anymore. She finally believes that Sam fell victim to Trent's bullying as well. She wants to call this a prank. A very bad one which unfortunately caused his own sister being a collateral damage.