Inheritance

Chapter 35

"Frank, I was looking forward to seeing your girlfriend from the last time you visited. What was her name again? Oh, yes, Nicki, was it?" My uncle asked, while everyone took their seats and freshly-steamed dishes began to make their way around the grand table. 

We'd been sitting in comfortable silence for a little over half an hour, while a live orchestra played music in the neighboring outdoor patio. My uncle's voice had snapped me from the calming tranquility of the classical tunes, reminding me that I was not somewhere in France but, instead, in a golden dinette on Christmas Eve. 

Due to a last-minute change in Coco's flight plans, she had to leave the dinner early to finish packing. So, I was now officially on my own. I'd been wishfully hoping that her company could serve as a sort of social buffer, but that freelanced idea was no longer plausible.

"Um, yeah. Her name was Nicki. I'm surprised you actually remembered that. And..." Frank paused to clear the phlegm that had imaginarily built up in his throat, obviously taken aback by the invasive question. "She wasn't my girlfriend."

"Is that so? Well then, what exactly was she to you, son?" My uncle carefully inquired, while taking a generous spoonful of seasoned rice into his awaiting mouth.

"Just a friend." Frank's response was short, hinting at his growing desire to end the off-putting conversation.

"Really? That's a shame. Personally, I thought she was a rather pleasant woman. One suited for marriage, which is quite hard to find these days." My uncle scratched his chin, seeming a little too invested in Frank's short-lived relationship with Nicki. He'd hardly spoken to the girl for five minutes, and now he was discussing marriage. Something wasn't quite adding up.

"Yeah, she was definitely a great woman. But, ultimately, we were just too incompatible. It would never work out in the long-run." Frank reasoned, throwing a quick glance Julian's way. 

"Well, that's too bad, son. But, just know that if you ever do need help in that department, I happen to know a couple of fine fellows with daughters who'd be more than willing to get to know you." My uncle suggested, earning brisk chuckles from the two men beside him. One of which was Mr. Andrew.

Frank's body stirred, as his fists clenched tightly into his palms. He was acting so strange. Stranger than usual, that is. The conversation between the two men had left me feeling a bit uncomfortable and out of the loop. I sensed that there'd been some sort of hidden warning embedded in the framing of my uncle's words. 

Rolling his shoulders, Frank took an extended sip from his half-filled glass of Chardonnay. Then, he proceeded to speak again.

"About that, I actually have an announcement to make." He stood from the table, rubbing his hands nervously together, then throwing another cautious glance towards Julian. What was up with them?

Almost instantly, my uncle began to stare witheringly at Frank's shrouding figure, indiscreetly gesturing for him to sit back down. However, Frank either hadn't noticed the nonverbal warning or was simply unfazed by the possible backlash of his bold decision to step out of line. Before he could fix his mouth to speak, the doors to the dining room swung open. 

My uncle exhaled a fervid sigh of relief, while we watched the kitchen staff bring in fresh servings of roasted garlic chicken and vegetables. We sat in awkward silence, as plates clanked together and cutlery was shuffled around. The much needed interruption had helped ease some of the growing tension in the room, but was short-lasting as we patiently waited for the staff to serve the new dishes. 

Once the dishes were appropriately set down onto the reassembled table, the kitchen workers quickly made scarce of themselves. Even they could probably sense the tautness of the entire situation. With the room becoming even more quiet than it had been before, a tender silence filled the air. My uncle's eyes narrowed, before anxiously panning across the space in search of a convenient escape from Frank's forthcoming outburst.