Defile Me

eight: the royal lounge

"YOU'RE LATE."

His voice rang through my ears like a school bell, repeating vigorous times.

My father's tone was much more stern than normal just for us to be in a public place.

We had a reserved dinner, just like most nights throughout the week; it'd be out in a restaurant, mostly near windows, insufficient for the public to see, but adequate for the reporters to snap pictures, depending on where you sat.

The dinner consisted of me, my father, and Cole's family.

It was usual for all of us to have dinner so much. We would typically talk about things.. like me and Cole's future; our wedding, how many children we would have, and if we'd have a dog or a cat.

It's already been made clear apparently, a plan laid out, strategized since I was the age of 10 (which even I found a little crazy); A wedding in June, 2 kids; One daughter. One son. A dog even.

It was.. absurd — and not just the for planning practically a decade ahead but the audacity for them to choose a dog over a cat.

"I was speaking with the principal, something happened, and then I had to end up changing—"

His hand held up in my face, "You've wasted enough time as is. C'mon, honey, we've been waiting on you."

His arm entangled with mine as we entered the upscale restaurant, the cold breeze passing through us. The floors were molded with cream marble, tall glass windows covering each and every space of the walls, strips of gold plated between every aperture.

Faint music played along the keys of a piano in the background of my heels clicking the floor with my every step and the voices of people speaking among themselves.

The place's ambiance filled with the known aroma of their prominent mashed potatoes accompanied with their savory gravy.

Nothing was out of place in the refined restaurant, everything stayed in order regardless of the number of people who attended and crowded the room with their mere presence.

Many people from the north side — mainly businessmen, or cheating men— came here, not only for the food but to discuss urgent or discreet matters.

It was either a place you could use for publicity and usually get on the cover of the newspaper or a place to cheat on your wife with a woman who was 10 years younger than you — which was very common with the men here, cheating on their spouse with females who had just reached the age of 20 years old.

In this case, my father and I were meeting with Cole and his parents. Though it was normal for us to have occurring dinners with them, it was out of place for us to do in such a known restaurant such as 'The Royal Lounge'.

My father and I stood side by side, approaching the table at which Cole and his parents were already sitting at, waiting patiently for me.

I took a seat next to my boyfriend, our chairs close.

"Hey, Cole." A placid smile on my face while I scooted my chair over, inching closer to him.

His hair flowed over his face, and he was in special attire, a grey suit to be exact.

I expected for him to be the same as me; blooming with energy, but instead, he was.. agitated? His face contorted with displeasure and outrage.

He leaned over, his voice low enough for the conversation to stay between us. "Hey.. Where were you?"

"Just with the principal, I had to speak to him."

"For what?"

I waved my hand "Ah, I fell asleep in class, and you know how Ms.Dickson is. But I was given the opportunity to be sent to detention or go see the principal."