Just Convenience

Chapter 6

Peyton's POV: 

We were led to a table toward the back of the restaurant where we sat, and I positioned myself in the middle of Holter and Emma, "Is Beth coming?" I asked Holter, and he shrugged, picking up his menu. 

"I told her where we were going to eat; she said she would maybe be here." 

"Beth?" Emma asked, and I looked over at her. 

"My girlfriend," Holter answered, glancing over the menu at her. 

"Ahh," She said and picked up her own menu. I watched her carefully, studying the way she played with her hair, pulling a strand into her mouth. Fuck that little habit of hers. I reached over and took it out of her mouth, "What was that for?" 

"I can't focus when you chew on your hair," I replied, and Emma frowned. 

"Well, don't look at me then." She stuck her hair back in her mouth and covered her face with the menu. Holter let out a chuckle, and I glared at him. He raised his hands quickly, still smirking, and I just looked down at my own menu. 

I already knew what I wanted, I always got the same thing; it was a comfort food of mine. It was what they called their 'Greatest Hits,' which consisted of 5 rolls of sushi, three pieces of sashimi, and three pieces of sockeye nigiri, served with edamame. It was one of the first meals I had after being rescued as a kid and has always been my go-to since then. 

"I have no idea what to get," Emma whispered to herself, and I chuckled to myself. 

Heels clicked, getting louder as they got closer, and Beth's high voice sounded, "What's so funny?" The question was clearly pointed at me.

Instantly, my smile fell, "Nothing." I said, and she sat next to Holter, leaning her entire body into him. He smiled at her and kissed her softly. I looked away toward Emma, who was staring openly at Holter and Beth. 

"If you don't know what to get, you can share with me," I offered, not knowing what got the better of me, hoping that the offer would distract from my brother and his girlfriend. 

"What are you getting?" she asked.  

"It's at the bottom of their menu, the Greatest Hits." I leaned over and pointed at where it was on the menu. 

Emma studied it for a second, "I've never had the majority of what's on that list," Looking up at me, she gave a look that I couldn't quite make out. She was still chewing on a strand of hair, and it took everything in me not to take it out of her mouth. 

"You don't have to try it, I was just offering." 

Holter, breaking from his kiss, asked, "Are you getting what you always get?" 

"What do you think?" I answered him a bit curtly

"The answer is yes then," Holter said and reached for his glass, downing it in a few seconds. 

I turned to Emma again, "What do you say?" 

She looked down at the menu again before giving a small nod, but at the same time she gave the nod, she shrugged, clearly unsure of what to do. I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile, and she just shrunk into the back of her seat. 

"So, you're Emma?" Beth asked, tossing her blonde hair over a shoulder. Emma nodded again, her lips tight. "Can't you talk?" 

"I can talk," she said, a bit defensively, and I felt the urge to move myself in between them. She sat up straighter in her seat before saying to me, "Sure, we can share; I wouldn't know what to get here anyway," She closed her menu and set it on the table at the same time as taking the strand of hair out of her mouth - finally. She steadied a look at Beth, "What's your name?"