My Church Girl

Chapter 16

Ava was helping her mom cook dinner, her hands moving mechanically as she chopped vegetables and stirred the pot. On the surface, she was her usual dutiful daughter, doing everything her father demanded with a smile. But inside, she was in turmoil. Her mind raced with thought of spending an entire evening pretending to be interested in Billie, which made her stomach churn. She had nothing against him personally, but the idea of being forced into this situation filled her with dread.

She faked a smile as her father walked into the kitchen, checking the progress of the dinner preparation. She felt like she was suffocating.

The doorbell rang, sending a wave of anxious tension coursing through her body. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Her father, opened the door, greeting Billie and his parents with a warm smile.

"Welcome, welcome," Christopher said, shaking hands with Billie's father, Thomas. "Please, come in."

The blond boy stepped inside, holding a bouquet of roses. "These are for you, Ava," he said, handing her the flowers with a shy smile.

The girl forced a smile, taking the bouquet. "Thank you, Billie. They're beautiful."

Billie's parents, followed with another bouquet, handing the flowers to Ava's mom.

Victoria smiled graciously. "Thank you so much. They're lovely."

Christopher gestured towards the kitchen with a warm smile. "A delicious dinner, lovingly prepared by my amazing girls, is ready and waiting for you," he announced. His daughter, standing nearby, could barely restrain herself from rolling her eyes. She vividly recalled the critical comments her father had made about their cooking just before the guests arrived.

Ava knew she had to play her part perfectly, so she turned her attention to the guy sitting next to her. "It's so thoughtful of you to bring flowers," she said, trying to sound genuinely flattered.  The bouquet of vibrant roses sat in a vase at the center of the table.

Billie beamed. "I'm glad you like them. I thought it would be a nice gesture."

Ava nodded, her mind racing with thoughts of how to keep the conversation light and pleasant, despite the underlying tension, "It is. Thank you."

The conversation flowed easily between the adults, with Christopher and Thomas discussing business and community matters. Meanwhile, Billie tried his best to strike up a conversation with the girl he liked, asking about her hobbies and future plans. She answered and smiled at the right moments, all the while feeling a sense of detachment.

As the dinner progressed, Ava couldn't shake the feeling that her and Billie's fathers, were strikingly similar in their behavior. Christopher's smile would occasionally falter, revealing a flash of impatience when the conversation didn't revolve around him. Thomas, on the other hand, had a habit of interrupting others, steering the discussion back to his own achievements and opinions. Their dominant, manipulative personalities peeked through the facade of their public image, but only for those who knew what to look for.

The girl found herself glancing at Billie, wondering if he noticed the similarities too. To her surprise, she caught him looking back at her with a knowing and slightly shocked expression. It was as if he could read her thoughts, and in that moment, she comprehended that he noticed it too.

She wondered if Thomas exerted the same strict control over his son that her father did over her. The way Billie sometimes hesitated before speaking, the way he seemed to carefully choose his words, all hinted at a life under similar constraints. She felt a pang of sympathy for him, feeling that they might have more in common than she had initially thought.