It was obvious that her attention was elsewhere. No matter what I did or said, it was met with quick nods and shrugs. "Uh huh," she'd say, but she was looking over my shoulder. "You don't say," she'd follow with, biting her nails as her leg bounced up and down underneath the table. Maybe she was nervous. Every few minutes, she'd pull out her compact mirror and check her makeup. With a flick of her finger across her eyelid or a fresh coat of lipstick, the mirror would slide back into the side pocket of her purse.
"Is everything alright?" I asked as I sat my drink down on the napkin. "You don't seem like you're into this... " I chewed my lip and ran my fingers over the scruff that had grown on my chin as I watched her sigh and shuffle her belongings around. She twisted the straw wrapper between her thumb and index finger as her eyes were fixed on the table. She was very still, more still than she had been all night.
The door to the restaurant opened and heavy footsteps made their way onto the wooden floor. That's when her demeanor changed. She scooted onto the booth next to me and snaked her arms around mine, pressing her body as close to mine as possible. Her lips grazed my jaw and traveled down my neck, leaving little red prints from her lipstick. I wouldn't have pushed her away, glad to partake in a little drunken PDA. I was ready to get the check before our food even arrived and take her back to my place. I wasn't even hungry anymore.
Except I saw her eyes open and look to the side, the booth next to us. Her eyes stayed on the couple sliding into their seats and smiling under the glowing light as they picked up their menu. Those footsteps, they sounded familiar... She continued her assault, placing her kisses closer and closer to my mouth before her lips formed to mine. I couldn't focus. Not since I saw the man whom those footsteps belonged to.
He looked familiar, like I'd seen him somewhere before. It was possible, but yet I wasn't sure. I couldn't put my thumb on it. It was on the tip of my tongue. I knew him. Then I remembered the pictures. The pictures in the garbage, deleted from her phone. Facebook posts from a couple of months ago where they were friendly together. Now I knew exactly who he was, and who he was to her. Suddenly it all made sense.
"Hey," I said, pushing her away from me now. I tried to keep it on the down low. I knew she wouldn't want to make a scene now, especially if I wasn't wrong. I knew I wasn't wrong. "Are you acting this way because of him?" I asked, nodding casually to the table next to us. "That's your ex, isn't it?"
Her face went bright red and she reached across the table for her drink. The glass tipped back and she gulped the cold, smooth liquid down, probably trying to buy time. When the sweet drink was gone, she took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry," she started. Her hair fell down into her face as her eyes started to glaze over. "We can go if you want." Before she could slide out of the booth, I grabbed her shoulder and held her close. "You aren't mad?" she asked in a confused tone.
My expression had softened quite a bit. It started out as anger, sure. She was so convincing with the way she kissed me, like she didn't want to kiss anyone but me for the rest of her life. But everything was starting to add up and the list was long, most of it was shameful. "I'm not," I said, running my hand through my long brown hair. "What'd he do?"
She knew what I meant. Why was she trying to make him jealous like this? How did it all go wrong? What happened? The girl doesn't usually go to this much trouble unless he deserved it. "Cheated," she chuckled as she shook her head. My eyes flickered back to the table where he sat, and our eyes met for just a millisecond. Whatever she was doing, it sure was driving that guy crazy. He shook it off and went back to flirting with the girl across from him, holding her hands and smiling as he spouted some empty lines.
I could see now. He was doing the exact same thing that she was, hoping the other would see and become jealous. It was a game. I couldn't be mad at her when I watched that snake work his magic on another unsuspecting girl. "I didn't mean to use you, Rocky," she said, and I believed her. "I really do like you."
"Come here," I told her quietly, pulling her close to me once again by her shoulder. My fingers rubbed her bare exposed skin and slid underneath the shoulder strap of her dress. I inhaled deeply, smelling the mix of perfume and alcohol that came off of her. Her eyelashes fluttered and I could feel her uneven breathing. I often had that effect on girls. "Let's make him really regret it, baby."
I lifted my other hand to her chin and leaned down, softly pressing my lips against hers at first. Lingering, making her want more, knowing he was watching us now. Her arms wrapped around my neck and pulled my closer, tugging on my long hair. Her top lip was between mine now as we kissed more deeply, and then my tongue was in her mouth. He was definitely watching. At just the right moment, I moved my hand down from her shoulder to her breast, squeezing just slightly. That was enough for him to leave.
"Let's go," I heard the man in the next booth say to his lady, and their footsteps led away from the table. A cool breeze swept over the restaurant as the door opened and closed behind them. Mission accomplished. She won. We won.
When I pulled away, she was frozen in place. I picked up my beer and took a sip with a chuckle while I waited for her to regain her composure. "Wow," she gasped, finally able to function. She glanced over to the booth. "They're gone."
"That's how you do it," I said with a shrug. "Now, do you want to continue with this date? I really do like you, Y/N."
The waiter interrupted us. She was probably waiting for the time to be right, watching us from her post until our lips were separated and we weren't occupied with one another any longer. "Can I get you a refill on your drink, miss?" she asked.
This was it. I would know by her answer whether or not we were done. Y/N glanced from her glass, over to where my hands rested on the table, then back up to the waitress. "Yes please," she said politely. "Thank you very much."
A/N : Based off the song Ex To See by Sam Hunt
