Color Outside The Lines || l.t.

Chapter 11 - The Reception

The wedding pictures were taken after the ceremony but Naomi made sure to avoid any instances where she was alone with Louis, and my father never got a chance to explain himself. His chance would come later that night, at the reception.

The reception was taking place at the Beverly Hills Hilton. The Presidential Ballroom was decorated from top to bottom in pink and white gossamer. The crowd watched as Harry and Sofie cut a piece of the three-tiered wedding cake and fed each other bite-sized pieces of it.

As dinner time was approaching and the guests were taking their seats, Naomi noticed her sitting arrangement. She immediately went to the neighboring table, and tapped my shoulder gently.

“Tommy, can we switch seats?” she asked.

“You wanna sit at the kids table?” I asked in a bewildered voice. I didn’t even want to sit at that table. Sofie's niece, Brianna kept looking at me and it was slightly weirding me out.

Naomi looked back at the main table and then back at mine. She sighed. “I guess not. it’s just going to be hell sitting next to your father for a whole three-course meal. Wish me luck?”

“Good luck, Naomi!” I said cheerfully.

She forced a smile as she turned to her supposed death. She sat in her seat and scooted it to the right, so she sat closer to Niall. My uncle looked at her strangely.

“Hi Niall. You don’t mind, do you?” she asked. 

He shook his head. Soon after, my father took his place next to Naomi. When he noticed the obvious gap between them, he let out an exaggerated sigh. Naomi rolled her eyes at the sound and vigorously spread butter across the top of the roll. Seeing this, my father took the opportunity to speak to Naomi.

“Can you pass the butter, please?” he asked her as he took his own roll in his hand.

Naomi barely glimpsed at the butter and continued to spread the butter on her roll harder and faster than she had earlier. Louis cleared his throat roughly before speaking again.

“Can I have some butter please?” he asked, louder than before.

Naomi calmly set her roll on her plate and turned to her right.

“Did you say something Niall?” she asked.

“Uh,” Niall said, out of confusion. “I think that was-”

“May I please have some butter?!” Louis asked again as his fingers dug into his roll.

The whole table looked at Louis in shock, and an awkward silence ensued.

“You can have this butter.” Danielle said after a moment, handing Louis the butter that was just at his left.

“I don’t want that butter, I want this butter.” he said, his eyes staring intently at the butter in front of Naomi. “And I want Naomi to give it to me.” as his gaze shifted to the side of her face. The whole table watched Naomi anxiously.

“Why don’t you just use the other butter?” she suggested in an eerily calm manner as she stared down at her plate. “It’s just as good, maybe even better.”

“Because I don’t want the other butter, I want that one.”

Naomi turned her face sharply toward his and hissed, “You would want the butter you can’t have when you have perfectly good butter right there in front of you. You’re just too dense and too hung up on this butter to even notice that butter! God!” She threw her napkin down on the table and got up from her chair. She looked at everyone’s surprised faces. “I need a drink.” she muttered as she walked towards the bar.