Uptown Girl

Chapter 7

Deepti

"Is he a cashier, because he was checking you out." Amelia coos as the waiter leaves the conversation just as quickly as it started.

Claire laughs, "Alright, maybe I can make an exception for someone who looks like that."

Curiosity gets the best of us and we all turn to watch him approach a man and a woman. The woman I recognize from earlier, but the man is new. He's tall, taller than mystery boy, and his dark hair and fair skin elude him to be just as mysterious.

"Should we follow?" Amelia asks, and I'm glad I wasn't the one who suggested it.

I nod my head, "She looks in distress."

That was all we needed to see before making the decision to approach them.

Amelia and Claire usher her into the washroom and I glance over to worried man, telling him that we'll take care of her.

When I get into the washroom I find the waitress leaning over the sink splashing water on her face, Amelia rubbing her back.

"What's your name?" I ask gently and lean against the counter.

"Laura." She says and takes a deep breath,

"I'm Claire, and that's Amelia, and Dee."

Laura nods her head, "I'm really fine. I don't know why I'm still crying." She forces a laugh.

I look over to Claire and we share the same sympathetic expressions. Claire grabs some paper towel and hands it to Laura.

"What are you fine about?" Amelia asks. She's always been the one that anyone could tell anything too. She has a gift of helping people open up about their feelings.

Laura rolls her eyes and chuckles, "Boy drama. That's all."

"Screw 'em, you don't need them." Amelia says.

I laugh, "Why don't you take some of your own advice?" I quirk a brow and smirk, she knows I'm only kidding.

Laura laughs, "I know, it's hard." She says and looks to Amelia.

"But really. Just ask Dee. No boys in her life and you know what else? No drama. No heartbreak. No jealousy." Claire reasons, making us all chuckle a bit. The mood already lightening.

"Really?" Laura asks as she dabs her face with paper towel.

I nod my head, "I know, I know, I'm one of those. Saving myself for marriage."

She smiles, "I wish I had done that."

Amelia sighs, "Don't we all though?"

We all share a laugh and Laura's face is almost dry.

"Why don't we add a touch of makeup, then we can send you on your way before your boss finds out you've ben missing?" Amelia suggests, and we all nod along.

I open my clutch in search of what I brought, "I have lotion and mascara."

"I have foundation." Amelia adds as she looked through hers, "We're pretty close in skin tone. We'll just add a little to cover the red."

"I've got concealer." Claire holds up a thin bottle.

"You girls are amazing." Laura laughs and holds her hand up to hide her smile, "Thank you."

"Hey, no worries. Boys are assholes that can't be trusted." Claire says, "At least I hope those words apply to your situation."

Laura laughs and nods, her redness fading, and her eyes begin to gleam like I had saw earlier.

As Laura begins to apply her makeup with our help we start talking about our favourite brands and I haven't even heard of some of the ones she's mentioned.

"So, Laura." Claire starts and gives me a subtle glance that can only mean one thing; trouble. "Who's your friend? Is that the boy giving you problems?"

She looks at us through the mirror, "Uh, I'm assuming you mean Hunter. The one with the drinks? Yeah, no, he's just a friend."

"A single friend?" Amelia questions and Laura laughs shaking her head.

"Very much single. Good luck ever getting him to settle in for something serious."

I chuckle at the irony, serious is all I know.

"Well, he needs to learn to respect women better then." Claire huffs with a cross of her arms and nods to me like she'd never let me speak to him again after this news.

"Yeah, he does. But he's a good enough guy. Just not boyfriend material you know?" Laura admits and then sighs, "Not like I know how to pick them anyway."

"Amen to that!" Amelia says and puts her travel size foundation back in her makeup bag as Laura uses the mascara to finish up.

"It was nice meeting you," I'm the first one to say as I reach forward and hug her, "Hopefully things get better with whatever you're going through."

"Don't be afraid to come say hi." Amelia says and hugs her.

Claire doesn't go for a hug and instead grabs the door and holds it for everyone. She smiles towards Laura and knowing Claire, that's actually a friendly gesture.

Laura thanks us once more and the three of us watch as she walks towards the kitchen.

I spot 'Hunter' from across the room and I catch hi looking at me. But before I can do the trick the girls taught us, he turns and walks towards the kitchen too.

"Sorry Dee, but it looks like his heart is taken." Amelia says with sadness.

I shrug, "He was just a looker." I try and play it off, not like I thought he would actually care for me.

"Deepti." I hear the familiar voice of my brother call and I turn around to see him and my parents walking in from the front door towards us. Everyone looks as polished and posh as ever. my mother's arm linked through my father as they walk behind Abhi.

Abhi hugs me and then kisses both my girlfriends on their cheek. We all exchange pleasantries before my mother makes a comment on my dress.

"Are you not suffocating in that tight dress?" She asks and makes me flush in embarrassment.

I shake my head, "No, mama. I'm actually quite cool right now."

Abhi flashes me a glance of apology as if he's apologizing for our mother's words.

"We actually were just helping a lady in the washroom so that's why were all kind of off. She seemed really upset." Amelia clarifies and takes the attention off my dress.

"Oh, was it Isadora? There's horrible rumours about her going around right now."

Amelia shakes her head, "No it was someone we didn't know."

"Oh." Is all my mother says, I know her enough by now to know that she is partially upset she didn't get any good gossip. "Well good for you girls. Why don't we go find Denise and Jordan?" My mother turns towards my father who only nods his head with a smile of compliance.

"Deepti, you look beautiful. Don't let mama bring you down." Abhi says and it makes me smile.

"Thanks. It was kind all last minute." I admit and look down to the dress, smoothing over the small bunch of fabric around my hips.

"You want something to drink? Let's go find a new waiter." Amelia says and hooks her arm through Abhi's.

"A new waiter?" He asks, looking behind to me with a puzzled look.