Kiss the Rain

Reunion anyone?

Running my hands over my shirt one last time to make sure all creases are gone, I glide from the front seat of the car, my brown flats thumping against the concrete. I slam the door shut and move over to stand beside Lewis, waiting for Trish to guide us forward. As she comes towards us I can’t help but admire how glamorous she looks. Her hair has been straightened to perfection; ironing out the waves it held earlier in the day. The violet floaty shirt she wears compliments the deep blue skinny jeans and black wedged boots she’s paired it with and the lack of make-up shows off her naturally perfect skin. Maybe some day I’ll be able to pull something like that off… yeah right.

Waiting until she’s walking in front of us, Lewis and I follow her to the front steps of a large, upper class looking building with glass doors at the top of four marble steps to signal the entrance. Opening the doors and stepping inside we come into a wide reception area with a sour faced looking man sitting in a chair behind the reception desk to our left. The phone is to his ear and by the expression on his face I can only assume he isn’t too pleased with how the conversation is going.

Just as Trish starts walking over to the desk to alert the man of our presence and let him know we have a reservation, a burly man with shaggy blond hair and stubble tumbles through the set of brown doors to our left, his face illuminating into a massive grin once his eyes set on Trish.

“Trish! I was just comin’ to wait for y’ outside. I never realised y’ would get here so fast.” Trish turns suddenly, greeting the man with a similar grin and walks towards him.

“Well, y’ know how I like t’ be punctual. It’s always better t’ be early than late.” The man laughs as he embraces her in a tight hug and as if only noticing Lewis and me for the first time his eye brows slant up, so high I think they almost get lost in his hair line.

Pulling away from Trish he walks forward slightly so he stands directly in front of us. His eyes linger on Lewis for a split second before his gaze travels to me and his expression goes blank. The smile he crafted disposed of as his eyes lock with mine. Within moments the smile returns but not quickly enough that I didn’t notice the hesitation in his eyes or the confusion.

I feel confused myself. What was that about?

Averting his eyes to the floor, then once again to Lewis he laughs but I can feel the strain behind it, and seeing Trish fidgeting to his side I know I’m not the only one who senses it.

“Sa, you two must be the Eddleston wains.”

“Yes, I’m Adelina and this is Lewis my younger brother.”

“Well I’m William but call me Billy. Everyone does.” His grin returns, this time with no strain as it reaches his eyes. He sure does smile a lot.

Lewis mumbles a ‘Hi Billy’ and I give him a slight wave of the hand. He waves back and then gestures for the three of us to follow him through the doors he came through just moments ago. As I step through the doors my mouth drops. This place is huge. Marble columns line the room like an ancient roman building from a film and a mammoth sized chandelier hangs from the centre of the roof, sparking down on the guests as they eat. Suddenly my outfit of jeans and a t-shirt doesn’t feel quite as suitable as it did when I was standing in the room at Trish’s checking my image in the mirror. However, I take comfort in the fact Trish is also in only jeans and a shirt and even Billy, although he is wearing a tinted pink shirt, has on only jeans instead of dress trousers and his feet are clad in Vans and not shiny black shoes.

Keeping in time with the rest of them I follow in a sort of daze as we wind our way through tables of guests eating their dinner and conversing with one another. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten in a place quite this fancy. I suppose if it is a business dinner it couldn’t really take place in McDonalds. Come to think of it; there isn’t even a McDonalds in Oban. That sucks. There goes my traditional Sunday McFlurry.