Cooking for the Rich.

Chapter 25

After searching through the crowds of people I finally managed to find Mia. Explaining the situation to her she let me join her and her friends around the table. She introduced to me to them, my mind too preoccupied to remember their names. The song had ended and Cody and Andrea were now up at the bar together, his hand still resting on her lower back. I knew I shouldn't be watching but I couldn't help it but every time I looked it felt like another punch to the gut. The girls around the table were busy discussing their social circles gossip and other things that didn't include me. Damien had taken Mia away for a dance, I still wasn't sure what was going on with the two of them. I was always much more of a supporter for her to be with Colin. Glancing around again I noticed Cody and Andrea huddled away in a corner together, leaning in closely before pulling back to laugh loudly. I wasn't his girlfriend I didn't have the right to be jealous or annoyed at the situation but I was. Taking a sigh I left the table to go to the bathroom, to hide away from it all.

I must have been sat in the stall for atleast five minutes before anyone else entered. I'd been sat messing on my phone wishing that this evening would just be over with already.
"Do you reckon she's said yes to the proposal then?" I heard a voice ask.
"I'm not sure, when I spoke to her earlier she hadn't," I heard the familiar sound of Graces voice reply.
"I would," the other girl laughed. It sounded like one of them that had just been sat at the table.
"You know what the Lachlan's are like for romance," Grace said with a malicious laugh.
"Oh my god, I know. That girl that was at the table was Cody's date right?" I instantly felt my heart beat faster, wishing I could just make a run for it.
"Hilarious right? Atleast he ditched her for Andrea."
"Someone told me she's a chef?"
"Yeah their chef, wouldn't surprise me if it was a bet or a dare."
"Explains the whole outfit situation."
"Gross." I could both hear them laughing but my whole body had gone numb. Tears pricked in the corners of my eyes as I heard the taps running. I sat there for a few moments trying to compose myself but their words kept floating around my head, fogging any clear thoughts. Pushing open the bathroom door I made a dash for it. I needed to get out of here. Trying to keep my head down, to mask the redness of my eyes, I weaved myself through the crowded floor. A hand reached out grabbing my arms, halting me.
"Poppy, you okay?" Mia said, I couldn't look up to face her. What if she'd found this all a joke too? How was I meant to tell her that her friends had been gossiping about both of us?
"Just need air," I said quickly before pulling my arm away and dashing across the rest of the room. When the cooler air finally hit my skin, I could barely hold back the tears anymore. Noticing a bench on the other side of the road, hidden in the shadows, I raced towards it. Needing to be away from where anyone could see me. My stomach had twisted and knotted itself up so much that I thought dinner might come back up again. As I hurried across the road as quickly as I could still wearing heels the droplets in my eyes made my vision blur. I wasnt able to see the headlights until last minute. Frozen by the fear of what could happen I held my breath certain that I was going to get hit. Letting it only out when the inevitable didn't come. I looked around noticing the car had just stopped short. I let out a large sigh, my tensed body relaxing. It was only as I heard him shout that I recognised the driver of the car.
"Poppy I swear to god you better move from the road or I will actually run you over." As my eyes met his, Colin's face dropped.
"I'm pulling in just up there. Wait for me at the bench," he said, the window now rolled down and his head sticking out of it. I nodded and let him pass.

As my body slumped on the bench I let my emotions wash over me. I doubted myself and I doubted everything that had happened between Cody and I. I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice Colin sitting next to me only when he pulled me in a hug did I let out my true disappointment in tonight.
"Pop, what happened?" He asked as I let out a small sob. Trying to gather my composure and not look such a wreck I turned to face him. I knew I must look a mess but Colin had seen me after a long day wearing baggy pyjamas, I knew he could cope. I took a deep breath and explained the night to him. I knew in my heart that I shouldn't be this upset by it. He wasn't my boyfriend and I knew I didn't belong in that environment but hearing it out loud had hurt.
"Jesus. That's drama," he said with a chuckle after I'd finished it all. We sat in silence for a few moments, I could see the cogs whirring in his mind, trying to work out what to say.
"I wish I could say something and help Poppy but he's heading this way," he said nodding his head in the direction of the road. My body froze up again as I noticed him striding across towards us. I don't think I was ready to explain it all again to him, I didn't want him to think I was just being pathetic about it all. I noticed the way his jaw clenched when he finally got in front of us.
"What you doing out here, come on," he said holding out his hand. I kept my hands firmly clasped together, not even being able to look up at him properly. I felt Colin stand from next to me.
"Look mate, she just needs some space," he said placing himself between me and Cody.
"Mate? I'm not your mate," Cody said back bitterly, giving him a push. Colin kept his cool and kept in front of me.
"First you fuck my little sister and now you're all over the girl I like. I'm not your fucking mate."
"Look you've clearly had a drink, I really had feelings for your sister and myself and Poppy are friends and friends only," he said, I felt so relieved that I had Colin here. I'd always told myself that if I was in a situation like this then I'd know what to do but here I was stuck to the bench fiddling with my dress. I was disappointed in myself for not being stronger.
"Well it's just a fucking surprise that the two of you are out here together," Cody's tone was spiteful and making me uncomfortable. "Whatever. You guys deserve each other. Staff deserve to be with staff." My eyes shot up to meet his, regret immediately flashing through them. Colin took another step closer to me.
"Shit, Poppy I didn't mean that," he said immediately. I looked away not letting him see how much his words were hurting. It was like the worse punch to the gut. He'd never called me staff and he'd reassured me before that he never thought of me like that, that to him we were just Poppy and Cody but that was clearly all rubbish.
"Just go," I let out as a whisper, my voice cracking. His eyes were full of sorrow as he mouthed 'sorry' at me before heading back across the road. I let out a large breath I didn't realise I was holding once he was far enough away. Colin took my hand as he sat back down next to me.
"I don't think that helped," he said with a chuckle trying to lighten the mood. I shook my head the tears turning from sadness to anger at the confrontation. If I was just staff to him then that was all I was going to be.