Unforgotten Love - Book 2

Dinner for Four?

LENA POV

I smooth my hand over my new navy blue wrap dress with a high/low hemline. The polka dots are tiny, but I feel beautiful, more so than in a very long time. The last time I truly dressed up was for my graduation from SDU, but that didn't count. Apparently my life experiences don't count in Julius' eyes these days as he has been saying constantly that I've "holed myself away" from the world for too long.

I pull out my little hand mirror to make sure my lipgloss is on correctly as Julius asks about our reservation. "This place is...is extravagant!" I whisper nervously to Ryan as we stand off to the side.

"Relax, darling. You know Julius! Only the best for his friends!"

I laugh as he says this, then frown. "Wait...friends? It's just me, right?"

"Oh, baby, you know what I mean," Ryan doesn't look me in the eye as Julius waves for us to join him as our reservation is ready.

I quickly dismiss whatever fear I was feeling and smile as I follow my best friends through the fancy dining area to a little spot off to the side. Four place settings are in place with a fancy white linen tablecloth and dark blue linen napkins. Two-toned candles are in the center with matching blue and white flowers across the length of the table. Soft, jazz music plays in the background as Ryan pulls out my seat for me, and I smile at him.

I bite my tongue because it's obvious the waiter had no idea there'd only be three of us, but as I pull my napkin into my lap, I hear a familiar voice which sends me for a loop.

"Julius! Ryan!"

I look up and inhale sharply as I see the same exact officer I had last night, and I begin to slightly shake. This can't be happening. Julius knew? Ryan? I can barely move as her hazel eyes look past them and into mine.

"L..Lena?" She says my name so softly, I believe I'm dreaming, and I stand to take her outstretched hand out of politeness, and I end up bumping the table pretty hard.

"Oh good lord!" Julius runs to help me.

"I'm fine. I promise. I'm fine!" I blush so deeply, and I'm so flustered as Stef removes her hat and runs her fingers through her hair before sitting next to me. I watch as she gives Julius a hard look before grabbing the menu.

"You haven't changed a bit, Lena. Not one single bit, but I was confused because I swore you had curly hair!" She says all of this while looking at her menu rather passive aggressively, and I can feel the anger begin to boil inside of me. I didn't ask her to come! No one did! I want to punch Julius and then Ryan in the nose and hard, but my maturity reigns me in as I grab the water sitting by my plate.

"Last I checked, you weren't upholding the law but instead breaking it." Ryan snickers as Julius kicks me under the table. This is going to be an interesting dinner for sure.

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STEF POV

I am literally going to rip Julius in half along with Ryan for I have never been so pissed off and blindsided in my life. What in the hell were they thinking inviting Lena? Who wanted her here? I damm sure didn't. Not at all as her last comment pissed me off for sure for this woman had some damm nerve considering her nose was so far stuck in the air. When did she become so damm ass snotty?

"Well true I may have broken the law back then but it was simply to protect and serve, honey. Unlike you,  I don't abandon my friends and drop off the planet whenever I can't handle life."

"Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? And don't call me honey. Ever."

I can see the vein popping out on the side of her face just as it use too and clearly NOTHING has changed. Nothing as I let out a small chuckle and roll my eyes at how quickly she has become heated. Just like Lena she can dish it out but can't take it.

"Why don't we order! It' such a nice restaurant!" Julius chimes in as I look back at the menu but can feel Lena's eyes most likely glaring at me.

"I didn't abandon anyone. I left to take care of my husband. And I did not run from life! How dare you." She continues as I take a sip of water.

"I never said you didn't go to take care of Will but clearly your fingers broke and you were unable to pick up a phone or a pen because I never heard from you ever. Or maybe all that weed we smoked back in the day affected your memory. MM?"

"I think we should really order ladies!" Ryan says in a rather nervous tone.

"I lost my appetite." Lena says. "I'm heading back to the hotel."

"Surprise, surprise. Running as always." I say rather frustrated and laughing still refusing to look at this woman who damn near broke my heart in half.

"I don't need to explain anything to you. You...

"This is crazy you two! How old are you? Huh?" Julius says as we both flash him a look. "It took me months to get a reservation at this place and I won't have either of you ruin it with your middle school drama. So suck this shit up and order! You WILL have a nice time! Pretend you like each other because at one time you could not keep your hands off of each other! So GET over it because it's a long walk, Lena! You aren't going back to the hotel so you sit your butt down and pick your food out and HUSH! You both are going to give me a stroke with all this bickering!"

Ryan is smirking behind his menu which makes me want to toss a dinner roll at his face, and I sigh as I close my menu. "Look I'm sorry, you, two. I meant to dress up but we had an emergency arrest and I headed straight here. But I need to freshen up, okay? I'm not leaving."

I stand and unbutton my blue uniform shirt and hang it on the back of my chair leaving me in a dark blue T-shirt. I have no bra on, but it doesn't matter, and I can feel Lena looking at me out of the corner of her eye as I head to the bathroom to wash my face and hands.

This is simply unbelievable at this point. I had lied to Julius because right before coming over here I was face deep between Luisa's legs losing all track of time. Now here I am, faced with an evening with someone who can't stand me, and quite frankly I wish she weren't here because she does things to me that no one else is capable of. And that in itself is enough to scare the shit out of me. But honestly what did I ever do to her for her to not like me? I had loved this woman to death and did whatever I could for her back in 1969. Unless she happened to find out about me and Tess but that was pretty doubtful. So what in the hell was it? What the hell was Lena's problem with me.