The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 11

When we got there it was dark and raining. The restaurant was swanky and candle-lit, with dark wood furniture and gold cushions. A waiter showed us to our table and handed us some menus.

"What you having?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. The lobster looks pretty good," I said.

"Mmmm, so does the scallops."

The waiter quickly took our order before disappearing off into the kitchen.

"It's quite busy," I said.

"Yeah, Saturday night I suppose. So H is on hockey tour?"

"Yeah, she went this morning. She's still worried about her mum, but luckily she doesn't know about Daniel. If she did, she'd be back at home before you could blink."

There was an ominous sinking feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. Daniel on the loose and Anna left alone was not a good combination. At all. While he was being arrested, he'd sworn that he'd come back and "make her life a misery". And that was a promise I somehow doubt he'd forget.

"Don't worry about it. They'll find him soon, and Anna's not alone anyway."

"Yes, she is. It's only Anna and H in that massive house. And H is in holland, so..."

Tom cleared his throat and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Tom? What's up?!" I asked, starting to get worried.

"Uh... Nothing... I..." He trailed off.

"Tom."

He looked me sheepishly. "Well... Since parents evening, when they met, Dad and her have kind of been... Seeing each other."

"Anna and Robert? Going out?! Wow. Why didn't you say anything?"

"They didn't really want to tell anyone. They thought Harriet would find it too weird."

I sighed. I guess he had a point. It wasn't really his place to say, anyway. Our food arrived and we ordered a couple more drinks.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, Tom," I smiled.

He blushed slightly and it was the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

"Anytime. You look gorgeous tonight, Laura."

I laughed, "You've said that already."

"I know. It's because I mean it."

I was just about to comment on the cheesiness when I heard a flirty laugh that could only be a relative of Harriet's. I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of Anna and Robert sat opposite each other in the corner, right by the window. Anna looked gorgeous, as always, and Robert scrubbed up quite well too, I guess.

"Looks like we've got company," I said to Tom.

He turned round and cringed when he saw his dad and Anna whispering in each others' ears and laughing. Anna looked happier than I'd seen her in a long time - she needed a new man in her life.

"They're just like kids," I said.

"Yeah." Tom turned back around to face me, "So where were we?"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a waiter approach their table with a tray of two wine glasses. A strange feeling crept over me - one of unease and anxiety. I quickly shook it off. After all, he was just a waiter taking drinks to their table.

"Earth calling Laura?" Tom said.

I snapped back into reality.

"Huh?"

He laughed. "I said what are you looking at?"

"Oh! Nothing."

"Yes you were. What is it?"

Then, for some reason, Anna and Robert both got up and followed the waiter out of the restaurant and into the car park.

"Where are they going?"

"Who?" Tom asked, confused.

"Anna and Robert! They just left."

"Oh! Um... The toilet maybe?"

"They wouldn't go at the same time," I said.

"To pay the bill?"

"They haven't finished eating. Their plates are almost untouched."

"I don't know!" He said.

I narrowed my eyes at their table. It was all too weird. Like something just didn't add up.

"Laura. Seriously. What's up?"

"I don't know. Why did they just leave?"

"Laura, they could be doing anything. Will you please stop worrying. It's not as if the waiter was a murderer impersonating a waiter and is about to kidnap them!"

Then it suddenly dawned on me. That was not a normal waiter. He was different to all the others in the restaurant. His top button was undone, his dark hair was messy and his shoelaces were carelessly tucked into the sides of his shoes - like he'd got dressed in a rush.

But this was a top class restaurant. All the waiters were dressed immaculately - right down to the side their parting was on.

That guy was not a waiter.

And there was only one person that 'waiter' could be.