Most girls would be jealous of Calliope Draycott. She seemingly has it all. The friends, the money, the boyfriend, and in a few years, if all goes to plan, she'll have the job too. So why doesn't she feel happy? It's after a disastrous family dinner...
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The taste of berries and plum dance across my tongue and I finish my glass of wine in record time.
It's a nice wine, and a nice restaurant too. If it wasn't for the uncommon awkwardness that had settled over my parents, the atmosphere would be as nice as the wine.
Their awkwardness is putting me on edge – which is making me drink more than usual. I refill the now-empty wine glass that is sat in front of me, and I see Isaac watching me discreetly out of the corner of his eyes. He drapes his right arm over the back of my chair and rests a hand on my back. To the observer, it would look like a sweet display of affection, but I know that he's actually warning me to slow down on the wine.
I know that I'm right when a sharp look darting back and forth between him and my wine glass sends his arm back to his side, and his eyes fix firmly on my Father. Now that I'm not under Isaac's scrutiny, I take the opportunity to analyse my parents. My Father has bags under his eyes, and he looks like he hasn't slept in a week – maybe two. I don't think I've ever seen him look so tired.
My Mother, on the other hand, could barely look anyone in the eye. While her nails were usually perfectly manicured, today, her nail polish is chipped, and she's been picking the skin around them. She can't stop fiddling with the pearl necklace that is hanging from his neck, and she keeps stealing glances at my Father when she thinks that no one is paying attention.
He can't even bring himself to look at her. Instead, he's focusing all his attention onto Isaac. They're laughing and joking, but his smiles aren't reaching his eyes.
'So, Monty, when are you planning on joining me at the firm?' my Father asks, calling Isaac by that ridiculous nickname that Isaac insists on.
Every time my Father and Isaac – or Monty – are together, my Father tries to convince him to leave his job and work for him instead. Isaac always refuses though, because while it's his dream job, he doesn't really want to work for his girlfriend's father. It makes it a little bit more difficult to separate your work and home lives.
'Sorry Robert,' Isaac says before taking a sip of the wine, 'but I've just been assigned to work on a big merger. If I do well, there's the possibility of a promotion.'
My father nods, 'so I won't be stealing you away this month then.'
Isaac takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, as if to tell me that things are getting better. 'Not this month,' he says with a smile.
The rest of their in-joke follows its expected course. My father says that he'll just have to try harder next month, before Isaac tells him that he can't wait. Then the awkward silence settles over us again, and my fingers start twitching for the wine glass.
'How's school?' My father asks me when my twitching becomes noticeable. He must be desperate for conversation if he is asking me about school, which is something he hasn't done since I was ten.
