before he cheats | a.cole

forty nine

It takes me close to forty-five minutes to get to Olive Garden due to me needing to pull over and relieve some of the pain in my knee a few times. I get to Olive Garden at ten after six.

I walk into Olive Garden with my crutches to the hostess. I say, "Hi, there should be a group here under the name Adam Cole. Can you tell me where they are?"

The hostess looks at the book on the podium and she says, "I don't have a party under the name of Adam Cole here. Is there another name?"

I think for a second before I ask, "How about Austin Jenkins?"

"Ah, yes there is," the hostess says. "Follow me."

She walks ahead of me and I walk behind her. My crutches are loud in the semi-quiet restaurant as I walk.

I approach a table that sits Adam, his mother, and his stepfather. Adam looks up and sees me. He gets up and greets me with a kiss. "Nice to see you again, Angelina," Adam's mother says to me. I look at her and give her a small smile.

"You too," I say.

Adam sits down in the booth and I slide in next to him. I straighten my left leg out carefully.

I feel Adam lean in and he says into my ear, "You look good tonight, princess."

I look after at Adam and say, "Thank you."

Adam looks good tonight too. He wears a tight dark blue shirt with a pair of dark jeans. His hair is in a bun.

"How is your leg, dear?" Adam's mom asks, bringing my attention away from Adam. I look over at her and nod.

I say, "It's getting better. I can mostly get away without my crutches but I use them just in case."

Adam's mom says, "That's good. When do you begin training again?"

I'm brought a water and I reply with, "I go back next week for a checkup to see if I can start physical therapy and that'll be four weeks at least so I can begin training again in about a month."

"Good," Adam's mom says. "I'll have to watch your comeback match."

I smile and say, "It'll be very interesting."

Adam says, "Your comeback match is the title defense against Io, right?"

I nod, taking a sip of water. "Yeah," I say. "Then Britt will tell me when she wants our rematch."

Adam's mom says, "I hope you beat her. I can't stand that girl."

All four of us laugh and I notice someone walking toward us. I realize it's Britt and I hit Adam's arm under the table. He stops laughing and looks at Britt.

She approaches the table and she says, "Oh my God, hi guys. It's nice to see you again, Brenda and Peter."

Adam's mom, whose name I finally know, says, "Hello, Britt."

Britt looks at me and she says, "Oh, how's the leg? Hope it's feeling better after I Dragon Screwed it into the ground."

I roll my eyes and I say, "It takes more than an injured knee to take me out, Britt."

"I'm getting that," she says, smiling at me.

Adam asks, "What are you doing here, Britt? Besides ruining our dinner."

Britt slides in next to me, pushing me closer to Adam. I also hit my injured knee on the table a bit and I hiss in pain. Adam rests his hand on my knee. Britt says, "I thought that I would come say hi for a bit. I'm here for dinner with my friends visiting from home."