Renae

Chapter Fifteen

Renae, Genevieve and Stella stepped out of the cab they had taken to the restaurant and were standing in front with different expressions on their faces. Genevieve was elated and excited, Renae was deep in thought wondering why Genevieve would want to blow a thousand dollars eating at such a place and Stella was just hoping the night would end peacefully and she could go home and have a proper night's rest.
  
"This is where we're eating?" Renae asked.
  
"Yep," she said. "Beautiful right?"
  
"Yeah, beautifully expensive. Come on Genevieve," Renae said. "We could have eaten at Gregory steak out, they also serve steak there."
  
"I know but we've eaten there a lot and very casually I must add. Besides I haven't tried the steak here at ‘Crystal’ also I've also wondered what it'll be like eating a thousand dollar meal."
  
"A thousand dollars, I still think it's too much," Renae said as they were reaching the short flight of stairs before the door.
  
A man wearing a black tux on a white shirt, with a black bow tie opened the glass door for them. "Just think of it this way, after spending one thousand dollars we would be able to share the remaining twelve thousand dollars easier than thirteen thousand right?"
  
"Sure, whatever," Renae said. She looked down at her dress before she sat down. She was wearing a black dress that had a short sleeve and high collar. It was knee-length and she had on the same black flat shoe she wore through out the show.
  
"It's 6:58 pm, we're early good," Genevieve said.
  
A waiter came around their table. "Would you like to order now?" He asked and received no response.
  
"Misses," he called again.
  
"Yes we–" Renae was about to answer when she was interjected.
  
"No, we're expecting one more person, thank you. We'll holler when the person arrives."
  
The waiter bowed a little and walked away.
  
"Waiting for someone? Whom?" Renae asked Genevieve and when she didn't answer she turned to Stella. "Who are you expecting?"
  
"Speaking of which here he comes," Genevieve said unannounced, "Right on time," she added looking and tapping the face of her watch.
  
"Look behind you," Genevieve said smiling sheepishly.
  
"Hope I'm not late," Renae heard a voice and immediately turned her head to look back.
  
"Nope. Seven on the dot, just on time," Genevieve said as Micheal sat down beside Renae on the opposite side of Stella and Genevieve.
  
"Hey," he said to Renae after sitting.
  
"Hi Micheal," she said and then glared at Stella and Genevieve who were both smiling.
  
"Stella, Genevieve," Renae called, "Um Micheal would you please excuse us it'll only take a minute" Renae said.
  
"Sure."
  
Renae, Stella and Genevieve stood up. Renae dragged the two girls to a corner away from Micheal's sight. "What's this?" Renae demanded. There was nothing really wrong with inviting him here but knowing her friends like she did, she knew they were up to something.
  
"What's what?" Genevieve was quick to respond.
  
"Why is Micheal here?"
  
"Cause he was invited."
  
"This was supposed to be a celebration between us girls for winning that award."
  
"Renae you performed with him and besides he could be part of the reason why we were honored with ten thousand dollars," Stella said.
  
"You too Stella?" Renae asked.
  
"I'm just speaking the truth," Stella responded.
  
"Let's go, Micheal is still waiting," Genevieve said and received a glare from Renae. "The sooner we get back the sooner we can leave."
  
Renae sighed. What could she do? Nothing. They walked back to their table.
  
"Sorry about that Micheal," Genevieve said as she sat down.

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"This dish is great, I wish I could eat this everyday." Genevieve remarked.
  
Stella's phone rang. "Excuse me," she stood up and went somewhere to take the call. Minutes later she came back. "Genevieve, the committee needs us."
  
"What for?" She complained.
  
"There's been a problem with the catering services and all committee members are needed," Stella answered. She pulled Genevieve up from her chair. "Get up!"
  
"I haven't even reached my price to food ratio limit yet," she said taking a mouthful of the sauce.
  
"Another time," she told Genevieve. "Micheal, Renae, please excuse us, we've got to go."
  
"Sure." Micheal said.
  
Upon hearing Stella's remarks to Renae and Micheal a smile once again surfaced on Genevieve's face. "Take care of Renae, Micheal. Oh and Renae," she paused and gestured sign language for ‘behave’.
  
Renae simply rolled her eyes as she watched them go. "Bye." She eventually said under her breath.

              ~              ~              ~
  
"I don't think I can eat anymore," Micheal about thirteen minutes after Genevieve and Stella had left.
  
"Me neither.l," Renae responded.
  
"Let me get the bill," Micheal said.
  
"Oh don't worry, Stella already paid before hand so we don't spend too much." Renae said. She beckoned to the waiter.
  
"Here's the change Miss," He handed her some cash. Three hundred and fifty dollars, so much for spending a thousand dollars. For such an exquisite restaurant the meals here are quite cheap. Renae thought. Good thing Genevieve's not here if not she might have said something silly like keep the change. Renae left a fifty-dollar tip on the table.
  
Renae and Micheal both stood up. On getting to the door the doorman opened the door and held it until both Micheal and Renae had walked out the door.
  
"How are you getting home?" Micheal asked after they had walked a little distance from the restaurant.
  
"I'm not sure, I might walk or take a cab," Renae answered straightforwardly.
  
"How about I drop you off," Micheal suggested.
  
Is he planning on giving me a ride on his bike. "On your bike?" Renae asked. She wasn't fond of being on a bike. She had repeatedly seen Micheal come to school riding a bike.
  
"I came with my car," he quickly responded.
  
"Um," she thought about it for a while before answering. "Thanks but:–"
  
"I insist, it wouldn't be gentleman- like of me not to try further," he jokingly insisted.
  
She laughed once and then answered. "Fine but I'm not going home, I'm going to a friend's house first."
  
"Okay. I'll drop you there."

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Renae waved Micheal goodbye and watched him drive away. She had dropped at her friend's house. Her friend had just moved into the neighborhood a week ago. She should have visited her earlier but practice for the presentations had taken up most of her time.
  
"Melody! Hiya!" Renae said when the door had been opened by her friend.
  
"Renae!" She exclaimed. "Come on in," She gave way to let Renae in and closed the door. "It's so nice that you came to visit." Melody said to Renae.
  
"I've been meaning to but I've been busy," Renae said.
  
"But," Melody started "Isn't it a bit late, it's already 7:40 pm."
  
"I know it is."
  
"But anyway, it's not too late for us to chat.l," she said dragging Renae through the passage way into the living room. "Mum, Renae's here!" Melody announced. "We're going up to my room!" she shouted. "Wait till you see my room, it's nothing like my former one!" She said to Renae as they went up the stairs.
  
After climbing up the flight of stairs, Melody practically dragged Renae right and stopped at the second door they saw. Melody opened the door and stepped in, closely followed by Renae. "Here it is, doesn't it look nice?"
  
"It's– wow!" Renae said looking around.
  
"We just moved here, so it's not a perfect reflection of me yet but it's something," she said. "And it's much bigger than my former room in Paris."
  
Renae was still taking in the splendor of the room. It was so big and spacious. Though her own room was quite big it wasn't this luxurious.
  
There was a pink and blue bedsheet-covered bed, the floor was covered in a red carpet, there were cupboards which she guessed were used to store other items. There was also a lot of posters on the wall.
  
"I didn't think you had so many posters of Adrian," Renae commented.
  
"I have more but I can't put up everything. I should still have five must hang posters in one of these cases."
  
It was then that Renae looked under the bed and saw a small pink suitcase. Weird it should be pink. She walked to the other side of the bed and saw about three more bigger suitcases.
  
Melody wasn't a fan of pink, other than the pink in the bedspread, the little blobs of pink in some of the posters and the small pink suitcase, Renae couldn't find any other trace of pink in the room.
  
"Still not a fan of pink, huh?" Renae joked.
  
"Yeah, don't see what other girls see in pink. It's not bad but blue is the best."
  
Her room confirmed it. The wallpaper of her room was blue with white flower silhouettes arranged like polka dots. The carpet the bed was placed on was blue, which blended with the red carpet covering the rest of the room. And somehow most of ‘Adrian's posters’ had blue on them.
  
Melody jumped on the bed and patted the bed signalling for Renae to sit as well. "So what gist do you have for me?"
  
"Not much," she said.
  
"Not much?" Melody repeated Renae's answer. "Come on Renae, it's been five weeks since our last video chat, you gotta to do better than that," she urged. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
  
"No."
  
"A crush?"
  
"No."
  
"An admirer?"
  
"I don't think so, probably no."
  
"You gotta tell me something."
  
Renae smiled. "Actually, I do have something that might interest you."
  
"What is it?"
  
"It's about..."