Searching For Rebecca

Chapter 37: Lunch with a Lion

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CHAPTER 37: LUNCH WITH A LION

Back in the kitchen, I could practically feel the tension. Ella had – thankfully – disappeared upstairs to shower after her run, but I was still left caught in between Marc and his mom.

‘Pass me the sauce sugar.’ She asked me, raising her delicate eyebrows.

I was too dumbstruck to speak as I handed her the ranch dressing silently. Wow, I bet I was making a fabulous impression, especially after the perfection that is Stacie. I almost groaned out loud – I was truly not cut out to date the popular boy.

I watched as she scattered feta cheese over the lettuce. Natalie was a true stay-at-home mom I guessed. She seemed pretty chilled out but I imagined she had a darker side. Something about her set me on edge.

*

Just as she was dishing up the bread rolls and salad Ella reappeared. Naturally she looked stunning; dressed in a sleeveless skater dress patterned all over with daisies. But the neutral expression on her face soon dwindled as she spotted me.

‘Why are you still here?’ she asked rudely. Natalie gave her a sharp stare and she shrugged back as if to say well, why is she?

‘Bex is my guest.’ Natalie answered, ‘now get everyone some drinks.’

Ella glared at me, her ebony eyes fuming. I watched as she slammed tumblers down on the work surface and poured water so haphazardly it splashed on the table. This only caused another death stare from her mother.

‘So Bex,’ Natalie asked me as we sat down for lunch. ‘Whereabouts did you move from before settling in Miriam?’

I watched as Marc’s eyes snapped up to meet mine.

‘Um,’ I swallowed a lump of cheese before continuing. ‘Well we lived in the city but my mom hated the area so we decided to move to a smaller town.’

Marc had narrowed his eyes, but was back focused on his food again. Something here didn’t feel right, I shifted awkwardly.

‘Oh okay, and how does she find Miriam?’

‘She loves it, we all do.’ I answered politely, earning me an eye roll from Ella.

‘That's good,’ Natalie smiled, ‘and whereabouts in the city was it that you lived?’ she frowned lightly, ‘pardon all these questions sugar, it’s just that my husband is thinking of getting a condo in West Hollywood.’

Oh shit. I tried to think back to the couple of times I’d actually been to LA.

‘Yeah it’s great for business I think, a lot of hustle and bustle if you wanted to reside there permanently.’ Okay that was a good answer.