The Dinner Date
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I’ve had a suspicion that he’s been seeing someone. He thinks I haven’t noticed the subtle changes, but when you’ve known someone for as long as I have, you can’t help but spot them - the recent haircut, dressing smarter, showering more often.
I shouldn’t have looked at his phone, I know, but just couldn’t help it; I needed to know if I was right. His unlock code was easy to work out, he’s not a difficult man to understand. My second attempt cracked it - his birth year.
Wednesday 17th March 10.29am
Thank you for a delightful evening last night. We’ll have to do it again soon.
Love Sarah x
Sarah...
So... that’s what she’s called.
Sarah...
Her name mulls around in my mind for a while.
So much for his ‘Going out for a few drinks with his pals’ last night.
I notice his reply.
Wednesday 17th March 10.38am
Why don’t you come round for dinner on Saturday night at 7pm? Lou’s away on a girl’s night out with her friend Steph. She’ll not be back until the morning. I’ll return the favour by cooking dinner.
Love Jack x
He’ll cook dinner! Ha! He never cooks anything and he’s certainly never cooked anything for me. I make all his meals, have done for years. The only ‘cooking’ he ever does, involves popping one of the frozen meals that I prepared beforehand, in the microwave.
So she’s coming to dinner, is she? Looks like I’ll just have to ‘accidentally’ catch them together!
Grabbing my handbag at the usual time on Saturday evening, I remind him not to forget to pop his dinner in the microwave later. Kissing him goodnight, he instructs me to have a great time and to be good.
I drive around aimlessly for a while instead of going over to Steph’s place, arriving home around eight thirty. An hour and a half should be long enough for them to have got settled and relaxed.
There’s an unfamiliar red car in our drive. I quietly open the front door of the house and silently tiptoe down the hall. There is laughter from within the dining room. I open the door suddenly and startle them. Half-expecting to find a young, leggy, brassy blonde, I am shocked instead to see an older lady who bears an uncanny resemblance to my mother, who passed away more than a decade ago, sitting across the dining table from him, sipping red wine by candlelight.
“Oh, Lou, I wasn’t expecting you!” he says in shock, nearly spilling his own wine. “I thought you were out this evening!”
My eyes flick instantly and uncontrollably between the older woman at the table and the picture of my mother on the mantelpiece. To be honest, I am quite taken aback by the striking similarity.
“Sorry, I just had to pop back for a cardigan” I lie. “It’s cold out tonight.” I smile at the two of them “Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”
They both blush like teenagers. He stands up and walks towards me. He’s looking younger and happier than he’s looked in years, but looks scared and guilty at being found out. “Lou, I’m really sorry, I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I just didn’t quite know how to. This is Sarah.”
I hold my hand out in greeting towards her and smile, “It’s lovely to meet you, Sarah.” Shyly and politely, she shakes my hand and replies that it is lovely to meet me, too. I can see why he likes her. She’s pretty and elegant, just as my mother was. I kiss her on her slightly rouge-powdered cheek and tell her that she must be doing something right, as I’ve not seen my father this happy in years.
He has been lonely and sad since my mother died and I’m delighted he’s finally found someone to have dinner with. I suspect, meeting Sarah might be the best thing that has happened to him in a very long time.
.
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This is my entry for therealljidol
Week 16 - Inkling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
I’ve had a suspicion that he’s been seeing someone. He thinks I haven’t noticed the subtle changes, but when you’ve known someone for as long as I have, you can’t help but spot them - the recent haircut, dressing smarter, showering more often.
I shouldn’t have looked at his phone, I know, but just couldn’t help it; I needed to know if I was right. His unlock code was easy to work out, he’s not a difficult man to understand. My second attempt cracked it - his birth year.
Wednesday 17th March 10.29am
Thank you for a delightful evening last night. We’ll have to do it again soon.
Love Sarah x
Sarah...
So... that’s what she’s called.
Sarah...
Her name mulls around in my mind for a while.
So much for his ‘Going out for a few drinks with his pals’ last night.
I notice his reply.
Wednesday 17th March 10.38am
Why don’t you come round for dinner on Saturday night at 7pm? Lou’s away on a girl’s night out with her friend Steph. She’ll not be back until the morning. I’ll return the favour by cooking dinner.
Love Jack x
He’ll cook dinner! Ha! He never cooks anything and he’s certainly never cooked anything for me. I make all his meals, have done for years. The only ‘cooking’ he ever does, involves popping one of the frozen meals that I prepared beforehand, in the microwave.
So she’s coming to dinner, is she? Looks like I’ll just have to ‘accidentally’ catch them together!
Grabbing my handbag at the usual time on Saturday evening, I remind him not to forget to pop his dinner in the microwave later. Kissing him goodnight, he instructs me to have a great time and to be good.
I drive around aimlessly for a while instead of going over to Steph’s place, arriving home around eight thirty. An hour and a half should be long enough for them to have got settled and relaxed.
There’s an unfamiliar red car in our drive. I quietly open the front door of the house and silently tiptoe down the hall. There is laughter from within the dining room. I open the door suddenly and startle them. Half-expecting to find a young, leggy, brassy blonde, I am shocked instead to see an older lady who bears an uncanny resemblance to my mother, who passed away more than a decade ago, sitting across the dining table from him, sipping red wine by candlelight.
“Oh, Lou, I wasn’t expecting you!” he says in shock, nearly spilling his own wine. “I thought you were out this evening!”
My eyes flick instantly and uncontrollably between the older woman at the table and the picture of my mother on the mantelpiece. To be honest, I am quite taken aback by the striking similarity.
“Sorry, I just had to pop back for a cardigan” I lie. “It’s cold out tonight.” I smile at the two of them “Are you going to introduce me to your friend?”
They both blush like teenagers. He stands up and walks towards me. He’s looking younger and happier than he’s looked in years, but looks scared and guilty at being found out. “Lou, I’m really sorry, I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I just didn’t quite know how to. This is Sarah.”
I hold my hand out in greeting towards her and smile, “It’s lovely to meet you, Sarah.” Shyly and politely, she shakes my hand and replies that it is lovely to meet me, too. I can see why he likes her. She’s pretty and elegant, just as my mother was. I kiss her on her slightly rouge-powdered cheek and tell her that she must be doing something right, as I’ve not seen my father this happy in years.
He has been lonely and sad since my mother died and I’m delighted he’s finally found someone to have dinner with. I suspect, meeting Sarah might be the best thing that has happened to him in a very long time.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my entry for therealljidol
Week 16 - Inkling
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.