Page 52 of Encounter

He’s never like this. What happened? What did I do?

With every minute I hopelessly waited for the ding of a reply, my stomach felt more and more like it was trying to eat itself. My chest, tortured by a boulder the size of my piano resting against it, felt like it was going to break with every beat of my panicked heart.

When the phone finally vibrated, breaking the excruciating silence, I twitched.

Letting out a shaky breath, I closed my eyes and covered my face. What Chast did for me was something special, something that took me out of my boring, empty life. When I was with him, it didn’t matter if it was good or bad, but Chast at least made me feel like I was alive.

A week?Shit. In a week, I was going to give up for sure. There was no way I could keep my drive for so long without slipping. Trying to hold myself together, study, and... survive the dinner tomorrow? “Fuck me...”

?

There it was. The dreaded ‘most spectacular restaurant’ in the city.

As I waited for Dad to finish his call, I pussyfooted in front of the entrance, trying to get distracted by the pretty trees, shiny plaques on the walls, and the soft orange light coming from the large windows. Even the smells of the luxurious foods spilling into the street made my stomach churn. The cooks might have been world-renowned, but my brain already associated anything to do with that place with stress and discomfort.

Suddenly, Dad was next to me. “Let’s go then,” he ordered, snapping his fingers.

With a deep sigh, I adjusted the tie that had been choking me since we left the house and followed him to the door.

I hated the uneasy sensation I had when we were in one of those fancy restaurants. It was like everyone was staring at me. Like I didn’t belong. Every movement I made, every look and expression made me anxious because I worried it was wrong or strange. The people around us were dismissive and too good to pay attention to anyone but themselves, but at the same time, it was like they were always watching, judging.

I wasn’t perfect enough, confident enough, pretty enough. The expensive suit restrained me, and my hair looked stupid brushed back and styled more elegantly.

“Father. Mother.”

I found myself at the familiar table at the back, next to the tiny fountain pumping water into the river flowing over the half-wall separating the restaurant sections. Dad hugged Grandma in the same reserved, impersonal way he always hugged me.

“Lost in your own world as always, I see.” My grandfather’s voice—tinged with disapproval and bitterness—quickly pulled me back to reality. Like a trained dog, I managed to nod, pulling my tail between my legs and only briefly meeting his gaze.

I walked past Dad to hug Grandma too. She did so briefly, as a formality.

We both sat across from them. An expensive bottle of wine was already opened on the table, making me wish I could have some. I wasn’t used to drinking and never held my liquor particularly well, but anything was worth not having to pay attention to the next hour or so.

“Glad you finally found some time in your busy schedule,” Dad noted after he sat down, with the waiter already on us, providing the menu.

Drawing my brows together, I put the menu in front of me, hoping they would forget I was there if they couldn’t see my face. Listening to Dad talk to them was like being a part of some unfortunate shootout. Automatically on edge, I expected stray bullets to hit me with every passive-aggressive sentence they exchanged.

“What can I say… Your father enjoys signing up to ungodly amounts of social events. Don’t you, darling?”

Just being around them made me close to delirious. It was as if they couldn’t even stand each other but pushed through it anyway, spending years in each other’s company only to see who could come up with the most polite, inconspicuous way to express their hatred.

“I could hardly get away with canceling Hiram Jefferson’s charity gala because of a measly family dinner that could easily be rearranged,” Grandpa chuckled like it was the most ridiculous idea ever.

Giving myself a break from reading the ridiculously complicated-sounding dish names, I poured some water from the large jug in the middle of the table.

“You’re not the only one with a busy schedule, Father. Next time, checking yours in advance instead of calling it off on such short notice would’ve been more than welcomed,” Dad quipped.

Getting that terrifying ‘rich white man who can get away with anything’ expression on his face, Grandfather frowned and snorted to himself, getting his glass of wine. “I’ll be sure to let my secretary know.”

I wish I could disappear to the bathroom and stay there forever...

Wondering what Chast would have done if he was here, and imagining how he probably would’ve cast this fancy establishment into complete chaos, a smirk appeared on my lips.

“So,” grandmother sighed, putting her hands together. “Have we decided what to order? Galen, I hope you are over that vegetarian phase of yours.” As she glared at me—her thin lips lined with deep red lipstick turning into a contemptuous grimace—I sank further into the soft, velvety seat.

“Yes, Grandma,” I whispered, looking down. Had been for a few years, but I wouldn’t expect her to know that.

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