Page 63 of Pillow Talk
‘Shona, we were dealt a bad hand with an evil grandmother. Many won’t understand it. But we know what she was like. She wasnota nice person and I refuse to respect or acknowledge her. But she’s gone and now there’s no excuse for us not to follow our dreams or love who we want to.’
Long after Aruna had left, Shona was recalling moments from the shop. Dad never smiled. He seemed grumpy. He looked older than he was and his shoulders sagged. His despondency was obvious.
Somehow, she’d missed the signs.
When Sam called Sen to invite him for supper and drinks, he immediately accepted, but then Sam said Anni was bringing a friend, who she thought would hit it off with him. It was a set-up and Sen couldn’t back out. He didn’t want to go because, as far as he was concerned, he was in an exclusive arrangement with Shona. But he couldn’t exactly tell Sam that. Sam made it worse by telling him that Anni had invited Shona too, so her new friend wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. But the friend was aware that the meeting was to really introduce her to Sen. Did he ask for this? No. But Anni, like many people who were part of a couple, believed everyone else wanted to be in a relationship, so she decided it was time for Sen to be paired off. At least that’s what Sam told him.
He’d tried to call Shona several times since Sam’s call, but her phone went straight to voicemail. He knew she had back-to-back meetings with Felicity, but he really needed to talk to her so he knew their game plan. But by the time he arrived at Thirsty’s Pub, he still hadn’t spoken to her and was going in with no plan. He hated that. Thirsty’s was thankfully not like Scotty’s; it was a restaurant disguised as a pub.
From the outside, it looked every bit the scruffy, cosy watering hole: faded signage; dark wood panels; dim, golden lights spilling through dusty windows. Inside, there was the low hum of conversation, worn leather booths and a bar that stretched along the far wall, cluttered with taps and glasses.
But if you looked a little closer, you’d see that Thirsty’s was just pretending to be a pub. The bartenders paired craft cocktails with meals and there was even a sommelier on hand. Farfrom being greasy pub fare, the menu comprised small dishes that deserved to be served in a five-star restaurant. For all its advantages, it was the worst place to be on a date with someone you had no interest in. A normal pub would be rowdy, so Sen could at least ignore his date. Here, with the soft music and almost romantic ambience, he would be forced to interact.
He pulled off his tie but kept his suit jacket on.
He took a deep breath, entered and caught sight of Sam, Anni, the woman he presumed was his date – and Shona. Let the shit show begin.
Shona’s face hurt because she was trying to appear expressionless. She couldn’t let her eyes betray her either, so she avoided eye contact. What had started as a blissful day with easy clients and more business had become a nightmare. Maybe she was exaggerating, but sitting opposite your friend with benefits while he was on a date was not fun at all!
Anni’s voice filtered through her thoughts just as her friend was saying, ‘…so when Natasha told me that she was a lawyer to content creators, I just knew I had to introduce her to you, Sen.’
Shona sipped her Cosmopolitan and signalled for the waiter to come over. She whispered that she wanted anything with tequila in it and sat back, ready to drink the night away.
Sen had discarded his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. She heard him saying something to Anni and Natasha laughed, but Shona had zoned out and was no longer paying attention to the conversation. Through occasional furtive glances, which she hoped would pass unnoticed, she scrutinised Natasha. She was tall, athletic and her straight, black hair was pulled back in a thick plait. Her dark skin was highlighted with peach blush andher lips were subtly accentuated with a pinkish nude lipstick. She wore a sleeveless black and white shift dress and nude stilettos. Shona looked down at her own outfit: a black top with mesh sleeves, fitted jeans and high-heeled sandals. Natasha was obviously dressed for a date – unlike her. She was there as a third wheel. But if she’d refused Anni’s invitation, it would have looked suspicious. The waiter brought her cocktail and she took a long sip. She gasped: it was very strong, especially for someone like Shona who liked cocktails that were low on alcohol but looked pretty. Cautiously, she took another sip. Sen tried to make eye contact again but she looked down at the menu. The words started to blur. She shut the menu and looked up again. Her chest felt hot and her throat a little dry, so she took another long sip. The conversation continued and so did Shona’s sipping.
‘I’ve ventured out of Rally since I moved here. I found what I think are the world’s best waffles one town over. Sen, maybe you’d like to try them out sometime,’ Natasha said.
Shona stood up abruptly. Thankfully she was sitting at the edge of the booth.
‘I need the ladies,’ she said and walked away before her friends could react.
In the ladies, she clutched the basin and took a deep breath to steady herself. She heard footsteps behind her – a woman in her mid-fifties had just stepped out of one of the cubicles.
‘Oh honey, have you been crying?’
Shona looked at herself in the mirror. She definitely wasn’t crying but she looked sick.
The woman came and washed her hands, grabbed a few paper towels to dry them and then turned to Shona.
‘It’s a man, isn’t it? It’s always a man. My second husband would have me crying in the ladies whenever we went out,’ she said.
‘I’m not crying,’ Shona answered. The woman was in tight jeansand a purple, sequinned top, and the ends of her grey hair were dyed pink, matching her bright pink heels. She looked like a funky fairy godmother.
She stepped closer and turned Shona back to the mirror.
‘Look closer, sweetie. You are crying. You just don’t know it,’ she said. Before Shona could respond, the woman patted her shoulder and left.
Sen was getting impatient. He looked towards the ladies room; Shona was taking a long time. Natasha seemed like a great woman but he wasn’t interested.
‘Sen, are you okay? What are you looking at?’ Anni asked.
‘Nothing,’ he lied.
‘Shall we order supper?’ Sam asked.
‘Sure,’ replied Sen, relieved to have a distraction.
He reached for the menu but then Natasha spoke up.
