Page 34 of Captive Hearts
The guy looked at his daughter. ‘How am I being embarrassing?’
‘You’re just… God, it’s just soentitled. Why am I more worthy than anyone else?’
‘Lily, you’re the youngest person in the room. You’ve got your whole life in front of you.’
‘I’m about the same age as that waiter,’ she said, jabbing a thumb at a guy in a waistcoat with bum fluff on his chin.
‘You’re sixteen!’ her dad said.
‘Oi, how old are you?’ Lily asked the waiter.
‘Seventeen,’ the kid said.
‘See, he’s got his life in front of him too. Why aren’t you begging forhimto get out?’ Lily asked insolently.
‘Jesus fucking Christ, doeseverythinghave to be an argument?’ her dad said with deep exasperation.
‘I just think it’s classic Boomer bullshit,’ Lily said.
‘If you’re gonna criticise me, at least be correct. I’m Gen X.’
‘Well, youthinklike a Boomer.’
‘This is about the divorce, isn’t it?’ her dad said angrily.
Rick rolled his eyes. ‘Right. This argument stops because she’s not going out and neither are you,’ Rick said to the father/daughter duo. Lily gave her dad a satisfied smirk.
‘You do realise you just talked yourself into staying in a hostage situation?’ her dad said.
‘I don’tcare,’ Lily said insolently.
‘OK, waiter kid,’ Rick said to the boy with the bum fluff. ‘You can go. Sit over at that table.’ He pointed at a small table on the other side of the dining area.
The waiter appeared shocked, but he didn’t argue. He walked across the dining area and plonked himself at the appointed table.
‘OK, who else?’ Rick asked himself, looking around.
His eyes landed on the group of office workers. The one with the birthday badge casually glanced at the ceiling as she hooked a finger underneath the badge and began to waggle it about. Rick barked a laugh. ‘It’s your birthday, is it?’
The woman nodded, smiling.
‘Well, I think you deserve a treat.’
The woman’s smile widened.
‘There’s cake in the kitchen. I’ll make sure you get a slice,’ Rick said with a cruel smile. Birthday Girl’s joy fell sharply off her face. One of her friends let out a little snort. Birthday Girl spun at her. ‘What areyoulaughing about?’
The woman shook her head, clearly more scared of her friend than she was of Rick. ‘I wasn’t. I was coughing.’
Rick looked at the third member of the office trio. ‘You.’
The woman jumped up, shrieking, ‘Thank you, thank you!’
‘Alright, no need to gargle my balls or anything,’ Rick said mockingly. Gina frowned. ‘Fucking gross,’ she whispered under her breath.
The woman joined the waiter at the release table.
‘Right!’ Rick said, clapping his hands together. ‘That’ll do.’
