Page 12 of Lies (Wicked Empire 1)

He didn’t even stop at the hostess booth, and instead made his way to the back, to what was informally his table.

He hit this place three, maybe four times a week, and knew everyone on the staff.

By the time he had settled in and applied hand sanitizer, the waitress had arrived with his three-olive martini.

“And for you, ma’am?” she asked, looking at me.

“She’ll have water,” my father said.

The waitress didn’t look at me to confirm and instead turned and walked away.

“Man, this place has changed since the last time I was here,” I said offhandedly.

I then internally chided myself, remembering I wasn’t supposed to speak.

“Yes, they’ve changed a few things, but it’s still the same great place.”

“What’s your favorite dish right now?” I asked.

We didn’t have menus, and I knew my father often changed what he ate.

He shrugged. “Right now, I’m enjoying the grilled lobster tails with butter sauce. They’re great.”

“Maybe I’ll try those,” I said.

He frowned. “Maybe have the kale salad instead.”

He didn’t say anything else, but then again, he didn’t have to.

A childhood of diets, fat camps, and exercise regimes told the story.

Eventually, I’d put my foot down at pills, and as I’d gotten older, I tried to distance myself from my father’s judgments about my weight.

I had accepted myself and hoped that eventually he would too.

“Sure, a kale salad sounds delicious,” I finally said.

The words felt like sawdust in my throat, but this was supposed to be a pleasant time, one of the few times my father and I got to spend together alone.

Time to bond.

So, I wouldn’t upset him or make him tense over an entree.

“Have you been taking care of yourself?” I asked, studying him after he had given the waitress our orders.

I noticed some fine lines around his eyes that I hadn’t noticed before, but he still looked good.

“Of course, I have,” he said. “Is anyone else going to?”

“Well, you know I’m here for you if you need me,” I said with a smile.

He nodded, something like approval in his eyes. “I will give you that, Amy. You have your…challenges, but you are reliable.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said.

“Too bad your mother didn’t live to see any of this,” he whispered, his voice somber.

Without thinking, I lifted my hand and touched the necklace around my neck.

---