CXIV

CXIV
"I am so sorry Mimosa. I honestly did not know he would be here today. He doesn't like to be here." Kenny sounds so sincere that I forgive him instantly. Who am I kidding? I would have forgiven him no matter what.
I force a smile and squeeze his hand.
"It is not your fault. We did nothing wrong by being here. He hasn't even seen us yet. He will probably leave soon, we should do what we came here for, celebrate." I force a cheerfulness I did not feel into my voice. Even if Cam had no right to ruin what we have going on, I would not feel bad for hanging out with my boyfriend. It isn't my fault Kenny isn't into guys.
I make a show of biting into my devilled eggs. And this elicits a small smile from Kenny as he reaches out to wipe a crumb from my lip, tiny sparks of electricity flies from where our skin touches.
"I love you." He whispers.
My heart does a somersault and lands heavily in my ribcage.
"I love you." And I hope he knows these aren't just words for me, I mean them with everything I have in me.
He takes a bite of his own. They were delicious, much more than anything I ever tried to do on my own, there was a reason this place was beloved by celebrities.
"This place is one of my favourite restaurants. I have many good memories here, I wanted to make new ones with you." He blushed as he admits that.
This man was perfect in every way.
"I am honoured."
He swallowed.
"What were your favourite places growing up?"
If it were someone else asking these questions, I would have said something sarcastic. But it was him, so I dared to take a peep down my memory lane.
"One ice cream parlour really far from here. It was locally made and of course made from very unhealthy places, but then it was my favourite because my dad and mom were together with me one Sunday in a month, we were a family, my dad was always out driving his trucks, he was always away, so yeah.. and the ice cream was nice, I'm sure you had finer ice creams, I don't think it's going to be nice for you." I laugh it off.
"Let us go there someday. No matter how far it is. You have a glimpse into my childhood, I want to feel how you felt sitting with your family."
My eyes stung from unshed tears. This man was the one for me.
"Yeah sure, after we finish all of these." I gesture to the table full of different appetizers that I didn't know the name of.
He chuckled.
"Trust me, it is going to be fin.."
"Kennedy?" I hear Cam call out before he could finish his sentence.
My body tightens with anxiety. He was unpredictable, and we were in public, in front of celebrities, if he started calling me named here I would disappear.
"I will handle this." Kennedy says apologetically.
"You were here! I thought I saw your helicopter up on the helipad!" Cam laughs boisterously.
Kenny turned to him with a tight smile.
"Cam, you're here. How are you here?"
I'm certain he wanted to ask why he was here.
"I came in few minutes ago, grandpa wanted to do a charity thing so he needed my help with.." his eyes finally roam to me. Seeing me for the first time, his eyes darken.
"You are here as well."
Did he expect me to disappear from Kenny' s life overnight?
"Yeah, on a date with my boyfriend." I did not intend to sound like a douche but I did and i wince immediately after.
Cam looked like a storm. Literal storm.
"Shit." Kenny cursed. And I felt bad for doing this.
"You should leave." Cam tells me in a eerily calm voice.
"What the hell? You can't ask my girlfriend to just leave. You can't ask a customer to just leave." Kenny says through gritted teeth.
I felt flattered that he was defending me but heads were starting to turn this way, I didn't want the President to think of me, of us, as nuisances. But Cam won't let up.
"I can. It is technically my restaurant. I can tell whoever to leave."
"You are being a jerk." I tell him.
"And you stole MY best friend."
I scoff, "He can't get stolen, he isn't a toy. He is still your best friend, he isn't just into you."
"I will handle him. And the check. You can keep eating, it is your celebratory dinner." Kenny says rising up from his seat.
My face falls.
"By myself?" I don't like how needy I sound.
Cam rolls his eyes.
"Call your friends. They will let them in. I'll call you." He says as he starts his bestfriend out of the restaurant. I watch them go, Cam had stopped struggling against Kenny. He followed willingly.
Tears sting at the corners of my eyes. This was the best day ever and Cam ruined it. He always ruined things. Before tears started to stream out of my eyes, I call Mariana and tell her where to meet me.
"You are kidding." She says flatly.
"Then miss your chance to dine with celebrities."
I hear her squeal. I hang up immediately, I did not have the energy for all of that. I stare at the space he used to occupy. His cologne still lingered. I didn't want Mariana sitting in his spot so I change seats. She could use my seat, does not matter.
Her heels clicked all the way from the door, and i know she must have worn her best, it brings a smile to my face.
"I still cannot believe it." She whispers as she plops into my old seat.
I cough from her use of too much perfume.
"That I got the job or we are eating in a twenty star restaurant with Caroline Anderson, Sandra Halt and the freaking President?"
Her eyes bulged as she subtly looked around us.
"I need to take photos or else my colleagues will never believe me." She says as she pulls out her phone. She had clicked a few photos before dropping her phone.
"You got the job?!" Her voice a screech. Earning us glares from Caroline Anderson.
I wince but she was already squealing.
"OH MY GOD, that is why we are eating at a restaurant that probably cost both of all our organs."
I laugh.
"Yeah. Although my salary cannot pay for this yet. Kenny brought me here after I said yes to being his girlfriend."
Her eyes bulged.
"You are his girlfriend now?"
I shush her, avoiding looking around us because I was certain every one glared now. From the corner of my eye I watch as Caroline Anderson walks out of the restaurant, I would like to think she was done eating and we didn't chase her away.
"Girl, we need champagne for that. Where is Kenny? He is the only one who can afford it." She laughed to herself after that.
And I tell her, I tell her about Cam and everything he did.
She sneers.
"I am going to kill him."