Greta and Lottie exchanged exasperated glances.
‘This looks like a work of art,’ Greta said, peering at her plate. ‘Does your boyfriend like fancy food?’ she asked without thinking.
Lottie’s eyes flashed a warning.‘Mum.’
‘Come on, Greta. Let’s not pry,’ Jim added.
Greta shook out her napkin and placed it on her lap. ‘It was a simple question,’ she bristled. Why did everything feel like treading on sharp tacks with her family?
The three of them looked up when applause sounded around the room. Joseph Wilde had arrived, looking almost biblical with his crisp chef’s whites. The chandelier made a halo behind his black curls.
In her excitement, Lottie didn’t know where to look. She jiggled in her seat, then sat on her hands.
Joseph circled the room, shaking hands and posing for selfies.
‘I’ll ask him for a photo with you,’ Jim whispered to Lottie.
‘Dad.Don’t. . ‘
Greta touched his arm. ‘Please don’t embarrass her.’
But it was too late. Jim stood and strode towards Joseph, clapping him on the back. ‘We were famous once, for the Maple Gold commercials. Maybe before your time,’ he explained. ‘My daughter would love a photo.’
Joseph smiled politely. ‘Oh, right . . . wicked.’
Lottie’s cheeks paled as Joseph approached. She fumbled with her bracelet, her jaw dropping in horror when the clasp snapped. The broken bracelet fell to the floor just as Joseph reached the table.
‘Hey. Happy fourteenth birthday, Hattie,’ Joseph said, mishearing Jim’s whispered instruction.
Greta’s stomach plummeted. ‘It’s Lottie, and she’s sixteen,’ she corrected him, whilst trying to glance under the table. Just how bad was the damage to the bracelet? Could it be fixed?
Jim took several photos, directing Joseph like it was a professional shoot, until the chef’s smile flatlined.
‘Greta. Want to jump in a shot?’ Jim called out.
Still distracted by her mum’s broken bracelet, Greta stood up too quickly. Her elbow caught her non-alcoholic cocktail, knocking it over. Violet liquid splashed everywhere, flooding the table.
‘Oh god.’ Lottie groaned, covering her face with her hands.‘Mum.’
People at the surrounding tables stopped talking, twisting their heads for a better look at the fracas.
Greta held up a palm to all the stares. ‘Nothing to see here. Just a minor disaster. Carry on with your lives.’
Joseph snapped his fingers at Tina. ‘Replace that dish. And the drink.’ Without another glance, he swept toward the next table.
An awkward hush filled the dining room until chatter gradually resumed.
Greta sat back down with her nerves ratcheting. She used a menu to fan the heat creeping up her neck. Jim scrolled through his photos, frowning at his blurred pink thumb obscuring Joseph’s face in most of them. Lottie picked up the broken bracelet, cradling it like an injured baby bird. A fog of discontentment swirled between them like too much dry ice at a concert.
‘We can get the bracelet fixed . . .’ Greta said, though she wasn’t sure. ‘Let’s just enjoy dinner.’
Her hopes for a lovely family meal were crumbling to dust.
All the chatter around her seemed to be growing louder, making her want to cover her ears. When Lottie scraped her knife across her plate, it sounded like fingernails on a blackboard. She ate with her bottom lip jutting. Jim peered at his food as if it contained bugs, examining each mouthful before he ate it. Loud laughter rang out from a nearby table, and Greta felt like all the stuffed animal heads were watching and laughing at her. Blood rushed to her temples, where it throbbed hot and fierce.
And something inside her snapped.
‘Can wepleasejust try toactlike a happy family for once?’ she burst out. ‘Just like we used to be. Is that really too much to ask?’ She tucked a napkin into the neck of her dress and shoved a piece of tomato into her mouth.
