Page 58 of Aperture

The past two days I wasn’t feeling well and Theo was amazing about taking care of me. He brought me soup and ginger ale to settle my stomach. I would fall asleep on the couch and wake up to find him working quietly on his laptop, at the ready in case I needed anything.

I’m feeling better today, thankfully, because we are meeting Gwen and her new guy tonight for dinner. I’m actually kind of excited about our double date. Theo left earlier to go home and start to pack for his trip tomorrow and shower and change.

He picks me up right at 6:00, and we make the short drive to the steakhouse Gwen chose for dinner. We walk in hand and hand and spot Gwen and Johnny already at the table, sitting with their backs toward us.

We round the table and I get my first look at this guy. He’s attractive, with dirty blonde hair, and dark brown eyes, and he’s tall and built, just as she described. He looks familiar, but I can’t quite place him.

He stands idly as we approach and shakes Theo’s hand as I hug Gwen.

I introduce Gwen to Theo, and she hugs him and then introduces me to Johnny. Instead of embracing me or giving me a small wave, he briefly looks me up and down. That’s where I know him from! I recognize him from the farmers market. He is the same guy that told me to be careful. I don’t like this guy. Something about the way he looks at me feels sleazy, but no one else seems to notice the interaction, so I push it away for now, debating if I should tell Gwen about our interaction. I quickly decide to hold on to my judgment for now and see how dinner goes.

We order drinks and begin with small talk.

Johnny works for a small firm in town. He and Gwen have been spending time together outside of the gym for about a week now.

“So, how long have you kids been together?” Johnny asks.

“A few weeks,” Theo answers.

“And what do you do again?” he asks Theo.

“I’m in the oil industry,” he says sweetly, because my boyfriend is sweet. “Sales, actually.”

“Seems like kind of a waste of a college degree, isn’t it?” Johnny says condescendingly.

“Johnny!” Gwen chastises. “Don’t be a dick.”

“Sorry, Babe,” he says. “I didn’t mean it like that. Poor choice of words.” He waves his hand dismissively, as if he’s swatting a fly. “I just meant that college is expensive. You must have very understanding parents. That’s all.”

Yep, Johnny is a douche. To Theo’s credit, his eyes narrow in irritation, but he doesn’t take the bait.

“My parents are wonderful,” he says, coolly. “They’ve always supported me. No matter what.”

I squeeze his hand under the table.

“Good for you,” Johnny replies, with an edge to his voice.

“So, Gwen,” Theo asks, trying to salvage this awkward evening, “tell me more about 18-year-old Millie.”

“She was an angel even back then,” she starts.

They begin a side conversation as I wonder how I’m going to tell Gwen that this guy is a loser. I look up and catch him staring at me. His eyes look almost black in this light.

He holds up his beer in silent cheers and then finishes draining the pint. I wonder for a moment if he’s on drugs. His behavior isn’t outright rude, but he’s definitely toeing the line of normal social boundaries.

I focus on Gwen and Theo for the rest of dinner. They seem to be getting along well. Every once in a while, Johnny will lean into her, kiss her cheek or throw an arm around her. There’s no affection there, though. It’s as if she’s a prop on his arm.

As we are finishing up our cappuccinos after dinner, there’s a commotion at the front of the restaurant. We see a few police officers rush past the hostess stand, and then Wyatt comes rushing in.

My eyes bug out of my head and my heart starts beating fast. What’s he doing here? He sees me and heads straight for our table. This is not going to go well.

“Millie. Are you OK?” he asks as he reaches our table.

Theo stands up quickly, nose-to nose with him. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Wyatt pushes him back slightly. “I got a call.”

“What do you mean ‘you got a call’?”