Chapter 705: One Step Forward
I felt like this has all happened before in a ti, in a place, not too long ago.
Mrs. Collins’s accusations, questions, almost threw off as to how similar they were to a certain trio of color-coded super sleuths’ astute observations. In fact, forget similarities, this was teetering on plagiarism actually.
Blue claid that I was handso enough, Green indicated that I was witty enough, and finally Red kindly pointed out that I was as caring as can be with all three ultimately ending up at the sa profound mystery as to why out of all the caring, witty and handso n in the world, I managed to be the one lucky guy coming out of the raffle box.
Now here I was, as if I was stuck in a long endless loop of uncertainty and doubts with the sa exact questions thrown to my face again and again.
I suppose this is what I get for dating way above my league. Put soone like next to amazing individuals like Amanda and Irene... only natural people would start asking questions.
Everything’s simply superficial, the building blocks of every human interaction since the dawn on this earth. Man, we truly do live in a society, don’t we?
It’s no biggie though... just simply ans I gotta show both Mom and Dad here that I was truly more than what I seem at first impressions.
.....
“Forget it, Mom,” Amanda warned firmly, giving her mother a look that’d fit well on Sammy whenever our mom was up to her hijinks. “He ca here to et you two and have dinner... not to be interrogated like he’s a prisoner of war.”
“As if he wasn’t already aware just what he was signing up for,” Mrs. Collins scoffed. “My sweet little girl is having a fling with so boy... what kind of parent wouldn’t bat an eye to that kind of information?”
“And without our knowledge at that,” Mr. Collins muttered, wiping his lips with a napkin, holding a weighty stare towards presumably for the intimidation factor. “If nothing’s wrong, there’s nothing to hide. But seeing as we’re only just recently finding out...”
“I didn’t tell you guys because this is exactly what I was afraid of,” Their daughter wearily gave a sigh. “Do you think I want whatever guy I choose to date to think you guys are total maniacs or sothing?”
“I don’t think you guys are maniacs,” I blurted out in the midst of things and inadvertently placing myself in center focus. “A bit intimidating, a bit finicky, sure... but it’s not like I’m gonna dine and dash just ’cause you start laying on a bit of pressure.”
“Finicky?” Mr. Collins raised a brow at .
“In the best way possible, of course,” I quickly clarified. “My point is, your daughter ans the absolute world to , and if you all have to strip bare first before you can believe when I say that... then the choice it’s pretty much a no-brainer, isn’t it?”
Even that alone took quite a lot of to spout, bravado-wise, especially in such a silent atmosphere where you could hear the faint hums of the fluorescent lights.
But that seed to have done the trick sowhat. Amanda leaned back in her seat, mollified if a little mortified, and both parents began to eye with a little more consideration than they had before.
“ans the world to you,” The dad was the first to break the silence, stabbing his lamb with enough force to strike the plate beneath. “You’ve only just started dating. A bit of an overstatent, don’t you think?”
“At least we know he’s quite eager about it,” His wife remarked to him, before addressing with a sideways smile. “And that’s never a bad thing...”
“Are you done yet?” Amanda impatiently, grumpily asked. “If you’re not gonna listen, just say you aren’t so I can finally stop bothering to ask.”
“Alright, alright, no more personal questions,” Mrs. Collins relented, before adding with an Amanda-like smirk, “For the ti being, at least.”
And so we wined and dined without any more noteworthy incident since. Both Mom and Dad continued to sneak in glances at here and there throughout the rest of dinner though, as they sip, as they as they ate, as they talk, it was like they were assessing my every minute movent on top of my personality.
I did my best to pay no mind to it, joining in on discussions whenever I thought necessary, casually-not-so-casually filling their depleted glasses to the brim as soon as I saw they were empty, and generally doing all I could to show I’ve graduated the course of tableside manners.
But even then, that didn’t seem to thaw the frigid ice wall between us three. There was no click, no understanding. They’d smile at , they’d express their sincere thanks, yet alas in their eyes they still only saw the silhouette of a guest... so outside that did not at all belong.
Not yet, anyway...
Then when it finally ca ti to clear up our empty dishes, all filled and brimming at the waist, I continued to put my best foot forward.
“Let just take these...” I declared, stacking stained plates and empty bowls as one. “...and I’ll be back in a mont.”
“Ah! No! Don’t you dare take another plate, young man!”
Before I could even raise my head like an alard deer in the Savannah, Mrs. Collins ca swooping in with lightning-fast reflexes, seizing the stack of dishes from my hands and taking them all for herself.
“You’ve shown us just how much of a good boy you can be already. There’s no need to exert yourself, alright?” She said to with all the gentle warmth of a loving mother. “Sit down, take a breather. Just what kind of parents would we be if we let our daughter’s lovely boyfriend do all the work for us? Isn’t that right, honey?”
But Mr. Collins was already halfway across the kitchen, hauling an entire tray of empty glasses towards the sink.
“Amanda, your soap is nearly finished and you have no spare,” He called out over the running cascade of water. “What did I say about always having two in reserve?”
“Grocery shopping’s only tomorrow, Dad,” Amanda begrudgingly explained. “I’ll be sure to get three soaps when I do. Happy?”
Mrs. Collins fondly shook her head at the two of them before whisking off with the plates. “We’ll be done in a second,” and with those parting words, it was just us two left sitting alone at a now extrely empty table.
A brief mont of silence... of respite, if nothing else.
Amanda was looking like she had just word her way through the trenches of a war-torn battlefield, looking gaunt, exhausted, sliding both hands across her face and hair in a vain attempt to clear her stress.
“Well then,” She muttered out, turning towards with a weak smile. “How was, uh... what did you think?”
There were only two ways to interpret that question, and I get this strange feeling she wasn’t inquiring about the food.
“If I tell you your parents are lovely people would that make you feel any better?” I asked.
“Actually I’d just think you’re lying to which would in turn just make feel even worse.”
I smiled at that, reaching down under the table and giving her hand an assuring squeeze. “They’re lovely people, Amanda. I an it.”
“I know you do,” She said, squeezing back. “But being lovely doesn’t an they can’t also be stubborn. You were so nice, so sweet, but for so reason... they’re still not warming up to you.”
Oh? Seems like I wasn’t the only one that sensed that sentint.
“It’s only been one dinner,” I told her. “No such thing as love at first sight, right? Give us so ti.”
“I’m just worried, I suppose,” Amanda said, pondering out loud. “I want them to like you, I really do. But I also know they really, really want the best for , doesn’t matter what it is. And if they don’t think you’ll cut it...”
“Well, if we’re talking about what’s best for you...” I thinned my lips, putting myself in the shoes of a loving, doting parent. “If you lay out my vices and virtues on a table, it’s not as if they’re wrong for thinking that I might not be-”
“Shut up,” She interrupted, staring, scowling as if daring to finish that sentence. “You’re what I want. I don’t care if there really is soone better than you out there. You’re what’s best for . I love you to bits, more than I can ever express, don’t you dare suggest I might be mistaken for it.”
Didn’t need another word to convince otherwise. The look in her eyes was enough to drive halfway across the world from ever touching that line of thinking ever again.
Who knew true love could be so... frightening?
“Sweet pea, where are your car keys?”
The both of us jerked, the both of us raised our eyes forward, and staring right back at us, Mr. Collins lood on the other side of the table, looking as suave and sophisticated as ever.
“My keys?” Amanda blinked at him. “What do you need them for?”
“I’m afraid I cannot consider the night finish until I have a glass of my favorite brand in hand,” He stoically explained. “There’s a bottle in the fridge, I noticed. Nearly finished, sadly,” then slowly, he whirled around at . “I do wonder why that is...”
None of us could co up with a good enough explanation for the mystery. Amanda just silently sat in place, slowly and gradually sinking into her turtleneck, while I just tried not to look too guilty.
Thankfully, he dropped the question not long after, reverting to his first. “So... keys, sweet pea?”
“The dresser. By the door,” Amanda pointed out to him. “Why not just use yours?”
“Because knowing you, you haven’t filled up your gas lately, have you?” Another tense stare followed, and Amanda turtled even deeper into her sweater with a little blush this ti. Mr. Collins could only shake his head.
“I’ll stop by a gas station along the way, get it filled... you can consider it your Christmas gift this year.”
“Hehe, right,” Amanda hung her head. “Thanks, Dad...”
“Don’t ntion it, sweetheart.”
At once, he began to shuffle away, strutting the strut of a man who knows what he’s worth, every action seamless, every movent elegant, he even tossed the keys in the air as he scooped it up, didn’t even need a second glance to swipe it back as it fell.
Indeed, Mr. Collins was smooth as hell.
“Oh, one more thing,” then unlike everything else prior, he crudely jerked to a stop by the door, turning around slowly, rigidly... with that sa silhouette of a stranger reflecting in his stare towards . “I’d like you to co along with . Is that alright?”
Did I say smooth?
Scary seems about right, right now...
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