Chapter 10

Reverie was a unique restaurant and popular spot for the youth of Moonward Bay. Its menu included items from England, France, Germany, and Italy, and its décor was designed to provide a sense of privacy for its patrons.

              “Welcome.” The hostess smiled as they approached her. “Booth, table, or private room?” She asked them.

              “A private room, please.” Nikki smiled at her. She nodded and then grabbed two menus.

              “Follow me.” The hostess said as she led them through the restaurant. The restaurant had tables and booths before it transformed into a hallway with sliding doors. “Here you are.” The hostess slid a door open to reveal a small room with a table for two hidden from the rest of the restaurant.

              “Thank you.” Nikki smiled as she and Thorn sat down. The hostess put the menus on the table before excusing herself.

              “What’s with the hidden room?” Thorn asked as he grabbed his menu.

              “The restaurant caters to the business district nearby; it offers reservations to these private rooms for business dealings,” Nikki explained.

              “And here I thought it was simply a popular spot for the local youth.” He chuckled.

              “It is.” Nikki blinked. “They don’t restrict who can request a private room.” She said with a wink.

              “You act like you have firsthand experience with this fact.” He said with a raised eyebrow.

              “Haha.” Nikki laughed as she turned her attention to her menu. Thorn felt a pang of jealousy in his chest as he realized he had hit the nail on the head. He grumbled at the thought of Nikki using a private room to make out with someone other than him.

              “Ah…stupid.” He scowled at his thoughts again. Thorn knew he was a jealous person, but he and Nikki were not even in that kind of relationship. “Troublesome.” He mumbled about his behavior towards the beautiful young woman.

              “You mumble and grumble so much,” Nikki complained. “And it’s always self-deprecating.”

              “Ah, yes. I am not good at positive self-talk.” Thorn replied.

              “It's amazing to learn that someone as successful as you can still be so hard on themselves.” She commented.

              “Success has nothing to do with self-esteem, I suppose.” He told her. Nikki nodded in agreement. Thorn decided to change the topic. “Do you still want to talk to me about your anxiety?” He asked.

              “Yeah…” Nikki sighed as she put her menu down. She stared intently at him momentarily before asking, “How long have you lived in Moonward Bay?”

              “Oh? Um, six years.” Thorn revealed.

              “Then you would not have heard my name all over the news almost eight years ago,” Nikki told him. He looked at her with wide eyes.

              “Why was your name all over the news?” He asked.

              “…” Nikki frowned as she gathered the courage to answer him. “Because…” She took a deep breath. “My mother tried to kill me, and I…I testified against her for the murder of my brother in court.” She revealed. Thorn stared at her silently as he processed what she had just told him. He put his menu down as he saw the turmoil of emotions swirling in her gray eyes like the storm clouds of a hurricane.

              “That must have been traumatizing for you.” He said softly as he reached out and took her hand in his. Nikki shook slightly as she tried to keep her composure.

              “The courtroom…” She trembled. “…it was because of having to testify in that horrible courtroom that I…”

              “It’s alright, darling,” Thorn said as he squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to say anymore.” He assured her. Nikki looked at him with teary eyes. Thorn instinctually reached out and cupped her face. An overwhelming desire to comfort her temporarily threw his carefully set boundaries out the window.

              “I’ll stay by your side, crowd or not.” He promised. Just then, their waitress appeared.

              “Oh! Sorry for interrupting.” She apologized as she turned away, thinking she had interrupted a moment between lovers.

              “It’s fine,” Thorn said as he pulled away from Nikki. “Ready to order?” He asked her.

              “Y-yeah.” Nikki nodded. The waitress looked at them sweetly as she took their orders.

              “I’ll be right back with your drinks.” She smiled at them as she took their menus and darted out of the room. Nikki sniffled as she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie.

              “I’m surprised they have shepherd's pie here,” Thorn told her, trying to change the subject back to a lighter topic.

              “Their British pudding is pretty good, too,” Nikki stated.

              “Is that its official name?” He teased.

              “It’s just a cake they call British pudding.” She laughed lightly. “I don’t know if it’s a British dish.” She admitted.

              “How about we order some for dessert when the waitress returns?” Thorn offered as he reached out and retook her hand in his. Nikki blushed at the comforting gesture.

              “Your treat?” She teased him.

              “My treat, " he confirmed. The two of them then began discussing Nikki’s first two days of classes and how she had liked the university so far.

              As he spoke to her, Thorn made a mental note to research when he returned home. Hearing Nikki tell him that she had such a horrible past only made him want more answers. He knew, though, that pressing her for those answers was not the right thing to do. If the case had been on the news in the past, he could get all his answers by researching. Thorn was also aware that he was not going to like what he learned, but if it gave him more insight into the beautiful young woman sitting across from him, he was going to have to suck it up.

              “Your order.” The waitress returned with their food and set their plates on the table.

              “Yes!” Nikki cheered as she looked at the stuffed pasta shells she had ordered. “It’s been so long since I’ve had this dish!” She bounced in her seat as she grabbed her fork.

              “Can you add an order of the British pudding for our dessert?” Thorn asked the waitress before she left.

              “Of course. I will put the order in now, so it will be ready when you finish your entrees.” She smiled at him.

              “Thank you.” Thorn nodded before turning his attention back to Nikki. The waitress smiled as she momentarily paused to admire the cute couple. She nearly swooned at the way Thorn looked at Nikki.

              “Enjoy.” She told them as she walked out of the room. Nikki and Thorn did not notice her leaving as they were too busy enjoying each other's company.