A Girl's Guide to Fairy Tales

Chapter Eight (part 1)

Chapter Eight - Sophie

I ran my finger down the menu, which I knew off by heart seeing as I had helped Tom decide what to put on it.

‘Is that everything then?’ asked the waiter, who thankfully I’d never seen before. I’d eaten at Eden twice since the official opening seven months ago, once with Tom and his parents and again with my family. As a result there were only a few members of staff I recognised, which was quite convenient as it would help me remain incognito. However, it did make it rather difficult to spot Bitch Face, aka Michelle Pattison-Jones, who could have been any one of the three women I had seen strutting around already.

‘Is that everything Miss?’ the young waiter asked.

‘Erm, yes thank you,’ I replied with a false smile handing him the menu.

‘Merci monsieur,’ Issie added in an overtly sexy French accent. The poor guy didn’t really know where to look as she jiggled her breasts at him. He dropped his head and began reading back our order but Clare was the only one of us paying any attention.

‘Sophie, what’s with all the secrecy? Are you trying to surprise Tom or something?’ Issie asked with her eyes still fixed on the blushing waiter. She leant forwards, resting her chest on her hands to make her breasts look even fuller. He turned and walked away without a glance, leaving Issie looking a little affronted.

I grabbed the water jug and began to pour. The ice cascaded into my glass, splashing water over my salmon pink silk blouse. ‘Sure, something like that.’

I took a gulp to lubricate my Sahara-like mouth before staring at the three gold, teal and magenta pillar candles burning in the centre of our table, a colour theme which ran throughout the dining area. A colour theme Tom and I had picked together.

‘Sophie,’ Issie whispered sharply. ‘Are you going to tell us what this is about or are we going to play guessing games? And why did you order the lamb? You hate lamb.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I said shaking myself out of my trance. ‘It’s just – well...’ The words stuck in my throat and I sipped some more water. ‘There’s a girl that works here.’ I took another swig, this time of the merlot Maddie had just finished pouring for herself. ‘And I just have this feeling that...’

Issie’s hand shot to her pale pink sparkling lips before I could finish the sentence, Maddie’s mouth dropped and Clare, who had heard it all already, remained motionless.

Issie exhaled as if it were her last breath. ‘Tom? Tom Anderson? But he would never, I mean he would never –’

‘Dunk his bourbon in another brew?’ Maddie finished.

‘Sensitive Maddie, real sensitive,’ Issie said rolling her eyes.

‘I only say it like that because the very idea of Tom cheating on Sophie is ludicrous!’