The Good Wife

16

"What would you like?" The waitress smiles down at Amber.

Amber shifts uncomfortably in her seat, looking up at Arles who was lost into her eyes.

"Can I get the chocolate milkshake?" She questions him.

"Anything you want." He says.

"Anything else?" The waitress questions.

"Can I get something to eat too?" Amber meekly asks him.

"Ofcourse, angel." He smiles.

"Two donuts, please." She says, sliding the menu to him across the table.

"Just an espresso." Arles says, dismissing the waitress.

"Uh, how have you been?" Arles questions with a nervous chuckle.

His eyes raked over her face, she looked pale and weak. Her cheeks were sunken, hair looked dead and she had dropped incredible weight since the last time he saw her.

"Good. You?" Amber nods, secretly admiring the beautiful man in front of her.

"Hmm. You don't remember me, do you?" He smiles at her as her eyes widen.

"I- I'm sorry." Amber sighs.

"We met at the grocery store, you stole my ice cream. Then we met at the party that night, you told me to meet you at the library the next day." Arles explains, as she feels the desperation in his voice to recognize him.

"I. . ." Amber trails off not knowing what to say when she doesn't remember what he's saying.

"You don't remember him?" James who just walked in snarled at her.

Amber flinched back, she was still upset with him for mimicking her stuttering earlier.

"James, stop." Arles glares at James, gesturing him to sit down.

"I'm sorry." Amber whispers.

"That's okay, sweetheart. It's not a huge deal." Arles smiles softly.

Amber relaxes for a moment, smiling back at him. His politeness actually warmed her heart.

The waitress walks back to them, handing Amber her milkshake and donuts. She immediately goes for the milkshake, hurriedly drinking it. She was starving since last night.

"So, you're married?" Arles slowly asks, glancing down at her belly.

Amber sits there silent for a moment, her body buzzing in a weird way as she bites back her words. She was married, most definitely she was.

But, not an inch of it was consensual. She knew Arles would walk out of her life if she told him the truth right now, but something in her wanted him to stay back. If not forever then for a little while.

"No." She says.

Arles tries biting his lips but he wasn't able to hide the smile that broke on his face at her words. His cheeks grow rosy as he looks at her with adoration.
He places his hand on his chin, trying to mask the huge grin on his face.

"You're not? But you're clearly fucking someone." James snaps.

Amber gives him a little glare, turning to Arles who was having a mini celebration on his own.

"James, shut up and walk away." Arles turns to him.

"Arles, let's go. She's not worth it, she's pregnant with someone else, she looks fucking homeless and she stinks of sex. I can smell it and I know you can too." James says, not even trying to hide his words from Amber.