Compulsion

Compulsion Part 10

Elias and three guests were the last to leave his parents' house. His father and mother had gone ahead, but had left Elias to ensure that all the guests had rides to the restaurant, and to lock up before following them to the restaurant. Elias operated on automatic pilot as he diplomatically rounded up the guests and strategically ushered them into shared cars to make the short trip to the restaurant that they'd booked for the evening. It wasn't an onerous task. But given his frame of mind, it was an inconvenient chore. He had more pressing matters to address. Matters that involved Georgia.

While organising the guests and arranging for all to have rides to the restaurant he had kept an eye out for Georgia and her father. But they had clearly already left. Which just made him even more impatient. He needed to see her. Needed to talk to her. He couldn't stop seeing her tear glazed eyes. And he was surprised by just how much it hurt to see her in tears. He was ready to pulverise who ever had made her cry. But first he needed to find out who that was. He had found himself second-guessing, trying to figure out whether he might have said or done anything to upset her. But he hadn't had a chance to talk to her during the evening, so he was unlikely to have said anything to upset her. Or maybe that was the problem. He hadn't spoken to her, maybe she was upset about that.

It was only once all the guests had left the house that Elias and three friends also set off for the restaurant. But while his friends chatted animatedly as they walked to the car, and even as Elias locked the front door, his mind remained firmly on Georgia as he tried to work out what might have brought her to tears. Elias was worried about her. He was also worried about them. Seriously worried. Their new relationship was still in a fledgling state. Little knocks would hit hard. And where Georgia was concerned, he wasn't sure quite what would count as a little knock or how hard it would hit. With his mind made up he knew that when they got to the restaurant he was going to make sure he had a chance to talk to her, make sure she was ok. Make sure he apologised for anything he had or hadn't done!

Seeing her in tears was heart breaking. In his head Georgia was a strong, stubborn, stroppy woman! But a few minutes ago he'd seen the vulnerable, soft defenceless young woman that lurked beneath the veneer of aloofness that she wore like a second skin.

Elias locked the front door and followed friends who were talking and walking toward the car. Harry was one of his closest friends. Chevonne was currently single but had in the past dated Harry and later dated Elias. Elise was Chevonne's cousin.

Elias used his key fob to unlock the car and then he and his friends climbed in.

"Do you think any of us will ever chalk up fifty years of marriage? I mean, that's some achievement in this day and age, isn't it?" Chevonne asked no one in particular as she settled in her seat and did up her seat belt.

"I wonder what the secret is to a long and happy marriage." Elise murmured as she too reached for her seatbelt and settled into the back seat.

The two men, Harry and Elias shared a look in the rear view mirror and said nothing.

"I don't think there's a secret as such." Chevonne replied totally oblivious to the shared look between the two men.

"Really?" Elise chuckled lightly as she bantered with her cousin. "So what makes a marriage work?"

"Love!" Chevonne said drolly as if that was perfectly obvious.

"And good sex, I imagine. Right guys?" Elise chipped in and then looked over at Harry and prompted, "What guys? No comment?"

"Not if we don't want to get smacked!" Harry teased and relaxed into his seat.

Chevonne looked over her shoulder and quirked a brow at Harry as she challenged, "Have you ever even been in love?"