A Cherry Sunset

I sighed as I stepped out of the taxi and straightened my dress. I wasn’t completely opposed to dresses, but I didn’t favor them either. I would have much rather showed up in my jeans and t-shirt. I grinned as I imagined that scene and the look on my mother’s face when she saw me.

Course, that’s not how it happened. I walked into the restaurant and scrunched my nose up as I glanced around. It was a ritzy place, full of tuxedos and cries for attention. I stepped to the front desk and gave them my last name. I was immediately scrutinized, probably because my mother left a note about me, and then instructed to follow a short man to my table.

My mother and father were already sitting with my grandmother. I forced a tight smile as I approached and thanked the man before I took my seat. I imagined Oliver’s face in my head for a moment and my real smile fell into place as I tilted my head.

“Emily, it’s so nice of you to join us for dinner.” My mother’s tone made me sick immediately.

“Nice to see you too, mom.”

“Doesn’t Emily look beautiful, Caroline?” My grandmother used her own motherly tone as she blinked expectantly at my mother. My mother opened her mouth as she shot my grandmother a small glare.

“You do look quite stunning, Emily.” My father interrupted expertly and then smiled. “Does everyone know what they want?”

I snorted and dropped my eyes to the menu in front of me. My father had always been good at diffusing arguments between his wife and his mother. He was never too good at keeping his wife from criticizing me however, but I guess that was what my grandmother was for.

“Stop slouching, Emily. It makes you look like you have a hump in your back.”

I straightened by reflex but rolled my eyes when she couldn’t see me behind the menu. It was going to be a long night and it wasn’t going to get any easier. I pouted as I scanned items and thought about how much I’d rather be back at my hotel room eating room service.

The worst part of my night was when the topic of my love life came up, as it always was.

“So, Emily, did you meet any interesting guys on this tour?” That was my dad’s way of talking about relationships; being ‘interested’ in someone.

“Don’t be ridiculous, George.” My mother smiled. “Emily doesn’t date on tour.” She knew just how to say the words by now to make it sound like an insult, even though it was true. Well, used to be true.

My grandmother grinned proudly. “Actually, Caroline, she does have a boyfriend.”

My heartbeat stopped and then started to race. My palms got sweaty and my throat constricted tightly.

“A boyfriend?” My mother said it like it could never exist.

“A boyfriend.” My father said it like he was amused with the situation.

I hated it.

“His name’s Oliver, isn’t it, Emily?” My grandmother turned to me and gestured for me to talk a little more.

I cleared my throat and ran a hand through my hair. “Yes.” It came out meek and quiet, making my mother raise her eyebrows.

“And his last name?” My father pushed, intrigued.

“Sykes, Oliver Sykes.” I stared down at my plate and examined every noodle on it in detail, hoping for another subject change.

“That doesn’t sound familiar. Where’s he from?”

I bit my bottom lip. “Sheffield.” The more blunt my answers, the better.

“Well, why didn’t you bring him home, Emily? We would have loved to meet him.” My mother finally spoke before she sipped on her glass of wine. I flinched at the thought of her even seeing Oliver.

“He lives overseas.” I shrugged and bit my tongue against the real reason I would never want Oliver to be in California.

“Oh,” the one syllable slipped off her tongue as her lips curled into a smirk. Oh God, how I hated her.

“George’s father and I had distance between us for the first seven months of our marriage.” My grandmother interrupted and my mother rolled her eyes without my father seeing.

“Emily’s not near marriage.”

“She could be. If she wanted.”

“She’s hardly been in the relationship, and those tours are such a shifty place to start a relationship in the first place.”

“I’m sure Emily and Oliver will be fine.” My father cut in again and both women shut their mouths. “You should invite him over next time you visit.” He smiled and nodded and that was it. The subject was dismissed and my mother had to find something else to pick at.

By the time I said goodbye, my head was pounding and my heart was heavy. It didn’t matter how much my grandmother defended me. My mother could always have her way with words. She tore down my own self confidence until all I wanted was to crawl in a bed and stay there for eternity.

I made it to the hotel before a tear actually slipped from my eyes. I scoffed at it and opened the mini bar before I sat down at my laptop. I had a few new messages from Victoria and Jason in my e-mail, but I didn’t bother reading them. Instead, I signed into Skype and prayed Oliver was on.

He wasn’t. I frowned and downed one of the small bottles of vodka without a second thought. It burned and had a nasty taste, but it took some edge off. I drank another few bottles before I finally crawled under the covers with the lights out. It was completely dark and absolutely silent. Until my phone rang.

I grabbed it from the nightstand and answered, trying not to sound as depressed as I felt. “Hello?”

“Emileh? Are yeh alrigh’?”

Warmth spread from my chest to the rest of my body. “Hey Oliver.” I breathed out and smiled. “I’m fine. What are you doing? Isn’t it like three something over there?”

He chuckled. “It’s four.”

“What the hell are you doing awake?”

“Still jet lagged a bit. Haven’t slept a whole nigh’ since we got ‘ere.”

“Really? It’s been like almost two weeks since we left tour.”

“’S a bit different. I’ve been on tour fer almost two years. ‘S ‘arder teh get back teh normal.”

“Right. I forgot about that. How’s your bed feel?”

“Like fuckin’ ‘eaven.” He groaned and I giggled.

“That good, huh?”

“The onleh thing missin’ ‘s yeh, Emmeh.” My cheeks burned. “I told meh mum an’ dad ‘bout yeh. Well, technicalleh ‘s like Tom an’ Decembeh told ‘em.” He chuckled again and it gave me shivers. “They’d like teh meet yeh.”

My stomach turned uneasily before I remembered my evening. “Yeah, my folks want to meet you too. But they’re assholes so it doesn’t really matter what they want.”

Oliver laughed. “I’m sure they’re not as awful as yeh say they are.”

I snorted. “They’re worse, trust me. But you will have to meet my grandmother. She may be a little blunt and in your business, but she means well.”

“I think I can handle whateveh yeh throw at me, love.”

I rolled my eyes and then groaned. “I hate my mother.” I placed my hand on my forehead and frowned. Not even Oliver could fully push away the hurt my mother could inflict in one evening.

“Are yeh alrigh’ Em?” He sounded really concerned and it made my frown deepen. I didn’t want him to be worried about me.

“Yeah, I’m alright Oli.” I let the nickname slip before I could bite my tongue.

“Em,” he started but I cut him off with another sigh.

“I know. I just,” I hesitated as I tried to find the right words. “It’s been like six years since she kicked me out and she still hates me.”

“I doubt she ‘ates yeh.”

“Oh, but she does. And she’s so damn good at pointing out every flaw. It’s like she studies me when I’m not looking and takes notes for later. I hate it. I hate her. Mom’s aren’t supposed to be like that.”

“I’m sure she loves yeh, Emileh. You’re brilliant, in evereh way, and there’s no way she can miss it.”

I smiled dispite myself. “Thanks Oliver.”

“Fer wha’?” I could hear him grinning.

“For being an amazing boyfriend.” I bit my bottom lip as a silence settled between us. It was an icky tension filled moment where I felt like I had to blurt something but tried to keep myself from doing so since usually blurting led to trouble.

Minutes later, Oliver exhaled slowly. “I’ll let yeh go teh sleep, Em. Don’t worreh ‘bout yeh mum.” He warned and I smiled again.

“I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye Oliver.”

“Good nigh’ Emmeh.” The phone clicked and my stomach fluttered around ridiculously. I chewed on my bottom lip as I returned my phone to the nightstand and got comfortable again.

No boy had ever made me feel quite like this.