For Me?

Dinner

P.O.V Thomas

After several emails and a Zoom call made, he truly felt exhausted. He peered at the clock on his screen and grimaced. It was 6:30pm and he had an almighty headache from hours sitting in one position. But he needed to catch up and sort out some meetings, but the grimace wasn't just at the pain but at the thought that in 30 minutes he would be prompted by his father to be ready for our first "family" dinner. This in itself felt like another meeting and not just a show for the old man. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes for what felt like only seconds and was roused by the knocking at the study door. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was now 7:10pm. He groaned and walked on stiff legs to the door and was surprised to see Aila was the one at the door.

"Dinners ready, your father asked me to check on you"

He nodded and offered his arm to her for her to take. She looked as if she was about to dismiss it but instead slipped her arm through his. It almost felt like she wasn't even there. The way her arm was lying somewhat on my arm was like it had no weight on it.

"Thank you for coming to get me. We'll go now."

And he walked with her towards the kitchen, and was surprised to see that there was nothing set, and, as if she knew what he was thinking, began to speak.

"Your father wanted to have dinner on the patio as it's a warm night and he wanted to enjoy the cool breeze while eating"

Thomas nodded but felt irritated. He was exhausted and this impromptu change of dinner plans was grating on him. He wanted to have a quick pleasant meal and head to bed so that he could get a good rest before cracking on with more of his work. But, as per usual, he knew his father had something up his sleeve.

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P.O.V David

"Ah there you both are! I was about to send out the search committee"

He beamed happily but noted the disinterested look of his son and the plain look on Aila's face. Well, he could try, couldn't he? They didn't realise that this marriage would be the making of them, or so he very much hoped. He had watched his son be a playboy. But he knew he had a strong work ethic and his mother and I were extremely worried that he would end up working himself into a very lonely grave. When Beverly had decided on a last will and testament, the condition was that if he hadn't found a wife by the time one of us had died, then he would marry Aila. More to save the young girl but to somehow open their sons' very closed heart.

"Aila dear, would you care to grace an old fool by sitting near me ?"

Aila blushed slightly and looked at Thomas to ask for approval, and he nodded and walked her to the chair next to his father and pulled the chair out, waited for her to be seated and helped to tuck her in.

"Thank you" she said with a small smile. But it all but seemed lost on his son.

He watched his son begin to pour a glass of wine for each of them before sitting down and beginning to eat. This wasn't awkward at all, so he cleared his throat and started what he hoped would be a conversation that would break the tension that was obviously there.

"So Aila dear, what plans do you have for tomorrow?"

With a fork speared with food about to go into her open mouth, she took a moment to think.

"I.. Um.. I'm sorry, but I hadn't really thought about what to do. I wouldn't mind, however, a few suggestions of things around here that could be done?"

Then, popping the food in her mouth, she chewed away. He wanted to smile at how well she spoke, like all she had been taught was to speak in a way that left no room for error.

"Well dear, there are some stables just over the fields that we own. If you have ever ridden before, it's a good time of year to do so and a great opportunity to see the fields around here."

He saw her eyes light up at the prospect and she nodded with a smile while continuing to eat. He now turned his attention to his son.

"Thomas my boy, what will be your plans and please tell me it's to escort your lovely wife to the stables?"

Thomas coughed as he had taken the wine down the wrong hole and he tried to side glare at his father, who innocently started eating his own meal.

"Actually, father, I have some work to catch up on, and another meeting in the afternoon. I unfortunately cannot reschedule this. Maybe you can take Aila."

A flicker of disappointment seemed to graze the girl's face but she smiled. She had started to sip the wine and looked off into the distant darkness that was slowly coming into the garden.

"Yes, that would be a wonderful idea. Who else would know the grounds better than you?"

Between them they had thwarted his plans, or so they thought. He was old, yes, but not dim. He would not have the two of them avoiding each other.

"Oh well, that is a pity, son. I have a doctor's appointment and I would hate for Aila to have her hopes brought up to be sadly dashed. I'm sure with your rapport, you can swing something so that you can atleast spare your wife an hour or two of your time"

He felt smug about this, very smug indeed, and he knew he had won when his son had decided to down the wine and glare at him over the rim of the glass. He feigned ignorance of this and pulled a slight frown to show how he felt about not being able to go.

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P.O.V Aila

As far as dinners went this was a new one for her, she felt like an observer of a battle of wills between the two men. She had never ridden a horse but the prospect of being able to explore really did appeal. But she felt like a piece of fruit being passed between them.

"Honestly, Mr Scott, it's not bother, I can easily find my way and I could do with beng able to take my time. I would feel awful if I were the cause of a disruption to Thomas's work."

I smiled sweetly and knew that I had helped Thomas escape his father's intentions, but also avoided an uncomfortable situation of making small talk with Thomas, who looked very eager to be as far from me as he could muster. I felt a little sad because although marriage hadn't been my idea I did't see why we couldn't just try to be amicable.

"Besides, would you not want to have company to the doctors? I hope it is nothing serious."

Thomas looked taken aback as if he hadn't even twigged that his father had a real doctor's appointment, but Mr Scott smiled.

"You are far too sweet Aila, please do call me Dad or David, we do not need to be so formal when we are family, dear girl."

He was so welcoming and warm and she felt so comfortable with him, it hadn't taken her long to grow fond of him. David and Thomas had almost near the exact same features. David had dustings of gray in his once dark hair and some very faint signs of old age began to appear on his face, but he had softer, friendlier features than his son, who seemed to lack the ability to even acknowledge those around him.

"Thank you David, but would you mind if I accompanied you on your appointment unless it is too personal?"

He patted my hand. And it was a nice but odd feeling to have someone being so nice.

"It is just a check. You don't get to my age without a few war wounds."

He had a hearty chuckle and it brought a pang of pain to her heart. She had never really had a father and she was enjoying this feeling that he wanted to father her.

"If you wish, dear girl, I am more than happy to have your company and I will take you to the stables after."

Thomas was eating his food while this interaction was taking place. He was happy to have been forgotten. Swallowing the last piece of food, he soon piped up.

"Aila please let me know what gets said about his health. It is maybe a checkup but he does tend to believe he is invincible."

I giggled when I saw David stick his tongue out at his son like a child. It felt nice to laugh and to see such light-hearted behaviour, and she swore she saw a small smile crack on Thomas's lips. But it soon disappeared when he saw that she was smiling towards him, which then quashed her own smile. They had all finished dinner and David excused himself to go to bed early and said he would meet me at 8:30 am at the front door to go to the doctor's. With that, he kissed my cheek and nodded to his son.

He had left me and Thomas to tidy away the mess that dinner had made and we did so in an uncomfortable silence. After having such a lovely meal with his father, this cold atmosphere made me shiver.

"cold? I should probably close the patio doors"

He didn't wait for a response but closed the doors, locking them and drawing the curtains closed. That action had made the room seem darker and smaller. Suddenly I felt trapped, that small event made me feel awfully claustrophobic and soon it all went black.