Love hurts

Chapter six (6) The restaurant tussle

'What did you just say?' Nicole screamed.

A girl who was a year younger stared at the clique of three. 'I lost my bracelet when I bumped into Kaitlyn,' she aid, her voice shaky and scared.

'What the hell!!!' You couldn't carry out such a simple task without an hitch,' Nicole said. 'what makes you think we couldn't do it ourselves?' She asked. 'We just didn't want this linked to us, that's why i gave you this task and you messed up'.

'I am sorry, I just didn't ...,' the frightened girl said.

'Enough!!!' You are suspended from the cheer leading team for two months,' Nicole snapped, 'c'mon girls let's get out of here,' she added.

'Please I am so sorry,' the girl pleaded grabbing Nicole's hand.

'What's the point in been sorry, after the pot has been broken, just hope the owner of the pot never asks of it,' Nicole said.

'Just hope she doesn't find out!!!' She added referring to Kaithlyn as she yanked her hand off.

**********

Kaithlyn had boarded the bus to get home just as she had always done since she began school, meanwhile the limousine trailed on behind the bus.

Kaitlyn's home was down town, the bus only reached the junction, it was like a slope down area going down home was fast but walking up was the hard part.

'I think we should wait here,' the driver in the white limo said.

'Why?' Asked Richard, it had been his plan was to watch her and find out if his assumptions were right or wrong.

'Firstly I think a car such as this would attract attention should we go any further,' the driver said.

'But what if she takes another route when leaving?' Richard asked. 'I don't think so, because secondly this is the only way out of this place,' the driver answered.

'I just hope you are right jack,' Richard said.

'I'm, but why are you doing this?' Jack asked, 'don't tell me you have fallen for her,' he added jokingly.

'Oh come off it Jack, I am no longer the Playboy you used to know,' Richard said. 'Really, so why are we following her when we are meant to be at home?' said Jack.

'I just need to find out something about her,'

'By saying her, what's her name if I may ask,' said Jack.

'Kaitlyn, and I am serious about not been a play boy anymore,' Richard answered.

'Kaithlyn, just like Katherina remember her? Your last girlfriend before you left...' Jack said smiling.

'Don't go there jack, please,' Richard cuts him short laughing.

Then both of them laughed, although Richard was a few years younger than Jack, they both get along well. To Richard, he was like an older brother he never had, he never thought of him as an ordinary driver, but as a best friend who knew all his secrets.

'Oh here she comes,' jack said suddenly, she had what looked like a lunch pack with her.

'She looks different, you know why?' Richard asked.

'You are used to seeing her hair in ponytails, now she has combed her hair down,' answered Jack. 'Wait!, I know that restaurant,' he added.

'What restaurant?' Richard asked.

'The restaurant were they wear that vest, and look at the badge on the left,' Jack answered. Kaitlyn was actually putting on a vest, a check coloured type, which had a badge reading "Gousteau's Restaurant".

'And how do you know that?' Richard asked surprised.

'I go out remember, and I have taken your dad there once or twice, it's a really fancy and exotic restaurant,'Jack explained.

'How come she works there, is Nicole's Dad involved in this too,' Richard thought.

'So where to now?' Jack asked.

'Do you remember the Peterolli's who invited us for dinner about two weeks ago?' Richard asked.

'The Peterolli's?' Jack said trying to remember, 'oh, I remember!, they had a really big house almost like ours,'

'Wait! Don't tell me you are hitting on their daughter too,' he added jokingly.

'Of course not!' Richard exclaimed.

'Are you sure,' Jack said. Kaithlyn was about boarding a bus, when Richard looked at her direction. 'Let's go now jack,' and they zoomed off to Nicole's house, Richard hoping he was right. They arrived at Nicole's house earlier because the bus Kaitlyn boarded had to stop at some point to let passengers get off.

'Okay, if you are not hitting on Nicole, then what are we doing here?' Jack asked.

'It's kind of hard to explain,' Richard replied looking confused.

'Oh wait, are we here because of Kate?' Jack asked again.

'What do you mean by that ?' Richard said surprised, wondering how Jack knew. 'You remember when we were tracing Kaitlyn home, and I suggested we waited at the junction, you said you wouldn't know if she took another route, so all this are related right?' Jack explained.

'Okay, you're right, but let me explain,' Richard said, but then paused and looked surprised.'I am waiting for your explanation,' Jack said.

'Look! I was right, katty is the mystery girl, she is going into Nicole's house,' Richard exclaimed. Jack looked towards the huge gate, Kate rang the bell twice, the gate opened and she went it.

'What do you mean by mystery girl?' Jack asked looking all confused on what was going on, Richard then decided to narrate everything to Jack, how he had suspected Kaitlyn to be the mystery girl.

'Oh seriously!' Jack had said after listening to Richard's explanation, 'but what is the need for all this?' Jack asked.

'What do you mean?' Richard asked also looking puzzled. 'I mean why is it so important for you to find out if Kaitlyn is the mystery girl? And if you were right what difference would it make?'

Richard looked blank, 'I never really thought about that you know, but all that isn't important now, we need to get to the restaurant'.

'Why?' Jack asked.

'Just to confirm if I was right,' Richard answered. 'Alright then, if you say so,' jack said starting the car. Of course they got to the restaurant before Kaitlyn, so they waited in the car till she arrived. The restaurant was a big one also exotic, you could tell from the park alone.

A few minutes had gone by before Kaitlyn arrived. 'What do you say to a snack, Jack? You know I am actually hungry, so why don't we go in,' Richard said.

'We?' Jack said surprised.

'Yes we, hope no problem?' Richard asked.

'No problem except of course one problem,'

'Meaning,'

'I don't want to be a barrier between you and your girlfriend, so I will stay here,' Jack said laughing.

'She is not my girlfriend Jack' Richard said.

'Well you haven't told me why you really want to find out if Kaitlyn is the mystery girl, so I'm guessing you have a crush on her,' jack said.

'Whatever, i would soon be back,' Richard said as he took off his tie and jacket, then rolled up his sleeves.

Then he walked into the restaurant, he sat at an empty table, looking at the menu list,he was looking around hoping to see Kaitlyn, and when he did see her, he pretended not to notice and place an order.

'Excuse me,'he said knowing it would be Kaitlyn. 'Please can I have a...,' he was going to say when Kaitlyn cuts him short.

'Richard, what are you doing here?' She asked surprised to see him. 'Oh, Kaitlyn!' He replied pretending to be shocked, 'I was just having a ride around town, and decided to have lunch here,'he explained.

'So back at you, what are you doing here?' He asked her.

'What does it look like I'm doing?' She answered smiling. 'But why do you work here?' He asked again.

'Why do you always ask silly questions, I work here because I need the money,'she replied still smiling. 'So what are you going to order?' She asked.

'Well two double milkshakes, chicken hamburgers and chips,' he said. 'Okay then I would get that,' she said as she left to get the order.

And as he sat at the table expecting his order to arrive, the words "I need the money" kept ringing in his ears, it took quite a while for the order to be arranged since it was a take away pack. Richard watched as Kaitlyn came out from behind the counter, the bill in her hand and the order in a lovely package in the other hand.

All of a sudden there was a bump with so much force that Kaitlyn was left sprawling on the floor, and the order so messed up. Richard stood up, looking startled and surprised even katty was shocked on how she ended up on the floor.

And when she looked up to see who had bumped into her, the shock on her face deepened as Nicole stood tall above her, a mocking smile on her face.

Richard could only see the side of who ran into katty, so he walked towards her, the whole ruckus attracted others, and another waitress came over.

'We are so sorry about this,' the waitress apologized to Nicole.

'Don't you think you are attending to the wrong person?' Richard said. Startled at who had spoken, Nicole turned around to see Richard, she was surprised.

'What are you doing here?' She asked. Even Richard was surprised to see that it was Nicole who ran into katty.

'What does one come to do in a restaurant, Nicky,' he answered sarcastically.

Nicole smiled, 'what a perfect timing,' she thought. 'Well it seems you've come to have lunch, so you should be at the table and not involved in matters that doesn't concern you,'she said smiling.

'Whatever is happening here is my business, since its my order you just messed up,' Richard replied disgusted.

'I messed up!' Nicole exclaimed, 'she ran into me and not I into her,' she added.

'I think it's the other way round, I saw you Nicole,' Richard said trying to defend Kaitlyn.

'I think that's your delusion,' Nicole replied.

'She is right,' said two girls who came out of nowhere, of course it was Brittany and Lydia. 'What do you expect, they are her friends,' Richard explained to the other waitress.

'But it's three against one,'the waitress replied.

'There is no need for all this argument, let's ask Kate what really happened, she is the one who got hit anyway, right?' Nicole said.

Then all eyes fell on Kaitlyn, who was now cleaning the mess on her dress. Kaitlyn had been in such a situation before, where Nicole made her decide her fate.

'I was the one at fault, I wasn't thinking straight so I bumped into her, I am sorry,' Kaitlyn said. 'I would get someone to clean this up,' she said and left.

What she said shocked Richard, Nicole only smiled. 'You heard her right, you shouldn't have sided her,' Nicole said smiling as she walled towards a table together with Lydia and Brittany, who were laughing.

Richard walked back to his table still surprised, a cleaner came and cleared up the mess and in a few minutes Kaitlyn came back with another pack.

'Here's your order, and also the bill,' she said.

'And who I'd gonna pay for the one that got messed up?' He asked her.

'That would be me ,' she replied.

'But why did you lie Kate, you know fully well that she was the one who bumped into you,' Richard said.

'And so, what difference does it make if I say the truth, don't you get why she is doing this? You have been my friend longer than she expected, and what happened today is just the least of what she can do , so I'm begging you, stay away from me, don't interfere in whatever happens to me,' she said then left the table.

Richard was so shocked, he felt hurt, so he just paid the bills, including the one that got messed up and left. Nicole and co smiled on their seats, 'I guess our work here is over,' she said.

Jack saw Richard get into the car looking pissed off, 'what is the matter?' He asked.

'Can we not talk about it right now, please,' Richard answered.

'Alright, but think of what to tell your mom when we get home cause she has been calling my number like crazy,' Jack joked. And so they left the restaurant heading home, Richard's heart in a turmoil.