Visions

BEFORE THE STORM

Chapter 6

Spiky, Alice's dog, he is naughty, though I still like him a lot. He's fun; I enjoy his company. Suddenly, Alice's voice pushes my thoughts away. “We're here.”

Parking the car, we arrive at the Gilded Spoon restaurant. “The view is stunning,” I say to Alice.

We make our way into the restaurant beside the beach and take our seats. Calling the waiter, who comes in seconds, Alice places the order for both of us because she knows what I like, so I leave it to her.

“We would like some buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, a bowl of oatmeal with fresh berries, and two cappuccinos, please. Thank you,” says Alice.

“Your order will be ready in a few minutes, madam. Enjoy your time.”

I say thanks.

Alice startles me with her voice. “Hey, do you know Mr. Gilbert...?”

“Who? Ahmm... I don't remember,” I say.

“Oh God! Don't you remember that library which you often visit for your books? That is owned by Mr. Gilbert.”

“Oh yes, yes, I got it,” I say. “So, what about him?”

“I heard about his son a lot, like he is a scientist but a complete psycho.”

“And from where did you get to know about him?” I say.

“You know Mr. Gilbert and my dad are friends, so I just hear it from the girls. But the girls also praise him quite a lot, like he is a Zeus, you know, most girls' problem. He's charming, blah blah...”

Meanwhile, our lunch arrives, and she says, “Let's dig in.”

“So, what about that Mr. Charming? Do you like him...?” I say.

“Holy s**t! No way. Even if the world falls apart, I would die but not fall for some jerk like him.”

Giving her a smirky look, I say, “You know, I like Nick.”

“Ahmm, he's a true gentleman indeed,” I say while eating my pancakes.

“He's just so much cute. You know, Lisa, the thing I like about him is he is just himself, like funny and always considerate towards his loved ones. He is totally my type.”

“Hmm, that's lovely. Let's see who will be the one asking for a date, you or him,” I say in a teasing tone.

She smiles and says, “Let's see.”

“Let's finish quickly and leave for the beach,” Alice says.

I nod. “Okay.”

Once we are done, we pay the bill and make our way out. As soon as we step out, it's pouring.

I say to Alice, “Someone was saying my plans never fail. Now what?”

She giggles, and seeing her makes me laugh too.

We quickly run towards our black Porsches, get in, Alice starts the engine, and we leave for home.