As I came through a double-wing door, I looked around the familiar restaurant. While my mum was talking to an attendant by the door we just came through, my eyes darted around the room. It still looked the same. Of course, much couldn't change in such a short time.
Soon enough, the attendant took us to the table that Mum, or maybe her boyfriend, had reserved for tonight. As we reached a table with three chairs by the windows, a man, who was sitting there, stood up to greet us.
Now, I could see the man better. He was probably of the same height as my father, and even looked like a decent guy—a gentleman. Mum's type, clearly. However, that was probably where the similarities ended. This man had longer brown-black hair and light-coloured eyes, I guessed blue.
As I was absorbing everything I could about the new person, Mum exchanged greetings with him. Although it looked like they were just being careful. Most likely because of me.
"You must be Sidney," the man said to me in a form of greeting, stretching out his hand, which I accepted.
"Nice to meet you… sir."
Henry-guy actually laughed, hearing my words, and my mum did too as we awkwardly stood by the table before he spoke to me, again, "Just Henry will do."
Nodding, I watched Henry help my mum as he pushed her chair while I sat down on my own, feeling quite weird about these two lovebirds. Was I supposed to talk like that when it was my own parent? I guess not.
Soon after, our waiter came with the menus, waiting for us to order something to drink. My eyes wandered over the offer while I was thinking whether some water would be enough or not. But as I was still choosing, the couple had already ordered, to which I heard Henry add a proposal for three wine glasses. I raised my eyebrow at that in a quiet question.
"Oh, right. Does Sidney like red wine?" Henry asked, which made me look at my mum. She just shrugged but I still planned to get some water too, for safety.
After our waiter left to get us our beverages, I turned the pages of the menu to the meals. I wasn't sure if I wanted some pasta, like last time, or something… with more meat. The steak sounded delicious, and I could be sure that here, it would most definitely be.
"So, how's school?" Henry asked after the waiter left with the order.
Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked up at the guy. School talk was boring and annoying for sure, but I had to admit that he was trying. Whatever it was. And so, for his own good, I just shrugged, "It's alright."
From then on, they started a conversation on their own while, from time to time, they tried to make me get involved. Although I didn't really want to. Listening was enough as the topic was not something I was interested in—just boring adult talk.
"I need to go to the lavatory," I announced while standing up. Mum only nodded as a sign of acknowledgment at my words.
With the help of the signs on the long, dark wall of the restaurant, I found my destination. There was only one old woman, who was washing her hands as I went across the room into one of the nicely looking stalls.
At that moment of almost complete silence, I realised there was music playing, probably throughout the whole restaurant. It slightly sounded like jazz now, but I wasn't really sure as I knew only the energetic kind, if that was even a thing, which the played one wasn't. I should really look it up sometime.
I wasn't any expert in music, or in anything, but I liked these… not modern, very famous pop songs. Jazz was really relaxing, just like slow rock or classical music. Well, about the latter, it was more like bringing a new amount of emotions to life.
As I went out to the sink to clean my hands, I saw someone entering one of the stalls and leaving it open. A cleaner who seemed quite familiar. Although she didn't seem like the worker I already kind of knew.
Soon enough, I exited the lavatory and went back to our seats; where Mum and Henry seemed deeply invested in their conversation. I smiled a little at them as I sat down at the table and looked in the direction of the kitchen. I knew that cooking for the almost full restaurant took a long time, but I really wanted to have my dinner at that moment as I had nothing else to do. I felt like a third wheel. Oh, wait… I was one.
Our waiter appeared with our dinner not long after, which brought my mood up a little. It looked just as nice as the last time, and very tasty.
"Sidney," I heard Henry call out my name, to which I looked up from the plate in front of me. The food looked so delicious that I wanted to devour it right at that moment. "I heard you play the piano."
Furrowing my brows, I shifted my gaze to Mum, who just shrugged. They both were probably just trying to make me a part of the conversation, or it was simply Henry trying to get to know me. Both were pretty much understandable, however, I still felt like a third wheel.
"Yeah, a little."
I wasn't great at playing as it wasn't my hobby. It was my mother's, and I had just learnt as she used to teach me from a young age. Playing was relaxing, but it wasn't… for me in a deeper sense. Not really.
"Great."
"Uh, and you play something else or just cello?" I asked as we were already there anyway. Cutting my steak, I looked down at my plate, which was pretty colourful thanks to all kinds of vegetables.
When I looked up again, my mum was smiling happily, seeing us getting along. I was happy for her, for sure. However, this conversation sounded more like an interrogation—just so weird for some reason. I definitely wasn't planning to bring anyone home in case my parents would pull this move.
"I used to play violin in high school."
I nodded at his answer and continued eating my food. It was indeed delicious, but I was sure that we could get something really tasty in a cheaper place, too. What do people have with expensive restaurants? I mean—people with money. And we weren't even that rich, I think.
"Your mother told me you're thinkin' about law school," Henry suddenly said—or more like asked, causing me to stop in the middle of chewing, "Stayin' in your parents' footsteps, I see."
My mum smiled, "At least if you make a good name for yourself, you can become very successful."
"Only reason I'm gonna head this way," I shrugged, which made both of them chuckle. I mean, it is understandable, right? Money was crucial even though some people said otherwise. It could bring happiness and power. And so much more.
Later that evening, Henry took us to the artists' den. I had to admit I liked the place very much. There were some people around as the three of us made our way through the lightly coloured hallway, but not many, considering the time of the day.
My eyes went from one detail to another, from the marble pillars to the high, white ceiling, and then to the dark stairs in front of us, where my mum and Henry were headed next. After looking around the ground floor for the last time, I quietly followed them upstairs.
There were even fewer people up there. Only the three of us walked through the hallway. I still wasn't listening to my mum's conversation with Henry as I looked around the floor. However, as I listened to the almost complete silence, I realised that we weren't completely alone in here. I could hear some music playing lightly from somewhere nearby.
I looked around, still seeing no one else. My gaze fell on the two lovebirds in front of me. They weren't even paying any attention to me. And so, I curiously walked over to the wall, trying to find the door to where the sound of the piano was coming from.
And there it was: a slightly opened wooden door, from which the melancholic music seemed to be coming. Glancing once more at my mother and her boyfriend, I pushed my hands in the pockets of my new, and first-ever suit. They were now a few steps ahead of me, still deep in their conversation. Turning my head back to the door, I lifted my hand and pushed the door open a little more.
The music got louder as I tilted my head to the side so I could see the inside of the room better. There was only one person—the one playing the piano. Since I didn't make any loud noise, the dirty blonde girl stayed oblivious to her surroundings and kept on playing.
Once again, I looked around the room to see if anything was interesting. The older design obviously was, but my attention fell back on the girl whose face—thanks to her position—I couldn't see. Curiosity crept up on me, even though there was no possibility of me knowing her. She played really well, on a high level—like a professional pianist.
I took in her looks. She wasn't dressed in formal clothes like me and the two lovebirds in the hallway or some of the people on the ground floor. She was probably one of the kids Henry talked about—the kids who came here to play for some events or something.
She played the last notes of the sad song that sounded rather familiar to me, after which she looked up from the piano and her eyes fell on the opposite wall. Now, I could see her from the side even better. She looked kind of familiar. The hair, their length, and… her face, well, the side I could see. And on top of that, she looked incredibly beautiful.
I furrowed my brows as a certain person—a person who confronted me the other day in one of the classrooms at school—came to my mind. There was obviously a very high chance that I was mistaken. This city had many residents, and I just felt like she looked… familiar.
I shook my head to get the image of the dirty blonde girl from school out of my head and turned to leave, grasping the side of the wooden door to close it a little behind me. I glanced at the part of the corridor where my mum and her partner previously were. I could see them at the end and took a relieved breath. I wanted to go home already.