Page 25 of Sassy & Sixty
Derek nodded, taking a deep breath. "I've been... alright. Working a lot. The world feels empty without..." he trailed off, leaving the "you" unspoken but hanging in the air between them.
Rosie felt a twinge of guilt, quickly followed by a flash of anger. It had been his choice to leave, after all. But before she could dwell on it, the waiter appeared to take their order.
"I'll have the salmon salad," Rosie said, then froze as Derek spoke at the same time:
"She'll have the salmon salad, and I'll take the steak frites."
Their eyes met over the menu, a moment of shared amusement at their synchronicity quickly giving way to awkwardness.
"Sorry," Derek mumbled. "Old habits, I suppose."
As the waiter retreated, Rosie cast about for a safe topic. "Tell me about work then. No plans to retire?"
Derek launched into a story about his latest project, and Rosie found herself relaxing slightly. This was familiar territory - listening to Derek talk about his job, nodding in all the right places. It was almost comforting in its familiarity.
But as Derek spoke, Rosie's mind wandered. She thought of her friends, of the laughter and adventures they'd shared over the past few months. She thought of Mike, of the spark she'd felt on their date. And she realised that while sitting here with Derek was comfortable, it didn't make her heart race the way it once had.
"Rosie? Are you listening?"
Derek's voice snapped her back to the present. "Sorry," she said, flushing slightly. "I was just..."
But before she could finish her sentence, a commotion near the entrance caught her attention. To her horror and amusement, she saw Emma bobbing through the crowd, followed closely by Lisa, Julie, and Catherine.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Rosie muttered under her breath.
Derek turned to see what had caught her attention, his eyebrows rising in surprise.
"Well, I'll be! Rosie, darling, what a coincidence!" said Emma, her voice ringing out across the restaurant.
Rosie closed her eyes briefly, praying for patience. When she opened them, she plastered on a smile. "Emma! What a surprise. What brings you all here?"
Emma grinned, unrepentant. "Oh, you know, just thought we'd come and say ‘hello’. Mind if we join you?"
Without waiting for an answer, Emma pulled up a chair, the others following suit with varying degrees of embarrassment.
Derek looked bewildered but managed a polite smile. "Hello, I'm Derek. Rosie's..."
"Husband," Emma finished for him, her tone making the word sound like an accusation. "Yes, we've heardallabout you."
Lisa, ever the peacemaker, jumped in. "It's lovely to meet you, Derek. Rosie's told us so much."
As the others settled in, ordering drinks and effectively hijacking what was supposed to be an intimate lunch, Rosie found herself torn between mortification and relief. On one hand, she was touched by her friends' obvious concern for her wellbeing. On the other, she was a grown woman, perfectly capable of handling lunch with her estranged husband on her own.
The conversation flowed in fits and starts, with Emma peppering Derek with not-so-subtle questions about his intentions, Lisa trying to steer things towards safer topics, Julie waxing poetic about the restaurant's decor, and Catherine looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.
Through it all, Derek remained remarkably composed, answering questions with grace and even managing to charm Julie with his unexpected knowledge of modern art.
As their food arrived - salmon salad for Rosie, steak frites for Derek, and an assortment of dishes for the interlopers - Rosie found herself studying Derek. There was a time when she could read his every expression, anticipate his every mood. Now, she realised with a start, he was almost a stranger to her.
"So, Derek," Emma said, spearing a piece of asparagus with more force than necessary, "what exactly are your intentions towards our Rosie?"
"Emma!" Lisa hissed, but Derek held up a hand.
"It's alright," he said, his eyes never leaving Rosie's face. "I appreciate your concern for Rosie. The truth is, I made a terrible mistake in leaving. I took for granted the wonderful life we had together, and I'm hoping... well, I'm hoping Rosie might give me a chance to make amends."
A hush fell over the table. Rosie felt her cheeks warm under the intensity of Derek's gaze and the expectant looks from her friends.
She didn’t know what to say. She sat quietly, looking down at her hands until the welcome buzz of her phone gave her the distraction she craved. This was bound to be her daughter.
