Perfect Strangers

“You moved my hair from my face and looked at me like I was your breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she replied with a chuckle.

“Don’t flatter yourself, your hair was annoying me, so I moved it,” he retorted sharply.

Before she had chance to return a flippant remark, the waiter arrived with their meals, he placed down their Atomic Burger and chips, with side orders of coleslaw and onion rings before flashing them a smile and walked away. “You do know you are picking up this bill, right? Since you left me to pay for your ring,” Kai said as he shoveled a fork full of chips into his mouth.

“You still haven’t told me how much it was,” Myla replied. She picked up her burger and tried to work out how she was going to get the triple-stacked cow into her mouth, elegantly.

“Nothing, it was free,” he mumbled with a shrug bringing another fork full of chips towards his open mouth.

“She gave it you for free? I don’t believe that, Kai. Nothing in this world is free.” Placing down her burger she began attacking it with a knife and fork. Kai watched amused.

“I assure you, Juliet, it was free. In return she wants me to paint a portrait from an old photograph of her and her late husband.”

“Wow, you really did get talking to her, didn’t you? No wonder you left me waiting for twenty minutes,” she said.

“Oh, and she also managed to wrangle an invite to our nonexistent wedding,” he added. With a smirk, he picked up his burger.

“Boy, won’t dear old Pat be pissed when she finds out the truth huh?” Laughed Myla. She sunk her knife into the middle of the burger, the force of which caused the burger relish to shoot out from underneath the bun and spray over Kai’s cheek. “Oops,” she said with a small smile, and handed him a napkin.

“Have you ever had a triple-stacked burger before, Myla?” he asked as he took the napkin and wiped his cheek. “There is a knack to eating it, you need to squash it down first, then you’ll be able to get it into that mouth of yours.” Gently patting down the burger, like she was winding a small baby, Kai rolled his eyes. “Squash it, not pat it, here let me show you.” His large hand zoomed over into her personal space and forcefully squashed it down. The rest of the burger relish flew out and sprayed down Myla’s white top.

“Oh, my God,” she cried, “what is it with you and ruining my clothes?”

“Oops,” he replied handing her a clean napkin. He pursed his lips together in an attempt not to laugh at the annoyed look on her face as she frantically tried to rub at the red stain now sitting prominently over her left breast.

“You really are an asshole,” she seethed through gritted teeth.

“I love you too, Myla,” he replied, stabbing his fork into the remainder of his chips.

“Oh my, Kai Baxter, is that you?” A female voice suddenly sounded.

Kai groaned inwardly, his fork full of chips came to rest just inches from his mouth. Closing his eyes momentarily, he slammed his fork down noisily and raised his head. “Kat, how are you?” He asked through a forced smile. Pulling out the empty chair opposite him, the buxom blonde sat herself down.

“Feel free to join us, uninvited.” Myla mumbled, but it didn’t go unheard by Kat.

“I’m good, thank you, Kai, much better for seeing your handsome face,” she replied sultrily and leant over the table to help herself to a chip from his plate. “Who is this?” She questioned turning her big blue eyes, encased in thick black eyeliner and clumpy mascara towards Myla.

“This is Myla, Myla this is Kat,” Kai introduced

sharply, clearly annoyed at her intrusion. “My fiancée,” he added. He grabbed Myla’s hand on top of the table, and forcefully laced his fingers in-between hers. She tried to move her hand back but he held it firmly.

“Fiancée?” Kat asked as her sepia black eyelashes shot up towards her thinly plucked eyebrows. Her pink, gloss-stained lips parted and her jaw hung low.

“Yes, my fiancée, isn’t that right, Boo?” He smiled widely and turned to look at Myla, confusion swam across her face as she glanced at him. Leaning in towards her ear, he begged her, “Please, do this for me?”

Realizing the opportunity to have one over on him at some point in the future, she smiled at him as he pulled his head back. He looked at her firmly and his eyes pleaded with her silently. “Yes, you are right, Tiger,” she grinned at him before turning her attention back to Kat.

“Well, this is news to me, Kai. When did this happen?”

“Last week,” Kai answered.

“Today,” Myla answered, at the same time.

Gripping her hand tighter, Kai shifted in his seat. “What she means is, I asked her last week, but today I purchased the ring and proposed properly.”

“Funny, Kai has never mentioned you before,” snapped Kat.

“Likewise, this is the first I’m hearing about you too,” Myla retorted. She turned to look at Kai, “who is she, Tiger?” She watched amused when the red hue of embarrassment crept from his collar bone and made its way up his neck, settling on his face.