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He held his arms up in surrender. ‘You caught me. Nah, funny story. Billy’s mum does them for me.’ Smiling, he stroked two fingers across his brows as if to pull any stray hairs into place. ‘Cute, hey?’
‘That’s nice of her. They’re very well done. Actually, Deb was hoping Billy was on tonight so we could get a ride home with him, considering I didn’t drive.’
‘Yeah, he is Ubering. I’ll give him a call later to pick us up.’ He nodded his head as if to say ‘no big deal’.
I nodded back, then turned to Deb and tapped on her shoulder, interrupting her ‘hilarious’ story about spilling wine on a customer during service. She seemed to get extra loud and showy when she was down a few wines, which meant she was probably on her second, or maybe third, depending on if she was sculling them or not.
‘Where’s the bathroom?’ I asked.
‘Back of the restaurant, then turn right,’ she replied and turned away.
The second I stood up, I regretted it.Far out. My feet were painfully sore.If this wasn’t a restaurant, I’d go barefoot.Half-limping, I passed the crowded tables, heading towards the back of the building. I turned right and pushed open the door with the ladies’ restroom sign.
Inside were three cubicles. The two on the left were occupied, so I went into the vacant one. I usually inspected toilets before deciding, but this one would have to do as I couldn’t walk any further. My feet throbbed in pain with each step. I stepped into the confined space, locked the door, sat down, and felt instant relief as I took the weight off my feet.
After I finished, I washed and dried my hands, then painfully made my way back over to the table. Seb was gone. I looked around the room and couldn’t see him anywhere.I wonder where he is?My sore feet won the battle, so I surrendered my boots to the floor and stood in my mismatched socks – one blue and the other purple.
‘Naomi,’ a familiar voice called from behind me.
I turned around to find Seb holding an overflowing glass of beer. His grin was complacent as he raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat before pointing to the back of my pants.Oh no.
I held my breath as I brushed my hand against my bottom and felt a piece of toilet paper hanging down my pants. Blood rushed to my face as my throat began to burn. I yanked the toilet paper off and sprinted shoeless across the wooden floorboards back to the bathroom, flushed it, and then sat down for a moment to catch my breath as my face burned with humiliation. A minute passed before I could open the cubicle door and face my reflection in the mirror.
Now, do I go home overcome with embarrassment or get drunk and forget about it all? After some quick musing, I decided to stay. After all, one more drink can’t hurt, right?
I walked back to the table, sat on my stool, and avoided eye contact with Seb. How many people saw the toilet paper dangling from my pants? That, I’d never know, but just the thought made my skin burn some more.
I took a moment to recompose myself before facing Seb.What does he think of me now? Will he pay me out?I’d seen the way he carried on with his best friend, Billy, whenever one of them made a kook of themselves. Their banter resembled a ping-pong match with constant back-and-forth quips.I can’t believe theonenight I go out with all my work friends, and in a restaurant of all places, this happens. If I were an emoji, I’d be the girl who facepalms her forehead right now.
‘I’ve seen worse, gorgeous. Don’t stress,’ Seb said in his carefree tone.
As soon as he said those words, I felt a bit better. No payouts for me.Phew.
I cleared my throat. ‘I’m just glad the whole restaurant didn’t laugh at me.’
‘Don’t sweat it,’ he said, obviously still trying to put me at ease. ‘I doubt anyone else saw it but me.’
I laughed it off, but inside, I knew I’d be internally embarrassed for life.
Seb looked at my tall glass. ‘Your drink is empty. Do you want another one?’ His eyes widened as he waited for my response.
I took a moment to think about whether I truly wanted another drink, as images of my dad drinking shiraz entered my mind. My pulse quickened and my fingers gripped the edge of the table as I envisioned Dad’s glass being filled to the brim with ruby liquid. His pupils enlarged from each sip, and the more drinks that went down his hatch, the more he raised his voice and fought with Mum. Suddenly it felt like I was swallowing gravel each time I took a sip as the thoughts of him and what happened raced through my mind. My eyes began to well, and I tried with all my might to hold back the tears as my shattered heart couldn’t face the pain.
After a few shaky breaths, I redirected my thoughts towards enjoying the evening with my colleagues. It took effort, but I managed to steady my emotions and dismiss the image of the real reason I had abstained from drinking for seven months …
‘Mmm, okay, just one more drink.’ I held up my index finger.
Seb hailed over the waiter and ordered one beer and another vodka lemonade.
‘So, what’s been happening in the two weeks I’ve been gone, gorgeous?’ he asked as he peered down into his wallet brimming with one-hundred-dollar notes. Straight away, I knew where that money came from: pokies. That’s where he would’ve been before he arrived here.
‘It’s September school holidays, so I’ve been working a lot.’ Reminding myself of my long day made a yawn escape from my lips as my eyes watered.
‘That’s a change. Weren’t you only getting three shifts a week a few weeks back?’ He placed his wallet back into his pocket.
All the moisture in my mouth evaporated, and my hands began to sweat. I tried to swallow but couldn’t. The waiter appeared at the most convenient of times and placed our drinks down on the table. I grabbed my drink, placed my lips on the straw, and took a huge swig until it was half-empty.
‘Naomi, are you thirsty tonight or what?’ Seb’s eyes were alight with surprise.
