Brunch

The restaurant only had a few people around when they went in. Most of the patrons already had their breakfast for it was already fifteen minutes past ten.

She requested a table for three that offered a bit of privacy for she doesn't want to see people as much as possible right now. She woke up with a throbbing headache and Andrei wanting to eat in the restaurant itself and not just ask for room service, He is pissing her off.

She had a feeling that the bitch wanted to ruin her day, for why would he ask to have their breakfast where she had to fix herself just to have something to eat.

If not for Bella wanting the same thing with Andrei, she won't get out of their hotel room and would just ask for a cup of coffee.

And since she doesn't want to be here in the restaurant, she didn't bother with anything, such as wearing appropriate clothing.

Employees of the restaurant and some customers were all giving her a strange look. Some try to be discreet with their judgemental look, while others were gawking openly, some even snickered, seeing her wearing her night robe. Her hair was tied loosely with a ponytail, she wore the hotel room sleepers as well.

What she's wearing is not truly something worth looking at, but then, considering where she is — it is something to be expected.

She sighed and signal the waiter.

"A cup of coffee and something greasy to eat."

The waiter's eyebrow slightly twitched with her request, but he politely bowed down before leaving to tell the hotel chef cook about her choice of breakfast.

Andrei and Bella returned to their table just as the waiter left. The two had a plate full of scrumptious breakfast that was still available at the breakfast buffet but Laurie has no plan to stand up to get herself some food.

"You are not eating?" Bella asked as she took her seat.

"I will." She watched the waiter approaching their table pushing a small trolley. From what she can see, he has her coffee.

"I mean, food," Bella said, seeing that she was just going to get coffee.

"I said, I will." She yawned without covering her mouth, that the woman a few tables away from them, gave her a disapproving look.

She stopped herself from raising her middle finger to her. And just shifted her gaze to the waiter pouring her a cup of brew coffee.

"By the way, I have to go somewhere alone."

Laurie arched her brow in silent question as she stared at Bella from the rim of her coffee mug.

"My editor, from the publishing company sent me a message that he would like to meet me to talk about something before he flew out of the country."

"I didn't know that your editor is a man," she commented without thinking but Bella's expression turned sour.

"What's wrong having a man for my editor?" her tone was a bit defensive.

"Nothing." she knitted her eyebrows as she answered her.

There is no reason for her to be defensive but surprisingly she does. She squinted her eyes on her and was about to probe when the waiter came back with a plate of a double cheeseburger, fries, and a mountain of bacon crisped to perfection.

She grinned when the waiter put down her breakfast in front of her. It seemed that they still know her.

"You won't join us shopping today?" Andrei asked Bella after being quiet on the table.

"I don't know how long the meeting will be but I can follow you guys later. I will just send a message."

Laurie cut her burger into two equal pieces and took one piece to sink her teeth to its juicy, thick beef patty covered with melted cheese, and in her first bite, she felt like she just had a taste of heaven.

She picked up a piece of crispy bacon and put it in her mouth and she groaned in satisfaction.

"Stop acting like you are fucking your food, Laurie."

"Mind your own food, Andrei. Let me have my fun," she said in between bites of her cheeseburger.

Andrei clicked his tongue at her and turned his attention back to Bella.

"Just send a message. I don't have a choice but to go shopping alone with this bitch. I hope your meeting won't last that long for I don't want to be truly left alone with her for the rest of the day," he rolled his eyes at Laurie who just grinned at him.

"I also don't want to go shopping with you, just so we are clear."

She sipped her coffee staring at Andrei, waiting for him to say something that she could twist, and return to him.

But Andrei didn't say anything more. He just bent down on his plate and ate his breakfast in silence.

Seeing what Andrei did, she scoffed.

"It's not like, I'm excited to go with you," she snickered.

"If you hate each other company why don't you go shopping separately?" Bella asked confused with the exchange of words between Laurie and Andrei. "You are going to have a terrible day if you forced yourself to like each other."

"Well, thank you for your wonderful insight, Bella dear," she said sarcastically. "But you see, I promised that I will shop with you two, and that's what I am going to do."

"Yes, you see Bella dear, that's what Laurie is good at." he threw her an annoyed look, "She likes to keep her words. She doesn't care about friends feeling as long as she could be honest — as though she never lied all her life."

"Here's the thing, Bella. Some people had the audacity to call you out when you do what you think was right just because it does not fit on their plan. Their plan, that you have an idea about, but expect you to do."

She and Andrei stared at each other across the table when Bella stood up from her chair. "I'm done with my breakfast. I will leave you two scratch each other's eyes. Bye."

She and Andrei scoffed at each other when Bella left them on the table to finish their breakfast.