EXCUSES

Elma sat up from her chair as she glanced around. Earlier, when Riccardo had stormed out of the house and she'd had to chase after him to meet the car before he drove off in a rage, she'd thought he was going to drive her back to the office. Little did she expect that they would be sitting across from each other in this fancy restaurant, with his eyes studying her intensely. Elma did not like his hard stares at all. It was starting to give her the creeps just sitting there.

"Your orders, miss."

"Huh?" Elma stammered, her eyes darting from Riccardo's crossed arms to the dark-haired man standing by the table. He had a white napkin tied around his waist.

"I said your orders, miss?" the man repeated, deliberately placing his pen on his notepad, ready to write down her orders.

"Oh. Um, can you get me a water, please? I'll just have that, thank you."

"Miss, are you sure that's all you want?"