Bernard held the car door open for Tina who slipped elegantly into the driver's seat, started the ignition and pulled the door shut. She wound down the window with a smile. “Remember, text me,” she said softly.
He frowned slightly but nodded. “Fine, only because you insisted. We can't keep playing hide and seek forever. I'll call you when you're in bed.”
“Okay,” she said. They kissed briefly before she drove away. It was her cousin's wedding that weekend and she wanted to speak to her parents first before introducing Bernard to them.
Her knuckle whitened as she gripped the steering wheel tight. Bernard was the son of Malcolm Crawford, chairman of Crawford Inc, the same company that had bought her father's company when he was almost bankrupt some years ago and dismantled it.
Her father had tried to buy the company back before it was split and sold off but Malcolm refused and ever since, the two men became corporate rivals.
Tina didn't know all this until she'd fallen in love with Bernard. Now they were trapped in a dilemma, unsure how to convince their families that they wanted to be together.
On the wedding day
Tina sat beside her mother, cheering and applauding as her cousin shared a first dance with her new husband. Her mother gently nudged her with a smile. “You haven't mentioned dating anyone since your last break up,” she said. “It's been months.”
Her mouth went dry. She forced a small smile and cleared her throat. “Mom, I…I don't think I'm ready to date anyone just yet. Okay?”
Her mother's brow furrowed with disbelief. “Why not?”
Tina stood abruptly from her seat. “Mom, please let it go. You'll be the first to know when I meet someone, alright?” Then she turned and hurried to the powder room without waiting for a response.
When she returned a while later to their table, her mother was smiling with a knowing look. She raised a brow but her father appeared and led her mother onto the dance floor. Then she sat and glanced at her phone resting on the table.
Her breath caught instantly. There was a text message on the screen from Bernard and her mother had seen it. I miss you, baby. Call me when you're free.
Tina groaned and buried her face in her hands wondering how she was supposed to explain the text to her mother.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "text me!".
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