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  ‘Judging by Jade’s, reaction so has she.’

  ‘Oh dear, sounds like competition,’ said Aunt Karissa with a sympathetic grin.

  ‘You could say that,’ I replied with a heavy sigh.

  Mum and Aunt Karissa went upstairs to get ready for their night out. I heard a few stray giggles make their way down the stairs. The unfamiliar sound made me smile; Aunt Karissa knew how to make everyone happy, even Mum. I waited in the lounge, my nerves increasing with each passing moment. At 7 pm the doorbell rang, and I rushed to open the door. My heart pounded so wildly that the sound must have carried all the way to Ryder’s ears. His wicked good looks left me gaping.

  ‘Hi, Amelina.’

  I stood at the door with a silly smile plastered across my face. There was no way that I could hide my delight at seeing him again. My brain practically short-circuited working overtime in the love department, and my body didn’t have a hope of catching up. I stumbled, lost for words.

  It was then I heard the unmistakable sounds of Mum and Dad approaching, which added to my already dangerous levels of embarrassment.

  Ryder didn’t bat an eyelid when he spotted my parents. In fact, he showed no reaction whatsoever, which didn’t make any sense at all. I couldn’t help thinking that nobody could be that unfazed; it wasn’t possible. Yet it was. Ryder was a law unto himself. Perhaps he had heard about my dad or read the newspaper article, and that was why he didn’t seem surprised, but even so, his lack of reaction ranked peculiarly high.

  Turning to greet my parents, Ryder literally spoke in a clear, confident manner. ‘Hello, you must be Mr and Mrs Scott. I’m Ryder. I trust you don’t mind if I take Amelina out for dinner?’ He beamed a beguiling smile in my parent’s direction.

  Ryder’s laid-back attitude and the formal way he spoke seemed to make Mum hang on every syllable he uttered. Her unnaturally made-up red lips quivered and gushed. ‘Of course, we’ve heard all about you. We’re only too happy for you to take Amelina out. We must thank you for stepping in and…’

  ‘It was my pleasure,’ interrupted Ryder, stopping my mum in mid-sentence.

  Dad’s reaction couldn’t have been more different. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Ryder long and hard; his concentration wouldn’t have been any less if he had been dissecting an unpleasant insect. This wasn’t going quite the way I had expected.

  ‘Haven’t we met somewhere before?’ asked Dad, looking perplexed like a man incapable of solving some strange mystery. ‘Perhaps I know your father or something… your face is horribly familiar.’ Dad scratched his head and glanced at Ryder again. ‘Do you go to the same school as Amelina?’

  ‘No, I’m at sixth form,’ answered Ryder, seeming oblivious to Dad’s critical demeanour.

  ‘Oh, yes, you seem older…’ said Dad, continuing to look challenged, trying to work out where he had seen Ryder before. His eyes held Ryder’s in a steady glare.

  I watched as Mum openly stared at Ryder until he returned her stare at full torch strength. She diverted her attention away, apparently unsettled by his nerve. She patted her hair and smoothed her dress, managing to compose herself. ‘Are you going anywhere nice for dinner?’

  ‘Aphrodite’s,’ Ryder answered, in a tone of voice that suggested he held an air of authority in such matters.

  Dad raised an eyebrow, stretching his creased skin around his eyes even further than I thought possible. A frown pulled at the corners of his lips. Mum elbowed Dad and then gave him one of her famous stares that said, ‘stop it.’ She swivelled and turned her attention back to Ryder. Mum seemed envious, even though I’m sure she’d never heard of Aphrodite’s. She said no more, though her thin lips pursed into a tight line.

  I heard the sound of hurried footsteps as Aunt Karissa rushed downstairs. Her wet hair dripped a flurry of drops on the floor. Driven by curiosity, she had leaped out of the shower to catch a glimpse of Ryder. My aunt smirked and hung back in the corner of the hallway.

  Meanwhile, Dad sneaked another suspicious glance at Ryder, his face puckering into a worried frown before he slipped away. ‘Sorry, got to get back to my work. Oh, and make sure you bring my daughter back at a reasonable time.’

  ‘I will. Time’s drifting away. Amelina, we have a seven o’clock booking. What time is it? Your clock must be wrong. Your mantel clock shows it’s ten thirty. How curious! I think your timepiece isn’t working. It has lost its grip on reality,’ observed Ryder.

  ‘Oh, we like to judge the time by other methods. It’s ten past seven,’ replied Mum. She scowled, and it was evident by her expression that her broken clocks were not a subject she cared to discuss.

  ‘How time flies. Off so soon. Have fun,’ remarked Aunt Karissa, eyeing Ryder.

  I rushed out the door, shouting a quick goodbye, hoping that Ryder would follow me.

  Behind me, Aunt Karissa mumbled, ‘I knew I should have dashed out of the shower earlier! Oh, my! He has such a captivating, mature voice for one so young.’

  Ryder paused and surveyed his reflection in the hall mirror. I turned from the doorstep outside and hazarded a look. Esme’s reaction astonished me. Her mouth formed the shape of a ringed doughnut of fear. As I watched, Esme’s skin turned a perplexing and unnatural shade of grey, clashing with the bright yellow of her hair. How odd. Why had Esme reacted to Ryder in such a way?

  Ryder appeared oblivious to Esme’s distress. As far as I knew, nobody could see Esme except me, so no great surprise at his reaction.

  ‘Why are you in such a desperate hurry, Amelina?’ enquired Ryder, in a bemused tone of voice, as he joined me outside. We left the house and walked down the road.

  I didn’t answer. I continued to wonder why Esme had looked so frightened. Ryder glanced at me with a deep, penetrating stare that unsettled me. It was as if he’d crawled into a cavity of my mind, taken up residence, and had started playing an elaborate computer game, with me as one of his players.

  ‘You all right, Amelina?’ His words pierced my thoughts. ‘You look like you’ve seen something that’s disturbed you?’

  ‘No, of course not, I’m fine,’ I lied. ‘It’s my Aunt Karissa. She’d have bombarded you with a multitude of questions if we stayed any longer. I knew we had to get out of there.’ I glanced over my shoulder at Aunt Karissa peeking out the window as if she had been cheated out of the latest gossip opportunity.

  ‘She’s a bit curious!’ said Ryder, his face softening into a laugh.

  His laughter calmed me. It filled my thoughts like a soothing elixir, and I relaxed. I laughed and glanced at Ryder. ‘You could say that. Aunt Karissa’s curious, embarrassing, crazy, inquisitive, but lovely all the same!’

  Ryder paused and thought for a minute. He chose his words carefully. ‘Your parents are, very, um... different from you.’

  I roared out a harsh laugh. ‘That’s the polite thing to say. Most people can’t hide their shock. I know they resemble a scary caricature that’s gone wrong. Sorry, I should have warned you.’

  ‘No need, I don’t get scared by much. Not even Stephen King.’

  A pause in the conversation ensued as I considered his last words.

  ‘C’mon, Aphrodite’s, here we come.’

  I could tell Ryder wanted to change the topic of conversation by the way his voice changed. ‘Sounds interesting; what kind of restaurant is it?’

  Ryder raised an eyebrow. ‘You’ve never heard of Aphrodite’s? Oh, it’s the in place to go for lovers of romance.’

  He smiled and shifted his eyes to meet mine. His glance entwined me in a magical embrace, and he added, ‘You will adore it.’

  Puzzle Piece 23:

  Aphrodite’s Restaurant

  A fascination,

  With the exquisite or strange,

  Is hidden away,

  In a strange tucked away booth,

  No room for intimacy.

  After Ryder’s words had such a mesmerising effect on my brain, my thoughts ran away with the strange images of what I perceived the restau
rant to be like. I imagined the interior of Aphrodite’s Restaurant to contain whitewashed walls, a sky-blue ceiling, and private booths tucked away in dark alcoves. Somehow, I knew this romantic restaurant would fit the drop-dead gorgeous bill since its namesake was the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. The tumultuous waves of Cyprus Bay allegedly gave birth to Aphrodite.

  Ryder’s voice broke into my dreamlike reverie. Those crashing waves in Cyprus Bay fizzled out, and his words flooded my senses. ‘Y’know, I think I may have forgotten to mention we’re meeting a few of my college friends there.’

  That got my attention. My happy sense of anticipation now lay at the bottom of the bay, drowned and buried. But instead of voicing my feelings, I answered with a succession of words that didn’t seem to belong to me. ‘Oh, yeah, right… it’ll be nice to meet your friends. I’m looking forward to it.’ I berated myself. What a wimp. Why had I even said that?

  I carried on even though I was feeling peculiar at the change of events. I could swear that I lingered on the verge of fainting. Struggling to get rid of this strange sensation, I took several deep breaths, but it made no difference.

  We had arrived at the front of the restaurant by then, and I strained to recapture control of my drifting mind. Ryder held the door, and as I walked inside, I focused on the restaurant’s interior. Aphrodite’s presented everything I’d expected and much more. The waiter seated us next to an exquisite painting of the waves crashing against the cliffs of Paphos Bay. We slid into our very own private booth.

  A snow-white Aphrodite statue stood in the centre of the restaurant as a focal point. Her exotic and mysterious image enthralled me. No wonder she deserved the title of the Goddess of Love. The realistic statue captured my attention. I almost expected her to step towards me and crush me with her stone arms in an over-enthusiastic embrace.

  Large elaborate fish tanks lined the walls, housing exotic fish, including coral and ferns. I glanced around at the pictures of white doves which dotted the walls.

  My eyes travelled to a painted likeness of the Golden Apple of Great Renown. I remembered the goddess Eris had written ‘for the fairest’ on the side of an apple. Both Zeus’s wife, Hera, and his daughter, Athena, as well as Aphrodite, claimed they were the fairest. But the Prince of Troy, Paris, couldn’t choose between them. The rest is history. Paris fell in love with Helen, which led to the Trojan War. I had been paying attention in history class after all. I reflected for a moment on what a bitter-sweet and ultimately destructive force love could be.

  Ryder edged closer to me in the booth. He brushed a strand of hair away from my face. I could feel his breath on my face. A hot, sweet, intoxicating murmur that caressed. ‘You’re so lovely,’ he said, his voice coaxing me to come even closer.

  I couldn’t resist his advances and snuggled closer to his side. He cupped my face in his hands and leaned in towards me, planting a lingering kiss on my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned back, allowing his lips to brush my neck. My skin tingled with a strange heat where he’d left a trail of kisses. I longed for more. He ran a finger over the top of my lip. It was such a thrill; I trembled and my breath caught in my throat. I could hardly breathe. Catching my breath at long last, I inhaled him, my lungs filling with his heady aroma.

  As suddenly as his kisses had begun, they ended—the moment was lost. Ryder’s eyes darted toward the approaching figures of his friends. He disentangled himself from my embrace.

  ‘This is Kyle and Emily,’ he said, breaking the spell. He turned, nodded at me and said, ‘Meet Amelina.’

  I blinked, coming out of the moment. ‘Hi.’ My words tumbled out as a whisper. I could have kicked myself; I sounded like a twelve-year-old.

  Ryder stood up and peered through the dimness, searching for something. ‘This booth is on the small side; I’ll see if a waiter can find us a new table.’ I felt myself sigh inwardly at this statement. Ryder waved a waiter over, and we were moved over to a nearby table with four upright chairs.

  Ryder flashed me a questioning ‘forgive me’ smile as he sat down. I accepted it, but I wasn’t happy with the choice of seating arrangements.

  Emily gave me the once over. ‘Hi, Ami, love your dress, wherever did you find it?’

  Was she being bitchy? By the looks of her, she could have bought ten designer dresses in one shopping trip. She reeked of money. As for calling me Ami, what had she meant by that? Nobody called me Ami. I might be younger than her, but I wasn’t half of an Amelina. I wanted to be known as one hundred percent the full version, and one of a kind.

  I intended to launch into a tirade of my thoughts, but I caught Ryder’s gaze. ‘I got it in the vintage boutique in town,’ I replied, biting my tongue, surrendering my unspoken words.

  ‘Oh, yeah, thought so,’ said Emily, flashing a half-smile in my direction.

  Emily’s response suggested that my first impression of her was spot on. Emily looked every bit the part of a prize bitch. The girl had a petite frame and a fragile, protect me style. With her long blonde hair and green eyes, I could see why the guys would vie for her attentions. I surveyed her perfect choice of dress, shoes, and handbag and ended up feeling even more self-conscious and inadequate. I hated comparing myself to this bitch.

  Turning my attention to Kyle, I noticed he couldn’t have been the more opposite of Ryder. Rather than dark, he was fair-haired, of medium height, with green eyes.

  Ryder smiled and gave Emily the once over. ‘Well, I see Emily’s immaculately turned out as ever. You never cease to impress,’ enthused Ryder, giving Emily a hug.

  Kyle continued the praise. ‘Yeah, she’s drop-dead gorgeous.’

  I felt a stirring of jealousy. Were these two competing for Emily’s attention? The thought pricked at my brain, and I shook it off.

  Kyle glanced my way. ‘As is Amelina.’

  I blushed at Kyle’s shy, complimentary remark but felt gutted when Ryder added none. Kyle focused his green eyes on my face, paying particular attention to my eyes. I looked away and smirked. No surprise there as I’d often heard that my crystal blue eyes had an enchanting and soulful aspect to them. I enjoyed the compliment. Besides, Ryder didn’t seem to find my eyes engaging, neither did he compliment me; instead, he turned his attention to the menu. What a cheek!

  ‘Well, Amelina, let me choose.’

  I studied Ryder curiously. How did he know what I wanted to eat? Did he think he was a mind reader or something?

  ‘I know just what you’d like,’ said Ryder, his deep voice flowing rich and dark, like melted chocolate. He closed the menu and placed it on the table.

  ‘Okay,’ I answered. I sat there and listened to the conversation, engulfed by a strange stupor.

  Ryder carried on talking as if he pitched for custom like a sales rep for the restaurant. ‘Yep, it’s a haven for seafood enthusiasts, and they offer lobster, crab, prawns, mussels, and about every type of fish you can imagine.’

  The waiter sauntered over to our table, and Ryder spoke first. ‘Lobster for everyone?’

  I glanced sharply at Ryder’s silhouette. How odd. It wasn’t the type of feast a bunch of teenagers ate. Pizza was our usual diet. I listened to the small talk and jumped in surprise when the waiter appeared with our meal. It seemed like only minutes had passed.

  As I ate, my stupor lifted. My senses bombarded by the visual beauty of my meal and the aromas and textures. ‘Wow, this tastes like its fresh caught today in Aphrodite’s Bay. The lobster’s amazing.’ I smacked my lips in delight.

  ‘Couldn’t agree with you more,’ enthused Emily.

  ‘Yeah, it’s great. I’ve never tasted food like this anywhere else,’ agreed Kyle.

  ‘Do you remember the last time we ate here, just after our exams? That was incredible, wasn’t it?’ remarked Ryder, raising his eyebrows. A smile played around his lips.

  ‘Yeah, it was fantastic. We stayed up late, drank too much, and couldn’t get up the next day,’ Kyle said with a laugh.

  ‘I couldn’t g
et up either, although I think mine resulted from eating too much,’ added Emily, as she played with her food.

  ‘Really?’ replied Ryder, digging into his lobster with relish. Butter dripped from a claw he held in his hand.

  Emily shifted uneasily in her seat. ‘Seafood isn’t everyone’s cup of tea,’ said Kyle, coming to Emily’s rescue. He patted his lips with his napkin.

  ‘Tea isn’t everyone’s favourite drink either, and I prefer something fuller bodied. Aren’t I right, Amelina?’ Ryder spoke directly to me, his face markedly challenging.

  ‘I feel like I could do with an energy drink.’ As soon as I said ‘energy drink,’ the heavy feeling in my body returned. I slumped even further down in my seat. Ryder didn’t respond.

  Kyle caught the mood and tried to change the subject. ‘Ryder’s told me all about your band, sounds awesome. I’d love to hear you play.’ Tired beyond belief, I managed to lift my head and glanced gratefully at Kyle. ‘Yeah, that would be great.’

  ‘The YouTube recording was a huge success, receiving lots of likes and hits. Drifting Shadows takes the crown for being the best,’ said Ryder in a voice that suggested it was all his own doing.

  I dragged myself out of my stupor once again to reply. ‘Don’t forget Rock Crystal, too.’

  Again, Ryder swiftly changed the subject of conversation. ‘What are we going to have for pudding? The menu is mouth-watering. How are we to decide?’

  ‘I couldn’t eat another bite, Ryder, just a black coffee for me,’ said Emily. She smiled and laid her fork down next to her plate.

  ‘Same,’ said Kyle. ‘If I eat anything else, I will be in danger of needing a crane to lift me off this seat.’

  ‘Oh, c’mon, eat something.’ Ryder glanced at each of us, waiting for an answer.

  In that instant, I felt like my head was being spun around in a churning cement mixer. My swift reply sounded like it belonged to a stranger, a greedy stranger. ‘I’d love a pudding.’