The diners kept their chatter to a whisper, but Dustin’s sharp hearing still caught every word. He didn’t let it bother him.
Natasha, however, seemed to enjoy the attention. The envious glances from the other women only made her feel more pleased with herself. She kept serving him food or refilling his water with deliberate affection.
Dahlia sat across from them with her usual aloofness, acting as if the whispers didn’t exist. But when she glanced at the pair, her expression faltered for a moment.
Just then, a young server approached, carrying a sizzling-hot platter of barbecue. He must have been distracted by the two stunning ladies and accidentally tripped.
“Oh no!” he yelped, stumbling. The sizzling platter lurched in his grip, tipping toward Dahlia and Natasha at the edge of the table. Both women’s faces turned pale.
Dustin, who’d been sitting quietly until now, reacted instantly. He lunged forward, grabbed the server with one hand, and caught the platter with the other.
With controlled strength, he steadied the server on his feet and firmly secured the hot platter. Only a few drops of oil splashed onto the tablecloth. No one was hurt.
Everything happened in a flash. By the time everyone processed what had occurred, the crisis was averted.
Natasha exhaled in relief and patted her chest, glaring at the shaken server who kept apologizing.
Dahlia couldn’t take her eyes off Dustin. The speed at which he’d moved and the control he’d shown made her heart skip a beat.
A thought she’d been trying to suppress broke free and spread like wildfire through her mind. He’d been sitting near her side of the table. Seeing him react that quickly, she wondered if he still cared about her.
Dahlia lowered her gaze, her lashes trembling. The composure she’d worked so hard to maintain crumbled after his sudden heroic action.
She started telling herself what she wanted to believe, searching his indifferent behavior for any hint that she still mattered to him.
The server apologized repeatedly before the manager pulled him aside. After the brief incident, they resumed their meal.
Meat sizzled on the cast-iron serving platter, filling the air with rich, smoky aromas. But the tension at the table ran hotter than the skillet itself.
Natasha picked up her fork first and selected a slice of the most tender, premium marbled beef from the platter. Instead of eating it herself, she dipped it in sauce and held it up to Dustin’s mouth.
“Dear, try this,” she said. “Their signature beef is so tender.”
Her smile lit up her whole face, and her eyes shone with affection. Her voice was so sugary it could rot teeth. And she made sure Dahlia heard the affectionate nickname she called Dustin.
He recognized the act for what it was and felt a bit awkward about it. But he wasn’t going to embarrass Natasha in public, especially not in front of Dahlia.
He opened his mouth, accepted the beef, chewed it, and nodded.
“Yeah, it’s good.”
“See? I told you,” she replied, beaming like she’d received the highest praise. She quickly spooned more sauce onto his plate and added, “I know you like extra sauce. Have as much as you want.”
Natasha spent the whole meal fussing over Dustin, barely eating anything herself. She kept piling meat and ribs onto his plate, and every few minutes she’d dab at his mouth with a napkin, even when there was nothing there. Every move she made radiated affection and possessiveness.
Dustin let her fuss over him and occasionally served her favourite vegetables. Each time, she’d beam at him with pure adoration. The warmth and understanding between them was almost palpable.
Dahlia observed them from across the table. Her grip on her fork tightened until her knuckles turned white. The premium beef on her plate sat untouched. To her, everything tasted like cardboard.
She used to be the one sitting next to him, receiving that kind of attention. Their marriage had fallen apart, and she knew it was partly her fault. 1
But watching another woman casually take what could have been hers twisted something deep inside her. The jealousy, the sense of loss, the lingering resentment -all of it cut like a blade.
She forced herself to look away, staring at the sauce in her plate as she tried to stay composed. But her heart wouldn’t settle.
The way Dustin indulged Natasha with all that patience and warmth was nothing like the cold silence that had defined the end of their marriage.
Dahlia wondered whether he had really found someone better suited to him after the divorce. That realization only deepened the bitter ache in her chest.
