Cade and Ophelia went down to the car and he drove her to the venue of her meeting with her friends. As they approached the venue, Ophelia began to think of the possibility that her friends might recognize eCade but she did not think too much about it. Cade had always been that popular guy even when they were in school. Almost all girls who like to party knew that one guy who spent a lot while partying.
“Do you want me to wait till you are done?” Cade asked as he pulled up into the car park of the restaurant.
“Do you want to?” Ophelia asked taking off her seat belt and turning to face him.
“Well I have no idea how long it might take you so I don’t know” he said shrugging as he mirrored her action.
“It might take us a while since it’s been a while since we were all together in the same place so I don’t think waiting for me is the right thing to do” Ophelia told him.
He bit the corner of his lips as he thought. If he dropped her off and allowed her to use a taxi service home he would not make a good impression in the minds of her friends. “What if you call me up when you are about to leave and I come to pick you up?” he asked and she lit up.
“That can work” she responded and he nodded.
“Sit still” he said opening the door and walking over to help her out of the car. He extended his hands to her and she looked at it a bit as if she was inspecting it before she accepted it and moved out of the car with his help. He pulled a bit out so he could shut the car door.
“Thank you” she murmured before adding “That was not necessary though” in a whisper.
He leaned in that from a distance it looked like they were hugging, he whispered into her ears. “People are watching” he said and then pulled away flashing her a small smile. She smiled back and nodded, He held her hand rubbing the back a little and then pulled away. “Go on in” he said nudging her and she nodded.
“Okay then see you,” she said as she began to walk to the elevator that was going to lead her to the entrance. She turned to him when she was standing in front of the elevator and gestured to him.
“ME?” he mouthed to her pointing to himself wondering what more she might want to say to him. She nodded pressing the elevator button. He jogged to her and stood by her side.
“Why don’t you say hello to my friends before you go?” she asked.
“Wait are you sure?”
“Of course, we can use this as an opportunity to convince them that we are indeed in love” she explained and it made sense to him, he wanted to believe that it made sense after all.
“Okay” he said slipping his hand into hers and intertwining them. She turned to him with a confused questioning expression on her face. “People are watching and this” he said tightening his fingers around her slender fingers which he thought fit perfectly into his. “This is just the bare minimum, even friends hold hands,” he said.
Ophelia sighed because he was right and there was nothing she could do about taking her hands away from his. If she was out in public with Green she could hold his hands why did it feel strange when it was her husband? She relaxed her hand and put a smile on her face, she did not want anyone to think she was unhappy. The elevator door finally opened and they stepped into it pressing the buttons and watching the door close hoping and praying that nobody entered it with them.
As soon as the door closed Ophelia wanted to pull her hand from his but it felt oddly comfortable like those were its place. She snapped out of her thoughts and tried to pull her fingers from his when his grip tightened again. “Anyone can walk into the elevator at any time,” he said without glancing at her or peeling his gaze from the door.
The door finally opened to their floor and they both stepped out and were met by a waiter who took them to the table. Ophelia saw her friends waiting on the table and she happily pulled him walking faster than she would normally go. “Ophelia?” they said when she stopped at their table with a wide smile on her face.
“Nancy Sarah,” she said smiling so broadly she was sure it looked very genuine.
“You made it here and with your husband” Nancy said as her eyes landed on Cade who was standing behind Ophelia but his hands still intertwined with hers. Ophelia tried to move forward to hug them but was pulled back by his grip on her hand.
“Can you let go I want to say hello to my friends?” she asked when he did not release her.
“Honey aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” Cade asked tilting his head and opening his mouth a bit, the look he gave her made both her friends squeal in so kind of silent excitement.
“Baby, sorry about that I must have been so excited that I forgot about that” she said turning to him and giving him a tight-lipped smile. It was obvious she was uncomfortable with the name calling and he was having a field day all by himself. “These are my friends, Nancy and Sarah” she said pointing them out.
“Nice to meet you, I am Cade,” he said giving them a wave and not leaving her hands.
“We know you,” Sarah said.
“Okay, then I better go now and let you ladies catch up. Do not forget to me call to come get you after you are done. If you want to drink, don’t drink too much” he said saying everything that popped into his head.
“Okay baby” she replied trying to slip her hands from his when he pulled her closer by the waist and put his hand on her back before planting a kiss on her lip. It was short.
“Babe not in front of my friends,” she said as if she was shy.
“I am sure they do not mind,” Cade said before tilting his head to give them a questioning look to which they responded by shaking their hands in the air to say no.
“And I will see you later”