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The man talks and Carol listens intently at first, adding to the dialogue every now and then, but within a few minutes her interest is fading. They are not together, I’m sure.
Sienna finishes her food, each jab of her knife and fork louder than the last, while my plate remains untouched. She mumbles something about dessert too. Seeing that this is not going as planned, she wants to at least make the most of our dinner.
Carol seems to tune out of her date too. She grabs her purse and takes out her phone, tapping on the screen a few times, and then putting it back in place. The man asks her a question and she politely shakes her head, the movement allowing her gaze to wander around the restaurant before freezing on me.
Her mouth drops open just a little bit and her expression goes from confusion to recognition, to shock, until it settles on pure anger. Her date doesn’t miss the change and quickly glances over at us. But so does Sienna. Carol’s eyes dart from me to her and then she gives me a half-smile full of contempt.
She turns her attention back to her date and moves her purse in the air before standing up. Without looking back at me, or her date, she makes her way to the exit. Not thinking, I follow after her, leaving behind a stunned Sienna.
“Carol, wait!” I’m finally able to speak once I reach the hallway but she’s already gone. I sprint outside and barely manage to see her get into a cab. From the car window, she looks at the restaurant’s entrance, at me, and then turns her head to the driver. The car speeds away before I can take another step.
Is this fate’s way of laughing at me? It must be. Or perhaps it’s a reminder that I’ll never regain what I lost: love.
I go back to my table and sink onto the chair unable to hold myself together. The tension is starting to leave my body, but it’s replaced by pain. My flight outside is completely ignored by both Sienna and the waiter who rushes to our table. “Do you need—”
“The bill,” I say bluntly. Peter hands it to me immediately; clearly, he’s had it on him the whole time. He’s a smart man, which is why he gets a decent tip.
“What about dessert?” Sienna pouts and sits up straight, her body clearly tense though she manages to keep her flirty expression on.
“Sienna.” I pause a bit, trying to wrap my mind around what just happened. “I think it’s best to skip dessert. Maybe—” I stop myself before giving an empty promise. There won’t be another time. “We should just go.”
Peter glances in my direction and nods, giving me the green light to get up and out of here. I manage to force a smile though my whole body is starting to go numb, but she fails to return it as she begrudgingly grabs her purse.
The sound of her stiletto heels follows behind me as I march out. Cold wind slaps my face again, but I’m grateful for the fresh air. Sienna catches up and clings to my arm, pressing it not so subtly between her breasts.
“So, what’s next?” her voice is raspy.
“For me, home. For you—” I carefully release my arm from her and take a step back. The last thing I want is for her, or anyone else for that matter, to talk to me.
“Where do you think you are going?” she snaps. There it is—her real voice at last. Her pouty lips are now a barely visible thin line and I feel slightly better for parting ways with her like this.
“I just told you. I’m going home. And you—” I point at the cab waiting right outside the restaurant. “You can go wherever you want. Home, elsewhere, wherever you fancy. It’s already paid for.” It’s not how she expected this date to end—and I’m usually more of a gentleman when I part ways with my dates—but I don’t have much energy left for polite chitchat. Not that she’d want that if the last hour is any indication.
“You’re such a douchebag,” she yells and stomps to the car.
If it weren’t for my son, this would be my last attempt at searching for a new partner—but that’s not an option. At least, things are ending smoothly now.
Once I realized what my dating reality was going to be, I made the necessary arrangements to end dates that were not working out as smoothly as possible. I always take them to the same restaurant and Peter makes sure to keep an eye on me. If I seem uncomfortable, he orders a taxi for my date, and I leave without subjecting me or my date to an awkward ride home. My not-so-subtle exit earlier had been his sign tonight.
Did Carol arrange one for herself too while she was talking to that guy? She must have. I shake away those thoughts. She’s part of my past and that cannot change. I need to focus on my goal, my son. Everything I’ve done is for him, after all.
A Rolls Royce Phantom stops before me, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. It’s dark and sleek, the streetlights reflected on its surface. I’m going to miss this car.
I slide into the back seat and nod at the driver.
Maybe I am a douchebag. Maybe I am treating this whole thing as a business deal, not really opening up to my dates either. But I don’t think I can do that. Andrew, my good friend and trusted executive assistant, says it’s because I’ve never experienced or even seen a healthy relationship in my life. And while I make stupid, therapist jokes every time he brings it up, I know he’s right. Almost.
I did have one healthy relationship and it was with Carol. Seeing her tonight seems to have shifted something inside me.
“Sir, we are here.”
I look at my driver and then out of the window, confused. The streets are almost empty, but the streetlights illuminate the whole area. “That’s all for tonight, Nick.”
He nods and waits for me to get out before disappearing into the parking lot, located directly under the apartment block.
I look up at the building before me, one of my earliest and most controversial purchases after I took over the company. Renting the apartments turned out to be quite a hassle at first, but it was worth it. I’m now in full control of who lives next to me, a luxury I couldn’t even imagine when I was little.
It’s gray and black now but during the day, depending on the light, there is a slight reflection that creates the illusion of different color tones. My gaze reaches the top floor. All the lights in the penthouse are on. Daniel is awake.
