Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 285(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“There could be a very simple reason,” Melissa said.
“Yeah, like what?” I asked, genuinely perplexed.
Our attention was taken by the waiter bringing our drinks.
“I don’t know but why not just show up at his place?”
“No,” I said horrified, remembering that he had clearly said he was not ready for me to visit him. To turn up unannounced would be too stalkerish.
Melissa lifted her cocktail and sipped at it while staring at me over the rim. “Why not?”
“I can’t go without letting him know first. He’s not ready for that. It’s invasive for me to just turn up without an invitation,” I said.
“Hell, girl. You’re too soft. No man is gonna see the inside of my panties unless I see where he lives first.”
I let her words settle inside my brain. Why couldn’t I go to his place? See for myself what was going on. Unease gnawed at me. It felt wrong to just go to his place. I had never been the kind of woman who looked through her boyfriend’s phone or pockets. Maybe I should have been. I could have saved myself two years of being in a rubbish relationship. I took a large sip of my wine, forgetting what I’d told myself about taking it easy on the drinks.
“I’m telling you; you have to go to his place.”
I inhaled deeply. Did I really want to go to such lengths? I recollected how the last few days had been. I had to ask him a few times if he was okay. Of course, he maintained he was and yet I knew without a shred of a doubt something was very wrong. “Maybe you’re right. Going to his place is one solution.”
“It’s the only solution,” Melissa insisted. “You can go after we eat.”
Over dinner, I kept checking my phone, hoping that Rex would text and save me the trouble of going to his house unannounced. What if I turned up and he was in bed with another woman? My knees knocked against each other under the table. No. He wouldn’t.
I didn’t think that was his style.
Besides, he didn’t need to keep me in his life. All he had to do was end things with me. A memory popped into my mind of a conversation we’d had along those lines. Rex claimed that he had never and would never cheat on anyone. His view was, if you have to cheat, you’re in the wrong relationship anyway, and you should end that one immediately and go for the other one. Remembering that relaxed me somewhat and I managed to convince myself that there was another explanation for his odd behavior.
“The gentleman at the bar would like to buy you ladies a drink?” the waiter who had been serving us said.
Melissa and I exchanged a glance before turning around to look at the man in question. Not bad looking. He gave a small wave, but his eyes were on Melissa.
“Sure,” I said quickly before she could refuse. Despite Melissa’s brave talk, she wasn’t the same when it came to talking to men. I gave the waiter our order for drinks.
“What are you doing?” Melissa asked, her voice shaky. Gone was the confident advice dispenser.
“He likes you and he’s cute. You’re not taken, are you?” I asked, knowing full well that she was single.
“Well, no, but I’m not ready to date yet.”
“What’s wrong with you?” I asked bluntly. “A hot guy buys you a drink and you’re not ready to date? Who said anything about dating? It’s just a drink. Relax.”
She laughed suddenly. “You’ve seen right through me. You’re right. It’s just a drink.”
I convinced Melissa that we should move to the bar. The man who had bought us drinks made a spot for us and introductions ensued. His name was Jared and he was clearly very interested in Melissa. That lessened my guilt when I left twenty minutes later.
I fidgeted in the Uber as my mind went back and forth. Twice, I came close to asking the Uber driver to drive to Manhattan. Then I chickened out, went home, and climbed into bed with Pogo. I shouldn’t let Steven turn me mistrustful of all men. Rex was not Steven.
He specifically told me to wait. And wait I would.
38
WILLOW
Of course, I had every intention of waiting for him to invite me to his home, but somehow, I found myself walking in Central Park, then past Todd English Food Hall, and without really noticing, I was strolling along the exclusive Billionaire’s Row. My heart was racing as I stood on the street opposite his apartment building.
I felt like a stalker.
It was a horrible feeling. I hated it.
Disgusted with myself, I was just about to turn when the doorman opened the door and a woman and a child came out. I think the thing that caught my attention was that the woman was nothing like the glamorous type of woman I expected to live in a place like that. She was young, and not bad looking, with a killer body. Even though it was cold and I was bundled up in a thick coat, she was dressed only in a tight-fitting dress that showed off her great figure.