FULL NOVELXO Chapter 54
Chapter 54
I stared at the test 1 had sent over 30 minutes ago that had gone
Me baby, I’m at the restaurant
I sat by the hotel bar sipping my sorrows away. Today was date night and before she left this morning she had promised me that
she would go out in an effort to make it. That was what she had said and I believed her. But here we were again and the
was not here.
We had agreed to meet at 6, a full hour after her meeting was set to finish. Today they were discussing with producers as to who
they would like to offer roles in the movie. I knew that it was a big day for her but I also needed her.
I had wanted this date night to be our fresh start so that we could begin again. I had found the nicest French restaurant I could
she was really into French cuisine now. And I had even bought her a new pair of diamond earrings that were burning a hole in
my pocket. I was excited but she wasn’t there. Again.
When she canceled the site viewing I had been happy for the time For the first time since we moved here, I felt like a priority. But
now after that day nearly two weeks ago, it was like it all reverted back
1 ran a billion-dollar business but I still found the time for her because she was my number one and I was now questioning if I
was hers.
That was a dangerous place to be for a marriage.
I sipped on my whiskey allowing the bitterness to soak my disappointment. I lifted my hand in the air and waved down the
bartender.
“Can I have another please?”
“Rough day?” The look of pity in his eyes made me frown. “You’ve been sitting here moping at your phone.”
“Oh yeah,” I sighed. “I kind of got stood up.”
“Then that woman is a fool.” A soft feminine voice said on my right. I turned to find a woman dressed in a power suit sipping on a
martini. She was about three chairs away from me so I hadn’t noticed her when I sat down. But then again I never noticed any
woman that wasn’t my wife.
“She’s just busy.” I said with a tight-lipped smile.
“And she doesn’t deserve you all the same. You two planned this date and she should be here.”
The bartender looked between me and the woman and left to go and get my refill. But I didn’t miss the subtle eye he made my
way as if to say that I could jump on this woman here.
“Was it a first date?” the woman continued to speak.
I raised my left hand in the air. “It was a date night with my wife.”
Her smile didn’t slip from her face. “Well then, that’s even worse. If you were my husband I would make sure that I made time for
you. But then again I have always been the doting kind of partner
I hated to say it but I wished that Adelaide was like that. I mean for a time she had been. I felt like I was her number one. But
now... it felt like this movie was her number one and I didn’t know how to feel about it. I wanted to be supportive and push her
toward her goals but it was now coming at the cost of our marriage.
The bartender came back with my drink. “It’s on the house.”
“Thank you.” I took the drink and sipped on the liquor.
I didn’t like what this place was turning us into. Had I known that this would be the outcome of our time here then maybe I
would have fought her a little harder.
A body came down to sit beside me.
It was the woman from three chairs down. She held a small smile on her face. She raised her glass in the air waiting for me to
clink mine with hers in cheers.
Not wanting to be rude, I raised my glass in the air and clinked it with hers. We both took sips of our drinks and settled into a
comfortable silence. But after a while, the woman spoke again.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
I side-eyed her sipping on my whiskey. “I don’t think sharing my problems with a stranger is the best idea.”
“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. A problem shared is a problem half-solved.” She turned in her chair to fully face me.
“Besides, you look like you could use an ear.”
“And how would you figure that?” My gaze moved to my glass.
“Your shoulders are physically weighed down by your problems. And sometimes it’s easier to unload on strangers than friends
and family.”
“And why would you want to listen to a random stranger’s problems on a Monday evening when you could be enjoying your
martini in peace?”
She shrugged. “Maybe I’m an empath.”
I didn’t miss the teasing tone in her voice and for some reason it made the tips of my lips tilt upward slightly.
“An empath you say?” I would bite on whatever she was trying to throw out, but that didn’t mean that I was going to air mine and
Adelaide’s dirty laundry for all to see.
“Yes. In fact, I think I can read you pretty well.”
“Do tell.”
“Well,” she picked up the olive from her martini, “you’re a businessman of sorts. You like to keep mostly to yourself. And if the
limited edition Richard Mille is to say anything, you are a man of money. And you seem to come from it but you have also made
quite a lot of it on your own. How am I doing so far?”
“Somewhat accurate.” I said but she had pretty much hit the nail on the head. “So does this empath also happen to be a police
officer?”
“No,” she laughed, popping the olive into her mouth. “I’m a lawyer, which means I’m very good at reading people.”
“That also means you’re very good at lying too, right? Aren’t all lawyers supposed to be well-versed in that skill?”
She smirked, leaning back in her chair, “I plead the fifth.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of me. She smiled at that.
“I won’t lie I was having a shitty time and you have helped to lift my spirits a bit. Thank you...” I realized that she hadn’t given me
her name. “Sorry, what’s your name?”
“Angela Rotterfield,” she held her hand out for me to shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you
“Damon Steyn.” I shook her hand.
“Oh my God,” her eyes went wide. “The Damon Steyn? Wow. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”
“Really?” I pulled my hand from hers.
“Oh gosh, she blushed. “I’m not a stalker I swear but you did business with one of my longtime clients, Arthur Fitzgerald. He
raved about your work and your company and said that he had never met someone quite like you.”
“Well, that was very kind of Arthur to say. But I’m just an average man in America trying to make his way.”
“And I’m Jessica Rabbit” She laughed but the funny thing was that she actually did look like her.
Bright red hair, and striking blue eyes.
“I mean you do look the part”
She groaned, closing her eyes but the smile she tried to hide told me that she didn’t mind the comparison at all. “I should have
said, Ariel.”
“True,” I agreed, laughing with her. “Or maybe Cinderella Blondes and redheads seem to be worlds apart though.”
“You know what? You’re right.” She snapped her finger laughing.
And that was how the rest of my evening continued. Angela had somehow managed to turn my mundane Monday night. into
somewhat of an enjoyable experience.
I was still hurt by my wife’s lack of attendance but at this point, it was out of my control. This would be something that we would
need to talk about in time. I just hoped that this didn’t become a habit because I was a patient man but even I had my breaking
point and Adelaide seemed to be pushing me toward it rather quickly.