“Yeah. I may go for the salmon, though,” he muttered.
Another awkward silence fell around the table. Lilly cleared her throat and grabbed a bread roll, immersing herself into buttering it.
“So… Dimitri,” Luke said with another stab at conversation. “You… uh, you like salmon, right?”
Dimitri looked up in exasperation. “Yes,” he took a sip of water. “Yes, I do.”
“Oh, good. That’s good.” Luke tugged at his collar. “Can I just say one thing, though?” He looked almost reverently at him. “It’s a complete privilege for me to be here tonight. Sitting at the same table as you. Having dinner with you. It’s like we’re buds now, right?” He punched him playfully on the arm.
Embarrassed, Lilly rolled her eyes at Angela. She started to say something but Luke spoke over her. “Man, seriously you’re like my… inspiration or something.” He held out his glass towards Dimitri. “You’re the reason I got into sales. Man, the things you accomplished at your age…”
“Um, Luke?” Lilly took the glass from his hand and set it on the table. “I think you’ve had too much to drink already.”
The waiter thankfully arrived at that moment. Dimitri glowered at Angela over his menu as they ordered. She shrugged apologetically at him and was about to attempt a subject change when Luke whipped out his phone. He edged his chair closer to Dimitri and held out his phone in front of them.
“Can I have a selfie with you, man?” He asked, pressing on the button before Dimitri could even reply.
Angela winced at the glaring flash. She sneaked another glance at Dimitri. His face was like stone as Luke took several more pictures before finally shoving his phone back in his pocket.
“So!” Lilly said brightly. “It’s a nice restaurant, right?” She looked helplessly at Angela.
The latter nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Dimitri and I came here last week. We had the seafood linguini. It was awesome. Wasn’t it, darling?”
“Yes,” he snapped.
Angela’s heart dropped as Luke opened his mouth again.
“So, man. Any chance I can get in on the merger? I could use some overtime, if you know what I mean.” He playfully punched Dimitri’s arm.
Dimitri finally turned to him. The look on his face would have made anyone falter but Luke didn’t seem to notice.
“I’d rather not discuss work over dinner, Luke,” he said acidly.
“I get it.” Luke gulped down his wine. “But, still. It’s nice to discuss stuff in an informal setting, isn’t it? I’m not implying that there’s anything informal with this place. This is grand man. Just grand.”
Angela leaned towards Lilly. “Luke? Seriously?” She hissed. “You couldn’t bring anyone else?”
“Sorry,” her best friend hissed back. “But you didn’t give me much notice. When Darren bailed I had no choice but to ask Luke.”
“Excellent choice.” Angela shook her head as she sat up again.
To her dismay, Luke was still engaged in his tirade. It went on well into dinner. He hardly paused for breath and he must have been the only one who hadn’t realized that Dimitri was looking practically murderous by the time that they’d finished eating.
“Boy, that was a great meal, wasn’t it?” Luke said enthusiastically. “Shall we have a look at the dessert menu?”
“I don’t want any dessert, but you go ahead, Luke,” Dimitri with a tight smile.
“Darling, don’t you want some molten lava cake?” Angela said coaxingly. “You enjoyed that last time, didn’t you?”
“I’m fine, Angela, thanks.”
“I heard their crème brulee is excellent,” Lilly chimed in. “Maybe you want to…”
“I said I’m fine.” Dimitri interrupted in a cold voice.
Lilly flushed and took a long sip of water. The three of them declined dessert and sat in uncomfortable silence as Luke scoffed down his chocolate cake, seemingly unconcerned by the glacial atmosphere at the table. Angela glared at Dimitri, growing angrier by the minute. By the time they finally left the restaurant, she was practically seething.
She had tears in her eyes as she said an apologetic goodbye to Lilly and her best friend squeezed her hand.
“It’s okay.” Lilly whispered, glaring at Dimitri’s back. “I’ll call you.”
Chapter 9
Angela followed Dimitri to the car in stony silence and stared firmly out of the window as Josh started the car. She felt Dimitri’s eyes on her but she crossed her legs and didn’t say a word during the whole ride home. The limousine finally pulled up the driveway and she got out before Josh could open the door for them. She stormed into the house and headed straight to the kitchen for some water. By then, Angela was so furious that she was practically shaking with rage. He followed her into the kitchen, closing the door softly behind him.
“Will you just talk to me?” Dimitri finally said.
She threw her purse on the counter. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“Angie.” He ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation.
“Fine,” she stormed towards him. “Would you care to explain why you were so rude to my friends?”
Dimitri frowned. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not.”
“I did tell you that I had absolutely no interest in tonight.” Dimitri snapped. “I told you that I didn’t want to go! You had to go on about it. You had to set everything up behind my back. With Luke of all people!”
“Okay, Luke was a mistake,” she relented. “And I’m sorry about that. But it wasn’t supposed to be Luke.”
“I don’t care whom it was supposed to be!” He exploded. “I just don’t get why you have to do something that I specifically told you not to.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Angela said scathingly. “I didn’t mean to subject you to the torture of sitting through dinner with me and my friends.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Angela,” he thundered. “I never said that and you know it.”
“You may not have actually said it but you sure as hell implied it! Did you see the way you were acting tonight?”
“So now I’m not good enough to hang out with your friends?” He gave a bitter laugh.
“You were certainly acting like we weren’t good enough for you!” She tossed her purse on the counter. “Do you think we’re beneath you or something? You may be the boss in the office, Dimitri, but out of office hours, you’re no better than us.” He started to say something but she vehemently shook her head. “No, don’t try to talk your way out of this. You treated my friends like shit tonight and you know it.” She ran herself some cold water from the fridge and drowned the glass, trying to calm herself.
“You know what’s really bothering you, Angela?” He glowered at her. “It has nothing to do with my attitude. It’s because I didn’t play the role of the doting boyfriend tonight.”
“No, you didn’t.” She slammed the glass on the counter so hard that it smashed. They glared at each other, ignoring the broken shards. “You made it perfectly clear that we’re not together, Dimitri, so don’t worry about that.”
“What do you want from me, huh? What the fuck do you want from me? I already told you that we can’t be together. How can you go behind my back and set up some fucking dinner with your friends?” He was so livid that he was shaking with rage - and some other emotion that she couldn’t fathom.
“So what if I did?” She thrust out her chin. “What if I set up a dinner with my friends? I wouldn’t have had to go behind your back had you been just the slightest bit normal instead of being so neurotic about simple things like that. Why don’t you want to be seen in public with me? Why?”
“That’s none of your fucking business!” He expostulated. “I never tried to mislead you, Angela. I was straight with you from the start. There never was - and there never will be - a relationship between us, is that clear?”
She blinked back furious tears. “Yeah, because you only need me in
bed, right? Because I’m just the stupid girl from the office whom you can fuck and leave whenever you want. Tell me, Dimitri, why are we still together then? Is this because you have a thing for black girls? Am I just a fetish to you? White man fucks black girl and tosses her aside when he’s had his fill. Is this what you want?”
His face blanched. At that moment, he was looking so ferocious, so absolutely beyond himself with rage, that Angela couldn’t help but take several retreating steps. He clenched his fists and advanced towards her, those usually warm caramel eyes glowering with anger.
“You’re going too far, Angela.” His voice was deceptively soft, almost silky with anger. “You’ve gone way too far.”
She knew she had but she was unable to help herself.
“Have I?” She sneered. “Why else would you treat me so cheaply?” Tears rolled down her face but she hardly noticed them. “I’m good enough for you to fuck but not introduce to your family or… or even be seen in public with you.” Her voice caught in a sob. “What’s not good enough about me, Dimitri?” Her shoulders sagged as an unexpected wave of weakness crashed upon her. “Why am I not good enough?”
He turned his back to her and opened the window. A gust of cold air filled the kitchen but Angela hardly noticed. Her eyes were latched to Dimitri. He was hunched in front of the windowsill, his long fingers digging into the metal frame.
She didn’t know how, but in that moment Angela knew that it was over between them.
There was an air of finality in the kitchen that she couldn’t deny. And, sure enough, when he finally straightened up and looked at her, his face was closed again, eyes glacial and expressionless. Exactly how he used to look before she got to know him so intimately.
She crossed her arms across her chest, her thin shoulders heaving with silent sobs. Something in his frigid composure slipped.
“Come here,” he said gruffly.
She shook her head but he ignored her and pulled her into his arms, locking his fingers around her waist. He held her close for several long minutes as they stood in complete silence, both of them knowing that it was over, neither one of them willing to admit it. Her tears soaked his shirt as she rested her cheek against his chest. Her stomach was churning and she felt so exhausted that she could barely stand on her feet. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to release him. She wasn’t going to shorten their final moments together. She pressed her lips together in a desperate attempt to stop crying, but when he hesitantly brushed his lips across her hair in a tender kiss she completely lost it.
She broke down crying in his arms, her entire body shaking from her sobbing. Dimitri didn’t say anything. He only tightened his arms around her, pressing his lips to her hair as he let her get it all out. Finally, she pulled back and looked at him with swollen eyes.
“Why?” Her voice was hoarse from her sobbing. “Why did you lead me on? Wh… Why can’t you love me? Damn it, Dimitri!” She furiously pounded her fists on his chest.
“Angela. Angela look at me.” Dimitri grabbed her wrists in a firm grip.
Her voice broke in a loud sob as she looked up at him. His face was anguished, tormented even. His full lips parted but no words came out. He swallowed and avoided her eyes, looking agitated. Finally he dropped her wrists, allowing her arms to flop back to her sides.
“I told you not to fall in love with me,” he said after a long pause.
Her eyes were so full of tears that she could barely see him. “It’s over, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” He averted her gaze again. “I should apologize,” he added in a distant, formal voice. “It’s my fault. You’re right. I did lead you on, regardless of the conditions that we agreed upon at the beginning of our arrangement. I shouldn’t have…” He stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly releasing her. “Anyway. I’m sorry.”
The emptiness that hit her at that moment was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Angela looked blankly at him, unable to absorb the realization of what had just happened.
“I’ll call a cab home.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” His nostrils flared with anger. “I’ll have Josh drive you home.”
“No.” Angela wiped her eyes. “I don’t want him to see me like this.”
“Fine.” He grabbed the keys to his BMW. “I’ll drive you myself.”
“I don’t…” She started to object but he’d already left the kitchen. She heard the front door open and then the slam of the car door as he got inside.
She stood alone in his kitchen, suddenly assaulted by memories. She would have broken down again but she didn’t feel like she had a single tear left in her body. She ran her fingers across the granite counter, her lips curving in a sad smile as she remembered the time he’d made her a sundae. They’d ended up in bed afterwards… like they always did.
He might have used her for sex only but she’d truly loved him. Still did.
She crossed her arms against her chest, hugging herself again as she walked out of the kitchen. Dan was in the hallway. She looked up, her tail wagging furiously at the sight of Angela.
“Hey, little girl,” Angela said in a hoarse voice as she knelt on the floor. “Come here.” She nuzzled her cheek into the dog’s soft fur, squeezing her eyes shut. “I’m gonna miss you, old lady.”
Dan whined and licked her hand as Angela gave her one last scratch under her chin before standing up again. She stepped out of the house without looking over her shoulder. It was of no use.
Dimitri was already in the car waiting for her. She could see his profile in the driver’s seat. He’d left the passenger seat door open for her but she couldn’t bear to be so close to him again. Instead, she closed the passenger door and slipped quietly into the backseat. A muscle in his cheek twitched at the gesture but he didn’t comment. His feet pressed on the accelerator with such force that she was slammed back into her seat as the car roared down the street.
They were in front of her flat in a mere matter of minutes. Angela lowered her head as she got out of his car for the last time. She didn’t want to look at him and risk bursting into tears. She opened the door and was just about to step out when he reached over and grabbed her wrist.
Angela’s head shot up.
Dimitri was staring right ahead, his fingers wrapped firmly around her wrist. His shoulders were tense and, for a brief second, she thought he was going to say something.
Very slowly, he released his grip. She looked at him again before quietly climbing out of the car.
******
Part 2 is available to read NOW for FREE through Kindle Unlimited. You can find Part 2 HERE on Destiny’s Amazon Page
About The Author
From her ranch just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, Destiny Davis escapes the desert heat by spinning yet another gripping novella from the air- conditioned comfort of her modest home. This independent author is a dreamer with a wild imagination, and that's evidenced by her captivating, original romance stories. Destiny developed a love for the romance genre at an early age and still enjoys reading these books as much as she does writing them. Her style is unique and her writing filled with riveting characters and situations that will have you completely transfixed.
Destiny's books are hard to put down, and she's always working on another intriguing tale. In college, Destiny Davis excelled in writing and parlayed that skill into a full-time career penning romance stories and articles for her local newspaper. In her free time, she enjoys horseback riding and spending time with her two yellow Labrador retrievers. She hopes to someday find a man as romantic as the ones she writes!
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The Billionaire's Secret Mistress - Part 1 (Contemporary BWWM Romance) (The Billionaire's Secret Mistress (Contemporary BW) Page 5
