by Lara Henley
“Please listen to me. Hear me out. She wanted to talk. I owed her that much. I broke up with her on the way here. She was a mess and I wanted to talk with her in person,” he pleaded.
“Why did you bring her here? Listen, Drake, maybe this is moving too fast. I knew this was too perfect. I shouldn’t have trusted you. Go explain to her. She can have you.” My heart broke as soon as those words left my lips.
“Misty, I am not letting you go that easy. Please listen. I know you have trust issues and I wouldn’t do anything to betray you. I promise. I brought her here so that you could see for yourself that nothing is going on. I want no secrets.”
“Let me go Drake, I have to get myself back together before I get fired.” He still had his hand on my arm, preventing me from moving.
“Please tell me we can talk about this some more? Sara and I are over. Think about it, if I wanted to play you I wouldn’t have met her here where you could see us.” He did have a point, but at that time I didn’t care.
“I said let me go, Drake. I just need to think.” He finally let me go and I moved slowly past him. I smelled her perfume all over him and it made me want to vomit. Get it together Misty; you can sob when you get home. You have another four hours of work to get through.
“I’ll call you later so we can talk.”
“Please don’t. I don’t want to see you.” I stormed off to my post. I felt the wetness on my face and quickly wiped it away before I checked out the next person. Drake returned to her with the most pathetic look on his face. He didn’t order anything but coffee and listened to the GIRL chatter on about something. He didn’t look in the least bit interested, but he still had the nerve. After about an hour of discussion, they came to me and he paid for their items.
“Are you new in town? I haven’t seen you before.” Sara sounded like a snotty bitch. No wonder why Drake wanted to get away from her. I didn’t want to answer any of her questions.
“She is my girlfriend. The one I told you about at the table. She is new in town. Sara, this is Misty. Misty, this is Sara my EX-girlfriend” My face heated at the mention of being called his girlfriend.
“Oh, so this is the little tramp you broke up with me for. You broke it off with me for this?” She was pointing at me. “She has nothing on me.”
“That right there is the biggest reason I broke it off. You are nothing but a spoiled BITCH.” The room got silent and everyone stopped and looked over in our direction.
“To save on the drama, Sara, I am not his girlfriend. I was hoping for something like that, but I see we are from two different worlds. Please take your drama elsewhere I am trying to work.” Sara opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again quickly.
“You are my girlfriend. We will talk about this later. Let’s go, Sara.” He threw some money down and pushed her towards the door. Before he left he winked at me and proceeded out the door. “Smug S.O.B.,” I said under my breath.
“Excuse me,” the lady at the counter was now staring at me.
“Nothing. I’m sorry.” I rang up her order and she paid for it.
The next four hours dragged by as the diner slowed down from the church crowd. All I could do was think about Drake and Sara. They made a very cute couple. I saw why he was interested in her. She was very beautiful. More beautiful than me for sure. What was it that he saw in me anyway? I see why her friends were so upset the other night. The more I thought about his world the more I realized I wasn’t going to fit into it. I am not rich to their standards. Yes, Aunt Silvia and Russ were well off (I was guessing) but I thought now that these people were in a whole different area code of rich. Why did I have to fall in love with him so quickly? He had ruined me for any other man. When it came down to my last hour, Carla and I stood at the lunch counter and counted down my drawer.
“So,” Carla said as she put a sleeve of cups under the counter.
“So what?”
“What was that with Drake and Sara?” She knew them. God that made me feel even more stupid. Of course she knew them. It was a small town.
“It’s nothing.” I didn’t want there to be gossip.
“Oh honey it’s something. I saw how he was watching you even when you weren’t looking. I heard through the grapevine they broke up. Are you seeing him?”
Shit shit shit. How did I answer that after today’s transaction? “I was, but not anymore. I mean, I am. I am so confused. Ask me that question in a couple of days. Today confirmed I am not part of his world.”
“Honey no one is a part of their world, but from what I can tell he is no longer into Sara. His eyes were on you the entire time he was here.” That made me feel a tiny bit better. Maybe I should talk to him. I loved him with all of my heart and soul. My head was telling me to do one thing while my heart was telling me to do another. I just needed some time to think.
“Honey, don’t miss out on love because you’re too scared to fight for it. Relationships are not easy. Take me for example, I come from that world. My father was the richest man in town, but I could care less. I fell in love with a local bartender and gave it all up for him. I don’t regret for one day what I did. I have four beautiful children that are happy with their own lives now. I was engaged to another, but I didn’t love him like I love Larry. Don’t wash it away. He loves you trust me. I will bet money he would give up everything for you.” That was the thing. I didn’t want him to have to choose a life with me or his own life.
“I get what you’re saying. I guess I have a lot to think about.” I did have a lot. I wanted so much out of my life. I needed to get into school and start my career. I knew Drake wouldn’t come between that, but I felt like I was getting too wrapped up in him and losing my focus.
When my shift was finally over my feet were aching so badly. I definitely wore the wrong pair of shoes and would be getting the pair Carla recommended as soon as I got my first check. I gathered my purse and said goodbye to Carla, Gayle, and Judy. I liked it there. It was like I was part of another family. I still really hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Gayle, but I knew I would soon enough. I didn’t work again until Tuesday, so I had one day to check into the local community college. I walked out the front door and Drake was standing there with a white and red rose intertwined with each other.
I approached him. “Leave me alone. I have nothing to say to you.” He handed me the roses. I didn’t take them because at that point I was still mad.
“Misty don’t be like this. I am sorry. It was stupid to bring her here. Please talk to me. Please.” He was so cute with his pleading that I wanted to give in so badly.
“Just give me some time, Drake, to process everything. So much has happened so fast. Maybe we just need to take a step back and reevaluate what this is.”
“I don’t need to reevaluate anything, Misty. I love you and I am not going anywhere. I will prove to you that you are the only one I want.”
“I believe you, I do, but this is all just moving too fast. We have only known each other a few days. Let’s just take this slow. Really get to know each other.”
“I will do whatever you want, just as long as I haven’t lost you.”
“You haven’t lost me, Drake, but I do need time.” I pulled him close for a long, passionate kiss.
“I have to go. I’m really tired and my feet hurt.”
“I spoke with Silvia today. She invited me for dinner. I can come if you want me to and I will rub your feet.” When he talked like that it made all my worries disappear.
“Maybe another night, ok, I just need to unwind by myself.”
“Okay. Will you at least call me later?” I nodded and got into my car. I drove off, leaving him in front of the diner. I wasn’t sure if I was going to call him or not. At that moment I felt that our relationship had come to an end. I watched him as he got smaller and smaller in the distance. I loved him, but could I live without him was the question. Deep down I knew the answer to that question.
Chapter 22
Drake
When she drove off in her car I knew something had changed. Why did I bring Sara here? I should have never let her talk me into seeing her. I told her a thousand times in that booth that things were over between us, but she didn’t comprehend it. She kept living in the past. I will admit we were good together at one time, but she wasn’t Misty. She didn’t have the same qualities and morals. Our relationship wasn’t even a close comparison to what Misty and I shared. I missed Misty every time she left my presence. I sometimes missed Sara, but not like the ache I got when Misty was not around. Now she had walked away from me. I wouldn’t let her. I needed to reassure her that I was what she wanted and needed. After standing there watching her drive off I turned and looked to see Carla staring at me.
“Don’t let that one get away. She is a good girl. Whatever you did today to make her doubt you, you need to fix it.” How did she know? Who was I kidding; Carla knew everything about everything.
“I will, if it is the last thing I do. I love her and I am going to prove it.” Carla smiled that warm smile I had seen a thousand times since I was a kid.
“Good, now get out of the parking lot. Go home.” I gave her a quick hug and made my way back home. I would start my internship on Tuesday, an entire week early. I called the director and they thought it was a great idea for me to go ahead and start. Turned out they were just trying to give me some time to get settled before working. I noticed that I still had the roses in my hand. She never took them. I turned the car around and headed to Silvia’s house. Once I pulled in the driveway I saw her car there. I took the roses and laid them under her windshield wiper. She would see that I wanted her and that we were unified whether she liked it or not.
I returned home and started off towards my bedroom when I heard chatter in the living room. I turned on my heels and saw my mom, dad, and Sean talking and laughing.
“What’s going on here?” It was weird seeing them all together and even weirder seeing them laugh. They thought of Sean as a screw-up. Did they finally see him for who he was?
“Nothing, we are just talking. Come join us.” My mom patted the seat next to her. I walked over and sat down. I was trying to engage in the conversation, but all I could think about was her. She never for a moment left my thoughts. We sat in the living room for hours shooting the breeze. I think this was the first time in a long time we were all in the same room talking without any arguments. We laughed and smiled. I felt a sense of home that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. We ended up ordering pizza and watching a movie. My parents were actually pretty cool and I would enjoy getting to know them again. It was well after midnight before I made it to bed and again I was struck with the feeling of loneliness. I had been checking my phone all night and I had no missed calls or text messages from her. Would she have another nightmare without me there? I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to send her a text and see if she responded.
Me: Hey baby, I just wanted to make sure you are ok. I haven’t heard from you. I love you. Please call me tomorrow. Sweet dreams.
I watched the phone, but she never responded. Maybe she was already asleep. Who was I kidding; she was still pissed or hurt by what I did. Maybe I should just listen to her and give her some space. Please God let me not have lost her. I pulled my clothes off and jumped in the bed stark naked. I had no energy to put anything on. I missed having her next to me. I closed my eyes and all I saw was the image of her driving away from me. My future had driven away from me.
***
It had been one week to the day since I last spoke to Misty. She was avoiding my calls. I tried to go see her at the diner and no luck. Every time I went there Carla told me she wasn’t there, but I knew differently because I saw her car. It felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest and I found life dull and boring again. The woman who made me feel alive had left me high and dry. I wished she would just give me a chance to talk to her, a chance to tell her how much I loved her. Didn’t she know she had ruined me for any other woman? As I slipped on my dress shirt, I remembered her touch. Her soothing touch the night I told her my father had cancer. No one ever made me feel so loved. Not even my parents or nanny growing up. I had to figure out something to win her back, to let her know she could trust me.
I was starting my first full week at the gallery and I had to say that I loved it more than I thought I would. I found comfort in talking art with my coworkers and my boss. It confirmed that one day I would like to open my very own gallery. My father even said that he would back me financially if I wanted him to. It was nice of him to offer, but I felt I needed to do this on my own. The seven days since I had seen or felt her touch felt like an eternity in hell. I went to work and came home. At night, when I saw the image of her, I played video games until I got so sleepy that I couldn’t play anymore.
Kyle kept calling and texting me, leaving messages about how sorry he was. I hadn’t returned any of his calls or texts. I had no desire to talk to him at this point. I knew that incident was part of the reason that she was no longer talking to me. As I put on my pants an idea popped into my head. Why hadn’t I thought of this before? I finished getting dressed and raced out of the bathroom to get my phone. I scrolled through until I came to Silvia’s name. I hit the call button and it rang and rang. Please pick up, I thought to myself. She was my last hope of being able to get to her.
Money could buy you a lot of things in life, but not true love. I had always been able to skate by with my father’s money, but not with Misty. She made me look past the money and more toward happiness. I never knew I could be this happy until I met her. Sara, I had come to the conclusion, was a diversion to help me become the man I was today. I would give her that. I never cared for anyone except her. She made me treat her with the utmost respect and for that I would always be indebted to her. After about the third ring she finally picked up. My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest with the anticipation of her helping me.
“Hello, Drake, I was wondering when I would be hearing from you.”
“Hi, Silvia, how is she? I am going crazy worrying about her. I screwed up royally.”
“She is miserable. When she is not at work she mopes around the house. I hear her at night crying. I have tried everything to help, but she won’t let me. What did you do to her? She was getting along great and then all of sudden she is sad all the time. She won’t talk to me about it. It’s like she is barely here. I haven’t seen her like this since her parents died.” Silvia’s voice cracked. I knew she was just as concerned about Misty.
“She doesn’t think that she is worth anything. I made the mistake of bringing Sara to the diner and then there was an incident that made her believe she wouldn’t fit in with me. The thing is, Silvia, I would turn my back on all of that to have her. I don’t care about any of it. I love her with everything that I am. Can you please help me to talk to her?”
“I don’t think that is a very good idea. I just got her back and this will be a betrayal to her.”
“Please, Silvia, I have no idea what else to do. I am at my wits end and I need to see her. I need to tell her she belongs with me and that I love her.” I was pleading my case hoping she would help. She was the only way I was going to be able to see her.
“Come over for dinner tonight. I can’t promise you what will happen, but that is the best I can do. Dinner is at seven. Misty gets off at six. Better bring her flowers or something.”
“I’ll be there with bells on. Thank you. Thank you so much. I will do anything for her. I will see you at seven.”
“Drake, you better not make me regret this.”
“You won’t. I promise.” I hung up with Silvia and for the first time in a week I was feeling hopeful that I would get my angel back. I grabbed my keys and wallet and proceeded down to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast. My mom and dad where both sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee when I went in to grab my own cup; they both stared at me in wonder. I had been a bit testy the last couple of days and I knew t
hey were scared to say anything to me.
“Good Morning,” I said with a little sarcasm in my voice.
“Good Morning,” they both replied at the same time. My mother giggled. That just made me more agitated than I already was. I didn’t want to see them all lovey dovey. I was wallowing in my own misery. I fixed my coffee and headed for the door. I had lost my appetite.
When I made it to my truck I was ready to punch the shit out of the dashboard. This week had been so frustrating to me. I pulled out and headed to the Gallery. It was the only thing that was keeping me sane. When I pulled into the Gallery parking lot I saw my boss, Mrs. Carlson, making her way in. She must have been running late because she was usually there at the crack of dawn. Mrs. Carlson was an older woman in her mid-fifties with a nice hour glass shape. She had long dark hair that reached her butt and crystal blue eyes. She wore glasses that made her look like a librarian. Most of the men that came into the Gallery were sold something by her looks alone I was sure.
I parked the car and got out with coffee still in hand. When I entered I saw several large paintings packaged in the lobby. This must be the new collection arriving. I was excited to see it. Mrs. Carlson had been talking about it all last week and we were all eager because of her energy. I walked through the lobby and greeted Stephanie, our receptionist. She was a cute little plump lady with fiery red hair and an attitude to match. The Gallery was very high end. Everything from the marble flooring to the granite counter tops were of the highest quality. Mrs. Carlson spared no expense on the place. From what she was telling me, the Gallery has sold multiple multimillion dollar pieces. People from across the country would come to the Gallery for the art work. I made it to the cubical I was occupying during my internship and opened up my web browser. I wanted to do some research on the new pieces that had arrived.