by Lazeema Haq
The next problem was how to go about doing it. He deserved to hear from her in person but it wasn’t like she could march to his table and demand to speak to him. Most likely his friends, especially that bitch, would make some kind of disparaging remark and Vesper was too angry to keep her own temper in check which meant she was risking getting fired by going over there. That left texting as the only option. Maybe it wasn’t nice but it would have to do.
Need to cancel. Something’s come up. Sorry.
After sending the message to Tristan, she cleaned up before changing into regular clothes and grabbed her things to leave. She was almost at her car in the lot behind the restaurant when she heard Tristan’s sardonic voice.
“Who’s the coward now?”
*****
Tristan wasn’t really surprised when he received a text from Vesper. A part of him had been expecting her to bail on him as soon as she’d said yes; yet, he was still disappointed.
Ignoring his friends’ protests for him to stay, he rushed out of the restaurant in the hopes of catching her.
He was laying in wait when she came charging outside. She was oblivious to his presence and so he took the opportunity to study her for a moment. While Vesper was beautiful in her own unique way, she certainly wasn’t stunning. There were plenty of beautiful women in his past – Lily was probably the hottest of them all – but nothing compared to the intense attraction he felt for Vesper. He wanted her, badly; there were nights he lay awake thinking about what it would be like to fuck her, taste her, make her come until she was screaming and begging him for more, but it wasn’t just the physical attraction that drove him crazy, at least not anymore. Thanks to their conversations, he’d gotten to know her a lot better (she’d been collecting Ikea catalogues since she was a kid, her love of cushions came from the few months she’d stayed with a seamstress who loved to make cushion covers) and it made him realise he wanted to know everything that made Vesper who she was, the good and the bad, and the only way to get her to open up was to gain her trust. He wasn’t aware when that had become so important, but it had.
Realising she was about to get inside her car, he finally spoke up. “Who’s the coward now?” She jumped up in surprise. Jaw clenched, body rigid, she was brewing for a fight when she turned around, and he was more than happy to oblige. “I knew you would change your mind.” Maybe it wasn’t nice on his part, but he didn’t care; he enjoyed provoking her. When they were face-to-face she was always trying to keep him at a distance – until they were arguing, and then she was too busy firing back to keep her guard up. That was when she was at her most vulnerable, and that was the Vesper he wanted. “But after all the shitty lectures you gave me about running away I didn’t think you’d do the same. Makes you a hypocrite, doesn’t it?”
“I told you, something came up.”
“Actually, you didn’t tell me anything. You sent me a text. Real dick move on your part.”
“You looked busy,” she said in a clipped tone. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
“It wouldn’t have been a bother.”
She shrugged her shoulders, deliberately avoiding his gaze, and he realised something else was wrong.
“Tell me the truth. What’s going on?”
Finally, she locked eyes with him. “That woman you were sitting with, are you guys good friends?”
He definitely wasn’t expecting her to be upset over something trivial like that. Was Vesper jealous? A big grin formed across his face. “Didn’t think you were the possessive type.”
“Just answer the question.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about. Cassie’s a friend. That’s all.”
Instead of assuring her, his words seem to make Vesper more apprehensive.
“I need you to stop calling me.”
“Want to tell me what the fuck is going on?” he demanded, storming towards her.
“Tristan, you know we can’t do this.”
“No, Vesper. I don’t know that at all,” he replied, mimicking her tone.
“We’re too different.”
“Cut the bullshit. You owe me that, don’t you think?”
“Fine. You want to know the truth? The fact that you call her a friend is disturbing to me. It sickens me actually. And I don’t want to be around someone who associates with people like her!”
“What the hell does Cassie have to do with us?”
“She threw a drink at me!”
“What? When the hell did this happen?” he asked, furious at the thought of anyone hurting Vesper.
“It happened a few months ago. She was sitting at your table, you were there!”
“I don’t remember this at all.”
“Oh, how nice for you,” she mocked. “Unfortunately I still remember how humiliating that was. And I refuse to be chummy with her just because she’s your friend.”
He tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you back then….”
“That shouldn’t matter. Don’t you see that? You and your friends still thought it was alright to embarrass another person simply because you could.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with that!”
“It was so inconsequential to you that you don’t even remember it, but it was one of the most degrading nights of my life.” She exhaled a resigned sigh. “You and I, we’re from different worlds. Maybe I’m not rich like you and your friends, but that doesn’t make me worthless either, no matter how much you guys might think it does.”
Anger rippled through him, but it wasn’t at Vesper. No. It was directed at Cassie, and he knew exactly how to deal with it. Hitting back at his enemies, destroying them, was the only way to get past the hurt. Cassie was about to get what she deserved. He reached out to grab Vesper’s hand.
“You’re coming with me. We’re going to fix this now.”
She pushed him away. “I’m not gonna make nice with your friends!”
“No. You’re not. You’re going to smack that bitch across her face.” He gripped her hand and started leading her back to the restaurant.
*****
At first Vesper was too stunned to do anything, but as soon as she realised Tristan was actually planning to drag her back to confront that woman she took action. Using all her strength, she urged him to turn around. “Stop! I’m not doing that.”
Tristan’s eyes brimmed with cold rage. “She hurt you. She has to pay.”
“I don’t want to talk to her! Don’t you get that?”
“I’m not asking you to fucking converse with her. I’m telling you to go humiliate her the way she did you!”
His eyes were darkened, fierce, and she realised he was serious. “I can’t do that.”
“You’ll feel better. I promise you.”
Taking her hand again, he started rushing back to the restaurant but she quickly overtook him. “Tristan, stop.”
“No. I can’t fix what happened but I can make sure she’ll never do it again.”
Fear trickled down her spine hearing the viciousness in his voice. “Okay, fine. Talk to her later, not here.”
“Why not here? This is where she threw her drink at you. This is where she’ll get what’s coming to her. Poetic justice and all that.”
She tried cajoling him this time. “Let’s just forget about it for now, okay?”
“No!” he insisted, his eyes flashing with rage. “You need to hurt her the way she hurt you. That’s the only way to get past this. Trust me.”
“Embarrassing her now is not going to make me feel any better about what happened.”
“It will. I know it will. It has to.”
He advanced forward, and she laid her hands on his chest. In a soft voice, she attempted a different approach. “You promised me dinner,
remember? I’m starving.”
He paused, staring at her intently before speaking again. “You’re trying to distract me. It’s not going to work.”
She raised her eyebrow. “So you’d rather go in there to make a scene than take me to dinner? That’s rude.”
“What I’d rather do is take you back to my place.”
She smirked. “Always have to push it, don’t you?” His expression softened yet he was still aggravated, like he was battling his own instincts. To ease his nerves she cradled his face, smiling up at him. “You’re right. It’s about time you show me where you live.”
He didn’t acknowledge her words, didn’t even flirt back. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything then. I really am. I know that doesn’t help you now but I swear I’m not going to let something like that happen again.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“It’s not just because it happened to me. I can’t be with someone who thinks it’s okay to treat people like that.”
“It’s not that I thought it was okay. I just… didn’t care.”
She hated that he felt that way but at least he was being honest. “I need you to care.”
He nodded. “I know. You’re right. I’ll change, Vesper. I swear.”
His eyes were a warm, liquid blue, and filled with such sincerity they broke her heart. Her insides trembled when he leaned closer, grazing her forehead. “Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear.”
“Are you sure? Because I can make her pay, Vesper. You don’t have to get your hands dirty. I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay, stop it. No more revenge talk. You sound like a psychopath when you do that.”
His hands encircled her waist. “A sexy psychopath?”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “Shut up.” He dropped a gentle kiss on her temple and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. They remained locked in that position for a few minutes, simply holding each other.
Her intentions of not getting involved with him were definitely thrown to the wayside now. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t stay away from Tristan.
“Were you serious about going back to my place?” he asked, caressing her back.
Hesitant, she angled back to peer up at him. “Yeah, but I need to take things slow. You get that, right?”
“Relax, Vesper.” He gave her a lopsided smile, tracing the curve of her ear with his finger. “I’m offering dinner, not sex. I don’t put out that easy.”
“Well then, let’s go. Before I change my mind.”
“Fine. But we’re taking my car. I don’t think I’ll fit into yours.”
“Snob,” she teased.
“Hey, I’m concerned about my own safety. That piece of junk looks like it’ll break down any second now.”
He was right. It had, many, many times. “It gets me from point A to B. That’s all I need.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
They started walking towards his car when she felt his fingers lace through hers. Instinctively, she stiffened. It was the most intimate of gestures, holding hands, and she was a little stunned he was willing to initiate it so easily, especially considering they hadn’t even been out on a date yet. Then again, maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal; he did seem completely oblivious to her surprise. Telling herself to chill, she squeezed his hand in return.
Chapter Thirteen
Vesper stared out the passenger window, telling herself to relax. When she had asked Tristan to take her back to his place, she hadn’t really thought about what that entailed – she just wanted to distract him from going back into the restaurant. Now that it was actually happening, she was nervous. As if sensing her inner turmoil, Tristan gave her hand a warm squeeze. The gesture brought a smile to her face, and she turned slightly to watch him from the corner of her eye.
The sight of him made her heart beat rapidly. With him she felt euphoric one second, insecure the next. Her soul revealed its full gamut of emotions when he was around and it was alternately terrifying and exhilarating.
For years it was Latoya’s face that haunted her when she closed her eyes, torturing her with guilt, but now it was Tristan with his flirtatious voice and witty jokes and intense stare who kept her awake. It was actually strange to wake up in the morning and have something to look forward to. Truth be told, a part of her felt guilty over it.
They went into an underground parking lot and circled up the levels, and soon the car pulled into a spot with a smooth, fluid-like motion. He shifted to look at her, smiling, his eyebrow cocked. “Ready?”
Her jitters grew worse. “I think we need to talk.”
“Yeah, we do.” He leveled her with a solemn stare. “Just because I’m taking you up to my place doesn’t mean you’re getting laid tonight. I don’t put out on the first date. Understood?”
She burst out laughing. It didn’t take a genius to realise this was his way of soothing her frayed nerves. “Yeah, I got it.”
“You sure? I can explain it one more time. Or maybe you need diagrams.”
“Nope, not needed. You were crystal clear.”
“Good.”
They both slid out the car and he led her to the elevator, casually linking his fingers through hers again.
*****
“How big is this place?”
“4,300 square feet,” Tristan replied.
“That’s it?” She shot him a look of disdain. “Peasant.”
He started laughing. Most people gushed over the luxury two-storey penthouse suite but of course Vesper wasn’t going to react that way. Money didn’t seem to impress her all that much which was one of the things he liked about her.
She stood in the centre of the foyer, eyeing the staircase that led upstairs. “Must be a drag to live in such a small space.”
“I’m a humble man. I manage.” Leaning back on the banister, he quirked his eyebrow at her. “Want to check out the bedroom upstairs?”
“Maybe later.”
“Worried you can’t keep your hands to yourself?”
“Obviously.”
His gaze lingered on her, slowly travelling down the length of her body and up again before locking eyes with her. The smile on her face dissipated, lips parting, the amused expression now replaced with a look of longing that he didn’t even think she was aware of. And just like that the friendly, casual atmosphere dissolved, exposing the underlying tension between them.
These past two weeks he had purposely kept his distance. The sexual tension between them could be overwhelming at times and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable or push her away. Besides, the phone calls actually forced them to get to know each other better and it made him realise they were friends. But in person it wasn’t as easy to stick to the platonic bullshit, not when she looked at him like she wanted to fuck his brains out and he’d get hard just being around her.
Vesper quickly turned her back to him and walked towards the balcony. She stood by the door, peeking out. “You go out there a lot?”
“When I’m stressed out or I need to think,” he replied, approaching her. Maintaining some distance between them, he slid the door open and stepped outside. It was especially windy this high up but the strong breeze was exactly what he needed to cool him down. He walked to the parapet before turning to face her. “Join me?”
She shook her head ‘no’, watching him cautiously.
“Scared of heights?”
“Kinda.”
He smirked. “And here I thought you weren’t afraid of anything.”
“Shows how much you know.”
Tristan held out his hand. “I won’t let anything happen to you. It’s perfectly safe.”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t tr
ust me?”
“I don’t.”
“Pussy.”
“Bully.”
Chuckling, he came back inside and closed the door behind him. “What kind of food are you in the mood for?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Surprise me.”
“Hope you’re not expecting me to cook, Vesper.”
“Why not? Aren’t you going to try and impress me with your culinary skills?”
“There are easier ways to get food poisoning.”
“Excuses, excuses.”
He smiled at her. “There are some take-out menus in the den. Make yourself useful and look through them. I’ll grab us a bottle of red.”
“Red wine gives me a headache.”
“Stop drinking it from the box then,” he retorted.
“Snob.”
“It’s that or beer. Pick one.”
“Beer.”
He winked at her. “Girl after my own heart.”
“And here I thought you were heartless.”
“Shows how much you know,” he teased, mimicking her earlier words.
“Can you stop stalling so we can eat? You promised me dinner. I’m starving.”
“Then grab the menus and decide on something. You expect me to do all the work around here?”
She stuck out her tongue in defiance before hurrying to the den. Tristan remained in place, appreciating the view of her beautiful ass sashaying away.
*****
“That looks really good.”
“It is,” Vesper replied, biting into the delicious chocolate cake that was her dessert. She cast him a pitying glance. “Too bad about your lame apple pie, but it’s not like any one forced you into ordering it.”
“Yours looks so much better.”
“I know, and I bet it tastes better too,” she taunted, licking her spoon.
“You’re really not going to give me any?”
She shook her head ‘no’.
“Didn’t they teach you to share in kindergarten?”
“Nope. Guess they only teach that in fancy private schools.”