“I’m joking,” she said.
Without a word to either of them, I started to walk ahead.
Anne called out to me, “We’re not joking, Leah. Well, I’m not. You need to throw him back in the ocean, so someone else can have a shot.”
My heart lurched into my throat at her tone. I spun around to see if he was still in the vicinity and almost collapsed with relief when I saw he had disappeared. I gave Anne a sharp look and began to head back to the hotel.
That evening, I strolled into the Harbor restaurant that Carter had chosen, feeling exquisite.
Tracy’s dress did indeed fit like a glove, the black silk material clinging to the dip in my waist and the curve of my hips. Held up by the tiniest halter strap, it stopped just below my knees. I’d decided to forego the sneakers as suggested and instead, wore my strappy, blocked heel sandals that were alluringly sexy, yet comfortable.
My shoulder length auburn curls softly framed my face, while Tracy had lent me her pair of vintage, pearl studs for my ear lobes.
I felt infinitely more presentable than I had when I ran into him earlier in the day, so I could barely contain my excitement at the promise the evening held.
The only problem… I was running about five minutes late. I thought to call him to apologize, but I didn't want to dampen our spirits for the evening so I hoped he would be able to brush it away when I arrived.
Set in a gorgeous, dim ambience, the Harbor’s ceilings were adorned with weeping willows, its tables lit with candles. Soft jazz music played in the background while in the distance the sounds of the waves crashing against the coastal stones could be heard.
All of this was more than I’d expected from this little getaway trip.
I was shown to our reserved seat on the balcony to see it was empty.
“Something to drink while you wait for your other party miss?” The waiter asked.
I ordered all I was sure I could stomach at that moment. “A glass of water, please.”
With a smile, he walked away.
I took my seat.
Our table was positioned at the edge of the restaurant, the only thing separating us from the sea, the pile of heavy rocks along the coast. It had an exquisite view of the town’s hilly terrain, the ancient castle and boats sailing into the distance.
However, none of that breathtaking scenery could currently hold my attention.
The arranged meeting time had been 7 pm. It was now 7:15 pm, and he was nowhere to be found. Being a little late would be okay but he hadn’t called or texted to update me on it.
I put my phone away, quite disappointed, but fought hard to maintain my enthusiasm for the night. So I settled in, watching the other patrons as they chatted and basked in the ambience of their own candle lit dinners.
I couldn't wait for mine to get started.
Twenty minutes passed by, and my stomach began to tighten with fury. He still hadn’t arrived, and no text from him.
This time around, a waitress came by and I could almost see the pitying look on her face as she asked, “Ma’am would you like something else to drink while you wait?”
I felt like I’d been slapped in the face, but I knew she was just doing her job. “A glass of your Late Harvest will do,” I said, determined to give Carter the chance to still show up late.
She walked away, and soon returned with the sweet white wine in a tall glass.
I took a very long sip, as I took note of how my throat constricted with the realization that he had somehow managed to make me completely let my guard down. Once again, I was reminded of the fickleness of the male species.
He truly was a specimen, but not the kind I’d come to believe.
My gaze was lost on the sea and its infinite darkness beyond, but the moment I felt the tears sting my nose. I picked up my phone and finally sent him a text. ‘Where are you?’ I gave him ten more minutes to respond to me.
At the eight minute mark, I asked for my check.
When the ten minutes had elapsed, I pushed my chair out, the iron legs scraping angrily across the wooden floor.
I rose to my feet and exited the restaurant as gracefully as I could manage.
Chapter 7
Carter
I’d lost track of time.
A call from my CFO at the head office had come in just before I’d been about to leave, and the time had flown by.
I’d rushed to the car then, but still remained too anxious to even step away from the call. After I got into the vehicle… it’d finally ended abruptly when my phone battery got drained. I was left staring at a blank screen. I looked around me and realized we were moving at a snail’s pace through the east part of the town.
“It’s rush hour sir,” Makhmad said. “The road will clear in about thirty minutes.”
I leaned into the back seat with a heavy sigh, my nerves shot. I didn't have thirty minutes, especially since there was no way to reach Leah, so she would know I was still on my way.
Plus, the crumbling acquisition back at the office of Media Hive… that fire needed to be put out, otherwise eight months of hard work would be flushed down the drain at the crucial moment of completion.
“Fuck,” I cursed underneath my breath, turning to watch through the window at the cars that crawled past us.
Eventually, the delay eased up and Makhmad increased his speed.
I spotted her the moment I arrived at the restaurant.
She looked angelic… her hair billowing around her face at the mild evening breeze. She however, looked incredibly annoyed, her arms folded across her chest as she no doubt awaited transportation.
Makhmad parked the car at the entrance but just as I got out, a cab pulled up in
