MISSING SOMETHING?🌚
892 Words
HIS POSSESSION
Chapter Six: Missing Something
Saturday evening settled over Manhattan in shades of amber and gold.
Traffic flowed steadily through the streets as people hurried toward restaurants, theaters, and rooftop bars, eager to make the most of the weekend.
Inside his office, Adrian closed the final file on his desk.
“You’ve been working since six this morning,” Luca remarked as he entered.
“There was work to do.”
“There always is.”
Adrian glanced at the clock.
7:42 p.m.
Without another word, he stood and slipped on his jacket.
Luca watched quietly.
“You don’t have any dinner meetings tonight.”
“No.”
“So… Le Château?”
Adrian fastened the button of his suit jacket.
“Yes.”
The answer came so naturally that neither man commented on it.
Le Château was alive with conversation.
Every table was occupied, and the restaurant glowed beneath its crystal chandeliers.
The hostess smiled as Adrian entered.
“Good evening, Mr. De Luca.”
“Good evening.”
“Your table is ready.”
As Adrian followed her through the dining room, his eyes moved across the familiar room.
One section.
Then another.
He frowned almost imperceptibly.
Ethan wasn’t there.
Perhaps he was in the kitchen.
He took his seat.
A young waiter approached with a polite smile.
“Good evening, sir. My name is Daniel, and I’ll be serving you tonight.”
Adrian looked at him for a brief moment.
“…Where is Ethan?”
The question surprised even him.
Daniel answered without thinking.
“Oh, Ethan?”
“Yes.”
“Today’s his day off.”
A small silence followed.
“I see.”
“He’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
Daniel handed him the menu.
“What may I recommend this evening?”
Adrian opened it.
For the first time all week…
Nothing stood out.
“I’ll decide in a moment.”
“Of course.”
Daniel excused himself.
Across the room, Noah noticed the exchange.
When Daniel reached the service station, Noah asked quietly,
“Everything alright?”
Daniel nodded.
“He was asking for Ethan.”
“He was?”
“Said his name before I even introduced myself.”
Noah looked toward table nine.
A thoughtful smile crossed his face.
“So… I wasn’t imagining it.”
Adrian eventually ordered.
The meal was excellent.
The service was flawless.
The wine was perfectly paired.
Everything about the evening met Le Château’s impeccable standards.
Yet…
Something felt different.
Daniel checked on him just as Ethan always did.
His timing was excellent.
His manners were impeccable.
There was absolutely nothing wrong.
Still…
The evening felt strangely quiet.
As Adrian reached for his glass, he caught himself glancing toward the entrance to the kitchen.
Twice.
Then a third time.
Each time, he expected to see a familiar smile.
Each time, someone else emerged.
He frowned slightly.
What exactly am I expecting?
The thought unsettled him.
When dinner ended, Daniel placed the bill on the table.
“I hope everything was to your satisfaction, Mr. De Luca.”
“It was.”
“Thank you for dining with us.”
Adrian nodded politely before standing.
As he walked toward the exit, he paused near the hostess’s podium.
“When does Ethan usually work?”
The hostess looked up.
“Tuesday through Friday evenings, and Sundays.”
“I understand.”
“Would you like me to pass along a message?”
Adrian considered it.
“…No.”
“There’ll be another opportunity.”
A faint nod.
“I’m sure there will.”
He stepped outside into the cool evening air.
The ride home was unusually quiet.
Luca reviewed tomorrow’s schedule.
“You have brunch with the mayor at eleven.”
“Mm.”
“And your father requested a meeting tomorrow afternoon.”
“I’ll be there.”
Luca closed his tablet.
“You seem disappointed.”
Adrian looked out the window.
“Do I?”
“You’ve hardly spoken since dinner.”
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
Finally, he spoke.
“The food was excellent.”
“But?”
“There was nothing wrong.”
Luca waited.
Adrian exhaled softly.
“…It simply wasn’t the same.”
The words hung in the silence of the car.
For the first time, Adrian allowed himself to admit what he’d been avoiding all week.
It wasn’t the restaurant that had become part of his routine.
It was the person waiting inside it.
Back at Le Château, the dinner rush finally began to settle.
Daniel loosened his tie as he stacked a tray of empty glasses.
“Ethan wasn’t kidding.”
Noah looked up.
“About what?”
“Mr. De Luca.”
“What about him?”
“He’s probably the easiest customer I’ve ever served.”
Noah smiled.
“That’s Ethan’s favorite table.”
Daniel laughed.
“I can see why.”
Neither of them realized that, in a quiet apartment across the city, Ethan Brooks was spending his evening exactly as he always did on his day off.
He had no idea that someone had noticed his absence.
No idea that, for the first time in years, Adrian De Luca had left a restaurant feeling as though he’d forgotten something important.
And that frightened Adrian more than he was willing to admit.
End of Chapter Six
- Writer
