Unforeseen desires : an unexpected encount

Unraveling secrets

It had been three weeks since my last night with Darren, and I hadn't tried to reach out to him. Strangely, this realization saddened me a bit. I thought maybe he would want to see me and convince me to accept his proposition, but that wasn't the case.

I often found myself reminiscing about our intimate encounters, especially when I was alone and needed relief. It wasn't as satisfying as being with him, but I made do.

"You're different, Ava."

This phrase, along with all the others, never left my mind. I still searched for their meaning without success.

"Do you still think about it?" Leslie pulled me from my thoughts.

"I can't stop wondering what he meant."

"I'm not in his head, Ana; I can't tell you."

She took a seat beside me and answered a call I hadn't even heard.

"BeautyLang Enterprises, how can I assist you?"

I returned to work, sorting through the mail we had received over the weekend and the past two days.

"No, Mrs. Lang won't be available on that date; she'll be traveling to Japan. I can offer you an appointment upon her return."

"Hello, Savannah."

I raised my head and discovered Jonathan behind the counter. He was dressed in raw jeans, a pair of white sneakers, and a white t-shirt. He towered over me by at least a head, his red hair perfectly combed, and he was heavily perfumed, or should I say, he must have taken a shower with the entire bottle given the strong fragrance in the air.

I scrutinized him, wondering what he was doing here. I hadn't forgotten that he stood me up without notice and hadn't contacted me since.

"Jonathan."

"The appointment is set, sir. You'll receive a confirmation email. Please don't hesitate to contact us if there's an issue. Have a good day."

Leslie hung up the phone and made her way around the reception area to greet her friend. They had met at college and regularly caught up to exchange news. She had introduced him to me when he came to pick her up for lunch, and according to her, he had been immediately taken with me. She had been trying to convince me to go for a drink with him ever since.

She wasn't aware of the reason he had canceled our date or the lack of contact since, but since they didn't talk all the time, it didn't worry me.

"You're doing well, John?"

"I'm good."

She then stepped away and playfully punched him in the shoulder, looking annoyed.

"You could have at least let me know you couldn't make it and sent a message."

"That's why I came. I had a work emergency and had to fly to Toronto in a hurry," he added, turning to me.

He ran a hand behind his neck, lowering his gaze slightly.

"I completely forgot to inform you that I couldn't make it, and once I arrived, I didn't have a minute to spare."

Jonathan worked as a sales representative for a luxury leather goods brand. I couldn't quite figure out what could have kept him so busy that he couldn't send a simple apology text. I nodded simply.

"I'm going on my lunch break; are you coming with me?" Leslie offered to her friend.

He agreed, and a few minutes later, they left arm in arm. I returned to my work, but I was interrupted again.

"Miss Walker."

I raised my eyes from the papers to find my boss's cold face. I straightened up and tried to adopt a confident posture, even though I was far from it, especially considering she could fire me at any moment if she wished.

"Mrs. Lang."

"I need you to handle all the reservations for my trip to Japan."

She wasn't supposed to have an assistant to handle these things rather than asking me, but I nodded with a smile as fake as her kindness.

"I'll need three hotel rooms; I've sent you the name of the one where I want to stay. One in my name, another in the name of my assistant, Miss Bennett, and one for Maître Smith, my lawyer."

I instantly lost my smile, Darren was going to Japan for several days with my boss and her assistant, the young assistant who happened to be absolutely stunning with her long black hair, tanned skin, voluptuous curves, and full lips. A strange feeling of jealousy surged within me, but I had no right to feel that way. It was my choice not to continue our "relationship." I couldn't blame anyone but myself.

"You'll also book a private chauffeur to whom we'll provide the details later."

I didn't even have time to accept before she turned and took a few steps away but came back quickly.

"And call his office to set up a meeting here as soon as possible."

This time she left for good. I immediately picked up the phone to contact the law firm.

"Smith & Coe Law Firm, hello. How can I assist you?"

"Hello, this is BeautyLang Enterprises. I'd like to speak with Darren... uh, Mr. Carter Smith."

"He's currently in a meeting. Can I take a message?"

"I really need to speak with him now. Please tell him it's Savannah Walker."

Well, I didn't actually need to talk to him immediately; I didn't even know why I said that. The receptionist asked me to hold for a few seconds and played some annoying hold music.

"I'll transfer your call."

I thanked her and waited for Darren's deep voice to come through the line, sending shivers down my spine.

"Ava, what brings you the pleasure?"

"I'm calling to schedule an appointment."

"Have you changed your mind?" he inquired.

"No, Mrs. Lang wants a meeting in the coming days."

"Oh... I'm available tomorrow afternoon; would that work?"

I sensed the disappointment in his voice before he regained his composure. I checked the schedule and confirmed.

"It's noted."

"It's probably to discuss your trip to Tokyo next month," I added, a hint of jealousy in my voice.

Darren didn't reply. I should hang up and get on with my day, but for some reason I couldn't resist continuing this conversation.

"Do you have any preferences for your hotel room? I'm about to make the reservation."

"Not really."

He paused briefly, and neither of us dared to break the silence.

"Well, maybe one. I don't want to be on the same floor as my travel companions."

I wondered why until a light bulb suddenly illuminated my brain. Of course, it was more discreet for bringing women to his room, but I couldn't dictate his behavior just because I felt jealous.

"Okay."

"I'm sorry, Ava, I'm in a meeting; I have to let you go."

"Goodbye, Darren."

"Goodbye, Ava."

He hung up, and I let out a frustrated sigh for reasons I couldn't fully understand. I went to grab some chocolate and began making the requested reservations. My boss and her assistant had a laundry list of demands, but the hotel must have been accustomed to them since they accepted them all.

*******

I walked into the small bookstore at the end of my street, trying to avoid getting completely soaked by the pouring rain. I wasn't prepared for it, and since I didn't have the energy to go back upstairs to fetch an umbrella, I left with just an oversized sweater and thigh-high boots for cover.

The curls I had painstakingly styled in the morning were now gone, replaced by damp, unruly hair.

The bookseller greeted me with a charming smile. I had made it a habit to visit here regularly to hunt for new gems to devour. Georges always prepared a selection of books that might pique my interest.

"Hello, Ana. How are you?"

"Hello, Georges. I'm good, and you? How's your wife? Isn't she due to give birth soon?"

His face lit up with a radiant smile as he nodded. His wife ran the shop with him, but she had to go on maternity leave due to her pregnancy. I didn't know all the details, but her doctor had advised her to stop working after six months to protect the baby. According to a recent ultrasound, they were expecting a boy they planned to name Jamie.

"Yes, the due date is in two weeks. I've set aside a selection for you in the back of the store."

"Thank you, Georges."

I hurried to the back as he had indicated. There, I found a table with about thirty books, more than usual. I noticed several series among them. Georges knew I liked to buy entire series at once instead of one book at a time. Usually, a book ended with a cliffhanger, leaving me eager to read the next one, and I was too impatient to wait, so having them all meant I could continue immediately.

I settled into the leather armchair next to the table, placed my belongings to the side, and began reading the book summaries or the first chapters. I wasn't sure how much time passed before I finally made up my mind on about fifteen books. I placed them all in a large tote bag and gathered my things to head to the checkout.

"You treated yourself today," Georges remarked.

"Yes, I had trouble deciding, and since I suspect you'll have to close up shop with the baby coming, I've stocked up."

I paid for my books and thanked Georges once again before tucking the bag under my arm. It was rather heavy, and I thanked the heavens that the rain had stopped and I only had a few meters to walk to reach my home. I still had the bitter taste of Darren's business trip in my mouth. I didn't know why; we had only spent two nights together, hardly a reason to be jealous. I left those troubling thoughts at the doorstep as I entered my apartment, dropped the bag unceremoniously on the floor, disregarding the downstairs neighbors, and removed my boots, leaving them haphazardly strewn around. Then, I collapsed onto the couch.

I hadn't had a moment to rest. I'd barely returned from work before changing and rushing to the bookstore. I spent some time on social media, catching up on current events. I didn't know why, but I suddenly decided to open a search engine and type Darren's name into the search bar.

I began my search with Darren Smith, hoping to find some more personal information, but I found nothing about him, only his namesakes. Then, I typed the name he commonly used – I still wondered why he introduced himself as Darren and not Carter – and my searches led me to his law firm's website, but there was a particular blog title that caught my eye.

"Maître Carter Smith and His Conquests"

Curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on the link. The screen displayed a collection of photos of women. I had no idea Darren was so well-known that he had paparazzi taking pictures of him with every woman he met. Most of the women were of average height, fair-skinned with blonde hair, and wearing very little clothing. However, there were also brunettes, redheads, and more. I was amazed at the sheer number of photos – I had suspected Darren had his share of conquests, but I hadn't imagined there were so many.

One photo particularly caught my attention. It had been taken in front of the hotel where I had spent the night with Darren. It showed a woman walking with Darren towards the entrance. A woman I recognized all too well – myself. Fortunately, my face wasn't visible, but I recognized the clothes I had worn that night and my lavender-tinted hair.

I angrily closed the browser tab. I wasn't exactly sure why I was so angry. Was it because I saw myself among all those women? Because I felt like just another name on a list? And me, who had started to believe Darren when he said I was different. What a fool I was.

The apartment buzzer sounded, and I was forced to get up. It was probably Noah, who had likely forgotten his keys again, a common occurrence.

"You forgot your keys again," I said, opening the door.

But it wasn't Noah on the doorstep. It was my ex, Louis. I quickly slammed the door, realizing it was him, but he was faster and wedged his foot between the wall and the door. I pushed with all my strength, but he had more force, and he managed to reopen the door and enter the apartment. I backed away several steps to create distance between us, but in a few strides, he stood in front of me, and no matter how much I retreated, I was quickly trapped between the wall and his body.

"What are you doing here?" I spat out, trying to hide my fear.

"I told you I'd find you, Savannah. I see you're dressing like a slut now."

His words were just words to him, but they stung like a slap to me. I swallowed back tears.

"That's none of your business anyway," I retorted.

He took another step closer, and I was literally pinned between the wall and him. The scent of his woody aromatic cologne surrounded me – and to think it was me who had chosen that perfume at the beginning of our relationship, Bleu de Chanel. Now, it disgusted me, just like the man who wore it.

"You're mistaken, Savannah. All of this," he said, placing his hands on my body.

I tried to escape and prevent him from touching me, but without success.

"All of this belongs to me, and your request for divorce won't change a thing."

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and placed his hand under my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes, which I avoided at all costs.

"Look at me," he ordered.

I continued to evade him, my eyes focused on anything but him.

"Look at me!" he yelled, punching the wall next to my face.

I closed my eyes and tensed, but I reluctantly forced myself to look at him, afraid of what I might see.

"You'll come back to me. You'll never be as happy with him as you were with me."

I closed my eyes again at the end of his sentence. I no longer felt his body against mine, nor the scent of his cologne around me, at least not as strongly. I didn't dare reopen my eyes, afraid of seeing him in front of me, satisfied with the state I was in.

"Ana," Noah shouted as he entered.

I hadn't moved, but I instantly opened my eyes upon hearing him. I was relieved to see that Louis was no longer present, and I let myself relax, leaning into the comforting embrace of my best friend.

"He was here," I whispered.