9
841 Words
Damian
It hadn’t taken me long to put two-and-two together about John and Mia. He’d been the one who’d broken her heart and now, here he was, standing there with his ditzy secretary and lover. Seeing them together was obviously upsetting to Mia, which was why I’d decided to do what I did. Wrong or right, I didn’t care. I just somehow knew that she was having a weak moment and I hated seeing a beautiful woman like her feel unwanted.
“Yes, in my line of work, I see a lot of that,” said John, glaring at Ridley. “On both sides of the coin, however.”
“I’m sure one side more than the other,” she replied, her gaze unwavering.
“Probably. Anyway,” he said tightly. “I don’t claim to be perfect myself. Hell, we all make mistakes and have to live with them.”
“Yes, we do,” said Ridley.
“Honey, we should go and find a place to sit,” said Tracy, staring over the ledge and down below. “I think the band is going to be starting any minute.”
“Sure,” he answered, his eyes moving back to Mia, who was desperately trying to ignore him.
“To be honest, it doesn’t look like there are any decent seats left up here,” I said, relieved that he’d have to go below. I’d invited him to the concert, mainly because I wanted to thank him for his help during my divorce. I’d planned on paying his tab for the night as well. Now, I just wanted him as far away from Mia as possible. “Every one of them appears to be taken. Sorry, John.”
“It’s okay,” he answered, still staring at Mia like he wanted to pick her up and run off with her.
I tightened my hold on her, feeling suddenly possessive. “It was good seeing you,” I said, noticing Mia stiffen up under my arm.
“You, too,” he replied.
I raised my drink. “Your tab is on me, by the way. Just give them my name when you order your cocktails.”
“Thanks,” said Tracy, emptying the rest of her glass. “I could use a refill. It was nice meeting all of you.”
“You, too,” said Ridley. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name?”
“It’s Tracy,” she said smiling.
Ridley looked from John to her. “And you two are…?”
“I guess you could say that we’re kind of dating,” she replied. “I mean, I work for him so we don’t like to talk about it at the office. But, none of you are employed by him, so I guess we’re allowed to be open about it. Right, John?”
John looked like he wanted to shrivel up and die. “I think we should get refills before the band starts playing.”
“Yeah. Great idea,” said Tracy.
“It was interesting meeting you,” said Ridley.
“You, too,” she replied. Not noticing any animosity in the air, Tracy smiled and said her goodbyes again before taking off toward the bar.
John looked at Mia. “Mia, I’ll call you.”
“Why?” she asked, looking at him coldly.
He smiled. “Just to catch up. You know… like old friends?”
Mia didn’t say anything, although, something told me that if they’d been alone, she’d have ripped him a new asshole.
The song playing in the club ended abruptly and the crowd below began to clap and howl as Kendall and her band finally made the stage.
“Mia?” said John.
“You really should go below and find a spot,” Mia told him in a flat voice. “Just like Damian said – there’s absolutely nothing for you up here.”
“Oh, snap,” said Ridley, amused.
John’s eye twitched. Trying to keep his composure, he turned to me. “Have a good one, Stryker.”
I grabbed Mia’s hand and slid my fingers through hers. “Thank you. I plan on it,” I said with a meaningful grin.
John’s face turned red. He turned on his heel and stormed away.
Michael chuckled. “Now that’s worth a few toasts if you ask me.”
Ridley held up her glass. “I agree. That piece of s**t. I can’t believe him. He’s banging his secretary and yet, he’s practically begging Mia to give him another chance? What a tool.”
“That’s an insult to tools,” I replied, removing my arm from Mia’s shoulder. “Anyway, that jackass doesn’t deserve you. I hope you realize that.”
“Oh, I do. Now more than ever,” she said quietly.
“Here’s to new beginnings,” said Ridley, raising her glass. “To new friends. And to new adventures.”
“Cheers,” we all replied, clinking our drinks together.
- Writer
