Chapter Fifteen
The doorbell rang at around four p.m. I had just finished bathing and was still in my bathrobe when I answered the door. A well-groomed man in a suit was standing just across the threshold.
“Good evening, ma’am, I’m Gideon. Mr. Bradley asked me to bring you to the function.” He said, smiling.
“Oh,” I was surprised. “I didn’t know of a prior arrangement.” My heart skipped a momentary beat.
“Oh,” he stared.
“Is Daisy going to come along?” I asked.
“No, as far as I know, I was only directed to convey you to the function.” He responded.
“Oh, give me a minute,” I said, hurrying to get my phone from the room. I missed a call from Jacob, so I returned the call.
“Hey.”
“Good evening,” he said coolly.
“Good evening. Did you order a chauffeur for me?” I went straight to the point.
“Yes, I called earlier to tell you that. He will get you to the venue.” He responded.
“Oh,”
“Yeah, is anything the matter?”
“No, no. I was only hoping I would join Daisy.” I expressed my disappointment.
“I’m sorry about that. Daisy had something urgent to attend to this evening. She must have texted you, or didn’t she?”
“It’s okay,” I glanced through my messages and truly, Daisy had texted. “Thank you,”
“Yeah, see you at the party.”
“Yeah,” I replied, my cheeks a bit warm at the prospect of being alone with Jacob.
The chauffeur, Gideon, dropped me off at the entrance of a massive building, and I was directed in by some smartly dressed ushers with smiles plastered on their faces. The venue of the function was a hall I perceived was a subsidiary establishment of JDB Investments for the building bore the company’s logo.
Inside, the setting was grand and elegant, from the plush carpets to the crystal chandeliers that twinkled overhead and the opulent arrangements of flowers in their brilliant colors. The stage was a vast, uplifted area with a backdrop of the company logo that glinted with an electric glow.
The guests, I knew, were public figures in the society. Their finery sparkled in the room, creating a more beautiful scenery.
I looked around, hoping I’d see either Daisy or Jacob, but I didn’t see any of them. The murmurings and soft laughters were punctuated by the occasional sound of glassware clinking, and soon, a waiter came up to me with a tray of wine.
“Thank you,” I helped myself to a glass of wine and attentively watched the happenings around me.
I saw a man go up the stage. It was Mr Bradley, Jacob’s father and the proprietor of JDB Investments. His presence immediately commanded the attention of the guests.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice resonating throughout the room. “We are here today to celebrate a milestone not just for our company, but for each of you.”
Shortly after, I caught a glimpse of Jacob. Standing among the crowd of his colleagues, I must say he looked very handsome in his tuxedo. I wondered if he could feel my gaze upon him. He looked quite attentive to his father. Meanwhile, I was strangely unable to take my eyes off him. Under the illumination of the chandelier, his features excited me, and I found myself staring at him.
Suddenly, he turned toward my direction, and our eyes locked briefly. Immediately, I looked away.
I felt my cheeks burn. When I glanced at him again, he was already making his way across the room. I felt a tingling sensation in my stomach as he neared me.
“I didn’t see you. When did you arrive?” He whispered when he was finally standing next to me.
Our eyes met for the briefest moment before I replied. “Not too long ago.”
“Before your father went up there…” I wanted to add, but the roaring applause that came from the crowd cut me off. It seemed Mr Bradley had finished his address.
“Excuse me,” Jacob said, dropping the wine glass in his hand on the tray of a passing waiter. He wormed his way through the crowd and went up the stage.
I watched him from across the room, mesmerized by the finesse with which he addressed the guests. There was the attraction I thought I had lost, and it was drawing me to him like a moth attracted to flame.
I could remember the things that had attracted me to him in the first place and they were none other than the way he moved, the way he talked, and his smile, yes. I loved his smile, it was just so captivating.
I didn’t know why, but I kept staring at him, and our eyes frequently locked as he didn’t stop looking at me, too. I could barely focus on what he was saying.
“We have had another successful year and I am honored to have the privilege of standing before you and sharing our achievements.”
“Hey,” someone joined me. It was Daisy. She was gorgeously dressed, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Hey!” I smiled.
“I’m glad you are here.” She chuckled.
“Thanks for the invite.” I smiled again.
“You look gorgeous,” she grinned.
“So do you.”
“And I knew this necklace would just be perfect!” She was referring to the necklace she got for me the other day, which was now prettily resting around my neck.
“Yeah, thanks for insisting.”
“You are welcome!” She giggled. “I’d like you to meet some people after Jacob’s done speaking.”
“Noted.”
“Oh, that’s Mom.” She looked in the direction of the woman standing elegantly among a group of fine ladies. Talking of Mrs. Bradley, it had been long since I had seen her. Even before Jacob and I separated, I had not been close to her, not to talk about getting attached to her.
She was a woman I respected from afar, and I thought she was a good role model.
“I need to see her, I’ll be right back,” Daisy said and left just as the speech ended.
I could not deny the butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I watched him walk over to where I was standing.
“That was a good speech,” I said out of nervousness. I attempted to conceal my anxiety, but I was not successful.
“Thank you,” he took another drink from a tray a female waiter dexterously carried in one hand.
“I must say, you look stunning tonight,” he commented, admiring my black sequin dress.
“Thank you, Daisy made the pick.”
“Hm,” he smiled, sipping his drink.
“You are not so bad yourself.”
He laughed, a deep, throaty laugh that sent a shiver down my spine. “Oh, please, don’t flatter me,” he said, feigning modesty.
I laughed, too.
“Are you enjoying the party?” He asked afterwards.
“Hm, hm.” I nodded.
Then silence fell between us, though it was fleeting. He occasionally glanced at me, making me suddenly aware of how my dress hugged my curves and how my hair fell around my face.
I wanted to strike up a conversation with him, but I didn’t know what to say exactly.
“Do you mind another drink?” He asked, out of the blue, and that was when I realized I had finished my drink.
“No,” I responded, and he beckoned to one of the waiters moving around. I exchanged the empty glass for a full one just as Daisy approached us with two men who looked like they were Jacob’s age.
Jacob also seemed to know them by the way he greeted them and exchanged pleasantries.
“This is Tom Bradford and Jason Davis.” Daisy introduced the two men respectively. The former was slightly taller than the latter and had jet-black hair, a thinner face, and sharper jaws. “And this is Clara Lisbon, my very sweet friend.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I shook hands with both men and tried to continuously wear the warmest smile ever.
“So, how do you know the boss?” Jason asked, turning to me with a smile. He was referring to Jacob.
“Oh, well,” I was initially reluctant to answer and tried as much as possible to avoid looking at Jacob’s face. “He’s my ex.” I eventually said.
The man let out an awkward “oh,” and that was when I glanced at Jacob. He looked sort of satisfied, but then I was uncomfortable.
“Are you enjoying the party?” Tom, the first man, asked as if he was attempting to ease the tension that had struck among us five.
“I have to say, I’m impressed with the spread,” I commented, gesturing to the lavish food buffet. “I’ve never seen so many different types of sushi!” I added, feigning laughter.
“Me neither,” chimed Tom.
“Yeah, so what do you do?” I asked, changing the subject.
“He works in finance,” Jacob responded in his stead.
Tom winked.
“What about you, Jason?” I smiled at the seemingly cool man.
“Architecture.” He replied, sipping his wine.
“What do you do?” He asked, in return.
“I own a coffee shop,” I responded.
“And she’s doing well,” Daisy added with a wide smile.
“Interesting,” Tom commented.
“Is it here, in Sunnyvale?” Jason inquired.
“Yes, it is.”
“It’s in the heart of the city. You should go there, sometime.” Jacob said.
“To get away from caviar and champagne, huh?” Tom chuckled.
“A cup of coffee will do no harm. I’ll remember that, though I can’t guarantee, I have a lot on my table.” Jason said, gentlemanly.
“What do you do these days? I’ve not been seeing you at golf, as often as before?” Tom asked him.
“You know, I’ve been trying to get into painting,” Jason admitted.
“What?” Tom frowned.
“Painting?” Daisy was puzzled.
I guess it was unlikely that Jason would absorb himself in something as inclusive as painting.
“I even took a class.” He added.
“Excuse me,” Daisy quickly said, walking towards an elderly couple. I watched her greet them jovially before returning my attention to the ongoing conversation.
“Oh, really?” Jacob was also surprised. “I never knew you had some artsy spirit in you.”
“Well, I guess it’s fun to try something new.” Jason chuckled.
“I’d love to see your work sometime,” I offered.
“Our Clara is an artsy one.” Jacob asserted, glancing at me with knowing.
“Really?” Jason asked, intrigued.
“But I do not paint.” I immediately rejected the title.
“She is more of a natural art connoisseur or a keen art enthusiast. She sees things deep.” Jacob smiled.
“I see,” Jason smiled.
“Yeah,”
“I wonder if you could analyze my paintings, I want to see if you will see what I imagined that manifested on the canvas.”
It sounded like a challenge to me.
“I can try,” I chuckled.
“I will hold you to that. You know, you are quite an impressive woman.” Jason complimented.
“Thank you.”
“Can I have your number or the address of your coffee shop, so we can arrange for you to analyze my artwork?”
“Let me know when you are ready and I will arrange the meeting,” Jacob said before I had a chance to respond.
“I wonder if she could analyze me too, I believe I’m a worthy artwork.” Tom joked.
I chuckled.
“Oh, Wendy!” Jason exclaimed, looking sideways.
“Wendy?” Tom immediately traced his gaze with unparalleled urgency and then, both Jacob and Jason burst out into laughter. I figured they had played a fast one on him.
“Who is Wendy?” I whispered to Jacob.
“Tom’s wife.” He responded.
I excused myself and went to the restroom.
As I stepped out of the restroom, I gave my dress a smooth tug and flicked my hair behind my shoulders, settling it into place. I took a deep breath, ready to return to the party. However, as I turned around, my eyes fell on the woman coming out of the restroom.
Mrs. Bradley.
Though I had seen her earlier, I was still surprised to see her up close.
“Clara?” She raised an eyebrow, clearly as surprised as I was.
“Hello, Mrs. Bradley.” I greeted her, feeling a wave of conflicting emotions rush through me.
“Hello, Clara. I heard you moved to Sunnyvale, but I didn’t believe it,” she said with a slight edge in her voice. “Anyway, it’s nice to see you again. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well,” I replied, trying to keep my tone steady. “And you? How are you doing?”
She smiled warmly. “I’m doing fine. I guess Jacob invited you to the party?”
“Yes,” I nodded, feeling a lump forming in my throat.
“I noticed he has been distant since I heard you moved here. Are you two back together?”
“We’re not a thing,” I replied cautiously. “Our relationship is almost cordial.”
“Are you two working towards a reconciliation?” she pressed.
“No, we’re not.” Her directness caught me off guard.
“So, why are you here? Why did you accept his invitation? What are you two doing?” Her questions came rapid-fire, her eyebrows raised in curiosity.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, the floor suddenly feeling like a sinking sandpit. “I don’t know,” I said, my voice softer, edged with a firmness I hoped didn’t betray the quiver I felt inside.
“I haven’t seen my son this happy since he moved to Sunnyvale. I have a feeling you might be the reason.” Her smile was knowing, almost conspiratorial.
I attempted to speak, but no words came out of my mouth.
We stood there in silence, staring at each other for a moment. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and said, “Well then, shall we return to the party?”
“Yeah,” I said, leading the way back. The brief encounter with Mrs. Bradley left me with a whirlwind of emotions. Did she want us back together? What did this mean for Jacob and me?
The music started when we returned to the hall, and Jacob immediately approached us.
“You two?” He looked puzzled.
“I bumped into Clara in the restroom.” Mrs. Bradley said.
“Well, excuse us, Mom,” he said, taking my hand, much to my surprise.
“Sure,”
“Have you seen Daisy?” I asked, looking around as he led me towards the dance floor.
“She stepped out.” He answered, stopping a few inches from the dance floor.
“Okay.”
“Can I have this dance?” He said, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. However, I agreed to dance with him. I knew I should not be stiff at such an event since I was here of my own accord.
“You look very beautiful,” he complimented.
I only smiled, but I knew my face must be totally flushed.
He was silent as I melted into his arms, my body moving in harmony with his as we swayed to the rhythm of the music.