25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Having been forced to listen to me bitch about him from the start, it seems only fitting that Monty should be the first one to meet him as my boyfriend. However, when we walk into the restaurant to her stern face, I wonder if this is a good idea.

“Hey,” I say as she gets up to hug me. Errol looks unsure if he should do the same, so he just offers her his hand.

She holds it firmly and shakes it like she is my dad trying to intimidate him.

“Nice to see you again,” he says, flexing it at his side when she lets go.

“Mhm,” is all she offers back.

We sit and quickly order, quietly talking about our days while we do. Once the waiter walks away to grab our drinks, she dives in.

“So, Errol Davis, how do you intend to make up for the months of hell you put my friend through?” She folds her hands and reclines in her seat, eyeing him down. I chose to sit next to her so I can see his face full on.

“Don’t you think it was mutual?” he asks.

“No,” she deadpans

He clears his throat and pulls at his shirt like it’s choking him. I’ve never seen him this uncomfortable before.

The waiter brings his gin and tonic, and he quickly takes a big sip.

“This isn’t a trick question,” she says.

He looks at her, then at me. I try to put him at ease with a wink, letting him know it’s all in good fun.

“Well, I plan on treating her the way she deserves, the way she should have always been treated by a man.”

“And how is that?”

“Farrah should be cherished, loved on and worshiped.”

Even my eyebrows lift at that.

“I’m sure you have heard all about the opinions I’ve had about her since the start.”

She nods.

“I still think she is high maintenance and a lot to handle, but she should be maintained, and I’m ready to be anything she needs. I want to help lift her up, so that nothing will ever knock her off her pedestal.” He meets my gaze. “I’m going to make sure the world keeps spinning for her.”

I literally clutch my chest as my heart speeds up. Still getting used to him doting on me, I swoon a little every time he steals my breath.

“Those are pretty words,” Monty says while fighting her smile. I can see in her eyes that he has already won her over.

“They are, but I’m ready to do the work to make them stand up.”

Our food comes, but none of us touch it. I just watch as they look at each other. Errol looks like he is sweating as Monty sizes him up.

“I’ll be right here to make sure that you do.” With that, she digs in and makes it clear that we got past the hard part.

His exhale is visible as he lets out his breath. Still, he doesn’t start eating until I do.

“Even though I’m keeping an eye on you, I’m happy that you two got together,” Monty says in between chews.

“Really?” he says.

“Yeah, I think it means something that you were able to get under her skin so much. Believe it or not, Farrah is a bit of a push over.”

“The hell she is,” he says with raised eyebrows.

This gets a laugh out of her.

“She put up with Christian and Mira, and she spent years forgiving this one lady, Alicia.”

“Oh wow, I forgot about her,” I say.

“I don’t know how. She literally cried every time you tried to confront her about any of her bullshit.”

“And what bullshit was that?” Errol asks.

“Literally every guy Farrah said she liked in high school, Alicia would go after. Even when they turned her down, she would flirt with them while Farrah was dating them.”

“She was harmless,” I say, waving it away.

“Just because it didn’t affect your self-esteem doesn’t mean it was harmless.”

Errol looks at me like he is seeing me in a new light.

“Huh, you didn’t really go off on Mira either,” he says, seeing Monty’s side.

“I started to, and then all of that stuff went down.”

“Well, I guess I’m honored that you continually express your feelings to me.” He bows a little and then taps glasses with Monty.

“I’m not as spinless as she is making me out to be. I’m very opinionated.”

“Yes, but you also give a lot of grace. Even though you always say how you feel and think, you also always forgive. I’d cut off half the people you keep in your life,” Monty says, pointing at me.

I shrug, and that just gets them both to shake their heads.

“You did forgive me pretty quickly, now that I think about it,” Errol muses.

“Stop agreeing with her,” I say while pointing my fork at him.

He just blows me a kiss and clinks glasses with her again.

The conversation shifts to talk about his flaws, and not many of them are new to Monty. He showed his worst side to me from the start, making it easy to fall in love with every part of him.

I knew what I was agreeing to when I decided to date him through the good and the bad.

“So as a dancer, do you think you would ever work in musicals?” he asks.

“I’m trying to shift more towards choreographing. I used to love being on stage and in the spotlight, but I want a career that’s going to last a long time.”

“Well, if you do want to keep dancing, I know a friend currently casting for a musical show. It’s about a dance school and the highs and lows of making it to the top.”

She shakes her head and grabs the dessert menu, her lips puckering.

“Do I look young enough to be in school?”

“Actually yes, you do, but it’s also about people in their twenties,” Errol clarifies.

I grab her arm and turn her to look at me.

“What do you have to lose?” I ask, echoing her words back to her.

This gets her to give me a solid nod, before turning back to him and asking for their contact information.

We finish up dessert and then head to a bar. That leads to dancing, a hookah lounge, and eventually more food at our place. Drunk and happy we talk well into the morning.

It warms something in me, to see them getting along so well. It’s like I’m building the life I never thought I would have.

After he leaves, I look at her expectantly.

“You got yourself a good one,” she says.

“Yeah?”

“Mhm. I really hope it works out.”

So do I , I think while cuddling up next to her. She falls asleep first, and I stay up all night replaying our evening. All in all, this seems like the start of a really good thing.

If ads affect your reading experience, click here to remove ads on this page.