Chapter 52-Audreys story
Audrey's POV...
I stepped into the restaurant, taking slow steps after the other. Once in, I looked around the entire place. My eyes searched everywhere, everyone... until eventually... I saw him.
He sat there, his hands placed on the table as he tapped on the table rhythmically. Even from where I stood, I could tell he was nervous.
I stopped moving. I wanted to observe and watch him for a few seconds. The wrinkles on his face had become very evident. He didn't look the same from six years ago... he looked older and worse. Like he was going through a hard time.
He had grey hairs already and his eyes looked weak and unfocused. My heart ached. My right hand instinctively reached up and squeezed the fabric covering my chest. I looked away and shook my head. Why was I feeling this way towards him? I'm not supposed to feel sympathy for him... so why was I?
I braced myself and took deep breaths, trying to maintain my composure. I started walking towards him, but before I reached where he was, he stood up and headed for the hallway. He hadn't seen me.
I approached the table and pulled out a seat. I sat down and placed my bag neatly beside me on the table.
I tapped my heels lightly on the marbled floor, with my arms crossed. I looked towards the hallway, but he was not in sight.
I decided to wait for a few minutes. He must have gone to use the bathroom.
After waiting for almost ten minutes, I stood up. I had two options in mind. Either I leave or I go to look for him. After much deliberation, I chose the latter.
I dropped my bag on my seat and went in search of him. I didn't mind leaving my bag behind because this was a high class expensive restaurant... no one would dare.
Before I could take the third step, a voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Ms Willows, it's great to see you again,"
I turned around immediately and came face to face with Jonathan's father.
When was the last time I saw him?
I slightly lowered my head as a form of greeting.
He smiled widely. "You're looking ever so pretty," he complimented.
I scoffed within myself. I don't appreciate compliments from crooked and old men like him.
"If you don't mind... I was going somewhere before you came," I said politely and turned to go.
"He's not the best person you need answers from. I have all the answers you need,"
I stopped and turned around slowly. So he knows my father was here.
"What have you done with him and how do you know who he is?" I questioned.
"Let's say I know a lot of things," he replied.
"Where is he?" I asked coldly.
He smiled. "Don't worry. He's safe. He's probably resting,"
I looked away. "I don't want to hear anything from you. I don't have any business with you, so you owe me no explanation,"
I moved past him, and reached for my bag on the chair. I wanted to go.
"Don't you want to know why he left you and your mother?" He asked from behind me.
I froze. How did he know that? I didn't turn around and I said nothing.
I didn't want him to see the impact his words had on me, besides, he could have heard it from anyone.
"He never intended to. He just took the wrong advice," he added.
I turned around slowly. "What?" I muttered. I could barely hear my own voice.
"Why don't you have a seat and I'll explain everything?" He said, as he gestured to the seat I had sat on earlier.
Reluctantly, I moved towards the chair and sat down on it.
"What would you like to drink?" He asked with a smile.
I didn't smile back. "I'm not interested in taking any drink with you seated across from me," I said with gritted teeth. I didn't care if I sounded rude or disrespectful.
"Ha ha ha," he laughed heartily. He didn't seem to have been affected by the way I spoke to him.
I sat there watching him. I was only there because of what he said earlier.
"Now," he started. "I want you to remind me of the very first day you and I saw each other,"
I rolled my eyes. What was he playing at now? I still played along.
"The day you and your wife visited us unannounced,"
"Good. You have a good memory," he laughed again.
I didn't laugh. As a matter of fact, he annoyed me. First, he drugged Jonathan and I. He spoke rudely and disrespectfully to me the last time we saw each other.
"You look so much like your father. That was the reason I was looking at you that way the day we met,"
I tried recalling that day. The day the MP3 was broken. Yes, that's true. He watched me with a strange look in his eyes.
"What a chip off the old block," he added.
I was fed up. "Mr Cavendish, do you have a dual personality?
" I asked and didn't wait for him to respond.
"The last time I checked, you were rude and arrogant.
Trying to snoop into my family business, and now, you're acting like a comedian.
You're way below my expectations about you... mind you they were not high,"
He just watched me with amusement. "You're perfect for Jonathan. I believe you know by now that I am behind the scandal that night,"
I didn't say anything to him.
He must have seen how unwilling and unyieldingly I was.
"Your father and I were very close back in the days,"
I frowned. "Close? As in friends?"
He nodded. "We were best buddies. I was the smart one while he was the influential one. We became friends on the night of his eleventh birthday. I was fifteen then,"
How could it be possible that my dad and Jonathan's dad were friends? That sounded impossible.
"Here's proof if you need one," he pulled out a picture from his suit jacket and passed it to me on the table.
I snatched the picture and looked at it. There were two young boys, blowing out the candle light on a birthday cake. One was putting on a birthday hat. Undoubtedly, he was my father. He looked the same.
"Fast forward to eighteen years later, your father married your mother. I'm aware of the conditions in which they got married. It was a contract, just like yours and Jonathan. He loved your mother,"
"Loved?" I asked.
"Until you came along,"
My gaze lowered. Why did he make it sound like I was the one who brought division between them and made the love disappear?
"He wasn't ready to be a father then, so he came to me for advice on what to do," he paused and looked at me. He had already captured my interest with his story. What happened next?
"I asked him to abandon you,"
My stomach dropped. "What?"
Hmmm. You guys, what do you think about Mr Cavendish?
Concerning the name Cavendish, I just thought it was cool when I started this book last year. Also, it sounded like an Italian dish and I love Italian dishes. ??
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