Chapter Thirteen
Marcus
Despite having called and texted Eliana several times, I didn’t get a response and could only assume she was very upset with me. So, I decided to go by her place the next morning before heading to work. I didn’t want her to be mad at me for something that was nothing. No, I didn’t tell her that Zamora was staying in my family’s penthouse, but I figured she would never know since she rarely came to the hotel. I had to assure her there wasn’t anything going on with Zamora and me. Now, if she asked me if I wanted something with Zamora, I would have to lie through my teeth. I couldn’t explain in words how Zamora was my fit, and if I tried, it would make no sense to a sane person.
Eliana was a smart, vibrant, edgy, gorgeous woman who carried herself like a diva––usually not the type I’d go for. However, she had this sophistication that attracted me, and when I sat down and had a real conversation with her, she was more down-to-earth than I expected. She was not only intelligent and ambitious, but we also shared many of the same interests. I admit my feelings for her were nothing like those I carried for Zamora, but I told myself they would grow with time.
Eliana supported my business endeavors, cheering me on when I expressed wanting to open a hotel in Vegas and even saying she would move there if that’s what I wanted. That sealed the deal, and I proposed. That she would leave the Windy City with me showed she had my back, so I had to make it right with her. I thought the perfect way to do that was to take Eliana with me to the meeting with Zamora so she could see it was strictly business between us.
I pulled up in front of her building and hit the remote to open her garage. When I saw her vehicle wasn’t there, I parked and dialed her again. Once again, my call went to voicemail. I shut the garage door, exited my car, and entered her condo. After checking her bedroom, I noticed her bed was still made, which meant she hadn’t slept there the night before. I immediately sent her a text.
Where are you? I’m sorry, babes. Call me.
Thirty minutes later, I still hadn’t received a response. I was set to meet Zamora in an hour but didn’t want to go without Eliana with me. So, I called Zamora.
“Hey, hey, hey,” she sang, answering after the third ring.
That was a corny thing we used to say when we called each other, and I couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
“Hey, hey, hey,” I sang back.
“Okay, before you come, don’t eat a morsel of breakfast. Your staff and I are not only going to present you with the new menu but also let you sample a few of the dishes. So, come prepared to indulge in some deliciousness,” she said excitedly.
I squeezed the bridge of my nose and blew out a deep breath. “Zamora, thank you so much for all your hard work, but I need to reschedule for tomorrow if that’s okay. Eli and I have a slight…” I paused, not wanting to share my situation with Eliana. So, I continued by saying, “Would it be possible to do this tomorrow?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” she replied, sounding slightly disappointed. “We can do it tomorrow, but it has to be in the evening because I have a breakfast and brunch gig. Does six o’clock work for you? Wait, that will be peak time. What about Friday around ten again after your breakfast crowd and before your lunch rush?”
Just as I was about to agree to the time, I heard Eliana coming through the front door.
“I’m sure ten will be perfect. Let me call you back,” I said, abruptly ending our call.
My fiancée walked in looking like a hot mess. With her hair mangled and carrying her shoes and handbag, she stumbled down the steps of her entryway.
“Eli,” I said, and her head quickly snapped in the direction of my voice.
“Marc, baby, what…what…what are you doing here?”
Since she seemed surprised by my presence, I figured she hadn’t parked inside her garage, or else she would have seen my car.
“Oh, so I need to call first?” I returned.
Dropping her shoes and bag, she raced to the half bath on that level. I immediately heard the sound of vomiting, rushed in to help her, and found her hugging the toilet. I wondered what the hell she had done because Eliana didn’t drink. When she stood and stumbled into the sink, I wondered how she had even driven her car in that state. But what made me look at her even more strangely was when I noticed she wasn’t wearing her ring.
“Where’s your ring?” I asked softly as she wiped her hands with the towel after washing them and then placed it up to her face while walking past me.
“In my bag, and keep your voice down,” she said, struggling to climb the steps. “I just need my bed. We can talk later. Let yourself out.”
I looked at her bag but decided not to go in it. I looked out the window, but her Mercedes was not in the driveway. I ran up the steps, but I was too late. She was lying on top of the covers, out like a light. I grabbed the throw from the sofa, covered her with it, and went back downstairs with a million thoughts going through my mind. What’ s really going on with my woman? Since I had never seen her intoxicated before, I wanted to stick around to make sure she would be okay. So, I went to the basement to watch television but checked on her every hour. She finally woke up at seven that evening.
“You’re still here?” she said, sitting up in the bed.
I was browsing social media on my phone while lounging on the sofa.
“Of course, I’m still here, Eli. My soon-to-be wife came home this morning unrecognizable. So, out of concern, I stayed to make sure you were okay,” I said as she got up and walked into the bathroom.
I sat there for twenty minutes while she brushed, gargled, and showered. She came out wearing a pair of leggings and a T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back, and her beautiful face looked worried and stressed.
“What did you do last night?” I asked.
“I was upset, hurt, and felt dismissed, so I hung out with some friends last night.”
“What kind of friends let you get drunk like you did, and who brought you home? Where is your car?”
“Really, Marc? You got all these damn questions, but none of them pertains to why I went out drinking to the point where I needed a ride home this morning. You have no idea what you did to me!” she yelled.
“I do, babe. I know I made you feel uneasy, and I apologize, Eli. I want you to be comfortable and secure, so I came this morning so you can be included in my business with Zamora. I don’t care what you did last night. I love you and want you to know I got it. You had legit concerns, and I was an asshole to brush you off about it. We’re meeting on Friday to discuss the menu changes, and I want you to be there with me. I’m sorry for how I made you feel, Eli. Those were not my intentions,” I said.
She approached me and straddled herself over my lap.
“And I’m sorry for how I reacted, Marcus. I know you love me, and I’m sorry about last night,” she cried.
“No, you don’t owe me any apologies. I should have been upfront,” I said, refraining from telling her about Zamora staying in the penthouse. I knew if I told her, it would surely send her running.
“I love you, Marc, and I want to be there with you on Friday,” she said.
We started kissing, but when I reached to caress her breast, she shut me down.
“Baby, you know I don’t normally drink, and if you get on top of me the way I’m feeling right now, I may blow chunks.”
I laughed. “Okay. Well, at least let me take you to get your car.”
“Babe, no. I don’t feel like driving. Not right now. I’ll get it later.”
“Can you at least put on your ring?” I asked.
“Now that I can do,” she said and stood up to go downstairs.
I sat there waiting for her to return. After a few minutes, I called her name, but she didn’t answer. I went to the top of the stairs and called her name again. Again, there was silence. When I jogged down the steps, I found the house empty. Puzzled, I pulled out my phone to call her but was sent straight to voicemail.
This bullshit is too much for me, I thought to myself while grabbing my keys from the counter. Eliana has a lot of explaining to do.