Chapter 4
Aria
Drawing in a deep breath, I paste a bright smile on my face, careful to keep my gait controlled and even.
I am wearing a pair of modest stilettos; I have always liked how powerful I feel hearing the click-clack sound they make when I enter the room.
Despite this, they are barely worn, not yet molded to my feet.
Jacob never likes it when I wear heels. He complains about how they make me taller than him.
But tonight is not about what Jacob likes.
This is why I also opted to wear a deep red, mid-thigh dress that hugs every curve I have. He has told me on numerous occasions that he doesn’t like it when I show off what belongs to him.
I used to love how possessive he got over me. Now, the very thought makes my skin crawl.
The last piece of my “fuck you” outfit is bright red lipstick that matches my hair. The exact shade that he calls my “whore paint.”
Well, tonight it’s my war paint. And he can go fuck himself.
I catch sight of him sitting at a table in the middle of the room.
His jacket is unbuttoned. He looks like he could have just stepped out of a Tom Ford ad.
As much as I am angry at the man, I can’t help the slight falter in my steps as a wave of sadness and betrayal rush through me at the sight of him.
It’s amazing how many little details I have noticed since finding out about Lucy. How many things he did that I just ignored until I was forced to come to terms with the fact that he is not perfect.
For instance, the table he chose. Does it matter that a booth is more comfortable for both of us?
No. He enjoys being the center of attention.
Before he sees me, I watch as his eyes linger a little too long on one of the waitresses as she walks by.
I grab onto the spark of anger that erupts at the sight and pull myself back into battle mode.
His gaze catches mine and he starts to smile before taking in my outfit. I watch as his jaw clenches before that smile falters and turns stiff. My own smile sharpens in response.
Perfect.
I use his temporary distraction to check my phone one more time. The text message from Lucy is still sitting open.
Lucy: im here!! sitting at the bar in the back corner :) he didnt see me so i took my coat off and im ready whenever you get here :)
I smile slightly and shoot back a quick text.
Aria: I’m here.
Slipping my phone back into my purse I discreetly locate Lucy and shoot her a small smirk before turning my attention elsewhere.
Lucy…I hate to even think it, but I can understand why he went after her.
She is a petite woman with a beautiful sepia complexion that contrasts strikingly with the light blush dress she’s wearing tonight.
The high Grecian neckline and A-line shape are the opposite of the energy I am trying to exude tonight, but it makes her no less tempting.
I came to the conclusion that I am bisexual after I was already with Jacob.
When I came out to him, he accepted me wholeheartedly, but wouldn’t entertain the thought of opening our relationship so that I could explore that part of myself.
It pisses me off that he refused the option for both of us to consensually explore with others, individually or together, just to turn around and pursue another woman behind my back.
Lucy is attractive. I can’t deny that. When she touched my hand in the coffee shop, I felt my heart skip a beat.
She has a personality like a magnetic field that is too strong to resist. But, despite all that, it doesn’t seem like she knows how alluring she is.
Her honey brown gaze on me made me feel like I was the center of her world.
I could easily become addicted to her if I let myself.
And why shouldn’t I? I rationalize. She is beautiful. Empathetic. Smart. And the fact that it would be the ultimate fuck you to Jacob is not unappealing.
I try to temper the smirk on my face and produce a more natural looking smile as Jacob stands to greet me with a kiss on my cheek that makes my skin crawl. We settle into our chairs and I shoot Lucy a quick text before putting my phone in my purse.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, baby. You certainly seem…festive.” His eye twitches as he holds himself back from saying something uncomplimentary. I may have put up with a lot of things, but I would never let him get away with something like that and he knows it.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, babe. Thank you, I wanted to plan something special for you tonight.
Since you’ve been working so hard,” I reply demurely, stopping short of fluttering my eyelashes at him.
But I know him well and he puffs up at my words, like he feels they are his due.
Good. Enjoy the ego stroke. It’ll be the last one you get from me.
“You’re so sweet, baby,” he murmurs, picking up my hand to kiss the back of it.
I can’t hold back a shiver of disgust, which he misinterprets, thankfully.
“I love the initiative to make a reservation at my favorite place. Is someone trying to get lucky tonight?” He waggles his eyebrows at me. All I do is laugh.
Especially when I see Lucy stand up and start walking towards our table.
“We will see,” I deflect with a teasing grin. So close.
The server comes over and asks for our drink orders and Jacob turns on his case-winning smile.
“I will take three fingers of your Glenfiddich 18 Year Old, neat. Aria?” He looks to me.
“I will just take a glass of your house red.” I give the server a smile.
I’m going to give her a huge tip after the drama she’s about to deal with.
I nod almost imperceptibly to the woman standing just behind Jacob’s shoulder. She confidently glides around him and takes the seat to his right, between him and I, and across from the server.
“And I will take an Old Fashioned,” Lucy says sweetly.
Jacob’s face pales drastically as he glances between her and I. He looks like he might be sick. I almost feel bad for him.
Almost.
“What’s going on here?” Jacob hisses, the question directed at me. I falter for a moment in the face of his animosity, but breathe a tiny sigh of relief when Lucy sits forward, a shark-like grin on her face.
“This? Oh, this is simply karma coming back to bite you in the ass,” she hisses back with the sweetest venom dripping from her smile and tone.
“How long did you think you could hide this, Jacob? A year? Longer?” I jump back in, not willing to give up on demanding answers just because it feels harder than I expected in the moment.
“Were you going to be one of those men who make the news because they have two whole separate families? Where did you think this would end?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies stiffly, refusing to look at or acknowledge Lucy in any way.
Ah, a straight denial. This is easier than I thought it would be.
I hold my hand out to Lucy and she passes over the file folder I had taken with me yesterday to meet her and hand it to him.
Petty? Yes. Regret? None. We worked together to fill it with evidence from both of us, highlighting times when he lied to one of us to go meet the other.
I watch his face pale even further as he scans through the evidence we carefully compiled and organized.
The years I’ve spent as a paralegal provided me the skills to present this coldly and efficiently without a shred of remorse.
“So, what do you want?” His tone surprises me.
The change is as clear as night and day.
Gone is the mask of the charming attorney.
In his place stands a cold and calculating individual.
One that is foreign to me. One made of ice and stone and is just as unforgiving.
“You must have some idea of how you want this little encounter to end.”
“We’re not in a courtroom, Jacob. This is not a negotiation,” I reply, matching his tone.
“You are a liar. A cheater. And you are this because you want to be, not because you have to be. Yes,” I reply to his changing expression, “apparently you told both of us that monogamy was the only option you would ever consider. You could have had both of us consensually,” I stress the word, “but you chose to be a lying, unfaithful traitor. We just wanted you to know that we see you for what you are.”
“And that it is over. For both of us,” Lucy chimes in.
He sneers at both of us and even though I donned my emotional armor for the evening, the expression twists something vulnerable inside of me. I feel Lucy grab my hand, as if trying to soothe me. I gather strength from her and squeeze her hand to send some back.
He stands up and eyes both of us critically, eyes landing on our joined hands. The mocking laugh he gives is devoid of any warmth.
“This isn’t over,” he derides. “But, regardless, have fun with my sloppy seconds.”
He goes to leave and I wait until he is a few tables away to land one more jab.
“Oh, and Jacob?” He turns and glares at me. “I faked it. Every single time. Good luck finding another woman who will put up with that. Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.” I end with a smile so sweet it could practically give you cavities.
When a few people at the surrounding tables let out some light titters, his glare turns murderous.
I wish I could laugh at his expression, but I have never seen so much hatred concentrated at me.
A cold wave of fear washes over me and then he’s gone.
I let out a long breath and I hear Lucy do the same.
“Do you feel better?” I ask her quietly. She looks contemplative for a moment before answering.
“I think I will.”
I absorb this and nod, instinctively knowing she will understand that I feel the same. At that moment, the server approaches with our drinks, her wide-eyed expression letting me know that she witnessed the whole exchange.
“Um, do you still want the Scotch?”
Lucy and I exchange glances before bursting into laughter that is just as much about relief as it is about amusement.