Chapter 29
Sarah's POV
It's like the worst luck today. We're supposed to be celebrating. It's supposed to be a time of fun. I know today is her birthday, something that I did forget but was forced to remember anytime Lincoln mentioned the same old same old.
“First time since we've met that I'm not celebrating her birthday with her,” or shit like, “I wonder if she's resting on her birthday.”
Bullshit, and it was driving me up the wall.
I understand full well that during that time he was hurting because his marriage had just blown up in his face and he was missing his wife. It's all for the best anyway, because that woman was not good for him.
But I hated the sad person he became. He had started slacking off from work, getting distracted. He did take some time off, but it was very short, like four days. I was the one that pulled him back from the brink.
I worked out with him. Went out to lunch with him. Tried to pull him out of the slump. I'm used to doing that anyway.
Now he's in a much better place.
It's been two years since he last saw ‘Gabby’, at least to my knowledge, and it's only been a few months ago that he really seems to be pulling out of the funk. I mean, outside of him being busy.
Auralis is going to change life for all of us.
The unit is going to cost $179,000.
Before Auralis, Lincoln was making, with overtime, around $140,000 per year.
I was making $74,000.
That's some good dollars on the crest.
That means Lincoln and I are both going to be making double what we were, even though I’m an assistant trainee.
Since I work alongside Lincoln and am very instrumental to Auralis’s success, I'd be kept on, and it was nice of Lincoln to say that I was needed.
Now my pay is bumped up to almost $100,000 per year.
Things can't be good for little miss ex-wife if she's here working at a restaurant.
Honestly, I thought that Lincoln’s ex-wife was going to rape him for everything he was worth, but from what Lincoln said, she barely took anything in terms of money.
Pretty stupid. If I had been in her shoes and my man cheated on me, I would have taken him for everything he had.
Honestly, I would have made sure I had a little dirt on him too, to make sure he stayed under my thumb and in control.
Lincoln and I haven’t put a title on what we are or what our relationship is at the moment, but I’m well aware, or at least I feel, that Lincoln is mine. And when it’s made official, whenever he decides to get off his ass and do so, I’ll be damned if I let another bitch take my man.
That only happened because Gabrielle allowed that to happen. She’s the one who pushed Lincoln away, so honestly seeing her work at the restaurant is kind of hilarious.
Let’s see how ungrateful she is when she realizes how she fumbled having a good man by her side, nagging at shit that didn’t matter.
Where is Lincoln anyway?
He went to the bathroom, but he’s taking a long time.
Tired of waiting, I stand and head to the bathroom. Lincoln is there, his back to the wall as if he’s waiting.
“What are you doing?” I ask him.
He looks up, not even looking shocked. “I was waiting.”
“For the bathroom?”
“For Gabrielle.”
“Why? I thought you guys said everything you needed to say to each other.”
“You realize she's my ex-wife right?”
“Yes Lincoln I'm not stupid. But the key word is ex. She left you. Remember,” I ask, losing my patience.
“There's no rule that says we can't speak with each other.”
“Yes I understand that but it’s kind of rude because you're here with me. You left me at the table alone,” my voice climbs a bit.
“You’re right I’m sorry.”
“Is it too much to ask that you talk to her afterwards or something.
You know? Not when you're here out on a date with me?” I roll my eyes as I walk past him.
Then I stop, back up a little for good measure, and say, “I mean… you can do whatever you want but if this is going to be a ‘let's fuck other people type of situation’ then let me know so I’m not exclusive with you.”
“Are you exclusive with me?” he asks.
“Yes I'm exclusive with you. Do you not want to be?” I question.
“Yeah I'm… honestly I…”
“Look. Whatever dude. Should I leave so you can talk to her? Cuz I'm not going to sit here waiting for you while you try to butter up your ex-wife. I didn’t realize you still needed her approval.”
“You’re being quite nasty,” Lincoln quips with a smile. There’s no humor in it though.
“I mean to be honest… like… you put her through hell. You're here with me. The person she caught you in bed with… and now you're waiting outside the bathroom for her. Maybe she's taking a shit but if I'm to gamble I'm guessing she's upset.”
Lincoln blinks, telling me everything I need to know. I nod slowly. “Soooo… stop being an asshole and leave her alone. She's clearly moved on with her life so why are you smothering her?”
“How am I smothering her with wanting to make conversation with her?”
“Oh my God you're so fucking dense I can't believe people call you smart,” I roll my eyes.
“I say the same about you.”
“I'm your better half and you know it,” I let a chuckle escape. “Just… I know she must be hurting a lot.”
“I know you're not going to stand here and pretend like you care about my ex-wife.”
“Oh I don't. But I'm just making you aware of how much of an asshole you're being. Not just to her but to me. Leave the girl alone. You made her upset on her shift.”
“No Sarah. YOU made her upset on her shift. You treated her like shit. And no matter what’s going on between me and her, I'm not okay with you talking to her like that.
And if that's something that you're going to regularly do then we don't need to be going on dates together,” he says, his smirk faltering, replaced by a look of indignation as he walks away, seemingly back to his table.
Wow.
Well, at least I got him to move.
I head inside the bathroom, hearing sniffling inside one of the stalls. These are pretty big stalls, and there are about three rows of them.
I follow the row with the sniffling sounds.
Pushing the door open, I lower myself onto the toilet that faces the stall to my left.
That must be where Gabby is.
Wipe.
Stand.
Now to touch up my makeup.
I stand as quiet as can be.
The stall behind me unlocks, and out comes the face of Lincoln's nasty ex-wife. Gabrielle looks up at me, her eyes widening only for a fraction of a second before she rolls them away and washes her hands.
I smile coyly.
It's time to start some shit. Gabrielle shouldn’t be anywhere near Lincoln.
“So what made you want to wait tables,” I start the conversation.
Gabby says nothing, only looks over toward me. The woman is burning a hole into the left side of my face, and I’m fighting so hard not to laugh as I touch up my lipstick and then undo my hair, causing it to spill down over my shoulders.
When Gabby says nothing, that’s my cue to push harder.
“You did this to yourself you know,” I say.
Gabby turns to me, holding her arms. “Excuse me.”
Damn, her voice sounds so threatening. This is good.
“I said you did this to yourself,” I say a little louder, aware of the rudeness in my voice as I then turn to face Gabrielle.
“I know you hate me. But I didn't steal your husband.
I didn't make him do anything. I didn't make him follow me to my apartment.
I didn't make him kiss me and lift me up and bring me to my bedroom and fuck me. I didn’t make him kiss me at work or…
cause his eyes to constantly stare at my boobs or my ass or my body.
I didn't cause God to make my body look better than yours.”
The look of contempt on Gabby’s face is priceless right now. I love pissing her off. It can’t be helped. The smile just flows languidly across my face.
“Your man is responsible for all those things and you didn't do enough to keep him.
So that's not my fault. That's your fault and it's his fault too.
I'm not going to lie and say he's not a piece of shit.
And you're probably wondering why do I want him.
Well because I think I'm better fitted for him. You two only knew each other out of convenience. He told me the whole story,” I say, taking a deep dramatic breath.
“Just because you grew up together as kids didn't mean you're supposed to be together as adults.
Doesn't mean you're soulmates or whatever the hell it is you had in your head. Shit just happens. Trust me I get it.”
“Why the fuck are you talking to me,” Gabby asks. “You really want to start shit with me while we're locked here in the bathroom together bitch?”
“I'm not starting anything with you. Are you going to stand there and pretend like you didn't have things you wanted to say to me?” I ask.
Gabby blinks very slowly as she dons her own sinister smile. “Oh there's a lot I'd like to say to you. But I'd be wasting my breath. But since I'm feeling generous today… for starters you're a whore.”
“Oh my God thank you,” I say, placing a dramatic hand across my heart and tilting my head as if that’s the best compliment I’ve ever received.
“You’re pathetic and you’re so desperate and insecure that the only way you can get a man is to go after a married one.”
“That's funny you saying that because…” I step closer, putting a finger to my mouth dramatically while looking at the ceiling before looking back at Gabby.
“I usually think that a woman is more pathetic if she can't keep her man. You see, if I was insecure or desperate I would look to the bottom of the barrel. The place where women like you sit.”
“Women like me?” Gabby says with an eyebrow raised.