10. Chapter 9
Sarah
I'm so excited about tonight's celebration. I get to dress up and show Mitchell what I look like in a different setting. I'm a little uncomfortable with going to a fancy restaurant, but I think I can handle it. I look in the mirror and see myself.
I look sexy and am not too made up. My makeup looks just as if it were natural, and I feel ready to take on the night. My dress is wrapped around me and shows my curves. It helps that it's bright red. I only wear it on special occasions.
Nerves start to hit me, and I sit down on a chair I have in my bedroom. I do a few breathing exercises so that I can calm myself. Mitchell and I are going out like if it were a date, and a lot of people will see us together. Will they think I'm too young for him?
I really need to stop worrying about what others say. I'm happy with Mitchell and I think I've fallen head over heels for him, I just haven't told him I love him. I go back to my breathing exercises for a bit longer until I hear the doorbell ring.
Picking up my purse, I hurry downstairs to meet my lover. When I open the door, I gasp. He looks amazing in a suit. That suit is expensive and must have cost him a fortune. After I'm done ogling him, I look into his face and realize he's got this huge smile.
"Is that smile for me?"
"You look amazing, little one."
"Does that mean you'll be proud to have me on your arm tonight?"
"What kind of question is that, Sarah. I'm so happy and proud to spend time with you, I can't contain myself. Never doubt that, little one."
"Okay, then I'm yours for the night."
"I might want more than that."
His words make me blush, but I just smile and take his hand as he leads me to his car. He opens the door for me and I sit down. This is a different car than what he has been driving so far. It's rather expensive and I wonder if he's making that much doing construction.
He is an architect, like he told me so that could make him some money and let him be flush enough to be able to help me out with the materials for my renovations. I'm still uncomfortable about taking money from him, but he makes it feel like it's his duty or something.
I get a sniff of his cologne when he bends down to buckle me up, and he looks at me with hunger in his eyes when he pulls back.
He smells delicious, which makes me salivate for the moment we're back here and together making love.
Because that is what we're doing now, making love. It's gone way past a hookup for me.
The drive to the restaurant is quiet but full of excitement for me. We're going downtown, and all I know is that this is one of his favorite restaurants. When we get there the valet takes his keys, and Mitchell comes around the car to usher me inside the restaurant.
It's called Giorgios and I open my eyes wide because it is really difficult to get a reservation in this restaurant. I wanted to bring my grandmother here for one of her birthdays, but the reservations had to be made months in advance. She'll be happy in heaven that I finally got to eat here.
The host knows Mitchell by name and takes us to a wonderful table where the ambience is magnificent. I feel like a princess right now and am really enjoying all this luxury. When I'm seated, Mitchell orders some bread for the table and he orders a Coke for me.
I'm a simple girl with simple tastes, so I'm happy with my Coke. I haven't gotten to the years where drinking wine is the thing, and I'm not sure I'll ever get there. He does, however, order a bottle of champagne when the waiter comes back with our bread.
"I know you don't drink, but we need champagne to toast our achievement."
"I agree, thank you. This place is amazing."
"I used to come here often."
I want to ask him how he could afford it, but his finances are none of my business. We order our food and I dip the bread in balsamic and olive oil. The focaccia is amazing, and I feel like this is a dream come true.
All of a sudden, a young woman around my age or a little older comes to the table and suddenly hugs Mitchell.
"Dad! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in weeks. And who is this? Is this why you've practically abandoned the firm?"
Mitchell looks spooked and my mind is whirling. Dad? She looks older than me. He gets up and gives her a proper hug.
"Sarah, this is my daughter, Meghan. She's the CEO of my architectural firm, Barlow and Associates."
I shake Meghan's hand, but feel like my world has shriveled up. It's like I don't know Mitchell at all. I completely blame myself because I didn't ask enough questions. I didn't want the answers because he became my savior and I was just relieved to have someone rescue me from my horrid life.
"Sarah, you must be someone very special to keep my father away from his firm. He's been a workaholic for as long as I've known him, but now he's off at two in the afternoon for parts unknown, and now I know where he's going."
I'm fighting tears right now, so I just nod as if agreeing with everything she's saying.
I sit back down and hide my hands under the table.
They are shaking uncontrollably and I don't want either of them to see.
Meghan says her goodbyes and walks away from the table, saying she's glad to have met me.
Mitchell sits down and looks at me as if I'm going to run away, which I'm considering doing.
"I told you I was an architect."
"But you led me to believe you were a construction worker doing odd jobs."
"I know."
"I got your number from the phone book."
"I think you must have dialed wrong. You were hurting, and I needed to help you."
"I want to go home, Mitchell."
"Please, I beg you. Try to understand. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. The further we got into the lie the harder it was for me to clarify things. I was hooked on you."
"I still think you need to take me back home."
Mitchell makes the waiter put our meals to go, and we walk toward the car in a deadly silence. Honestly, I feel a little broken with all this. The ride home is long, and we don't say a word. When he parks in my driveway, he turns to me, and I'm fighting the tears that want to burst out of my eyes.
"Will you let me keep working on the house with you?"
"I don't know, Mitchell. Everything is a little bit confusing right now. Were you even going to tell me about your company?"
"Yes, of course I was. I'm very proud of everything I've built. I've done billion dollar builds and now that my daughter finished her studies and did her apprenticeship, she took over so I could take things easy."
"So you didn't abandon your firm?"
"Meghan was exaggerating, Sarah. She leads the company and does front facing work with the clients. I prefer it that way so that I can do some passion projects. Your grandmother's house is one of those."
"Do you pity me? Am I a charity case?"
"Of course not, little one."
"I don't know what's real anymore, Mitchell. I need some time."
I get out of the car before he has a chance to and run towards my door. I leave the food for him because I don't think I can stomach it with everything that's happened. I close the door behind me and lean against it, taking deep breaths while tears run down my eyes.
This is going to be a long weekend, where I try to figure out what was real and what was fake. He did save my grandmother's ring, and he helped me with the repairs and remodeling of the kitchen. He didn't have to do that. The words 'billion dollar builds' keep ringing in my ears.
As I take off my clothes, I'm reminded of how happy and excited I was for this evening. If things have gone to plan the celebration would have moved to the bedroom after we got back. I even tidied my room to make sure it was decent for a visitor.
But Mitchell is not just a visitor, he's the man I've been falling in love with. The man that I don't know if I can trust anymore. I put on an old t-shirt and lie down on my bed. The tears start flowing again, and I wonder how an amazing night turned into this.
The problem is, this man has my heart in his pocket, and I don't know what to do about it.