Altar Ego (10 page)

“He clearly did more than rescue you princess. I have never seen him quite so...” He poured the wine. “...Possessive.”

“I don’t think so Max.” I dropped my eyes to the floor. “He was just after a bit of fun, that’s all.”

“Elise. I saw the way he was looking at you in the club. He was watching your every move from the second I took off my blindfold.” He emptied his own glass. “He would have murdered anyone who went within an inch of you.”

I looked up at him. I opened my mouth to say something, but thought better of it.  I changed the subject instead.

“Ellie is coming home for the weekend, Can she stay here?”  I ignored him clicking his tongue across his teeth.

“Of course she can. You know that.” He took hold of my hand. “He is dangerous Elise. Stay away from him.”

I pulled my hand free.

“You don’t need to worry Max. He doesn’t want me anymore.” I got up and went through to kitchen. I opened the fridge and realising that I had only chilled one bottle, I grabbed a burgundy from the rack. I uncorked it and filled my glass, throwing it back immediately. Then I refilled it and took the bottle through to the lounge.

Max smiled at me as I came through the door.

“That’s not as bad as I expected... I thought you would be bringing the tequila.” He winked and held his glass up. I laughed at him; he always knew how to diffuse a situation.

“Don’t tempt me, there is time yet.” I told him with a grin.

By midnight I was tucked up in my bed. I buried my face in the pillow and breathed in Dominic’s scent from earlier that day.  It made me feel safe, but at the same time desperately lonely. I drifted off to sleep having realised that although it had only been a few hours, I missed him.

I had a lovely time that weekend with Ellie, who was not at all surprised that her Dad and I were separating, after I filled her in on some (not all) of the details surrounding our split.  Daniel however refused to speak to me, even when Ellie called him and tried to talk to him about what was going on. I wasn’t worried, he was always going to take Adam’s side in things, and I hoped that he would come around eventually.

I had decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and get my life back on track. The pity party for one was over and it was time to start living my newly single life. I set about planning and a few weeks down the line I had it all sorted...or so I thought.

Max gave me a few shifts at the restaurant, just so that I wasn’t sat around day after day with nothing to do. I didn’t actually need to worry about money, the divorce was going through and I would be well looked after due to the sale of the family home. It had gained value nicely over the years and as we had no outstanding mortgage all of the money was to be split evenly. I had found myself a nice little two bedroom flat just down the road from Max’ house. It was perfect for me and I was looking forward to moving in when the sale had completed.

It was a difficult decision but in the months that had passed I had decided not to waste any more of my energy wondering about Dominic and what he was up to. He clearly wasn’t in the slightest bit interested in me, he hadn’t attempted to get in touch at all, though for weeks I expected him to just turn up out of the blue as he had done previously and so I put him out of my mind, threw his card away, and got on with my life without him in it.

I stepped over the boxes that now cluttered Max’ spare room. I had cleared more things out of the house and was in danger of taking over all of the available space in his previously uncluttered home.  It wouldn’t be long now though, I had a call from the solicitor yesterday telling me that in a matter of days we should be able to complete and I would be able to move into my lovely new flat.

I grabbed my bag from the coat rack and left for the restaurant, Max had been there all day, I had no idea how he managed, I was exhausted after a six hour shift as hostess, but he spent pretty much all of every day there.

“Hi Princess.” He called as I went in through the back door of the restaurant. “You okay?”

I nodded and kissed his cheek as I bustled past him and up the stairs to the office to hang up my bag and grab my apron, before coming back downstairs and flicking the light switches. I busied myself getting the bar ready, ensuring there were enough glasses and that the carafes were sparkling, before checking the rota to see which waiting staff I had working this evening. I picked up the diary and the reserved signs, there were always lots of advance bookings, it was rare of anyone to just walk in off the street and expect to get a table, at best we could book them in for an hour or so later and they would go for a drink in the wine bar next door before returning.

I took a sharp intake of breath as I saw the booking for 8pm. It simply said ‘Altar’ and my heart sank as my mind ran overtime worrying about it.

“Max...” I called. “What is this booking tonight?”

“What booking?” He called back before exiting the kitchen and coming towards me drying his hands on a towel as he did so.

“This one.” I pointed at it in the diary as he looked over my shoulder.

“Fuck!” He rested his chin on my shoulder. “I have no idea.”

“It’s Sara’s writing.” I said, adding quietly. “What if it’s him?”

My stomach was in knots, I felt nauseous at the thought of seeing him. It had been over 2 months and I was just beginning to get through each day without him being the first thing on my mind as I woke and the last as I drifted off to sleep.

“Go home Elise.” Max said. “I will host tonight.”

“What about the kitchen?” I asked him. I didn’t want to let him down.

“Its fine, Lee can work the kitchen; he is in at 6pm.” He squeezed my shoulder affectionately. “Go home.”

“I’m being stupid aren’t I?” I looked up at him.

“No. Not at all. You have worked hard to get him out of your system.” He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a bear hug, kissing the top of my head as he did so. “You do whatever you want. If you want to go home, we will cope. If you want to stay...well that’s up to you. It’s your decision entirely.”

I shrugged my shoulders and took a breath in.

“I’m staying.” I announced concisely. “Fuck him!”

“That’s my girl.” Max held me by the arms and looked into my eyes. “Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?” He grinned at me.

“You haven’t actually, but you can show me by pouring me a glass of wine. I think I might need it tonight.” I winked at him.

“Leaving the car here till the morning then?” He asked as he poured a huge glass of cabernet sauvignon and handed it to me.

“Definitely.” I took the glass and tipped my head towards him in appreciation.

It was a busy evening, the time was passing quickly and the restaurant was bustling. For the most, there were lovely groups of people enjoying an evening out but there was one particular table seating a huge group of blokes on a leaving do from a pharmaceutical company. There were 12 of them and we had put them against the back wall out of the way, but they were loud and demanding, and intent on giving their waitress a hard time. As she left the floor for the third time with a face like thunder I stepped in and asked them to keep it down, and reminded them that Sara would only serve them while they were being polite to her. I was greeted with a barrage of cheers and leery looks. They really were the pits.

“It’s time to leave. I will bring your bill.” I spoke firmly as I turned on my heel to walk away from them.

Suddenly I felt myself being yanked backwards as one of them, a ruddy faced man with a gut to match the size of their bar bill grabbed on to my wrist.

“We are not finished darling.” He sneered. “How about you help us out with a little dessert.” He winked and licked his lip, causing the rest of them to erupt in cheers and raucous laughter. I struggled to pull away from him, feeling the bile rise up in my throat. He pulled me closer and he stank of stale booze and cheap aftershave. I turned my face away from him and squeezed my eyes shut tight.

“Take your filthy dirty hands off her!” I opened my eyes in shock at his voice. I looked at his face pleadingly as he took my free hand in his. “I won’t tell you again.” He said. He sounded menacing, like he was not to be messed with. The man let go of my wrist as if it were burning him and I moved away from him quickly stepping behind Dominic. He kept hold of my hand as he leaned in to the table.

“In future, when a lady asks you to let go, you let go...immediately! Do we understand each other?”

The man nodded. He looked petrified, and the rest of his crowd were surprisingly quiet now.

“Elise. Bring the bill for this table.” He didn’t even look at me, just gave my hand a gentle squeeze before letting me go. I moved quickly to the bar and printed off the bill. I handed it to Dominic on a silver coin plate and he slammed it down on the table before the crude man.

“Don’t forget the gratuity.” He said as he took my hand again and moved across the room tugging me to follow him.

Max pre empted us and opened the back door as we approached the kitchen. I was pulled outside and shoved against the wall as the door closed behind us.

“What the fuck are you playing at?” He snarled at me, pacing the pathway.

I was stunned and I had no idea why he was so angry with me.

“What do you...?” I started.

“You are putting yourself in danger!” He stopped in front of me. “Why would you do that?”

I was furious. How dare he? He walked out of my life weeks ago, and yet here he was, being all protective and bossing me around as if he owned me.

“I’m working Dominic.” I growled back at him. “Some of us need to make a living.”

He stopped in front of me and ran his hand through his hair. I watched him as he did so. He looked stressed, like he needed to relax.

“I’m sorry.” He said. “When I saw him touching you I just lost it.” He moved closer to me. “In fact, I have been losing it pretty much constantly since I walked away from you.” He put his hands against the wall at either side of my head and leaned in to me. He kissed me with such force that he almost crushed my lips with his. I heard a low groan escape from his throat as he flicked his tongue inside of my mouth.

I let him take me with force, responding eagerly even though there was a tiny voice in the back of my mind screaming at me to stop. He moved one hand to the back of my neck and pulled me closer, squeezing tightly and wrapping my hair around his fingers.

“NO!” I pulled myself away with such vigour that my skull made a resounding thud as it bounced off the wall behind me. My hands flew to my head to rub it and I closed my eyes tightly.

“No?” He stepped away from me. “No?”

I opened my eyes to look at him, to take in the handsome lines of his face, the dishevelled look of his hair, and the sadness in his eyes.

“You don’t really mean that?” It was a question, and it caught me off guard. Dominic never asked questions. He made statements. Asking questions would make him seem vulnerable, unsure of the answer. Dominic was not vulnerable in any stretch of the imagination.

“I do mean it Dominic.” I glanced down towards my feet. “You can’t just come back in to my life like this and be all masterful and demanding, expecting me to just fall back into your arms and give you everything you wish to take from me.”

He paced again. He was acting like he didn’t know what to say. I had never seen him like this before, and I wasn’t really comfortable with it. I wanted to go to him, to comfort him, to give him exactly what he needed. But I wasn’t prepared to do that at my own cost. If I was giving myself to him, it needed to be fully. We had to be in agreement that there was an ‘us’.

“Elise I...” He started to speak, and then paced again.  “I don’t know why I’m here.”

I felt a confidence exude from me that I hadn’t discovered before.

“You are here because you booked a table. Your dinner guests are waiting.” I turned and reached for the door.

“No I’m not.” He touched my arm gently, a soft caress against my skin. “I’m here because you are.”

I swallowed loudly, my back still turned to him. Goosebumps travelled up my arms and the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention. Not because of his touch, but because of his words.

“I have to get back to work.” I said. My voice was barely a whisper. “We can talk later.” I opened the door and strode through the kitchen, marching past Max who stood his mouth open staring at me.

Dominic eventually joined his guests and Sara served them for their meal. I spent the evening between the bar and the office, finding every excuse I could to stay off the floor and away from Dominic. He had floored me with his admission. He had come here for me. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about that. I was flattered, but I would not be used and then tossed away when he had finished again.

The sounds which carried from downstairs eventually faded out and the music was switched off. I felt as if I could leave the safe haven of the office and so I tentatively took myself downstairs to the restaurant with the intention of filling a large glass and drowning my sorrows.

The kitchen was in darkness, the dishes stacked by the sink and the back door locked. There was no sign of Max.  I cursed to myself as I rounded the corner. How could he leave me? He knew I couldn’t drive tonight. I headed for the bar and picked up a clean glass, filling it to the brim and gulping it straight down. I closed my eyes and savoured the taste as it slid down my throat. I was just thinking to myself that I would have another, and then I would ring a taxi. I lifted the bottle to pour a second glass before realising there was someone else there.

I almost jumped out of my skin as I saw him sitting there in the semi darkness, twirling the restaurant keys around his fingers. He had one leg across his knee, he had removed his tie and opened the top two buttons on his shirt, and his sleeves were rolled up. His jacket was slung across the table and he was nursing a glass of single malt.

“Why are you still here?” I asked him as I came out from behind the bar.

“I waited for you. You said we could talk.” He told me, putting the keys down on the table. “Max said we could lock up as long as I made sure you got home safe.”

I silently cursed at Max in my mind. How could he be so stupid? I wasn’t capable of making decisions where Dominic was concerned. He shouldn’t have left me.

“I meant another time Dominic.” I moved to the table he was sitting at. “When I have had the chance to work out what you want from me.”

“Elise...Sit!”

I sat.

Instantly.

Without a fight.

I rolled my eyes at myself. He only had to speak and I became a slave to his every whim, every desire.

“Elise...I apologise for my behaviour this evening.” He picked up his glass and swirled it around staring at the liquid coating the glass. “I had to see you, and I thought that by booking a table, it would be the simplest way.” He lifted the glass to his lips. “It wasn’t supposed to go quite like it did.” He drank the malt in one and put the glass back on the table. “I was just going to talk to you, to see how you were? And then I walked in and saw that Neanderthal...” He clenched his fist as he spoke. “I fucking lost it. I know that.” He reached across the table for my hand and wrapped his own around it entwining our fingers. “You do something to me that I can’t explain.” He made eye contact with me and I stared at him, searching his face for more clues.