Promises (23 page)

A
lex sat in the small office trying to get herself together. None of what she’d said to Sol had registered. The only part of the conversation she could remember was his reaction. Instead of apologising, he’d turned on her as if it was her fault. And, somewhere along the line, she had begun to wonder if he was right.

She t
ried to think of all the water that had gone under the bridge. A small part of what he’d said nagged at her.

S
hould she have stayed? What if it had been the other way around?

R
ubbing a hand across her head, she felt the pain and tension growing. A band of steel was crushing her and she knew she had to try and move on. Everything they’d hoped for was now impossible. Yet she knew she was right. She’d gone over everything, their entire relationship …. He’d spun lie after lie, which she’d fallen for.
What sort of reaction did he expect?
she wondered moodily. She was right and he was wrong, period, and he was the one to condemn her?
Like hell
, she thought, furious all over again.

S
he sank to the chair, clutching her stomach against the familiar wave of nausea. Although she was aware that there was an element of truth to what he’d said, she was unwilling to admit it because he was as much to blame with his web of deceit.

Sh
e was afraid to ponder what the end of their relationship truly meant. Instead she chose to stay closeted in her own safe world, merely existing. She ran a shaky hand through her hair, worried that he had been right after all. Swiping at the tears that continued to stream down her cheeks, she rose to her feet.

T
aking a deep breath, she straightened her uniform and returned to the kitchen and the wrath of the chef.

Callum sat opposite Solomon in the restaurant,
knowing damn well who would be their waitress. This was not going to be a pleasant meal.

Silently she moved to
their table and placed their food before them until Solomon halted her.

“Take this fork
. I need a clean one.” His gaze was hard and cold, and he focused just past her as if she were an outcast.

Alex nodded, realizing that at last she was seeing Sol as he truly was.

He sat in an expensive charcoal grey suit, his dark hair gelled to perfection. The Rolex, which she’d mistaken for a replica, glinted on his wrist. He was a cold stranger; she couldn’t even imagine his touch, not any longer.

I
f his fingers stroked her now, they would leave freezer burns.

Returning
to the table, she laid the fork on the side of his plate. He examined it before dismissing her with a curt nod of his head. Spinning on her heel, she marched out of the room.

“Bit hard on her
,” stated Callum.

“Shut the hell up
!” he snapped, scratching his food around without touching it. The painful emotions ate into him. It was killing him that he couldn’t take her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

Alex stood in the kitchen, breathing in the variety of smells
and praying that fish wasn’t on the menu. Her stomach was in full rebellion. She thought of Sol, wishing she could turn the clock back. Her memories returned her to that night at the hotel, the night she knew for a fact she’d conceived their baby. A child he would never see; she’d make sure of that.

A
s soon as she began to show, she would need to leave. There was no way he was going to be involved.

Natalie
came into the kitchen and motioned for Alex to follow her. Alex guessed she was in for an interrogation, but followed on.

The
y walked to Natalie’s office and she sat down, indicating for Alex to take the seat opposite. She came directly to the point. “What’s with you and Solomon? And no lies.”

“Nothing
,” she stated honestly. That was the truth. There wasn’t now or would there ever be anything between them.

“Don’t give me that
crap. I know what I saw, and it was definitely sparks between the both of you.” She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand.

Alex looked at her, through her, an
d decided to tell her the truth. What the hell did it matter? She wouldn’t be here for much longer. “We had an affair and we parted, not on good terms. And I don’t want anything to do with him, period!”

“What
, that’s it?” Natalie raised an eyebrow exactly as her mother did—just the one—and speculated.

Alex didn’t
feel guilty about the parts she didn’t explain. “Afraid so.”

“Really
?” stated Natalie, not believing a word she said. But she was willing to concede the point and leave it there. At least for the moment.

The following
day, Alex practiced her usual morning ritual, staring into the bottom of a pristine white toilet as she threw up. Tears rolled down her face, her stomach ached from retching empty contents into the receptacle, and she wondered how much longer this would go on for.

She w
iped a shaky hand across her mouth, hating the acrid taste on her furred tongue. At last her stomach calmed and she was able to move. Standing and rubbing a hand across it, she was grateful that it was behaving. Wiping her mouth, she prepared to face yet another day.

After e
ntering the kitchen, she quickly became annoyed. She was fed up with hearing about the handsome and charismatic Solomon Avery from every female staff member. They all gushed and fell over themselves, describing his attributes and his charms. She could beat them all, tell them exactly what he was like, but she never said a word. Instead she smoothed her hand over her stomach.

H
e’d given her something all right, but not quite what she’d expected. Fiona would be pleased, Alex realized with sudden clarity. When should she tell her mother?

“Oh my
God, I can’t believe I served him this morning!” cried Emma, a young brunette, but not so young that common sense hadn’t kicked in.

“
So you served him breakfast, why the big deal?” snapped Alex, fed up with their adoration. Anyone would think it was the second coming of Christ the way they were all reacting.

“You’re just jealous
,” responded Emma with a dreamy smile. “He’s even better looking close up. And those eyes, talk about to die for.” She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned against the wall, eyes closed.

Alex shook her head and looked on, wondering if any of the women had a life.

Natalie strolled in, scattering the small talk. Her gaze focused straight on Alex. “You’re on duty this afternoon. Terry has phoned in sick. Are you okay with covering her for this evening?”

Alex nodded her head
.

“Good
. Apparently Solomon has a special guest and he wants preferential treatment.”

“I bet
!” she hissed beneath her breath.

“Did you say something?”

Alex shook her head. “No, nothing at all.”

The afternoon
passed too quickly. All her thoughts were on who his special guest was to be, and she knew damn well it would be a woman. Her insides turned and tumbled. She felt a claw twist her intestines and she tried to calm her riotous emotions.

“Take this to table four, and
no cock-ups. It’s Solomon’s,” advised the chef, giving her a warning look.

“Can’t someone else do it?”
She was almost pleading.

“Sorry,
you’re the head waitress on duty tonight.” He gave a shake of his head. “Unusual, but who am I to argue? What Solomon wants, he gets.”

“Great, just bloody great!” muttered Alex
as she took the heavily laden tray and made her way through the kitchen. She negotiated the swinging door and walked into the restaurant. This was his form of punishment, his pound of flesh. Alex vowed that if or when the time came, he’d be sorry big-style.

Alex
glanced at the statuesque blond seated alongside Solomon and then at Callum, who was seated opposite with an equally stunning woman. Balancing the tray with one arm, Alex pleasantly checked who was having what and placed the meals before them, a smile pasted on her face. She slammed Sol’s down in front of him, wishing she could push his head into the bowl of lasagne and shove the garlic bread where the sun didn’t shine. With a final glare at the blonde, she marched stiffly back into the kitchen.

Callum grinned down
at his meal, afraid to look up at Sol. His temper was still frayed and his nerves were in tatters; he could blow up at any time. Callum knew this whole date was for effect. After witnessing Alex’s reaction, Sol could say what he liked, but Alex wasn’t acting like a woman who didn’t give a damn. In fact she was a simmering volcano, ready to erupt.

Much like Sol, Callum thought, shaking his head.

Solomon placed an arm around his companion. Not that he wanted her, his focus and aim were on Alex. He wanted to make her jealous, to try and raise some sort of emotion other than obvious disinterest. He wanted to see her explode with passion, not stand there with a pale face and paler emotions.

Alex returned to their table
and immediately spotted his arm draped over the girl. A knot twisted deep in her stomach. She felt sick and angry. Without blinking, she smiled. “You wanted iced water?” She tipped the whole jug into his lap.
Cool on you, horny bastard
, she thought with satisfaction.

Callum raised a hand to his mouth to stop from laughing at Sol
’s outraged expression.

“Oop
s, so sorry!” said Alex, trying not to grin at the shock on his face. “Anything you want with it?”

Solomon glared but
restrained himself from taking her by the neck and throttling her. “No, you’ve done enough already. In fact I think we’ll forget the rest of the meal and go to our room.” He smiled down at his companion. “I need to get out of these anyway. What do you say?”

“I say
, no time like the present.” She placed a kiss across his lips, nibbling and sucking him in.

“Let me know you
r room number, and I’ll turn down your sheets.” Alex scowled at him, the knife well and truly hitting home.

“T
here’s no need for that, trust me!” He gave his partner a sweeping gaze, roving over her body, his eyes full of promise. “Consider yourself off duty.” He turned from her, pulled the blonde close to him, and kissed her soundly.

Alex paused
and looked on, her green eyes glazed with misery. Her hurt gaze flitted to Callum then dropped when she read the pity there. That she could do without, and now she knew it was time to move on.

“That was harsh
,” stated Callum after they left the restaurant. He looked into his friend’s eyes, which were sad and awash with pain. “Was there any need to hurt her that much?”

“I can’t hurt
someone who feels nothing.” He glanced at his watch, wishing the women would return from the rest room.

Callum shook his head sadly
. “You’re a fool, Sol. That girl really loves you, and you’re throwing it all away. And for what?”

“She doesn’t give a
shit about me. As much as she says it’s my fault, it would be nice if she took part of the blame, too!” He was fed up with being maligned as the bad person in the relationship. He knew his part and accepted it; he just wished she could do the same.

“Well
then, talk to her about it, work it though. Don’t just keep making it worse,” advised Callum, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. “Because, to be honest, I’ve never known anyone to be in love as much as you two. I don’t understand it.” He shook his head despondently. “I really don’t.”

“Whatever scene you’re looking at, for
Christ’s sake, take off your rose-coloured glasses.” Solomon was relieved when his partner for the night returned. Taking her hand, he held it firmly and led her from the restroom and through the lobby towards the lift.

He ignored
Alex, standing beside the reception desk. Looking straight ahead, he was determined to show her what she was missing. He hit the button on the lift and made a pretence of nuzzling the throat of his companion before moving her inside.

Alex
watched. She was unable to speak, unable to breathe. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her, or them. Anything to lose the image of Sol with the blonde woman, images of him fucking her senseless scoring through her mind. The tears forming yet again. She turned, walked straight into the arms of Natalie, and placed her head on her shoulder.

She n
eeded the peace and reassurance from her hands, which stroked her head and patted her shoulders. Seconds before the lift closed, Solomon’s gaze strayed towards Alex, and he almost choked when he saw her in his number one’s arms.

Before the door closed he began to
wonder if the rumours were true, leaving him to analyse it for the rest of the night.

“You love him
, don’t you?” stated Natalie as she held her close, relishing the feel of her body and cursing the fact that she wasn’t gay.