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Authors: Lynnette Bernard
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out of its bucket of ice to refill his glass.
The waiter came back with their appetizers, preventing Rachel from saying anything. She wanted to tell him off but decorum and good manners prevailed. She sat quietly, placed her napkin across her lap, and lifted her fork to her plate. The ravioli stuffed with lobster tasted like sawdust in her mouth, but she ate it mechanically.
She dined silently, watching as Richard drained one glass after another of the expensive champagne. One bottle was replenished with another. With each glass, his attention toward her was becoming more amorous. It was becoming very difficult for her to even sit silently with him.
Despite the elegance of the meal, it felt like an eternity before it was over. Rachel wasn’t quite sure how everything tasted. The food passed by her in a blur of plates. She could tell that Richard was thoroughly enjoying himself. As she watched him eat and drink, she finally admitted the truth to herself that she had always known but had kept at bay. Richard’s own enjoyment was all that ever mattered to him. She was glad that she was able to accept it without any emotional attachment.
“Sir,” the waiter said discreetly as he placed the bill contained in a leather wallet next to Richard’s right hand.
“The lady is treating tonight,” Richard said, smiling as he pushed the bill toward Rachel.
Rachel’s smile wavered slightly as she reached forward to open her purse and remove one of her bank cards. She placed it inside the leather wallet before her and looked up at the silent waiter.
“Thank you,” she said, nodding as he removed the bill.
Richard reached out and held her hand before she could put it back on her lap. He tugged at it slightly, drawing her attention to his face.
“Thanks, Madame Author,” he whispered. “Now back to my place to continue the evening. I’m looking forward to it.”
Rachel smiled stiffly. She had to tell him that she was not going to his apartment, but she couldn’t do it in the restaurant. She took the pen from the returning waiter and signed the charge slip, writing in a generous tip, not really caring about the final dollar amount of it. It didn’t matter to her anyway. The money spent tonight was the least of her concerns. She looked at the man across from her and swore a silent vow to herself. It was a hard and expensive lesson learned. The value she had for herself was more important than anything. She would not settle for Richard just to assure herself that she would not be alone.
Chapter 3
As they left the restaurant and waited for a cab, Richard put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder, casually lowering his hand and touching the side of her breast as he held her. He looked down at her and smiled, his eyes glistening at the anticipation of the evening ahead of them. Rachel stepped back to remove herself from his embrace and turned away from him.
“I’m going to take my own cab back to my hotel,” Rachel told him quietly, gazing across the water to avoid looking at him. “I’m leaving early tomorrow morning to go home.”
Richard stared at her silently for a moment. “You can’t leave without saying good-bye,” he told her brightly. He reached out to embrace her once again and pulled her toward him roughly. “Just stay a little while longer. I promise I’ll make it worth your time.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Rachel insisted, stepping aside to wait for another cab.
He smiled at her, but said nothing. When he looked at her, Rachel felt the coldness of his stare and shivered despite the heat of the early July night. A cab pulled up alongside them. Richard leaned forward to open the door then took her arm and pushed her into the cab before she could stop him.
The shock of the sudden movement caught Rachel by surprise, and she stumbled to keep her balance as he propelled her into the waiting cab. She was stunned into a silence that Richard took full advantage of. He told the cabby his
The waiter came back with their appetizers, preventing Rachel from saying anything. She wanted to tell him off but decorum and good manners prevailed. She sat quietly, placed her napkin across her lap, and lifted her fork to her plate. The ravioli stuffed with lobster tasted like sawdust in her mouth, but she ate it mechanically.
She dined silently, watching as Richard drained one glass after another of the expensive champagne. One bottle was replenished with another. With each glass, his attention toward her was becoming more amorous. It was becoming very difficult for her to even sit silently with him.
Despite the elegance of the meal, it felt like an eternity before it was over. Rachel wasn’t quite sure how everything tasted. The food passed by her in a blur of plates. She could tell that Richard was thoroughly enjoying himself. As she watched him eat and drink, she finally admitted the truth to herself that she had always known but had kept at bay. Richard’s own enjoyment was all that ever mattered to him. She was glad that she was able to accept it without any emotional attachment.
“Sir,” the waiter said discreetly as he placed the bill contained in a leather wallet next to Richard’s right hand.
“The lady is treating tonight,” Richard said, smiling as he pushed the bill toward Rachel.
Rachel’s smile wavered slightly as she reached forward to open her purse and remove one of her bank cards. She placed it inside the leather wallet before her and looked up at the silent waiter.
“Thank you,” she said, nodding as he removed the bill.
Richard reached out and held her hand before she could put it back on her lap. He tugged at it slightly, drawing her attention to his face.
“Thanks, Madame Author,” he whispered. “Now back to my place to continue the evening. I’m looking forward to it.”
Rachel smiled stiffly. She had to tell him that she was not going to his apartment, but she couldn’t do it in the restaurant. She took the pen from the returning waiter and signed the charge slip, writing in a generous tip, not really caring about the final dollar amount of it. It didn’t matter to her anyway. The money spent tonight was the least of her concerns. She looked at the man across from her and swore a silent vow to herself. It was a hard and expensive lesson learned. The value she had for herself was more important than anything. She would not settle for Richard just to assure herself that she would not be alone.
Chapter 3
As they left the restaurant and waited for a cab, Richard put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulder, casually lowering his hand and touching the side of her breast as he held her. He looked down at her and smiled, his eyes glistening at the anticipation of the evening ahead of them. Rachel stepped back to remove herself from his embrace and turned away from him.
“I’m going to take my own cab back to my hotel,” Rachel told him quietly, gazing across the water to avoid looking at him. “I’m leaving early tomorrow morning to go home.”
Richard stared at her silently for a moment. “You can’t leave without saying good-bye,” he told her brightly. He reached out to embrace her once again and pulled her toward him roughly. “Just stay a little while longer. I promise I’ll make it worth your time.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Rachel insisted, stepping aside to wait for another cab.
He smiled at her, but said nothing. When he looked at her, Rachel felt the coldness of his stare and shivered despite the heat of the early July night. A cab pulled up alongside them. Richard leaned forward to open the door then took her arm and pushed her into the cab before she could stop him.
The shock of the sudden movement caught Rachel by surprise, and she stumbled to keep her balance as he propelled her into the waiting cab. She was stunned into a silence that Richard took full advantage of. He told the cabby his
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