CHASE - Volume Three (The CHASE Series Book 3) (4 page)

Chapter Six

Alexis

Travis and
I sat on a little bench, all worn from years of use, as it was the only place that was open. An older couple had gotten up to go to their table, Travis beating out another couple who were moving in on the bench. It was a little awkward for me to sit down next to him, the other couple giving us annoyed looks, so I didn’t give them any real eye contact.

“Pretty cool place, huh?” Travis asked, as waiters and waitresses flew past us.

“Yup,” I replied, nodding as I watched them.

It wasn’t that great, truthfully, but I didn’t want to insult his choice of venue. He obviously liked this place, and if he did, I should give it a chance. After all, the fish taco shack was dumpy, but they had some of the best food I had ever eaten. I needed to give this place the same chance I gave that one. It was only fair.

We waited for around ten or twelve minutes before the hostess called us over, the entire waiting area giving us glares, the same way I did when someone who just walked in the door got in or got their food before me. People don’t like other people who cut in line, and that was obvious by the looks on the other customers’ faces.

We were taken to our seats, a small two-person table in the middle of the action, surrounded by groups of six, as well as other lone couples who were cramped into the sardine can that was this dining hall.

The ambiance was loud, making it hard to hear anything, which sort of killed the mood for me just a little bit. We had such a great conversation on our first date, and now we couldn’t even hear one another talk. Maybe this wasn’t the best place to have a second date, even if the food turned out to be great.

Our waiter, Neil, came a few minutes later with the menus, which the hostess hadn’t given us, which I thought was odd and different than every other place I’d ever been to, especially back home. He took our drink orders, and Travis got a soda while I got lemon water. I didn’t know why, but I had a thirst that couldn’t be quenched by soda. Maybe it was a sign.

“So, what’s good?” I asked.

“What?” he asked, looking up at me.

“I asked what’s good,” I said, louder.

“Oh. Well, I like the Irish chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. It has a cream sauce and it’s really good,” he said.

“Hm, anything lighter?” I asked.

“What?” he replied.

“Never mind,” I said, nodding and looking down at the menu.

I scanned over the menu. It had at least eighty items, causing my head to spin as I tried to narrow down the things I was interested in actually having. Why restaurants had massive menus I’d never know.

Neil brought our drinks before whizzing away, not even asking us if we were ready to order, which Travis definitely was. I was willing to bet money that he was going to get that chicken dish.

“Travis?” I heard someone yell.

I looked up and saw Travis turn around, only to see a few guys standing behind him, not too far away.

“Hey, dude, how the hell are you?” Travis asked, standing up, giving them “bro” hugs.

“Dude, we’re awesome. Where have you been? We’ve been trying to get a hold of you for like a week,” the man said.

“I had a project, man. It was horrible, but it’s all over now. I’m just out with my friend Alexis,” he said, pointing to me.

His
friend
Alexis? Not even saying he was on a date with me, but that I was just some buddy, a friend he was hanging out with? Like he was doing
me
a favor by going out with the leper. Travis ignored me beyond that point, only talking to his friends, acting as if I were just an invisible girl sitting across from him. I was annoyed, but I kept my mouth shut. Like I needed his friends thinking I was some crazy, obsessive, ball-busting girl he should stay away from.

“Hey, you should come have a shot with us! We’re buying!” one of the guys said.

“Yeah!” another one yelled, all of them grabbing him and pulling him away.

I sat there, staring at him getting whisked away, in complete disbelief that he was actually gone. Was I just supposed to sit here alone, letting him go off with his friends? I wasn’t the kind of girl who didn’t let the guy go have fun with his buddies, but I didn’t think it would happen on a date, especially one so early on in the potential relationship. Call me old-fashioned, I guess.

Neil came back, asking if I was ready to order, but I declined, saying I was waiting for my date to get back. I didn’t say he was getting drunk in the bar. Hopefully Neil thought I wasn’t a loser and that Travis was just in the bathroom or something.

After twenty minutes, my anger and disbelief raging inside me, Travis wandered back, a smile across his face, like he was the happiest guy in the world. He was laughing, though not at me, and sat down, looking at me like everything was fine and normal.

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“What?” he replied.

“You left me here alone for like twenty minutes. That’s very rude,” I said.

“Oh, shut up. Don’t be like that, Alexis. I can’t help it if my buddies want to me a couple shots. What am I going to say?” he asked.

“No! You say no! You say that you’d love to, but that you’re on a date with someone and you can’t. That’s what you say,” I retorted.

“Just stop being so clingy and obsessive. We’re here, we’re having a good time. Just get over it,” he said, before opening his menu, his face red, as he was clearly angry at me for no damn reason.

I couldn’t believe how full of himself he was. He was an ass, incredibly rude, and it seemed like when he was around his friends, he turned into a completely different person. This wasn’t the guy I talked to online. This wasn’t the man I went on a great first date with. This was some kind of monster, a true Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Sure, Chase was full of himself, he had a big ego, but he paid attention to me on our dates. It was like I was all he had eyes for; he gave me all his attention, no matter who would be standing near him, talking into his ear. Hell, the fucking President could be there with him and he’d still give me
all
of his attention. It almost made it fine that he was cocky and full of himself. I got his attention, and that was all that mattered.

I hated to think it, but after writing that text I never sent to Chase earlier, and now going on this “date” with Travis, it seemed like I made the wrong choice in men. Maybe Travis wasn’t the good choice, even though he seemed great earlier. Maybe I needed someone who wouldn’t treat me well only when it was convenient for him.

“I’m not feeling too well. Can you take me home?” I asked abruptly.

“What? We just got here. I called in a favor to get us a table quickly,” he said.

“I know. I’m sorry. I just don’t feel well. I can just take the bus or whatever,” I said, setting down my menu.

“No, I’ll take you home. I can’t let you take the bus home, and besides, I want to make sure you get home safe and sound and that you’re okay,” he said, setting down his menu.

He took a ten-dollar bill out of his pocket and left it on the table, even though it was way more than he needed for water and a soda. We walked out of the pub to his car, and he opened the door for me, which was nice, but almost felt forced. Did he really think I was sick, or did he know he messed up? Maybe he was just trying to backtrack and make himself seem like not
so
much of a dick, even though a lot of the damage was already done.

On our way back to my place, I started thinking about if I should, and when I should send that text to Chase. I thought part of the reason I hadn’t talked to him yet, or sent the text, was because of my date and budding relationship with Travis. I didn’t want to screw him over by going back to the guy who hurt me. Travis was too nice of a guy for that kind of treatment, or at least so I’d thought. Maybe it was in everyone’s best interest if I did, though. I didn’t know that I’d actually get back together with Chase, but I guessed opening the lines of communication wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

Travis and I didn’t talk much on the ride back to my place. He turned on the radio about a third of the way there to a station that always played the top hits on the charts, so that was nice. It was way better than talking, anyway.

We arrived at my apartment and instead of just dropping me off, he pulled into the parking lot, and quickly got out and opened my door for me. I knew he was just trying to make amends, probably knowing the
real
reason I wanted to come home, and it wasn’t because I wasn’t feeling well.

“Can I walk you to your door? Make sure you get in okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I said, just trying to avoid an awkward situation.

I had no intention of letting him inside, but I didn’t want to be a total bitch and not let him do something as simple as walking me to my door, even though I was already getting inside my building.

We walked to my door and stood outside for a second, and that was where things took an awkward turn.

“Want me to come in? I could take care of you,” he said with suggestive smile, for a lack of a better term.

“Oh, no, I think I’m just going to go to sleep,” I said politely.

“Sleep, huh? How about I come in with you?” he asked.

How many shots did he really have?  He was fine on the drive home, not even showing anything, but now he just seems a little out there.

“No, I think I’m just going to go in alone. Thank you for taking me home, though. I really appreciate it,” I said.

“Wait, so after I take you out, you won’t let me come in?” he asked, his demeanor changing.

“No, I’m sorry. I just don’t feel up to it. I’m sorry,” I said.

“Save it. This is stupid and a waste of my time. I can’t believe that I even tried. Hey, have a great night and I hope you feel better,” he said, a little sarcastically.

Travis walked down the hall and I unlocked my door and quickly went inside, locking it behind me, just in case he wanted to yell at me some more. I knew he wasn’t violent, and that he’d never do anything to harm me, but I still didn’t want to deal with his shit.

I set down my bag, kicked off my shoes, and let out a big sigh, before looking around my kitchen for anything I could eat, since I left before even trying to get a free meal. In hindsight, I guessed I should have gotten that meal
before
asking him to bring me right home. That would’ve been better for my empty stomach.

I grabbed some cereal and sat down on my couch, looking around for something to do, before picking up my phone, looking at my messages, and putting it back down, waiting to text Chase the long essay I had written him.

I guessed it was only a matter of time before I had to suck it up and do what was best, even if it was scary.

Chapter Seven

Chase

I had gotten
some fresh air, but it wasn’t enough to snap me out of my funk. I kept playing what Brian said over and over in my mind. Maybe I needed to go see her. I knew where she lived, what apartment she was in, and knowing her schedule, she was likely home at this time. She actually didn’t even live that far away from where I was now. Maybe only ten or fifteen minutes.

Even though I wanted to go, I still felt a little creepy about it, you know, just showing up like that, especially after how badly we’d left things. I didn’t want the cops called on me.

I left the outside deck, squeezing between groups of people who were drinking, dancing, and having a great time. The humidity and heat of the venue beat against my face as I walked back inside, almost as if I were walking into a rainforest in the middle of the city. I guessed Los Angeles was like an urban jungle, so it was fitting. Dozens of men beating their chests, doing dances, and wearing colorful clothes to try to attract a mate for the night. Yeah, this was a jungle, alright.

Bypassing the table completely, I walked towards the back to the bathrooms. The women’s room had a line, but the men’s was walk-in ready, no wait at all. I squeezed through the line of women waiting to use the restroom and walked inside the men’s room, seeing a line of men at the urinals, but I didn’t have to use the restroom.

As the other guys came and went, I looked at myself in the mirror, my forehead sweating, my brow moist, as my hands gripped the edge of the long trough-style sink. I looked down, trying to catch my breath, before turning on the faucet and splashing some cold water on my face. As the droplets of water dripped off of my chin, I continued to look at myself, examining myself, my scratchy stubble causing the water droplets to roll down.

I was going to do it. I was going to go to her apartment, knock on her door, and talk to her. I didn’t need to do it for her. I didn’t need to do it to try to win her back or gain her trust or anything like that. I needed my peace. I needed to get this off of my chest, to finally speak the truth, to let go of that bottling effect that this was having on me. If she accepted it, forgiving me, then that would be amazing. If she shook her head and said she didn’t want to talk to me again, that was fine too. I just needed her to know. No matter what she said, though, I was moving on and past this in my life. I was losing sleep, I was losing out at work, and I was losing weight from the stress. I couldn’t live like this. I needed to free myself.

I splashed some more water on my face and turned off the faucet before grabbing some paper towels and wiping myself down, like I was wiping away all of the self-doubt and trepidation.

I walked out of the restroom, the line of women still long, and made my way to the table, all of the guys still sitting there, none of them even mingling with any women, which I thought was the entire point of this night out. I could’ve easily gotten past them without them even seeing me, but I wanted to at least let Brian know what I was doing. He tended to have a worrisome personality, and I didn’t want him to think I wandered off into traffic or had gotten kidnapped.

“Hey, there he is!” Paul said.

“Brian, can I talk to you for a second?” I asked, motioning for us to go over a few feet away.

“Sure,” he said, sliding out of the seat and walking over.

“I’m going to get going. I thought about what you said, and I think you’re right. I need to go talk to her, even if she doesn’t care about me anymore. I need to reclaim my life and get this all off my chest,” I said.

“I know. Go get her. I’ll see you Monday,” he said.

“That’s all you’re going to say?” I asked inquisitively.

“That’s all I need to say. Go get her,” he said, patting my shoulder and walking back to the table.

I turned around, walked outside past the bouncer, as all of the people were looking away from the door. I saw tons of camera lights flashing, before all of a sudden, there was Nigella, appearing in front of like some kind of ghost.

“Chase?” she asked, taking off her glasses.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, completely shocked.

This wasn’t the type of club a huge celebrity would go to. It wasn’t a bad club, but if a mega star really wanted to go to one, there were
much
better venues to choose from.

“I’m here for an appearance. What are you here for? Matthew Chase isn’t much of a club-goer,” she said.

“You’d be surprised what I am and am not these days,” I said.

“Brian called me recently. Said you’re going through some things. Want to talk about it?” she asked.

I looked at my watch, seeing the night was still young, and decided I should at least talk to her for a few minutes. Brian gave great advice, but he wasn’t a woman, and better yet, he never got with any women. Maybe I needed womanly advice from another woman, someone who could give me insight into what to do and what not to do.

“Yeah, I can for a few,” I said.

We walked back into the club, the promoter leading us to a private booth that was for VIP guests only, which was what Nigella was. Hell, I knew I was as well, but I digress.

“So, doll, tell me what’s going on,” she said, sitting across the table from me as her bodyguard stood nearby.

“Well, to give you the shortened version, there’s this woman I saw a few times. We fell pretty hard, things were going great, and then she caught me with another woman. The thing is, though, I wasn’t with another woman. It was this woman I was on a date with for like ten minutes before ditching her for being rude and crude. Well, one morning that woman barged into my house, drunk as ever, sloppy, and wouldn’t leave. I tried everything besides picking her up and tossing her onto the pavement outside. My doorbell rang, it was Alexis, the girl I’m, well, I was seeing. She thought I was with the other woman, that we slept together, and I tried to tell her what happened, but she wouldn’t listen. I’ve been trying to talk to her for a while now but she won’t listen to me. Brian told me to go over there. That’s where I was going before I ran into you. I need to talk to her. I think. Should I?” I said, before running out of steam and wind in my lungs.

“Wow, that’s an awful lot,” she said, smiling.

“I knew it was stupid to put myself out there,” I said, before going to slide out of the booth.

“No. Stay. I’m sorry,” she said, grabbing my arm.

I let out a sigh and moved back into the booth, looking her in the eyes with a sort of disappointed look.

“Look, here’s my take-away from it and my advice. If you feel like you absolutely have to, then go talk to her. She needs to know the truth, and quite frankly, with the way you’re looking these days, you need to get the truth off of your chest. You need to let her know that what she saw was an unfortunate circumstance, but it isn’t the truth. You were ambushed, in a way, and if she can’t believe that, after everything you’ve done and tried to do, then she just isn’t the one for you,” Nigella said.

“Wow, pretty profound for you. So, I should go to her? You agree with Brian?” I asked.

“Yeah, I do,” she said, with a sincere look in her eyes.

“Well, I better go, then. I want to get there before it’s too late,” I said, sliding out of the booth.

“Chase,” Nigella said.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“She’s a lucky woman, if she goes back to you. I know you have that gooey, soft center, and trust me, she’s lucky to have you,” she said, giving me a little smile, though it sort of looked bittersweet.

“Thank you, Nigella. I love you too,” I said, before turning around and walking out of the club.

I got in my hulk of an SUV and pulled out of the lot, right into stop-and-go traffic on the strip that made me honk my horn, bite the inside of my lip, and grip my leather steering wheel harder than anyone ever should.

I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I couldn’t fathom what changed in me to make me actually drive to her apartment, knock on her door, and spill my feelings to her. Most of all, though, I couldn’t believe she had this effect on me, that she was the one woman who was able to transform me from a crass, shallow, shell of a man to one who had feelings, empathy, and who wanted to love and be loved.

I turned the corner, her building in sight, before parking my car in her lot, which was fairly sparse on this busy night, and sat in my car for a moment, collecting myself and my thoughts, trying to calm myself and get in tune, knowing what I wanted to say before I was going to say it.

I took a deep breath, got out of the car, and locked it, stuffing the keys in my pocket before walking around the side of the building and to the front door. There was a plethora of buttons, all corresponding to a buzzer inside an apartment. I saw hers on there, her last name next to the button, but I didn’t buzz it. I didn’t want her to say no, not unlocking the front door for me. I wanted to surprise her, and in turn, stop her from saying no.

I clicked a random one, an older woman answering, before I told her I had a surprise flower delivery for another apartment and didn’t want to ruin the surprise. She buzzed me in, I opened the door, and careened through the hallways, going up the stairs, before coming to her door. There I was, standing in front of her apartment door, her hopefully sitting inside, alone, and ready to listen to what I had to say. This was the moment, my moment, and within seconds my life would either change for the better or worse.

I took a deep breath, put my knuckle against the wood, and knocked.