Chapter 3

I’m sat between Wilhelm and Damian, he fully introduced himself earlier and he acted like he didn’t know me from Adam either!

I am five foot five, five foot six and a half in heels, so you can imagine how dwarfed I feel sitting between these huge men. Apparently, Wilhelm had just finished his meeting with Damian who is a business associate of his and was just about to leave. Damian is not only a CEO, he is the CEO of EtherTech one of the biggest tech companies out there. He’s also a professor? Where does he get the strength?

He looks so different from when I saw him earlier this morning. This morning, he looked casual and the curls of his hair were bountiful around his face. Right now, he is in a red three-piece tuxedo, a Patek Philip strapped to my wrist, his hair is perfectly slicked back, revealing how truly menacing his eyes are. His lips are curled in a sinister smirk as he discusses whatever business he has with my future husband.

I am quite offended, if I am to be completely honest. This is supposed to be my first date with my supposed future husband and he’s more interested in Damian than I probably am.

Wilhelm suddenly excuses himself to make a call. What in tarnation?!

He is leaving me here? With him? I really don’t think that’s a good idea. Maybe he’s forgotten my face. Yes! Let’s hope for that!

A beat passes and then another and another.

“It’s you,” Damian says calmly in that deep, sultry voice of his.

“You remember who I am?” I’m not looking him in the eyes.

“How could I possibly forget you? You spilled hot coffee on my white shirt.” I look up at him, wincing.

There’s this glint in his eyes as he stares at me in amusement and that sinister way his lips curl up is still there. I drag my eyes away from him and then realize how fast my heart is beating.

“I’m surprised you can manage another full sentence, actually,” I say to him. His eyebrows shoot up and he chuckles. I feel something twirl in my tummy. I should pump the brakes here.

“You’re bold Claire,” he says. “Nobody ever thinks to make jokes like that around me,” that rich laughter still seeped into his voice as he spoke to me.

"Not really Professor. Maybe it’s just something about you that brings this side of me out...those ugly shirt, maybe?" I say and somewhere inside me, sober Claire is grasping for the controls in desperation. I shouldn’t have taken those shots.

"You have an animosity towards plain, primary colors?" he responds unfazed, his coy smile still on his lips.

I simply shrug.

“I’m going to take my leave now,” he announces as he stands up to leave just as Wilhelm shows up. They do their little manly, macho handshake and just before he leaves he turns to me and says, “It’s nice to finally put a name to the face.” And then he walks out. Finally?

“Claire,” Wilhelm says just before he sits down. “You know Damian?” he asks and there is this tone he uses that makes it sound accusatory, he is not even looking at me. He’s just staring at his phone.

“Oh, not really. I just met him today actually,” I find myself using a placating tone.

He chuckles and looks at me now, “You didn’t sleep with him, did you?”

I feel immediately disgusted by the question and I’m pretty he sees this clearly, that is why he back tracks and starts laughing.

“That was joke! That was a joke, you should see your face.” His silly cover up does not make me feel any less warry of this man. I’m supposed to marry him?

The waiter comes in saving from drowning in my thoughts. Wilhelm orders while I skim through the menu. When he is done, I move to order but he just waves the waiter off after telling them I’ll have what he is having. I hate fish and I’m pretty sure he just ordered sashimi.

“So, you attend Slather University? I went there too.” He says beaming rather unnaturally.

“Yeah everyone and their mother has attended Slather,” There is not a smile on my face as I answer all of his further questions, the strength to fake a happy face has long depleted.

Our food comes, and it turns out to be Sashimi. And so, for the rest of the date while Wilhelm talks about all he has achieved, of course with the help of daddy’s money, I just pick at my food and keep imagining that he’d choose to end the date soon. Turns out men like Wilhelm don’t need an interested audience to keep him rambling on and on.

He is such a talkative and this trait, I would have found endearing if it did not belong to such a bratty person like Wilhelm.

Wilhelm is the kind of person that does not believe in being nice to people like the waiters. He treats them like they are his personal servant and behaves like they were put there to cater to his every need. It is excruciating to even witness.

For the first time throughout the duration of this date, Wilhelm actually addresses me. “I want to make something extremely clear to you, Claire,” he says, his face wearing a serious expression.

“What would that be?” I ask already thoroughly bored of this whole ordeal.

“You can not be in any type of relationship with a man outside this. In six months we’d be getting married,” he says. Did hear right? Six months? Why so far down? I am confused but I am also relieved so I really do not dispute this.

He goes on, “My family wants nothing scandalous about our marriage on the tabloids. So, whether it be a lover, your little boyfriend, it all has to end now.” He’s staring pointedly at me as he says this. I’m guessing he’s done his research and has found out about Joel. This, is a little embarrassing and I want to ask him if it is going to be the same way for him and if he is going to give up all the women on his part too. But, I already know the answer to that of course. I’m the wife, so it is okay for me to be embarrassed on the tabloids and not him.

“Do you understand this Claire?” He asks.

I was planning on cutting Joel off anyway. He’s like a bad habit I let run on for years and years. We’d fallen into a coital relationship at the start of our college years but it’s been just that, no strings attached, nothing. Of course at the start of the whole thing, I was okay with it but now he just represents everything wrong with my life and it’s really hard to stand him.

"Yes, Wilhelm. I understand," I reply to him. He nods.

"You know, we would make such a wonderful team. You’re beautiful and I think you’re a smart lady too, you wouldn’t tarnish the Crouther name now, would you?" His hand finds it’s way to my cheek, caressing it. I think I am going to be sick.