Past Lover
Hillary POV
“This is amazing,” I commented as I looked around the restaurant. Again, Rotimi outdid himself by getting us into one of the biggest restaurants in Mecianda. The restaurant had always been my dream, and when I found out we were going to La Parte Restaurant, I couldn’t be happier. Our seat was close to the window, and I could see those who were outside. It was magical and looked like I was in paradise.
“I am so glad to be here,” I chuckled as I couldn’t hide my excitement from Loukas, who stared at me as if I was the best thing that ever happened to him.
” You look beautiful in burgundy,” he commented and I smiled as I stared down at my dress. It was a dress I never thought I’d wear again because it was gotten by my father when I graduated from high school. The dress was a strapless burgundy long gown slit in the middle, and I felt like a princess wearing it again because it had a lot of memories.
“Thank you,” I played with the diamond necklace around my neck, bought by Loukas for the celebration of our wedding. I didn’t know why I was dressed like that, but I wanted to be the person Loukas admired. I wanted to be that person he desired. ” You don’t look bad yourself. It’s like you were born in a tuxedo! ” I commented on his outfit and winked at him.
Loukas laughed and placed a hand on his chest. ” I love it when you wink at me like that. It gives me the chills and makes me want to take you to my bed, ” Loukas winked back, sounding like a flirt, but I liked it.
I love the sound of his deep voice that could make a girl faint when they hear it. How did I get so lucky to be with such a man? I thought.
“Good evening, sir,” A waiter came over to our table and handed over the menu to us. ” I am Lancelot, and I’ll be your waiter tonight.”
I smiled at him, and when I turned to face Loukas, he was glaring at the man. “Babe,” I said, touching his hand, and he turned to face me. I didn’t want him to hate the poor waiter because I was smiling at him, so I created a distraction. “I am not familiar with the meals here. Can you help me choose? ” I flashed my lashes at him.
Loukas cleared his throat and nodded in response, then looked into the menu list. I also looked into the menu lists and gasped when I saw the prices of the food. It was too expensive, and I couldn’t imagine coming there to eat. I wanted to say something about the prices, but when I raised my head to face Loukas, I smiled at him and scratched my head.
“Are you alright, dear wife?” He asked me and I nodded in response, not ready to argue with him. ” My wife and I will take a butter-basted sirloin steak,” Loukas made the order and I looked through the menu, searching for the meal. When I saw the price list, I gasped. “Is everything alright?” He asked, and I nodded in response.
Everything was not already because I wondered how a meal could cost hundreds of dollars, but then, Loukas could always afford such a meal, but if I had my way, I’d prepare it without having to waste so much money.
“And for the wine, sir?” The waiter asked
” We will have Cabernet Sauvignon,” Loukas replied and handed over the menu list to him.
I handed over my menu list and stared at the waiter as he walked away. How lucky he was to work in a restaurant as beautiful as La Partida.
Loukas cleared his throat, and I turned to face him. “Seeing you looking at him makes me wonder if you want to eat him instead,” he scoffed.
I rolled my eyes and chuckled. ” Are you jealous, Mr. Whitemore?” I asked.
“You expected me not to be jealous, Mrs. Whitemore?”
” Did you just admit to it?” I questioned him back and he cleared his throat and averted his eyes, staring intensely at the entrance of the restaurant. I followed his gaze and realized why his expression changed to a hard one. His brother and his wife had walked in and were headed towards them.
“Are you okay?” I tapped him but Loukas didn’t respond. Instead, he continued staring at his brother and most especially his wife. “Loukas!” I whispered.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
“Well, well, well, if it’s not Loukas again,” his brother’s annoying and whining voice sounded behind me as he made his way to our table. “It’s so nice to meet you in a place like this,” Caleb said, sitting on the chair beside me. ” I didn’t know you would have an interest in a place like this,” he chuckled.
” Leave! ” Loukas ordered in a stern tone. ” Leave this table or I’ll call the security on you!”
Caleb tutted and tapped his fingers on the table. ” Are you not weary of attraction?” he pointed out outside. “There could be a reporter in this area and I don’t think you want a bad headline now, or do you?”
” I don’t care, Caleb. I don’t want you on this table,” Loukas said through gritted teeth.
” Maybe we should go to our table,” Caleb’s wife said.
” No,” Caleb refused. ” I won’t go until I say what’s on my mind.”
“You better listen to your wife or else you want to be publicly disgraced and we’ll see who will have that headline you are trying to avoid,” Loukas smirked at him.
I didn’t like how they kept arguing back and forth, and I knew that it was going to continue for a very long time until we got the attention of the spectators. “They can join us at the table,” I blurted out because I couldn’t keep up with the argument.
“What? ” Loukas slammed his hand on the table and glared at me. ” What are you saying, Hillary?”
I forced a smile on my face even though I was filled with rage inside.”You may sit with us, Angelica,” I said, motioning to the seat next to Loukas.
Angelica didn’t say anything and took her seat next to Loukas. I saw how she stared at Loukas like she was just seeing her for the first time. The look on her face was priceless, and when I tried to read her, Caleb tapped me. “You are a nice wife to my brother, and I hope you love him since he is…” Caleb cleared his throat and placed his hand on the table. “I mean, you could have married somebody else rather than my brother, who is…”
” What are you insinuating?” I clenched my fist and forced myself to smile. “If you are going to sit there and insult my husband, then I think you should leave our table.
” You’ve made a mistake in bringing a dog to our table,” Loukas commented. ” If you are here to throw insults as my wife has said, then I am here for you,” Loukas told him and smiled mischievously as if he had something planned. “Why don’t you just eat and get the hell out of here?” Loukas placed his left hand on the table. “Since you’ve ruined our night for you, then you shouldn’t waste our time here.”
” You must be crazy, Loukas,” Caleb retorted. I could see the veins in his neck almost popping out, and the way he clenched his fist showed that he was burning with anger. Loukas had hit a nerve and any more words from him would make Caleb explode.
That sounded like a nice thing to watch, but I wasn’t ready to see them destroy each other yet, so I tapped the table to get their attention. “Our food is here. Why don’t you both order something? ” I pointed to the waiter who brought our orders to the table. “Our food has arrived,” I said, clapping my hands and picking up the fork.
” We will have whatever you are having. Right, Caleb? ” Angelica finally said something after a moment of silence. She turned to face me and grinned wickedly as if she was sending me a message with her mischievous grin.
“Alright ma’am,” The waiter answered and poured our wine into our glasses, and then left.
“Whatever,” Caleb answered in a stern tone.
I looked from Caleb to Angelica and observed how they were with one another. They didn’t look like they were in love, but as if they were showing off for a certain someone. As the steak entered my mouth, my eyes landed on Loukas, who hadn’t touched his food yet but had his eyes on Angelica.
I heaved a sigh as I stared at the both of them, observing them. At that moment, I felt a rush of deja vu and I dropped my fork on my plate, creating a loud noise, which made Loukas turn to face me.
“Are you alright?” Loukas asked me, and I nodded in response.
“You both look like you are in love, but I don’t think Loukas can heal from his past wounds.” How he was jilted by the woman he loved and… ”
I cleared my throat and took the glass of wine from the table. I took a sip and dropped the glass on the table. “Do you need to say this now?” Angelica shifted in her seat. “Why are you bringing this up now?”
Caleb slammed his hand on the table. “Because I can see the way you two have been staring at each other ever since we arrived here,” he said. ” You are a crazy woman who can’t take her eyes off somebody else’s husband,” he accused and then pointed to Loukas. ” And you can’t stop thinking about another man’s wife. I thought you married your wife for love, so why are you still after mine? ” Caleb yelled, and all eyes turned to our table.
I took my glass of wine from the table and drank it all. “Oh!” I heaved a sigh and tapped my fingers on the table. All eyes were turned on me, but I didn’t look at any of them. I was fed up with listening to them talk about the past when it was their problem and not mine. I was also mad at Loukas for proving Caleb right because he had his eyes on Angelica ever since they arrived at the restaurant. I didn’t know if the look was out of pity or not, because I didn’t care. I just wanted the night to be over because it’s been ruined already.
I stood up from my seat and heaved a deep sigh. “Are you alright?” Loukas asked me. I nodded in response and bit my lower lip as I spoke.
“I need to use the washroom,” I announced and walked away, not bothering to hear what any of them had to say. Once I was inside the washroom, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
“So they were in love.” I turned on the faucet and washed my hands. “So you are in love?” I repeated and heaved a sigh. “That must be why he doesn’t believe in love,” I scoffed as I wiped my face with my hand after drying it.”No surprise,” I sighed, placing my hand on my chin.”Am I wasting my time?”
“You are,” Angelica said from behind me as she stood beside me. She clicked her tongue and turned on the faucet. “He couldn’t keep his eyes off me tonight. I was his first love and still his only love,” she declared.
I heaved a sigh and chuckled. “But you were so cheap that you slept with his brother.”
“Because I chose the winning side,” she retorted, and moved closer to me.” Why should I stay with a man who can’t give me a son? Why should I waste my time away with a man that is destined to be paralyzed forever? ”
What nonsense excuses? How dare she call Loukas paralyzed right in front of me? I clenched my fists and scoffed. “All I see is a gold-digging bitch who is crazy enough to sleep with her husband’s brother!” I accused them and pointed a finger at her.
“How dare you? He doesn’t even love you! ”
” You might be his first love, but right now I am his wife!” I raised my left hand for her to see the ring. “Stop saying things that are in the past. You left Loukas alone and I found him! ” I sighed briefly and placed a hand on her shoulder. ” You should change your ways and stop stealing other people’s husbands!” I told her and walked past her as I turned to leave.
” What the hell are you saying? Loukas is the only one for me! You have no idea why I left him! ” She yelled and grabbed my hand.
” Let’s go off me,” I tried to yank my hand off, but she tightened her grip on my hand. ” Are you crazy?” I shouted at her.
“You might think you are married to Loukas, but you need to know that he can’t love someone else except for me! He can’t fall in love with somebody else except for me, so stop wasting your time! ” She shouted at me, and when I tried to reply to her, she cut me off. “We were together for twelve years and he loved me so much that I…”
” Loved? That’s the word! ” I forcefully yanked my hand from her hand. “He used to love you, but now he has me and you shouldn’t bother with us any longer. You have your husband now and I have mine, so tread carefully, “I told her and turned to leave, but then I remembered something and turned to face her. “You should know that Loukas doesn’t love you anymore!” I moved closer to her and grinned. ” He hates you so much now after what you did, and I think the look he gave to you this night was out of contempt!” I told her and walked away, leaving her all alone with her thoughts.
When I got out, I heaved a sigh and leaned against the door to catch my breath. Everything Angelica had said was the truth. Loukas had already confessed that he was incapable of love and that must be because of Angelica.
If only I could find out what was on Loukas’s mind.