Chapter 8

UNEDITED.

*Nicholas*

I pressed the decline button for the fifth time. Camila kept calling me even though I told her I didn't want anything to do with her. It's been three weeks since that day, and two weeks since she moved out and the media found out. My mother was enraged and disappointed in her. My father just gave me the 'I told you' look and didn't say anything. My older sister was mad and my little brother just didn't care.

Camila's father had yet to say anything to the media, he hasn't contacted me either. Which I am happy for since I didn't feel like talking to either of them. I don't know what I would say to them. Camila was my everything, our families knew it but she ruined it. There wasn't much to say anymore. It was over, I just feel sorry for the guy or guys she used to release her 'stress and loneliness' because she has a habit of throwing them away once she has no use for them.

My phone ringing brought me out of my thoughts. I looked down to see it was from Grace. I had given her my personal number just in case of an emergency. "Hello?" I picked up her call.

"Mr. Quinn." She spoke, her voice was professional. "I just called to know let you know that my schedule is free this week. So you can drop by to see. Also, sorry about Camila."

"It's okay. I'm over it. Anyway, I'll let you know once I've confirmed it with my secretary." I answered. We bid our goodbyes and then I sighed.

I remembered that two years ago, I was pinning after Grace but she declined me every time I asked her out. Then I found out that she was a single her mother, and when I asked her about the father she wouldn't tell me. She kept the father a secret because she doesn't want him to know. She also said that I knew the father of her child. For a while, I thought it was me, but the child looks nothing like me or Grace. So I asked her and she laughed saying it wasn't.

I felt relieved but a little sad. Grace looked like a good wife and partner to have. Then I met Camila and totally forgot about Grace. I knew I didn't have a chance so we decided to just be friends and business partners. A few months after that, I met Camila and Grace was happy about it. She liked Camila and it was good.

Anyway, I looked down and saw that my lunch was in about thirty minutes. Since the café did open I thought why not order it from there. So I called the café and had them deliver the food.

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"Mr. Segal, you're lunch is here, sir." Mrs. Williams said through the intercom.

"Send the delivery man or woman up," I answered him.

"Right away Sir." I heard a click and I wanted for some man to enter. What I didn't expect was the man to look like the one from the bar.

I started at him because first, he didn't knock before entering, and second, he seemed shocked to see me. I wanted to smirk by I didn't say anything just watched him as he gingerly entered the room with a white plastic bag. "Um," the man blushed and looked down.

"Thank you," I said as I stood up and walked towards him.

"Y-you're welcome." He stared at me for a while before blushing and looking to the side. "T-the total is $10.76."

"Okay, do you take credit card?" I asked even though I knew there was no way, he could have the machine to swipe the card.

"I-I can't take it right now, Sir. But it would be a good help if you had cash." The man answered. He had yet to look at me, he looked everywhere in my office just to avoid me.

"Okay, I'll just write a check to the restaurant." I walked back over to my desk and took out the checkbook. I wrote down the name of the restaurant and the total, before signing it. "Here."

"Thanks." He gave me a small smile and handed me the bag with my food in it. "Have a good day."

He turned to leave but something in me wanted him to stop. Without thinking, I called him out, "wait," I wanted to go grab his hand but I stopped myself.

The man turned around and looked at me confused. "Is there something wrong?" He asked while tilting his head. Cute. I thought. Wait, did I just think a man was cute? It hasn't even been a month since Camila and I broke up and here I was thinking a man was cute. That seemed messed up and quite surprising.

"Nothing. I just wanted to know your name." I blurted out without thinking.

"Oh! Um...my name is Elijah." He answered.

"Nice name." I smiled at him.

"That's not what you thought when we first met." He murmured.

"Yeah," I smiled a little and suddenly grew nervous. "I'm sorry about that. Wasn't having the best day."

"Mh-hm." He hummed before turning away. "Have a good day."He sounded angry and when he slammed the door behind him, it confirmed it.

I sighed and sat down on the couch at the corner of my office. I looked down at the food and sighed. That was probably s stupid idea writing him a check instead of just handing him the money, it probably looked like I was showing off my money.

I opened the bag and the plastic foam and took out the grilled cheese and took a bite of it. "Damn, this is good," I mumbled as I began to eat my lunch.

I looked out my window and thought about Elijah. For some reason, I couldn't let him go angry. It was a clear misunderstanding and I just didn't want him to walk away angry. I also wanted to get him to know him better, I didn't know why, but I did and I thought: I'm going to try to get Elijah's attention somehow.