Page 69 of Black Velvet

A shy smile, still riddled with uncertainty, appears on her pretty face when she nods.

Chapter 42

Elene

He hasn't said a word of substance ever since we sat down and ordered drinks and appetizers. He was the one who asked me to come here, so it seemed only natural for me to wait for him to start the conversation. Especially after I was the one who went in for a kiss he didn't dare initiate.

We clink our Manhattan glasses, and I watch him over the brim of my glass as I take my first sip.

It's the first time that I see him in something other than a suit. He's wearing a light blue shirt and dark dress pants. The shirt stretches over his buff arms, emphasizing his broad shoulders. The sleeves are rolled up, revealing his strong, tanned forearms. The watch around his wrist probably cost more than my monthly rent, and its light blue details match the color of his shirt. The stubble on his strong jaw is lighter than it was the last time I saw him, suggesting a fresh shave just before he came to see me.

He's distinctive from head to toe, suit or no suit.

"So, tell me," I finally request. "Tell me what happened."

My question makes him visibly uncomfortable, even though he must have seen it coming. He puts his drink down, and the glass meets the table with such force that I fear it might break.

"Do you want to hear the short version or the long version?" he asks.

I smile at him. "You know I always prefer the long version."

He nods, his gaze browsing through the room for a few moments, before he turns back to me, taking a deep inhale before he can gather up the strength to start speaking.

"My investment — the one for the startup — didn't exactly go the way I was hoping it would. On the contrary, it pulled me into a lot of shit," he begins, his eyes nervously darting back and forth between me and the table. "The guy I invested in turned out to be a fraud."

"Shit!" I exclaim. "So your money is gone?"

He nods his head. "Yes, but that's not the problem. The problem is that I, as his major seed investor, am getting drawn into this. All my assets are put on hold, and I may be facing a lawsuit if my attorneys don't find a way out."

"They will, though, right?" I inquire. "I mean, you didn't know about this. It's not your fault."

He huffs.

"No, I didn't know about this," he agrees. "But I should have known. There were so many uncertainties with this guy, so many signs that should have warned me. But I didn't listen. I should have been more careful, more aware."

He looks pained, his shoulders tensing up and his hands clenching together on the table. It's easy to see how hard it is for him to tell me all of this.

"But... why didn't you just tell me what was going on?" I want to know. "Why did you just cancel your membership? Were you afraid to tell me the truth?"

He looks up at me, his eyebrows arching in surprise.

"I didn't cancel my membership," he says. "I was banned from The Velvet Rooms. Miss Barry was very insistent that I stay away from the club as long as I was involved in a criminal investigation and impending lawsuit."

My eyes widen in understanding. "They just threw you out?"

"Me and my investment, yes," he says. "It's only temporary, I'm sure. This will get resolved, but it will take some time."

"I see."

I reach for my glass, unsure what to make of this. He didn't leave on his own account. He was forced to forfeit his investment and banned from entering the club, so he had to stop seeing me, and was left with no way of contacting me. I, on the other hand, knew his name, which should have been enough to look him up and find a way to contact him.

If I had dared to.

I was so busy coming up with my own conclusions that I didn't even think of running after him. My head is shaking as I let out a helpless chuckle.

He cocks his head to the side, a puzzled look on his handsome face. "What's so funny?"

"I thought you were done with me," I explain, now realizing how silly I must sound. "I thought you didn't want to see me anymore, that I was just a throwaway whore to you... and now you're telling me that it wasn't even your choice to stop seeing me."

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