Page 35 of Outplayed

I licked my suddenly dry lips, glanced around, then returned my gaze to him. “Talking with you.”

His eyes darkened. “Spending time with you is what I like.”

“I know,” I said, and both of us laughed.

We moved onto Izzy, what school she’d be going to, and if she would be doing out-of-school activities. I told Travis how I liked she had the support, not only from her father, but Link and Trisha also.

The night was running smoothly, and the more I looked at him, talked with him, and was just around him, the more it reminded me of the days before, in our past, and how comfortable I felt with him. My feelings grew throughout the night, causing me to feel lighter within myself. He made me laugh, smile, and even feel excited.

Of course, things didn’t stay that way.

“Mr Stewart,” was cooed close by. I tensed, already hating the sound of the needy voice.

Travis and I glanced to the side when two women stopped there.

“Lenore, Liza. What are you both doing here?” Travis asked pleasantly, though I could see his posture stiffen, his eyes harden.

“We’re here with Mr Himmel,” Lenore, the busty redhead, said.

Liza giggled and winked down at Travis. I clenched my jaw. My eyes widened when Lenore pulled out a chair and sat, while Liza got close to her back and ran a hand over Lenore’s shoulder, flicking her hair off.

They were Travis’s.

They had to be his employees.

I glanced over to the table Lenore pointed at before and saw a balding, overweight man in his fifties. He smiled, lifted his drink my way and winked.

I tuned back into the conversation to hear Liza say, “I remember that night explicitly. We had so much fun with you, Mr Stewart.”

Travis chuckled.

I saw red.

Did he really just sit there, instead of telling them to fuck off, talking and flirting lightly with them?

Lenore’s hand slid over the table. It landed on Travis’s. I watched it, him, and my shoulders dropped, along with my stomach. My heart wasn’t faring too well either because he didn’t move his hand away.

He spoke with them like he cared what they had to say.

I guessed it was good for being employer and employee, but for me to witness it, to sit there on a fucking date and watch women pawn over Travis… it wasn’t good at all.

He hadn’t introduced me.

Hadn’t acknowledged me since their arrival.

He wasn’t the same man I shared a meal with. He wasn’t the same man I watched with his daughter.

I didn’t like the man in front of me.

Not at all.

This scene angered me to a point I clutched the steak knife in my hand. Disappointment at him, and at my reaction, raced through me. My brows dipped. Most of all, hurt spread through my chest and clogged my throat while tears threatened to fall.

Liza giggled. I imagined throwing the knife at her throat. Lenore hummed under her breath, her fingers stroking over Travis’s hand. Both stared at him like they were hungry for dessert.

My stomach rolled.

Dinner threatened to come back up.

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