Page 48 of The Billionaire's Off Chance

I take my seat, and he shrugs. He folds his hands on the table, leaning closer to me. “Well, Alana wants to see me. She wants us to reconcile.”

I smirk, seeing him so excited. “You think this will be your chance to reignite your old flame?” I beckon the waiter to come over and order a drink.

“Of course. Why else would she ask me to come see her in Germany and spend Christmas?” He sees the surprise on my face and grins. “Yes, I’m leaving London tomorrow. I hope to give her all this time…to let her know I’m serious. “

The waiter is fast and brings my drink, a glass of bourbon on the rocks. “That’s good news. How did this happen? You pestered her?” Fred isn’t the type to let up when he likes someone. Moreover, he and Alana were good for each other. It’ll be great to see them back together.

“Who do you think I am?” I arch an eyebrow and he sighs, sitting back in his chair. “Well, maybe I did send a few messages here and there. It paid off. So, our meeting is kind of a sendoff. I just have to make this work.”

I take my drink, savoring the liquid. “Honestly, I say go for it. Send home some good news this Christmas.” We raise our glasses in cheers and settle back in comfortable silence as we drink.

A while later, we leave the bar, and I watch Fred drive away in his car. I’m heading back to my car when I notice Chasmin in a tan suit with a puffy coat, leaving a restaurant beside the bar with a man. He’s tall and wears simple jeans, a plaid shirt and a leather jacket. He tails Chasmin, and they laugh at something they’re saying. I guess this is the friend she said she wanted to see.

What infuriates me is how he places a hand on her back, guiding her to a car, which doesn’t look like hers. I hold back my jealousy and growing anger at seeing another man touching my woman. I head over to them. I see them hug, and he kisses her cheek before getting into his car. He drives away and Chasmin stays in the same spot, watching him drive off.

When I reach her, she doesn’t notice. I ask, “What are you doing with him?”

My voice snaps her out of her trance. “What?” she asks, turning to see me. Her eyes widen and she sighs, placing a hand on her chest. “Oh, Lance, you scared me. I didn’t expect to meet you here.” She embraces me, smiling innocently, which alleviates some of my anger.

I hug her back. “I just sent Fred off; you just missed him.” At the moment, it isn’t snowing; but a cold wind blows by, making me feel cold. “I am surprised to see you leaving the restaurant with…” I’ve forgotten his name, although I’m sure she had mentioned it.

“Oh, that was Curtis. He’s excited to see me…brrr.” She holds her arms to ward off the cold. I take her hand, heading to my car. “I came by car,” she says.

“I’ll send someone to come get it. Let’s go.” I get her to my car and shut the door.

Now inside, she asks, “What’s the matter, Lance? You have something on your mind. Did something come up with Fred?”

“Rather, I should be the one asking you that question. With the way Curtis touched you and you guys sharing a kiss, I don’t like it. Why would you let him touch you?” I grind my teeth and touch her cheek, wiping it as if I was erasing the kiss.

She swipes my hand away, frowning. “What the hell, Lance! You’re hurting me,” She pouts, touching her red cheek. “Curtis is just a friend and those touches and kisses - actually pecks - are just harmless. It’s a way that friends show affection, nothing more.”

“Nevertheless, I don’t like it. If you’re going to be friends with him, he must stop touching and kissing you. You’re my woman, not his. Better yet, stop seeing him. I won’t tolerate it if I catch you with him again.” I start the car and speed away.

I see the anger in her eyes. She bites her lower lip, staring at me furiously. “It was a god damned peck! It means nothing. That’s unfair, Lance. How many times should I repeat it? Curtis is just a friend, and you can’t tell me to stop seeing him. He’s no competition to you. Yes, I’m your woman, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have male friends. I’ll keep seeing him,” she barks and looks away.

I grip the steering wheel tight, already growing frustrated with the conversation. This reminds me of the times I saw Claudette with other men and naively believed her when she said it was platonic. I believe Chasmin when she says she sees him as a friend, but I can’t trust Curtis. He might have ulterior motives and can Chasmin resist him? “It’s either me or him, Chasmin. Think wisely. I won’t have my woman gallivanting the streets of London with another man.”

“What are you insinuating, Lance? That I am a whore, right? Damn, you. Don’t blame me for your insecurity. Stop and let me out. I won’t take anymore of this insult.” She pulls at the door angrily.

I don’t reply or stop. I keep driving while she fumes. She stops fighting, folds her arms, and fumes silently. I stare ahead, thinking I have let things spin out of control too fast. We arrive home, both in a fraught mood. Eric notices this when we walk through the door. He stands nervously by the stairs, looking at each of us, unsure of who to talk to. The nanny slips away, observing our mood.

Chasmin goes to Eric, takes his hand and leads him up the stairs. I watch them go and feel even more like a jerk. Chasmin is right. I’m projecting my insecurity on her. I can’t help it. I hold her dear, having so much affection for her. The thought that I might lose her at the slightest chance drives me crazy.

I take off my jacket, throwing it blindly on a couch, heading to the bar opposite it. I take a bottle from the shelf, not caring about which drink it is, as long as it’s alcoholic. I sit there for a while, just drinking, my thoughts in disarray. I’m the one who caused this dissension, but Chasmin and I are both in foul moods. It wouldn’t be wise to go to her now.

When it grows dark, I pull my head up from the table to find that I had slept. Getting to my feet, I wobble a bit but get stable quickly. Still, I feel groggy. I hear Chasmin’s voice and look over at her. Her face swims in my vision. The nanny is beside her. She says something; then I feel her hands on me. I don’t understand what she says. From the tone of her voice, it’s caring.

She guides me from the bar to the stairs. I hold her, pressing my cheek to her head. I hear her laugh as if being tickled. “I’m sorry.” I think I say, but I can’t be sure.

We get to our room, and she helps me out of my clothes. She gets me into the shower and turns on the water. Within moments, I feel revived. She turns the water off, sitting on the edge of the bathtub staring at me worriedly. “Lance? How are you? Should I call the doctor?”

I hold her hand, shaking my head. I take a deep breath before speaking in a tired voice. “No need. I just drank too much. I’m fine.” I let go of her hand and try standing up. She gets me a towel. I get out of the tub with steady feet and tie the towel around my waist. “Thank you.” I touch her cheek gently.

She presses her face into my palm, smiling. She comes closer, cupping my face. “You scared me when I saw you at the bar. Don’t scare me like that again, Lance.” I rest my forehead on hers, looking into her soft gaze.

“I won’t.” We return to the room, and I sit on the bed. She takes out my pajamas from the closet, and I put them on.

“I had to make sure Eric didn’t see you drunk. It’s not a good thing for a child to see. I know because my father was a drunk; it was the worst thing to experience that quite young.” I hold her, pulling her down to sit on my lap.

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