Seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like years. I sat with my legs folded, my eyes fixed on the clock, thinking Ray should at least have the decency to give me an explanation.
My dad isn’t one to bluff, so if he says he’s going to send me to Paris, then he’s definitely going to do it. But maybe, just maybe, if I find a way to redeem myself, he’ll have a change of heart. And I’ll bet anything just to achieve that.
I’m not supposed to leave the house, but I have to, that’s the only way I can see Ray. At exactly 6:30, I sent him the address of a small restaurant on the next street, a place I knew no one would think an influential person would go.
I arrived at the restaurant at exactly 6:50 and decided to call Ray to make sure he’s still going to meet me. I dialed his number, which rang, but he didn’t pick up.
“Do you care for anything, ma’am?” the waiter asked, noticing me.
“I’ll get something when my friend arrives,” I replied, giving him a polite smile.
He left after a little bow, and I continued dialing Ray’s number, but he still didn’t pick up.
It was almost 7:50, and he still hadn’t shown up. “Maybe he’s just held up in traffic,” I consoled myself.
But as the minutes ticked by, my concern grew. At past 8, my phone rang, and I quickly picked it up, hoping it was Ray. But it was Jess.
“Where are you?” Jess asked. “No one saw you leaving the house, so where the fuck are you? Did you run away from home ?”
“I’m fine, I just went for a snack,” I replied. “I’ll be back soon.”
“A snack?” Jess asked, incredulous. “Do you think me a fool? Since when do you go for a snack all by yourself?”
“Since today,” I said calmly.
“You aren’t being serious,” Jess said. “Tell me where you are, and I’ll come pick you up.”
“I’m fine, Jess,” I said. “I’ll be home shortly.”
“Your dad is asking after you,” Jess said. “Don’t think the pillow you arranged on your bed with the blanket on is going to keep him away for long.”
“I just needed to sort some things out, please cover up for me” I said.
“Well, that would be nicer if you had told me before you left,” Jess said, clearly infuriated.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized.
“Fine, I forgive you,” Jess said. “Just get me some of those snacks.”
“Yes, Ma’am Jessica,” I said sarcastically.
She hung up the phone, and I went back to waiting.
As the minutes ticked by, I became frustrated, and part of my mind told me to leave, that he wasn’t going to show up. But the other part was hopeful, telling me to just wait a little longer.
I dialed the number again; it rang for like five seconds, then disconnected. At this point, I got the message, he wasn’t going to show up, I checked the time on my phone and,”Damn it, it’s past 10.” I said, just sitting down and waiting for him to show up, I didn’t realize how late it was.
I felt a surge of frustration and disappointment. Why had he stood me up? Didn’t he care about me at all?
I stood up to leave, pulling the cover of my hoodie over my head. The cool night air hit me as I stepped out of the restaurant, and I shivered.
The usually busy street was quiet, with fewer people passing by. Tears formed in my eyes as I recalled my dad’s threat, trying to process what he had told me. The idea of being sent away to Paris a city I had only ever seen in movies felt like the ground crumbling beneath my feet. My heart pounded as I imagined the unfamiliar streets, strangers with accents I wouldn’t understand, and the deep loneliness that would inevitably follow.
As I walked, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of rejection. Why had Ray done this to me? Had I meant so little to him? I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to cry. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t see a vehicle trying to make a U-turn. The lights flashed in my face, and for a second, I thought I was going to land myself in the hospital. I stood frozen, unsure of what to do either run or jump. The car came faster than I expected, and my thoughts went blank.
The car made a screech sound as it came to an halt just an inch from where I stood , a young man rushed out of the vehicle.
“Are you okay Ma’am ?” I looked up catching my breath.
“Yes, I…” The word stuck in my throat as Ray walked out from the passenger seat of the car.
His eyes scanning through my body like he was making sure I was okay, “excuse us..” He said to the young man who undoubtedly is his driver.
“You shouldn’t be out this late.. ”
I scoffed my hands crossed below my breast, is the audacity for me, I thought. ” if you had honored my invitation I won’t be out this late,”I said fuming.
“After waiting an hour without me showing up you should have left, that’s what normal and reasonable people do..”
“Are you fucken serious? Calling me unreasonable ? I called you so you could at least give me an explanation after you humiliated me on national Tv, the least you could do was defend me.”
“Stop being delusional Nora, I thought you were the wise one, you should know that all that is between us is sex, you don’t expect me to tell the whole world my son was behind it, he’s my heir for crying out loud.” I stood frozen, not believing what I was hearing.
“What were you even thinking, that I’ll take you as a wife or mistress or whatever, what sort of future where you envisioning between us in that pretty head of yours ? Grow up Nora, I’m in an entirely different world from you, the earlier you realize that the better for you.”
“You..” I wanted to say,
“Forget all about what I said in the past, it was just to get you, now I don’t want you anymore, I’ll pay you whatever amount of money you want for you to stay away from my son and I,”
“You’re a beast, you’re a fucken beast,” I shouted, tears falling down my eyes.
“I know, I won’t have gotten this far if I was soft hearted, wealth and fame don’t come easily baby girl, and I’m not about to let some school girl misunderstanding mess that up.” He said as he placed his hands in his pocket pulling out a paper.
“This is a blank cheque, take whatever amount you want and stay away from my son and I,” he placed the cheque between my hands before turning away.
At that point I realized I had been utterly stupid all along, and it’s high time I make that change and get a life for myself.
“Wait” I said, making him stop on his track, I walked up to him both hand on my side, while holding the cheque on my right hand,”I might be many things Raymond McLaren, stupid, yes, naive, yes but I’m certainly not a whore, I’m not someone you can just pay off. You’re right maybe I was just being delusional like you said, but don’t you ever think you used me, I’m not some piece of cloth you could just use and trash, I wanted to be in your bed, don’t glorify yourself like some award, it was fun and is also something that could be forgotten, is just so unfortunate things turned out this way,” I said smiling.
“I could file a lawsuit against your son, but I’m a better person than you all could ever be, and this..” I said raising the cheque up, using the tip of my fingers to hold both ends, I stared into his eyes as I tore it in pieces, throwing the particles on him, “is utterly despicable of you, not even your entire wealth can get me in your bed, I choose to be there, don’t think is something you can buy with money.” I said turning around to head back home.