Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
I skim them quickly to check if Opal has reached out since I left her at Turquoise Crown with Posey. I admit I wasn’t thrilled with the surprising news that Opal had plans tonight, but something told me it had slipped her mind. Her expression when Posey brought up the baby store opening said it all.
I open my contact list and find Opal’s name immediately. I contemplate starting this exchange with some small talk about whether she’s enjoying the event she’s at, but she can fill me in on that tomorrow night.
All I want right now is to firm up plans with her before something, or someone steals her time away from me again.
William: Does dinner at 8 tomorrow night work for you?
I send it and head to the cupboard to grab a glass that I can fill with water.
By the time I make it to the sink, her response is lighting up my phone’s screen.
Opal: 8 sounds great. Point me in the right direction and I’ll be there.
Setting my phone down on the counter, I look around, noting the island that doesn’t have a countertop and the missing pulls on some of the drawers. I’m a man who prides himself on perfection in every aspect of his life. I’m also a man who values his privacy. I know when I walk into this penthouse I won’t be greeted with a fleeting memory of a woman I took to my bed here. I won’t recall fucking anyone against the window. This place is unblemished. It’s a blank slate, and that’s how I need it to remain, at least for now.
I fill my glass with water, down the cool liquid, and type out a response. I send her the address of the apartment I bought in Brooklyn years ago. It’s still furnished, just as it was when I lived there. When I packed up and moved here two years ago, I left virtually everything behind.
Her reply is almost instant.
Opal: You live in Brooklyn? Lucky you! I love that neighborhood. I’ll be there right at 8. See you then!
A wave of guilt washes over me as I read the text. I’ve occasionally taken women to my Brooklyn apartment for one-night stands. Opal isn’t like any of those women, but I don’t direct her to come here instead as I type out my final text message of the night and press send.
William: See you then.
30
Opal
All of the nervous energy that has been coursing through me all day left little room for creativity. Before I went to bed last night, I decided I’d have a gift in hand when I got to William’s apartment.
I’m almost there now, and the only thing in my hands is the special edition of the Turquoise Crown game that I gave him days ago. There is a bottle of red wine in the leather tote bag slung over my shoulder, but that’s the most generic and boring date night gift a girl can give.
When the clock struck seven, I changed into the red dress and matching heels that I had brought to the bar with me today. I didn’t know if I’d have the time to carve out to head home after work to get ready for my dinner date, so I shoved the dress and shoes into a garment bag this morning. Once I got to Turquoise Crown, I hung it on a coatrack in the back office.
I did a quick change, and with a twirl in front of the floor-length mirror in the hallway that leads to the washrooms, I decided that I not only looked presentable, but I felt phenomenal.
My hair is in soft waves around my face, and even though I did apply a little extra makeup before I left the bar, it’s still the natural look I always try to achieve.
As soon as I ordered a rideshare, it hit me that I didn’t have anything other than the game to take to William’s. A quick look behind the bar revealed the bottle of wine that my parents had sent over a few days ago as a pre-launch gift. It’s a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from a small Napa Valley vineyard. They cracked open one just like it the day I graduated from college, so I know it’s fantastic.
“It’s over there,” the driver says as he gestures to the left. “That building. I can drop you off right in front.”
I take that as a positive sign, so I nod even though his gaze is stuck to the road ahead. Our journey from Manhattan was filled with small talk before it was interrupted by a call from his wife and kids. Listening to him assure them that he’d kiss them goodnight as soon as he got home if they got into bed at that moment brought a smile to my face.