Chapter 18
It’s not like I was going on a date with the guy, we were meeting to discuss the annulment and what it entailed. So why was I suffering from those first date kind of nerves? Urgh. Keep calm Steph, just meet him, say what you have to say and get the hell back to your room.
I tried to look all calm and casual as I made my way to the café near the conservatory, but I’m sure I looked anything but. My palms were sweating and I felt slightly sick. What if seeing him again brought on more flashbacks? No thank you, I’d had enough of those to last a lifetime!
He was already there when I arrived. Wearing ripped jeans, a T-shirt which looked as if someone had taken a spray paint can and just gone a little crazy with the graffiti, and a pair of biker boots, he looked every inch the rocker as he leaned against the wall, all he needed was a cigarette dangling from his lips. And of course he had his trademark black nail varnish and eyeliner on (he’d left off the dark glasses though). He was as far from my type of guy as he could be. I still couldn’t comprehend how we’d got married. Now Nick Carter, I would’ve understood! Much more my type of guy, at least in looks.
“Hey Steph” he said when I reached him.
I noticed he looked a little nervous too. Good, that made two of us.
“Hi” I said shyly. I hoped this wasn’t going to be too awkward.
“Shall we grab a table? We can talk whilst we eat, I’m starved” he talked pretty fast, obviously trying to hide his nerves.
“Sounds good to me” I replied and we found a nice little table in a secluded part of the café, away from any other patrons who happened to be near by. Luckily, we didn’t have to worry about that as the place was pretty quiet.
We ordered our food, AJ ordered burger and fries with all the extras, whilst I ordered a toasted cheese sandwich as I wasn’t that hungry. We ordered a couple of beers to wash it all down with too.
Even though he was obviously recognizable (who could miss him!) no one bothered him, for which I was grateful and I’m pretty sure AJ was too. Imagine if some trashy magazines or newspapers got a hold of this story? It made me shudder to think about that.
AJ explained everything to me which his lawyer had told him. We’d go to court tomorrow, hand over the completed paper work, answer a few questions and then hopefully that would be it. We’d be single again and able to move on as if this never happened. Something we both wanted.
We ordered more beer and conversation began to flow easier after we’d loosened up with the alcohol.
“Do you remember anything about that night?” I asked him curiously. I wondered if he had holes in his memory like I did.
“Do you?” he asked rather than answer my question.
“I asked you first” I said and took another long drink of beer (which by the way, wasn’t bad).
“I remember some of it” he said
“Me too” I admitted
By now, I was feeling a little tipsy, but it was a nice feeling.
“Shower” he said and I felt myself blush from head to toes.
“I take it you remember then? It’s something I could never forget” he said and I felt as if his eyes were undressing me as he said it.
“Me neither” I admitted. Oh god, that shower had been so damn incredible.
“Your turn…what do you remember?” he asked
“Dancing, I remember dancing” I replied and closed my eyes for a moment as I recalled the feeling of his hands on my body.
“Mmm yeah, I remember that too” he said and smiled “it was quite some dance”
“I know” I said
By now we’d been sat at that table for at least a couple of hours. Our food was long gone and neither of us wanted anything else to eat.
“Shall we go to the bar?” he asked
I hesitated for a moment before answering. It’s just a couple of drinks Steph, no big deal.
“Look, I’m not asking to have sex with you…just a drink or two. I’m alone, your alone, it’s no big deal. But if you prefer, we can go our separate ways now” he said.
“OK” I replied and we left the café and headed to the nearest bar.
A couple of girls came up to AJ and asked for photos and his autograph, I just stood by and watched. They really seemed to think he was something special, the way they were all over him. Not that I cared.
“Sorry about that” he said a few minutes later “goes with the job”
“So I see” I said rather bitterly, but I don’t think he noticed.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked and then ordered our drinks.
Instead of finding somewhere to sit, we stood by the bar as we drank our drinks and talked. I really began to relax in his company and actually came to realize that he was quite a nice guy once you got past the looks. We chatted about all sorts whilst we knocked back drink after drink.
“Hi AJ, I’m a big fan of yours, wanna dance?” asked some fake looking slut who was wearing virtually nothing.
“Sure” he replied and had the nerve to hand me his drink whilst little miss fake tits dragged him to the dance floor.
The nerve of that guy, argh!!
I stood there like a spare part whilst she gyrated her scrawny little ass against his crotch. She looked like a cheap prostitute. Probably his type. Asshole!
“Hey, what’s a pretty girl like you doing standing here all alone?” asked a sleazy looking guy in clothes that wouldn’t look out of date at a 70’s party.
“I’m, erm…waiting for a friend” I replied and wished I didn’t feel so drunk
“Mind if I wait with you?” he asked, moving up closer to me and making me feel uncomfortable.
“I do mind actually” I replied, not wanting to be too rude, but wanting to get it across that I wasn’t interested.
“Oh c’mon sweetie, I know what girls like you hang around places like this for” he grinned at me “and believe me, I got plenty of money”
“Listen, I don’t want your money, now please leave me alone before I report you for harassment” I told him and edged away.
“You heard her” AJ said, placing his arm around me
“There you are” I said and wrapped my arms around him, going along with it
“Sorry pal” the sleaze ball said and walked off to try his luck elsewhere.
“You OK?” AJ asked softly
“Yeah, no thanks to you!” I muttered and unwrapped my arms from around his body
“Hey, I’m here aren’t I?” he said
“What happened to little miss hooker?” I questioned him
“Do I detect a hint of jealously there Mrs McLean?” he smirked
“Ha! You wish! And don’t call me that”
“Come on, admit it, you’re jealous” he teased
“Jealous of that? I don’t think so” I remarked “and you…you aren’t even my type!”
“Well I hate to break it to you babydoll, but you aint exactly my type either” he retaliated with.
“Thank god” I hurled back at him and we stood there having a shouting match for everyone to see.
“I just wish I knew what made me marry you, because I…”
Before I could finish what I was saying, his mouth crashed against mine roughly and his arms went around me, pulling me closer.
“I’ll show you exactly why you married me” he said and led me out of the bar.
I was a little too drunk and stunned to argue my way out of that one.
Author's Chapter Notes:
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