Going Our Separate Ways

The waiter lost his grip, and the tray of red wine glasses tipped forward, drenching my clothes. Wine soaked through the fabric, dripping down onto the floor, where shattered glass littered the ground.

Before I could say anything, the waiter turned on me, his eyes full of disdain as he looked me up and down.

“How did you sneak in here? This is the most exclusive hotel in Harbor City, not some place that just any homeless person can walk into.”

Hearing the commotion, Cara looked over at me. Our eyes met, and for a second, she froze.

“George? What are you doing here?”

I bent down to pick up my phone, its screen cracked from the fall, and let out a sigh.

“I had something to do here,” I replied.

Someone nearby asked her in confusion, “Miss Dempsey, do you know him?”

Cara pressed her lips together. A flicker of unreadable emotion passed through her eyes.

“Yeah. He’s my ex.”

I let out a half-smile, finding it funny. Back then, she never acknowledged our relationship in public, and now, ten years after we broke up, she finally admitted it.

Gasps rippled through the room.

“Wait, Miss Dempsey had an ex? But hasn’t she been with Mr. Waltz all these years? Could he be her first love from back in school?”

Luthen’s gaze dimmed. He tightened his arm around Cara’s waist and forced a casual tone.

“Back then, we were all young. What did we know about love? Everyone’s made mistakes.” He then turned to look at her, asking, “Right, Cara?”

Her eyes lingered on me, and she didn’t answer right away. Only when Luthen called her again did she snap out of it.

She forced a smile and agreed. “Yeah, we were too young. I didn’t know better.”

Too young and blind was how she dismissed everything I once gave her, like it was nothing more than a childish mistake. What a joke!

The waiter wasn’t done. He stepped up again, aggressive and condescending.

“You broke those glasses. You’ll have to pay for them.”

I was about to refute him. It was clearly his fault. He bumped into me. I even broke my phone because of it.

However, before I could speak, Cara cut in. “I’ll have my assistant handle the bill. Just let him go.”

She didn’t spare me another glance. Instead, she took a sip of her wine and turned her head toward Luthen.

Luthen lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, gazing at her like she was the only person in the world. It was clear who had her heart now.

Seeing me still standing there, the waiter scowled. “Why are you still here? This place is for Harbor City’s elite. If you bump into someone important again, you won’t be so lucky. Move it. Get out of here. You don’t belong in a place like this.”

I pushed his hand away and tried to keep my temper in check.

“I’m waiting for someone. Once she’s here, I’ll leave on my own.”

The waiter rolled his eyes, clearly thinking I was full of it. “Couldn’t you come up with a better lie? This is a members-only hotel. If you don’t have assets in the hundreds of millions, you can’t even step through the door. Look at you. You think someone like you has business here? Get out, or I’m calling security!”

“Wait.” Cara’s voice cut through the tension.

She walked over, heels clicking against the floor, and stood in front of me. There was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.

“He’s here to see me. You can go.”

Luthen came over too, lacing his fingers tightly with hers like he was staking his claim.

“George,” he said, “quit dreaming. Cara and I are getting married next month. She only has room in her heart for me. If you know any better, you’ll leave now.”

Cara gave him a small, reassuring look before turning to me, her face now cold and impatient.

“George, stop wasting your time. Even in ten years, I won’t choose you.”