Page 10 of Delayed Penalty

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” he asks, his best attempt at being polite to save face, but I can hear the words being spit through his teeth, his knuckles white as they hold his drink, but I know he won’t pull anything while around his clients so I’m in the clear until he’s home.

Ignoring him, I turn to look at Sofia and her dad, John, who are both staring at the two of us like they aren’t quite sure what’s about to happen. “It was very nice to meet you both but I’m going to finish celebrating my birthday and let you guys get back to work. Please enjoy your meal this evening.”

With that, I drain the last of my wine, sophistication be damned, and grab my bag and leave the three of them stunned. Albeit, they don’t let it deter them from their plans for too long because by the time I’m out of the restaurant and peering back inside, I see them laughing and talking already.

Asshole.

Without any real destination in mind, I start down the sidewalk as the craziness of New York occurs around me at 8 p.m. on a Friday. It’s wild. I’ve lived in the city my entire life, and I’m still not quite sure I’m used to the constant chaos of big city life, so I usually avoid it.

That, and Peter has done a great job these last six years of determining what we do and where we go so I’m not well versed on the variety of the city life, and I never cared too much to pay attention to all the places he took me so I’m at square one. When I would go out in college or when I was growing up, we’d go to a couple of different restaurants that I can remember, but none of them are around anymore.

I walk a couple of blocks looking in at different restaurants or cafes, but nothing is really catching my eye. I wish I could call Kelly up to come hang out with me, I’m not the best at doing things alone, but I didn’t want to sit at that dinner for a minute longer, so I guess I’m going to try.

It’s not Kelly’s fault she had to fly with her kids to visit their dad instead of being here with me.

Then I see it. Right in front of my eyes.Hudson’s.

I start walking toward it, pulling out my phone at the same time. I mean, I guess if I’m going to make bad decisions like walking away from Peter in front of a client, I might as well add hanging out with my ex to my list of crimes.

“Avery?” I hear and I look down at my phone because I swear it’s Harris’s voice coming from my phone, but my thumb is hovering over his contact name.

“Avery?” I hear again, but this time a little louder and it sounds even closer.

Turning around, I see Harris crossing the street toward me, his smile practically blinding me and suddenly, I don’t feel as sad as I did ten minutes ago… even if running into him means he’s probably on his way to hang out with someone which means he won’t be able to hang out with me.

Oh, well. At least now I have a destination in mind.

“Oh, hey,” I say with a smile and a little wave, not exactly sure what to do with my hands in this moment.

“Hey, birthday girl. You look beautiful,” he says, and my cheeks heat at the compliment.

The little fact that my ex who broke my heart has not only acknowledged my birthday but has also called me beautiful in the first thirty seconds of our interaction while my fiancé did neither is not lost on me.

I look down and see the dress I put on that’s just a little shorter than I normally would wear but was hoping to turn Peter on tonight. It’s been a while since we’ve been intimate; hell, I can’t even remember the last time we kissed that wasn’t a simple peck in public or in front of an audience to continue our fake united front. But I figured I might as well try to get laid for my birthday.

So, of course, I’d run into this damn sex God. Who did I piss off to get this kind of luck?

“Thanks, I was supposed to be at dinner at Rosario’s,” I tell him, only now noticing how good he looks tonight.

He’s in dark blue jeans and a gray Henley that’s stretched around his biceps reminding me just how strong and muscular this man is. It’s definitely a benefit of fucking a professional athlete.

“Supposed to be?” he says, his eyes raised in question.

“Yeah… let’s just say Peter wasn’t too interested in it being my birthday and was more interested in it being a work meeting… with his clients,” I say, trying to keep my voice cheerful but it really does suck spending an entire day feeling like no one cares it’s your birthday. My parents called, but besides that and the well wishes I got at work, it’s felt really lonely, and I hate that my sadness is probably written all over my face right now.

“Well,” Harris says, his eyes looking down at his phone as he checks the time, “I do know a place up the street that makes their drinks strong, as well as has some of the best food around. Plus… I think their brownie sundae would be a perfect night cap for your birthday, what do you say?”

I want to say yes. The smile on his face, the almost eager, hopefulness in his eyes, Iwantto. But I shouldn’t, and deep down I know that. I look down at my phone and see that I have seven missed phone calls from Peter and at least that many texts that say “get your ass back and fix this.”

Fuck you, Peter.

Fix it yourself, I’m busy enjoying my birthday.

I turn my phone on silent and throw it in my purse, refusing to let Peter ruin my night any more than I already have. Besides… it looks like I do have plans for my birthday now after all.

“You know what? Let’s go,” I say with a smile that doesn’t feel forced for once.

Chapter Five

---