Love by Chance

Chapter Sixteen - The Proposition

"Thanks, Crystal. I really don't know what I would do without you."

"Yeah, yeah, talk is cheap. I expect a really good birthday present this year," Crystal joked knowing Christian to be the kind of boss who is generous to a fault.

"Where am I meeting Debbie?" Christian asked grabbing his car keys and heading for the door.

"Her place."

This stopped Christian in his tracks. "Someplace neutral, I'm pretty sure I requested..."

"I tried boss. I really did but she pretty much said 'If he wants those papers signed he will be here.' I'm good but not a miracle worker."

"Okay, but instead of getting something exceptional you've been downgraded to just really good." 

Christian knew how Debbie could be like when she made up her mind about something so it really wasn't her fault, but he had to tease her just a little, knowing she prided herself on perfection.

"Fine," she pouted slightly. "Hey, if I get you two more percent on your book deal can I pick out something at Tiffany's?"

"Deal," Christian said with a laugh as he headed out the door.

Christian lived in the upper west side of New York in a great old pre-war co-op with unobstructed views of the Hudson from every window. The architecture, in his opinion, is the most beautiful in the city. It's quiet and amazing and fairly easy to get around. When they were married, Debbie and him, owned a brownstone downtown but he left that to her to live in when they separated and made it part of the deal in the divorce.

He loved the idea of being in the city but having the parks and green space right outside his door just gave him the peace he was looking for. It seemed a great place to raise a family. Debbie wasn't too keen on the idea of children as she had her own career in fashion and it called her away almost as often as his work did.

Funny he hadn't really thought about that until now. They were married a few years but spent most of that time with other people, in other places. Perhaps that's what caused them to drift apart. Even when they were together the demands of their careers kept them from making any real connection. He always wanted children but she always put him off, now he was grateful, as a custody battle would have been the last thing he would have wanted, divorce was bad enough. He just wished she told him she was unhappy instead of sleeping with someone else.

He'll never forget the day he came home early hoping to surprise her from one of his tours. At first, he thought she wasn't home but knew she was in between shows. He came in dropped off his bag at the front door and called her name. When she didn't respond, he ran up the stairs to the bedroom figuring he'd get a quick shower and change. He thought perhaps if she stepped out, he would take her to her favorite restaurant for dinner when she returned. He knew she would like that and opened the door to his bedroom and found his wife straddled over some half-naked form. She screamed and nearly fell out of bed as the guy she was with pushed her off of him at the sight of Christian standing in the doorway. Christian had just turned around, walked back down the stairs, grabbed his bags and never returned to that house.

That was until today.

On his way to Debbie's, he got a text.

Debbie – Just let your self in. I'm waiting for you.

That made no sense to him. How was he supposed to let himself in? He texted back.

Christian – No key. What are you talking about?

Debbie – What happened to your key?

Christian- Not like I needed it anymore and figured you would have changed the locks by now.