Could It Be Forever (Book 1, Being Edited)

Chapter 15

'Why the hell didn't I know about it. I didn't even know what Rheese did for a living.'

"Well, I haven't had a chance to have a meeting with the Dr. Van Dyk, yet. I had to postpone the meeting till I get back," Rheese replied to Ben statement. I could see Rheese was pissed at Ben for letting the cat out of the bag.
I hid my reaction to what was said but now at least I know that he was coming back for sure.
Rheese placed his hand on my thigh under the table, brushing it with his palm. I gave him a blank look and removed his hand from my thigh. The stern unhappy look he gave me didn't go unnoticed but I knew he couldn't do much about it now.
"Why did you do that?" Rheese asked, whispered in my ear so that no one else could hear.
I didn't reply, ignoring him and went on sipping my wine.
"Keith can you pass me the water?" Rheese asked.
Keith passed him the bottle of water and he poured a glass.
"Here, I don't think you should drink anymore," he said, removing my wine glass from my hand, replacing it with the glass of water.
When I looked at him to protest, his jaws was clenched tight and he looked frustrated.
I didn't care that Rheese was mad at me. I was the one who had to be mad with him for not telling me about the job offer.
It seemed like everyone at the table knew what was going on in his life except me.
I was mad like hell with him but I kept the conversation going between myself and Ben, ignoring him.
He covered my hand with his as if trying to say something that couldn't be said out loud.
After a few seconds I slowly removed my hand and his hand went into a fist, his knuckles white..
He pushed his chair to the back to get up, scraping it on the glass floor and stormed off.
Ben and Keith looked at me in shock at what happened.
"What was that all about?" Ben looked at me and then to Keith.
Our dessert arrived and Keith got up from the table, in search of Rheese.
"Lizzy...what the fuck. Did I miss something?" Ben asked, looking at me, wanting answers.
"What do you want me to say? It...it feels like I'm the last person to know what is happening in his life."
I looked at my dessert and thought of all the times we made love. I couldn't look at the strawberry cheesecake any longer and pushed it away.
"I can't eat this," I told Ben and got up from the table.
"Where are you going, Lizzy!" Ben exclaimed.
"I don't know."
I walked towards the front of the restaurant and took out my cell to call a taxi.
All I wanted now was the comfort of my bed with the duvet wrapped around me.

***Rheese***

Liz looked good in heels. I thought that the next time I see Ben, I must thank him for helping me with shopping for Liz.
Keith got the gift I asked him to get for Liz and I knew that the place Keith booked for dinner, she was gonna love. The restaurant was absolutely beautiful and by the look of Liz's eyes widening, I knew she loved it.
After saying hello to the boys I needed to speak to Keith and get the gift from him.
Keith was happy about me being with Liz after knowing that I never really had a girlfriend before and the views I had on relationships.
I opened the box and after inspecting the inscription on it, I was satisfied.
It was perfect just like her. No frills, plain and simple.
That was one of the things I found attractive in her. She was not superficial. She accepted the body she was in.
With the work I did, women always wanted to be more beautiful than the next one. And I had young and old coming to me, unsatisfied with the way they look.
I had a chance to change that and to perform surgery on people who really needed it.
The evening was going well until Ben opened his mouth about the job offer.
I was gonna tell Liz but I needed to sort out my shit out first.
The meeting with Van Dyk was the last thing on my mind.
Just for one night I wanted to forget about all the shit.
But when I touched her, it felt like my touch turned to acid and she pulled away. That didn't sit well with me and I just needed to clear my head, storming off.
I went into the lounge area and got a double scotch on the rock.

'Fuck, where do I go from here?'

***

I saw Ben just as I was about to get into the taxi.
"Wait... Lizzy! Why are you leaving?"
"Ben I thought I could do this but clearly I can't. I need to get out of here. I'm sorry about how the night ended. Say goodbye to Keith for me."
I didn't give Ben a chance to say anything else and closed the taxi door. As the taxi pulled away, I couldn't hold back the tears that was threatening to come.

I unlocked the door to my apartment and banged it close behind me, locking it. I fell back against the door and I couldn't bare to look around. My cell rang and when I checked the caller ID, Ben's face appeared. I switched my cell off, not wanting to talk to anyone and dropped my bag to the floor.
Looking around my apartment, reminded me of the time we spend together and I started crying again.
A nauseating feeling came over me and I ran to the bathroom, depositing my dinner into the toilet. I must have had a little too much to drink.
I ran a bath and submerged myself into the hot water. I needed the warmth of the water to comfort me like a blanket.
I got out of the bathtub, dried myself after my hands started to wrinkle and slipped into my puppy sleep shirt.
I got some pain killers from the medicine cupboard and took it, hoping I would feel better.
I got under my duvet and held it tight against me, willing my mind not to think about Rheese and closed my eyes.

I woke up with the sound of the birds singing and the morning sun rays, warming my face though the blinds.
I jumped up not knowing what the time was. I looked at the clock and realised it was 10:35am. "Shit...shit...I'm gonna be late."
I got dressed in sweats and retrieved my bag that was still laying by the door. I pulled out my cell to call a cab and the screen was blank. Then I remembered that I switched it off last night.
When the screen came back to life after switching it on, I saw that Ben was the last caller to phone.
My heart was longing to see or hear Rheese but he didn't call and I wasn't the one that was gonna call him first.
I walked down the stairs after locking up behind me. When I got outside, the taxi was waiting and got in. I had my mom that I needed to focus on.

Rheese would leave this evening and all I could do was hope that he would call before he left.

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Pris