This is the last chapter before Alex and Anjali meet!!! Enjoy it!
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November – Alex
I walked into the Italian restaurant Chris and I had dinner reservations for our date night.
“Good evening, sir.”
“Hello, how are you this evening?”
“I’m great. How can I help you?”
“I have a reservation for two, under Shergill.”
“Yes, I see it here. If you’d like to wait in the bar area, I’ll come get you as soon as the table is ready.”
“No problem. Looks like my wife isn’t here anyway.”
I walk towards the bar when I hear my phone ring.
“Hi Chris. How late are you going to be?”
“How did you know?”
I laugh, “Because I know you Chris.”
“I should be there in fifteen. The restaurant is crazy hot so hopefully, they’re running late too.”
“You’re in luck looks like the restaurant is running behind just like you. I’ll be in the bar.”
I walk up to the crowded bar. The restaurant is all the rage and six months from now everyone will have moved on to the next grand opening but until then this is the place to be on a Friday night in New York.
I flag down a waitress dressed in the restaurants skimpy black dress uniform and order a Scotch on the rocks.
As I look around I observe all of the people; you can see the stress of the workweek oozing out of people. The men and women discard their suit jackets as to signal easing into the weekend. Most of the people hopping around the bar are beginning a weekend of debauchery. There was a time that Chris and I did this, but that seems so long ago. I look at the people around me nostalgically, but I don’t miss it. If anything I feel a little out of place.
“Hi sexy!” Chris murmurs into my ear as her arms slip around my waist. I lean back against her. It feels good to be near her and have her in a good mood.
“I’m sorry, but I’m a happily married man, you’ll have to find someone else to call sexy,” I tease as I breath her scent in.
“But, you haven’t even given me a chance. You might forget about your wife once you’re with me,” Chris teases back.
“No chance of that. I’m madly in love with my wife, plus she is very sexy,” I say before turning around and pulling her into my arms.
“You sure about your wife?” Chris asks.
“Absolutely!” I say before kissing her in the middle of the bar. I know she doesn’t like it when I’m affectionate with her in public, but I can’t resist.
“You keep doing that and we’ll need a hotel reservation and not a dinner reservation!” Chris smiles.
“I’m game if you are,” I say back.
Chris moves around to the other side of the table and slips off her suit jacket and places it on the back of the chair, just like I watched so many other people do before she arrived.
“Sounds tempting, but I’m starving, I missed lunch and I desperately need a drink,” she states as slowly I see the stress of the week ooze off of her like the other patrons before her.
I flag down the waitress and order a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon for her.
“So how was your day?” I ask her.
“It was crazy like usual, but I have some incredible news!” Chris says excitedly.
“You got another promotion?” I ask.
“No, actually it has to do with the kids,” Chris says proudly.
“I’m listening,” I say as I swallow a large sip of my Scotch.
“Well you know William, my bosses boss? I’m doing a special project for him and he loves the work I’m doing! Anyway, when he found out how old Jasper and Leah are, he offered to get them a spot at the New York Academy! He sits on their board. Can you believe that?”
“That was nice of him to offer, but Jasper is happy where he is and everything is going well at school.”
“Alex, sweetheart, are you crazy! We just got offered a spot for both of our kids at the best private school in New York City! I told him yes!” Chris responded excitedly.
“You accepted without even asking me are talking to Jasper about switching schools?”
“Alex, I’m sorry, I was on the spot and I felt I had to make a decision quickly. Plus, think of what this means for the kids, their future will be set with the prestige this school has plus the connections they will make. Come on, Alex, be excited,” Chris pleaded.
The waitress stopped by and served Chris her glass of wine.
“I’ll have another Scotch,” I said.
“Chris, that school may be prestigious, but it’s also very snooty and not to mention it’s even more expensive than where Jasper’s going and next year Leah starts Kindergarten and that means two tuitions. I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Alex, we’re going to have two tuitions next year anyway regardless of the change in schools it’s just a small difference. Plus for Leah, it won’t make a difference she’s starting in Kindergarten. I know it will be difficult for Jasper to leave his friends and start all over in third grade, but I really think in the long run this will be great for the kids.”
“Chris many of the families that go there went there or other prestigious schools themselves, that’s not how we grew up. How are we going to fit in?” I say as I see Jasper’s anxious face flashing through my mind.
“And imagine how much easier things would have been for us had we gone to such schools. Come on we can do this for the kids,” Chris pleaded again.
I sat silently swirling what was left of my Scotch.
The silence was finally broken, “Sir, your table is ready,” the hostess said, “Please follow me.”