~Chapter Eight~
The lounge was deserted as they entered to sit at a small round table near the far back. Terry quickly slipped a few sub sandwiches from the vending machine and placed them in front of Garrett to eat. She knew by the looks of it that he hadn't eaten in a while. His cheek bones had begun to show a bit more. Garrett quickly picked up the sandwich and took off the clear wrapper tossing it aside.
"I knew you hadn't eaten." Terry said.
He wolfed it down in record time and wiped his mouth clear of all crumbs as he stared at hers. She simply pushed it towards him without saying anything and watched as he quickly ate it as well.
"I don't want you to starve yourself; you need to take care of your health, hygiene and reputation. You are a very successful Banker you don't need gossip spilling out about you." She advised.
Garrett wiped his mouth and fiddled with the wrapper in his hands as he looked up at her. "I know, I tried at first but then it all fell apart." He sighed.
"So tell me more about yourself, if we are going to be seeing more of each other than it be nice to know." Terry asked.
"I was raised in Chicago, Illinois until I was nineteen. My High School years...Kathy pretty much gums up the words." He added. "I went to college to study business and then got hired by the bank that I own now."
"I knew Kathy had been dating you for a while but I didn't meet you until a year ago. She was always so sketchy about the two of you."
"I moved here to be closer to her; we both grew up in Chicago together but when she decided to go to college here I knew that our relationship would fall apart so I came here."
"I remember, only I never met you then."
"No I went to a different college here. I can't find myself talking about my life without including her in it; she was there every step of the way. That's why I thought she was the one, I thought she was always going to be there and she looked happy. The night I proposed to her she was overjoyed, I couldn't have suspected otherwise." He said.
"I'm really sorry to hear all of this, I was certain that she was happy too." Terry whispered.
"Well dreams are for rookies and I'm nearly thirty, I can't go about my life acting like Trevor does. I really need to move forward and get Kathy out of my mind and heart for good."
"What kind of plans did you have for the both of you?" she asked.
"I planned to buy a house in the country; I wanted to raise three kids before forty have afternoon cookouts with the family and give Kathy absolutely everything she wanted."
"Wow." Terry chuckled.
"Dream deferred I guess." He shrugged.
"I always dreamed of landing a job out of Manhattan somewhere in Hollywood. The thought of even dreaming a family soon vanished from my hopes. I have never had any real luck finding someone to connect to. I guess I'm just bound to wonder the world alone." Terry confessed.
"You deserve to be rewarded; you help so many people out."
"Eh, I don't know if cupid's arrow was meant for me, it's just way too complicated, either that or maybe I'm just too picky."
"No, I think you might be looking in the wrong place. No one and I mean no one goes to a club called 'Grinders' of all things and looks for a long time relationship. Most of the guys in that joint are probably looking for a one night stand, not long term relationships." He replied.
"And here I thought I'd walk out with a proposal in my hands." She mused in sarcasm. "I know clubs are not the place to look for boyfriends, but I don't know, it helps to distract me from feeling so unwanted and crummy." She went on.
"Terry aren't you afraid that maybe you might catch something?" Garrett asked. He held his breath at the very personal question and Terry simply lifted and eyebrow.
"Why does everyone imply I sleep with men all the time, I haven't gotten laid in nine months Garrett for you information."
Garrett held in laughter but couldn't help but let it out as he turned from Terry, face flushed. She simply grinned and watched how his face transformed completely as his eyes brimmed, his dashing smile shined, and his cheeks lifted.
"It's good to see you can still laugh." She pointed out.
"Jesus Terry, I'm sorry I didn't know. I just assumed."
"Why is it bad that I haven't gotten laid?" she asked.
"It's not." He replied, all joking aside.
Terry then decided it was best to not press the issue she didn't want to sit here and talk about her personal life. Instead she pushed off the table once more and grabbed a cup of coffee for Garrett and a tea for her. His plans for him and Kathy had sounded just like her dreams long ago. But as she saw it her life had changed around a lot and there was so little time to even consider hoping for such. Her success had grown and now all she had time for was snapping pictured of half-naked guys or women and trying to rattle her brain for any good ideas so that the company could keep going.
Fin had a dream, a dream of once creating a very successful company and he had done just that with 'Catwalk'. She didn't want to kill his hopes and all the trust he had in her, she was there to support him every step of the way.
"So now that you have come under my wing I think I have an idea of what I want you to do around here." She said.
"Please tell it's not cleaning toilets or sweeping hall ways." He replied.
"I have a lot of work to do, so I think I'm going to need you around." She said innocently.
"Meaning I'm doomed to follow you around like some dog." He muttered.
His anger sparked as he stared at Terry and he clenched his hold on the coffee mug turning his knuckles white.
"Garrett, don't see it like that, I just want to help you." She protested.
"You know what I think...I think you are using me to your advantage."
"Fine, then walk, I don't need you around, I've been working hard all my life without the help of a man at my side."
"You have no idea the pain I'm going through."
Terry stood amazed at the sudden turn Garrett had taken and inside she knew that he was just arguing with her because he was angry at everything that had happened. Nonetheless she stood and took a deep breath before leaning forward on the table a few inches from his face.
"I know your heart it broken; I know what it's like to deal with all the emotional pain day after day. Don't sit there and tell me I don't know what it's like to lose someone you love." She whispered. A wave of heat flowed through her as she stared at Garrett's stormy grey eyes; he held back the glare and finally stood as well.
"I don't want to feel used, all these years it's what Kathy basically did, she used me and then left." He growled. He ran a hand through his dirty blond locks and tried to clear his anger by closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
"I just wanted to distract you, you said you didn't have anything to do that the bank practically ran itself. I figured you could hang around here and do something to keep you busy." She then said.
"I know I understand, I just...Terry tell me you are going to help me get over this, please." He whispered.
Why did she have such weakness for broken spirits, right it was because she was one as well. She took a deep breath wrapped her arm around Garrett's and pulled him out of the lounge. He had a point there; she didn't want him feeling used but rather wanted and accepted.
"Okay, well then if you don't want to feel like a trained monkey, have a night out." She advised.
"With who? I don't know anyone from here, the people I work with are just that, employers." He replied.
"Trevor is having a sig...
"No."
"Will you listen?! Trevor is having a signing here in Manhattan three days from now, there is a party afterword's so I want you to gather whatever sanity and courage you have in there and attend." She said.
"I don't know...isn't it too soon?"
"No, it's not, I want you to go."
"Will you be there?"
"No." She replied.
"But you're his agent, why can't you come?" he pestered.
"Because I'm partner to a rising millionaire and he doesn't allow me to leave his sight when we have plans to attend."
Garrett didn't bother to ask any more questions and simply followed Terry out the door. Somehow and she knew it was odd and so dumb to even think it; she felt good being this close to him. Almost as if his nearness caused her to be at ease as she lead him towards her office.
Oh no, wrong idea don't go there, her mind screamed out.