Chapter 5: A Date or Not a Date?
1081 Kata
Gwen didn't want Finn to think she wasted too much time by choosing her clothes to have dinner with him, but at the same time, she couldn't simply wear some jeans and sneakers while dining with a billionaire CEO.
She wasn't that crazy.
As a black dress couldn't go wrong in any situation, that was what Gwen picked.
Stephanie was looking at her with inquisitive eyes, which Gwen pretended not to see. She didn't want to answer any of her best friend's questions, since Stephanie seemed to think that Gwen was making a mistake.
After all, as she kept repeating the whole day, Gwen didn't know Finn anymore. By meeting him, she risked lowering her guard and allowing him to find out about Cody's true background.
That was something that Gwen was quite aware of, but in her mind, to allow Finn to get closer to her again was something out of question.
Impossible even.
She wouldn't walk that path again.
She knew what made her leave five years ago, and she wasn't going to forget it.
It was just a friendly dinner. She knew that if she didn't accept it, Finn would haunt her until she said yes. She knew how persistent his CEO side could be.
“Okay, I promise I will be back home soon, alright? If anything happens with Cody, call me immediately. I don't think he'll wake up, but if he does, tell him mommy is on her way, ok?"
Stephanie rolled her eyes impatiently.
“Come on, girl. You sound like a lunatic. I can keep an eye on your son for a few hours, alright? I'm not that irresponsible."
“You know that's not what I meant. It's just… I've never been away from him."
“One more reason for you to go. You could use a few hours by yourself. Grab a drink, see what's up with the world, enjoy the company of a hot man… Even if this man is the last person you should be seeing right now."
Gwen laughed while checking herself in the mirror for the last time.
“That's the most contradictory thing you've ever said," Gwen said, grabbing her purse on the bed.
“Well, I'm not blind though. You shouldn't see him because the consequences could turn out to be really bad. But he's a god, and who doesn't like some danger sometimes, right?" Stephanie concluded, looking at the ceiling, daydreaming about something that Gwen didn't bother to ask.
“Anyway… I'll get going then. Thank you so much for doing this. I promise I'll pay you back someday. Maybe when you find a guy to yourself, which is about time."
Gwen closed the door before Stephanie had the chance to curse her.
Finn's car was already waiting for her and Gwen almost couldn't believe it when she saw it. She knew he was rich, and she knew he had several cars, but she wasn't used to that billionaire kind of life anymore.
It was pretty easy to forget that he was a billionaire sometimes. When they were together, Finn was a very simple guy, and money didn't seem so important to him.
But every time she saw him with suits on, driving a luxury car, wearing a watch that cost more than her house, Gwen felt like she had been slapped.
He was a billionaire. Not a millionaire. Not rich. Billionaire.
She got dizzy just thinking how many zeros that title held.
The black car parked in front of Stephanie's house wasn't the only thing that made her gasp.
The man that got out of it, wearing probably the most expensive suit there was, with his blonde hair perfectly combed and wearing the most intoxicating cologne, almost made Gwen stumble.
She was well dressed. That was a fact. Even she had to admit it.
The black dress wasn't a big deal, but she curled her short hair and put some make up on to emphasize her lips and eyes.
She was satisfied with her appearance, but seeing Finn in front of her almost made Gwen wonder if he was going to attract too much attention by her side.
He wasn't a presence very easy to ignore, she thought.
“Good evening, Ms. Miller. You look stunning as always," he said while helping her to get inside the car.
A gentleman. A true gentleman.
It almost made Gwen sigh. He was making sure to remind her of all his good features. Not that it took him too much effort, because he was pretty much perfect in every way. But Gwen didn't need a reminder of what she lost.
After all, she didn't lose it because she wanted to. She did not have a choice.
The ride to the restaurant wasn't uncomfortable like she thought it would be.
They talked about nothing specifically, but it was easy. Their conversation flowed as though they had never been apart.
That was one of the things they had liked about each other. It was like they were teenagers forever. No worries, no company to run, no kid to raise, just them.
Finn had made a reservation in a very nice restaurant, but it wasn't the most expensive one in the city.
Gwen once had told him that she didn't feel very comfortable in places that people would spend an enormous amount of money just to eat a tiny portion of food. She was now wondering if he remembered that when picking the place.
They got a table near the window that had an amazing view, and even though they caught a few eyes on the way, the people inside the restaurant seemed more concerned with their meals than the two new diners, which Gwen appreciated.
She didn't want to make to the headlines on the next morning just because she was having dinner with her ex.
“So… Are you not modeling anymore?" Finn asked as soon as the waiter served them wine and left the table.
Gwen took a sip from her glass before answering. When they first met, Gwen was a burgeoning model and a spokeswoman for a cosmetic company.
“No, I'm not. I wanted to keep a low profile, and also, after Cody was born, it was kind of hard to manage both things at the same time," she explained, while Finn checked her with very curious eyes.
“I can imagine. Didn't you have anyone to help you out?" he asked.
- Penulis
