Page 74 of Blue Gold

“The line to the bathroom was unreal!” Claudia whined as she slumped back into the chair, her body bumping with mine after she lost balance.

“Easy there,” I said, my hands on her arm to steady her.

“I think I’m a bit tipsy.” She giggled. “And it’s all because of you, mister.” She wiggled her finger at Elliot. “How many bottles did we drink? Two?”

A sleazy smile spread on Elliot’s lips. “Three.”

“Three?” She gasped. “I am a mother, for God’s sake, and you made us drink this much?” Laughing, she fixed the cleavage of her dress. “No wonder the room is spinning. Anyway, how about desserts?”

Already on her next mission, Claudia signaled for a waiter to come and clear the table for us when Elliot said her name, making us both look at him.

“What is it, honey?”

“There is something you need to know,” he said, his stare darting to me before going back to her.

Fear clenched at my throat, choking me with what I guessed was about to be a confession. As seconds passed, my chest tightened, and my muscles turned rigid with uncertainty. In just a few words, Elliot had the power to ruin me. Utterly destroy my life. Feeling defeated and betrayed, I bowed my head and closed my eyes, as I couldn’t bear the look on Claudia’s face once she learned it all⁠—

“I cannot stay for dessert.”

My eyes snapped open, and I quickly looked up in relief at Elliot, who seemed indifferent to my existence.

“Dinner was superbe, but I go now,” he said as he pulled out his wallet.

“Oh, don’t you dare. This dinner is on us,” Claudia insisted, placing her hand on my arm.

I noticed how Elliot caught this small gesture right before he got up. “Thank you.” He forced a weak smile and, without looking up, grabbed his jacket, which hung on the chair.

“Don’t be a stranger, okay? Make sure to call whenever you’re in the city,” Claudia said, while Elliot couldn’t have moved faster to get out of there.

With him gone and this dinner being over, I should have felt relief. But as I watched him walk away, my body yelled at me to get up and chase after him. Unsettledness made my skin itch, and unable to bear it, I got up.

“I just remembered I need to make a phone call,” I told Claudia, who looked at me with wonder.

“Oh… sure. I’ll just order us those desserts while you’re out.”

With my eyes still locked on where Elliot had disappeared to, I nodded and quickly moved. I walked fast, not caring as I bumped into some waitress on my way out. Once in the street, I looked right and left in search of him. The sidewalk was busy, and the late hour didn’t help, but I managed to catch a glimpse of a denim jacket, the same one he had on tonight.

Thank God.

I started walking a bit faster, which turned into a full-on run until I was close enough to reach him. Elliot turned as soon as I wrapped my fingers around his arm, his look fierce, as if he knew I’d go after him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he snarled in French. “Let go.” He tried pulling away when I forced him close.

“We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to tell you⁠—”

“But you do. And so do I,” I cut him off, because after that dinner, we both knew this was bullshit.

His mouth set in a hard line as he stared at me with pain, and knowing I was the one responsible for it killed me.

“I’ll come to your hotel tonight so we can talk. Okay?” When he didn’t answer, I nudged him closer. “Elliot?”

His jaw quivered, and he looked away from me. But then, he nodded.

“Fine.”

I forced it out of him, but I didn’t care if it meant I got what I wanted.