Chapter 15

Aubrey couldn’t say that she was really enjoying her time with Barry, but it gave her the perfect excuse to stay away from home all day. This spontaneous ‘date’ with her high school crush was turning into a real bummer though. He’d spent the past couple of hours talking endlessly about himself and all of his achievements, that she’d barely been able to get a few words in.

So far, she had learned that he’d gone to NYU and graduated with a distinction, and then he’d gone on to Harvard Business School for his masters. He had a professional certificate from another swanky university in the UK where he’d studied for a year. He’d won a few entrepreneurial awards for his innovative business model at his Fintech company, he’d done volunteer work with various NGOs and had even gone to Africa twice on philanthropic missions to help the continent eradicate poverty and child-prone diseases. By his standards, he was a knight in shining armor.

But Aubrey was tired of his endless rambling, plus his less than subtle flirting was beginning to get on her nerves. Aubrey couldn’t believe that once-upon-a-time in her life, she’d found this guy attractive. Right now, he seemed to be a bit…too much. In a creepy way. It seemed as if he was trying to impress her to death.

Aubrey glanced at her wristwatch and gasped theatrically. “Oh, my goodness! Look at the time,” she said with feigned surprise. “I didn’t realize how late it’s gotten. It’s almost as if we’ve been here forever.”

Barry gave a practiced lopsided smile that Aubrey guessed was supposed to make her swoon. “Time does fly when you’re having fun,” he said, pleased with himself.

Ugh! Aubrey tried not to roll her eyes. “I guess so,” she said with a forced smile. “I better get going before my dad sends out a search party for me.”

Barry chuckled. “I think you’re exaggerating, but I get you. Let me drop you off.”

“No!” She said quickly and a little louder than she had intended. “I mean, I don’t want to bother you seeing that you’ve kept me company all day. Don’t let me take more of your time.”

“Are you kidding? I should be thanking you for making my day. Come on now, taking you home is the least I can do.”

“Uh…” Aubrey searched her brain for the perfect excuse to avoid spending another 5 minutes beside this guy.

“I insist. Come on,” he said, rising to his feet.

Aubrey groaned internally and stood up too, as she did, her eyes went to the entrance of the restaurant and landed on Eric who was just coming in. Her heart skipped a beat the moment he looked in her direction and their eyes met.

Without hesitation, he marched purposefully towards her like a man on a mission. As he neared her, Barry came up beside her and took her by the elbow.

“Shall we?” he said with his Prince Charming smile turned up at full blast.

When Eric saw that move, his strides faltered but he managed to reach where the two stood, looking like a model couple.

“Hey, Aubrey,” he said cautiously.

“Hey,” she replied stiffly.

“Hi, I’m Barry Thompson,” Barry announced and stretched a hand towards Eric with a friendly smile to match.

Eric squinted at him as if trying to figure out who he was. “I’m Eric Brown. Do I know you?” he asked and reluctantly shook the offered hand.

“Maybe not, but I used to live around here too. Way back in the day,” Barry said, his megawatt smile still in place.

Something about the red-headed guy’s demeanor rubbed Eric the wrong way, but he decided to ignore him. For now.

“May I have a word with you, Aubrey?” Eric asked politely. “In private,” he added when he noticed that Barry still had his hand on her elbow.

“No,” Aubrey replied flatly. “As you can see, my boyfriend just came into town, and I want to spend as much time with him as I can before he leaves again. Whatever you have to say can wait.”

Barry didn’t miss a beat, he swung into full boyfriend mode and whispered loudly in Aubrey’s ear. “Let’s go, my love. I have a special treat for you in my hotel room.”

Aubrey’s skin crawled as his breath touched her neck, but she managed to squeeze out a believable smile. “I can’t wait,” she said to him. “Goodnight,” she said to Eric and let Barry walk her out of the restaurant.

“Goodnight, pal,” Barry greeted as he walked past him. His charming smile had transformed into a smirk.

After they left, Eric remained on the same spot stewing silently. Who the fuck was that clown and where the hell did he pop up from? And why was Aubrey treating him like a stranger yet again? Did she think that he was stupid enough to believe that this weirdo was her boyfriend?

Still annoyed, he made his way to the counter to order some steak to take home to his folks for game night dinner. While he was been attended to, the restaurant owner, Freddy Matthews, came out from the kitchen, looking flushed from the heat inside.

“Hey, Freddy,” Eric greeted the rotund man jovially. “I thought Dr. Samoa told you to stay away from the kitchen?”

“Hey, Eric. I was only in there for a minute,” Freddy laughed. “How are you doing, man?”

Eric shrugged. “I can’t complain.”

“Well, you can if you ain’t happy. What are you getting?”

“A steak. It’s game night at my folks’ place tonight and I don’t want to show up empty-handed. It’s bad enough that I’m late already.”

Freddy laughed. “You’re one brave boy, trying to get on your momma’s nerves like that.”

“Typical black sheep behavior,” Eric chuckled. “Uh, Freddy, do you know a guy named Barry Thomas?”

“You mean Barry Thompson?”

“Yeah, that one.”

“He was just here with Aubrey. I think they already left.”

“Yes, I saw them before they left. Do you know the guy?”

“Sure, he used to live a couple of blocks away. He left town after graduating from high school. He used to be one hell of a troublesome kid back then. I’m glad he finally turned his life around and made it big in his career. I hear he’s a successful businessman these days.”

“I see,” Eric mused. “How come I’ve never met him before?”

“You also left here when you finished high school, remember? Besides, you’re a few years ahead of him in age and you two never moved in the same circles.”

“Figures,” he muttered.

His steak arrived and he waved Freddy goodnight. On the street, he flagged down a taxi to take him to his parents’ house. He could walk the distance, but he didn’t want the steak to get cold before he got home. All through the ride, Eric wondered why Aubrey would claim that Barry was her boyfriend. Was she trying to make him jealous? And why the hell was he so bothered by sight of Barry’s hand on her elbow? Why did he feel as if the newcomer was trespassing on his territory? Was he developing feelings for Aubrey? Was that why he felt so enraged seeing another man standing so close to her and whispering in her ear?

Eric involuntarily balled his fist tightly as the image of Barry and Aubrey standing beside each other, flashed through his mind again. Aubrey and I have unfinished business, he thought stubbornly. I’d be damned if I let some random guy show up from nowhere to complicate things for me. Not when he was ready to patch things up with her. After all, she was his mate and he owed it to himself to see where a relationship with her might lead. This could possibly be his last chance to find love again. As crazy as that thought seemed, Eric was willing to give it a shot anyway.