Chapter 12 12

Chapter 12 12
Vanessa’s POV

The weather was gloomy but my mood was even gloomier. I sat in the front seat of the black Jeep, my hands pressed tightly against my pants. 
The air in the car felt like it was closing in on me and I was choking. I reached out and whined down the window, hoping the cool breeze would help. 
The streets passed in a blur and I stared out but I wasn’t really seeing anything since my mind was far away.
I was sitting next to the man who once made me feel like filth; Elliot and he was driving. I could never forget the look on his face the time I had asked to go to work with him back when we were newly married. 
He had looked at me with disgust and I remembered his cold words like it was yesterday.
“Why would I let someone like you come to work with me?” he had said. “Your appearance is too ordinary and  I’m ashamed to be seen with you. You should just stick to being my secretary, that's the only thing you’re good at and even that is barely enough.”
I was in shock wondering what I did wrong when he turned back to look at me before getting into the car.
“Stick to being a secretary and make sure you don’t go around telling anyone in the office we are married,” he hissed before slamming the door and driving off like I was nothing. 
“Are you okay?” Elliot asked, pulling me from my thoughts. 
I turned to him and forced a small smile. “I’m alright, sir.” I said softly before turning back to stare out of the window the lump in my throat growing bigger. 
He cleared his throat. “I noticed you’re very quiet,” he said. “Are you always like this?”
“I guess also I’m just very familiar with Houston since I just moved here so I don’t have much to talk about,” I said, hiding every emotion in my voice.
“I can show you around if you don’t mind. Maybe after work?” he offered, smirking.
“That won’t be necessary. I’m already busy with other things after work.” I say through clenched teeth.
“Oh?” he raised an eyebrow. “Your daughter?”
I nodded.
“Yeah, I get it. I love spending all my free time with my daughter too.” He chuckled.
I didn’t say anything back since I didn’t trust myself to talk and just stared out the windows.
Thankfully the rest of the drive was quiet. 
We got to the new subsidiary of Hayes Holdings company; Hayes Bites. It was one of the franchise branches and Elliot had come for inspection. 
We got out of the car and I followed Elliot out of the Jeep, still wondering why he had come for the inspection himself. He had field officers for this sort of thing but he had insisted on driving himself and as his secretary, I had to come with him.
The next hour he walked around the building, checking every small detail while the employees fearfully followed closely behind and I took note of what I deemed important. 
After the inspection, we were taken to a private room, designed for VIP guests. The room was bright and smelled fresh. 
“Sir,” the manager said, bowing. “Would you like to order something?”
“Yes, I’ll love to taste the food.” He said, waving him over. 
The manager handed Elliot the menu, his hands a bit shaky while a chef stood close waiting. 
Elliot scanned it for a few seconds, then looked up. “I’ll go with something simple. Grilled salmon with mashed potatoes,” he said, handing the menu to me. “Order something too,” he said a smile on his face like we were on a date
I shook my head gently. “I’m fine, sir.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No won’t do, I need reviews from you too. The new franchise needs honest feedback from someone who understands branding.”
I forced a small nod and took the menu with reluctant fingers since I had no choice. I scanned through it, pretending to take my time, but my eyes stopped on something that made my heart skip. Creamy coconut rice with honey-roasted chicken and fried plantains.
I stared at it for a moment, not believing it. That used to be my comfort food back when I still lived in that cold house Elliot called our home. He hated the smell of coconut rice, but I loved it. 
How was it on the menu here?
“I’ll have the creamy coconut rice with honey-roasted chicken and fried plantains,” I said softly, my fingers tightening on the edge of the menu.
“That’ll be all, give us privacy.” Elliot said and they left the room, the door clicking shut behind them. 
The private dining room was luxurious with dark walls, golden light fixtures, thick curtains, and a clean glass table. The chairs were cushioned and firm and I could perceive the light aroma of food seeping in.
I stood awkwardly until Elliot pointed to a seat across from him.
“Sit,” he said, loosening his tie a bit. “Tell me what you think about the place.”
I sat, folding my hands in my lap. “It’s beautiful,” I said truthfully. “The ambiance is warm and not too loud. The design is simple but elegant and aligns with Hayes Holdings’ traditional luxury image.”
“That’s an intelligent and smart observation.” He said smiling. I nod politely, hiding the way his words scraped at old wounds, wondering when he learnt how to give compliments because I never received one when I was his wife.
Moments later, our food arrived.The aroma hit me instantly and my stomach clenched with hunger. 
I took a bite and closed my eyes immediately. It was perfect.
The flavors were just right. The coconut milk was rich, the chicken soft and sweet with the honey glaze, and the plantains melted gently with each bite. I moaned softly before I could stop it and when I opened my eyes, Elliot was watching me  carefully with a strange look on his face. 
“Do you like your food that much?” he asked.
My face turned red and I looked down quickly. “It's just really well made.” I said quickly.
“You know sometimes you remind me of someone from my past,” he said suddenly and I froze.
“She used to love that exact food,” he said quietly. “She could eat it every day and never get tired of it.” He continued quietly looking a bit sad. 
I couldn’t breathe and my heart went erratic. The spoon slipped from my fingers and clattered loudly against the plate and I picked it up quickly hoping he didn’t notice the way my shoulders stiffened or how pale I must have gone.
I stared at the food in front of me, but I couldn’t even see it clearly anymore. My chest felt tight and I panicked. 
Why did I order that dish? Of all the meals on the menu, I chose the one food that he would remember. How could I be so obvious?
And I had moaned over the taste without even thinking.
I tried to recover quickly and forced a small laugh, trying to play it off.
“I guess I was hungrier than I thought,” I said, avoiding his eyes but I could still feel them on me watching me closely.