He Who Weaves Nightmares | PUBLISHED (Available in Print and eBook Format)

Chapter 41 - Rejection Dejection

Chapter 41 – Rejection Dejection

Dreamer

I stepped inside the Diamond Lounge at exactly 12 noon. There was a long line of people waiting to be seated, but the hostess readily led me to the dungeon—I meant our table—when I gave her Noah's name.

Everything about the place screamed pretentiousness. I'd never been anywhere snootier. The food was bland, the staff was impersonal, the ambiance was average and the cost was astronomical. But this was the boss' favorite dive and he was the one paying. I felt like ordering a Wagyu rib eye steak.

Noah was already sitting at a table next to the window. I had to admit that even though I found the restaurant with its starched tablecloths, fine crystal and reflective silverware pompous, it offered the best view of the lake. A great, wide lake that was presently frozen. The same lake that I could easily admire from the other side of this city on the roof deck of Ice's gallery.

Noah stood up when he saw me and held my chair out himself.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

He returned to his seat in front of me and said, "I went ahead and ordered a strawberry spinach salad for you."

I cringed. I wasn't a fan of either fruit or leaf.

An attendant appeared and poured us some wine. Noah raised his glass and said, "To our dreams coming true."

What happened to the guy screaming at my ear earlier?

"To dreams coming true," I muttered then inwardly smiled when I remembered my latest dreams. I couldn't wait to get out of here. I took a sip of the wine. And another. And then I was on my second glass. It was good. It would go perfectly with the steak I'd been craving.

Noah put down his glass, kept his hand on the table and looked at me. I took another sip and he smiled, still staring at me. I raised an eyebrow. He cleared his throat then said, "I realize I might've sounded too harsh earlier."

"No harsher than usual," I replied before I could stop myself. I looked down and saw my empty flute which the server immediately refilled. Damn it. "I didn't mean that."

"Of course you did," Noah told me, still smiling. He had so many teeth, it was unnerving. "It's one of the things I love about you. You're brutally honest. And your honesty seeps in the fiction you write and we produce magic."

Huh?

The waiter returned with our salad. I decided not to process what Noah said and just finish the salad so I could get to the steak. I speared the first leaf. Sadly, the wine had not dulled my taste buds. I doubted I could eat more without gagging. What would Mr. Bean do if he were in my shoes? He'd stuff the bread rolls with spinach when Noah wasn't looking. Hmmm... how do I distract Noah while I crammed the salad in the rolls and salt and pepper shakers?

"You don't like the salad?"

"What? No, it's good," I answered while I stabbed a piece of strawberry along with some greens and bit the blended sweetness, sourness and bitterness. I shivered at the atrocity in my mouth. The only bitter sweet combination that worked was dark chocolate.

Noah pulled his chair closer to mine and pushed the salad away from me. Rather condescendingly, he told me, "Don't finish that. We can't afford getting our talented writer sick. Don't worry. I ordered us a lobster roll filled with Giant Tiger Prawn, King Crab meat, Bluefin Tuna caviar, shallots and chives. It's an ounce of opulence in every bite."

Was my boss trying to kill me? I had explained to him ages ago that I was allergic to shellfish.

When he noticed me turning green, I noticed his effort to be nice. I guessed all the girls he took to lunch or dinner wouldn't mind eating snails or nails if they had to. With a forced smile pasted on his face, he said, "You don't like seafood, too. That's okay. You can have a..."

"Rib eye steak," I almost cried when I saw a flavorful, juicy plate pass me by and land on the next table."

I might've caught Noah looking a bit appalled, but he quickly covered his reaction and barked at the server, "You heard the girl."

Noah filled my glass with more wine. The responsible side of me reminded me it was not wise to drink on an empty stomach. The reckless side of me took another sip to wash away the lingering taste of spinach.

"So what have you been up to the past two days?" Noah asked. I was surprised to find that he had inched even closer.

"Uh... meeting old friends," I responded as I surreptitiously moved back.

I was holding my glass by the stem when Noah placed his hand next to mine. His knuckles rubbed the back of my hand and I quickly withdrew my hand.

"Have I met your old friends?" Noah inquired, unperturbed that I was now visibly moving away from him.

"Yes," I retorted rather sharply. "Noah, I thought we were supposed to talk about the new book."

"We will," he answered as he laid his hand on the back of my chair and inclined his head toward me. "But I was thinking we could talk about it over the weekend. I'm flying to Cape Town and I'm sure you'll enjoy the change in scenery. You've always sent your mother and sisters on vacation, but I've never known you to go on holiday."

I thought I was on holiday till he bombarded me with calls and messages.

Cape Town sounded wonderful though. I hadn't thought of Noah as the adventurous sort, but I didn't mind climbing a mountain and riding a cable car on my own if he'd rather stay indoors. I wondered if I could fly to Kruger National Park and get up close and personal with the wildlife. I bet Ice would love that, too.

Oh. Last night, I got up close and personal with some other wildlife and I was raring to go back. Yep. Definitely better than any game reserve.

"I can't. Thanks for the offer, Noah, but I already made plans. Don't worry. I promise to work on the draft of the next book."

Noah stared at me and I tensed. There was something off about him today. Suddenly, he stood up and moved behind me. He rested his hands on my shoulders. A finger traced the back of my neck and I shuddered. I started to lean forward, but he gripped my shoulders and started kneading the knots that weren't there before he touched me. I wanted to slap his hands away.

"You work too hard," Noah whispered at my ear.

"I have to. You make me," I snapped. "You know what. I think I'll just have that steak to go. I have all these ideas in my head and I need to write them down before I forget them."

I tried pulling away again, but he tightened his hold on me. Softly and too intimately, he told me, "It's hard to forget ideas that aren't yours to begin with. I'm sure someone or something will trigger all the novelty."

And it all fell into place.

Everything came rushing at me.

The entire dream was not a dream. The line between reality and fantasy disappeared and I knew. I was not going crazy. Everything made perfect sense. Otherwise, there would be no other explanation but that I had plunged into madness. And I wasn't willing to accept that.

Ice had told me the truth. In his world. He had explained everything and as surreal as it seemed, it was real. He had given me answers to questions that had plagued me for years.

But now, a new question—why had Ice lied to me earlier? In my world.

Unless everything was truly a dream and I was going crazy.

I was heartbroken.