The Man She Betrayed

21. Of Coffee And Club

Clara

Waking up in the morning, the first thought that crossed my mind was that Aaron was just a room away from me. The whole night, my stomach was twisted in knots at the idea of having him this close to me, so close that I could just go in his room and beg for his forgiveness, that I could just hug him for once, and feel his heartbeat against mine.

Pulling my mind out of these thoughts, I walked out of the bed and peeked through that door connecting to the lounge. I needed coffee to wake up my mind in the morning and there was a coffee maker in the kitchen. But I told him last night that I would stay in my room.

Well, one cup of coffee wouldn't take long.

I tiptoed towards the coffee maker, making sure not to make any noice. While I was searching for a cup, the door to his room opened and he came out, stretching his arms over his head and letting out a cute yawn.

He wasn't wearing a shirt and despite constantly telling myself that external beauty is a facade, I couldn't help but admire the hard contours of his torso. And the thing that makes his even more attractive was his true nature, the one before I betrayed him. I knew that man was still there, hiding under the face he shows me.

He hadn't realised my presence yet and when he did, his face immediately hardened.

"I.. I was just going." I said and poured the coffee beans into the machine. He didn't say anything in return and went past me towards the fridge. Pulling out a carton of milk, he poured a glass for him.

"Do you need coffee?" I asked and he just shook his head in return. "It's fine. I can make another one-"

"There is nobody else here." he suddenly snorted, putting the carton back in the fridge. "So you can stop acting like an innocent sweetheart."

Tears pricked my eyes at his words. I knew it was fair but still, knowing that he thinks the worst of me was like a knife to my heart. Would he ever be able to look past that mistake? Would he ever be able to forgive me?

Before I could say anything I'm return, he stomped into his room and I just stood there, watching his walking figure contort in a blurry mess because of the tears in my eyes.

...

Right now, we were inside Amber's car, on our way back to the hotel. We went for a meeting with the new clients and the meeting went for almost four hours, which would explain the immense hunger I was feeling. That's what you get for skipping on breakfast.

"The meeting went well." Amber said, scrolling down her phone.

"Yeah." Aaron said who was sitting on the passenger seat, reading's the file of the agreement. "But it was just the first step. We still need more sponsors for the hotel."

"Still, we should celebrate our verbal agreement. I was just looking for the fanciest clubs in NYC and guess what, there is one just beside our hotel." Amber said, showing us the picture of the club on her phone.

"I am not going to club with you. You literally party the whole freaking night and then cry the next morning because of the severe hungover." Aaron said, scrunching his nose. I was just silently listening to their conversation without adding anything.

"Ugh, don't be a party pooper Aaron. You are going with us." she said, using her authoritive tone which made Aaron frown.

Us?

"I can't go to club." I interjected and both of their heads turned towards me.

"And why is that?" Amber raised her eyebrows.

"I didn't pack any club-worthy dress with me. All I have are business suits and pencil skirts. Besides, I would prefer staying at the hotel." I reasoned in a soft voice.

"Bullshit. You guys are here in New York and you would spend the nights sleeping in a hotel. That's the most idiotic thing I have heard." her eyes switched between both of us, before stopping at me. "And you Miss. Avery, you can borrow clothes from me." she said, rolling her eyes.

"But-"

"Who is your boss Clara?" Amber eyed me with a calculative gaze, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Um.. You." I muttered.

"Then consider it an order." she said, turning her eyes back to her phone and Aaron and I exchanged a look.

...

The dress Amber chose for me was a black bodycon dress with spaghetti straps. The dress hugged me tightly, showcasing each and every one of my curves.

The tag on the dress showed that it was completely new and that it was from one of those crazy expensive brands. The past Clara would kill to wear a dress like this but not me. I couldn't wear such body fitting clothes anymore, I was not confident enough of my body.

I knew it was showing a bit of my protruding stomach and the cellulite of my thighs. In the last few years, I was too busy juggling between different jobs that I never cared about how I look.

This time however it was different. Aaron would be there and a part of me wanted him to like me, to find me beautiful, instead of realising how he dodged a bullet.

I didn't do anything to my hair except applying a shining serum to them and for makeup, I chose a light layer of foundation and a reddish blush on my pale face. Completing my look with a crimson lipstick, I made my way to my luggage to find the only pair of black heels I brought with me.

While I was doing so, I heard a knock on the door. Slipping into the heels, I treaded towards it and finally opened it, revealing a very annoyed Aaron, dressed in a black shirt with matching jeans. His creased forehead relaxed when his eyes zoomed on me and slowly, his eyes trailed downwards, assessing me from head to toe.

I couldn't comprehend his expressions, despite my very desperate attempt at finding out what he thought about this dress and me. But he ignored my attempts and brought his eyes back to my face, the crease once again appearing on his forehead.

"Amber asked me to drive you to the club." he said in a blank voice and I gulped, dreading about being in a closed space with him again. It would once again cause a destruction inside my heart and a mess inside my mind.

_____________________________

Argh. Again with the cliche club scene. :p

Clara's dress