A Love Restored

I was about to open the door, when someone else pushed it open from the other side. I took a step back to make space for it, and in walked Felix. He was dressed up – he was wearing a crisp, white dress shirt with dress pants. And behind him was…a woman?

Of course, he had brought a girl home.

I pulped as I took in the sight. Felix didn’t spare me a glance, walking in, hand in hand with the woman as she went on about what she did at work today. I was only half listening.

She was wearing a tight black dress; her long black hair flowed right down to her hips. She was stunning. It hurt like a bitch.

“Miss White.” Felix said, his eyes zeroing in on me. He smiled at me warmly. “We were just about to eat. Would you serve dinner?”

I had half a mind to tell him to fuck off. Serve them dinner? Like hell, I would.

The other half of me wanted to curl up in a corner and die. My heart hurt, seeing their intertwined hands, I knew what she was here for. It was a date that would end with her in his bed. I thought of their naked bodies together, thought of his lips on her, her hands in his hair, and the things they would do. It made me want to throw up.

“Of course.” My voice was small. The woman with Felix looked up at him, frowning. “Felix, she whispered. She sounded like a child, like a very soft spoken, Victorian child. “Its late, I’m sure she has to get home. We can eat by ourselves.”

Felix cocked his head to the side, his gaze was on me, his eyes boring into mine. “I’m sure Miss White doesn’t mind.”

“Its alright” I nodded. “Il set the table.”

I hurried back to the kitchen. I couldn’t possibly take any more of them together. I couldn’t look at them, couldn’t look at his hand in hers. Looking at them together made my skin crawl in the worst way possible. It was like I was burning. Not just with jealousy, but the physical sensation of burning was consuming me.

I held back tears as I worked in the kitchen, reheating food, bringing out cutlery and decorating it. Yeah, I was mad, but I wouldn’t let it show in my work. He was doing this to get a reaction out of me. He wanted me to hurt. He wanted to hurt me like he had been hurt. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. But even if I didn’t give a big enough reaction, it wouldn’t matter. We both knew that I cared.

As I worked, I saw the woman he had been with quietly tiptoe inside. I looked at her and gave a small, professional smile. I had gotten very good at pretense. “Can I help you with something?”

She gave a sheepish shrug. “I just felt bad you had to stay late for this. Do you need h

“It’s my job,” I told her, “No worries.”

help?

She nodded. Walking to t

to the counter, she found herself a glass and got some tap water, and began drinking it. She was leaning against the counter, watching me as I worked, I didn’t want to mess up under her watchful gaze. It would be too embarrassing.

“All of that looks really great She complimented, “What is your name?”

I looked at her. “Um, Flora.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“I’m Celia.” She extended a hand that I shook gingerly. “You weren’t with Felix at his old place, right? We haven’t met before.”

So, she was a regular for him. A girlfriend? Someone he was secing? Or just a friend. Maybe. Hopefully,

“No, I just started when he moved here. I didn’t know Mr. Corsing had a girlfriend.”

“Ah, I’m not his girlfriend,” her tone was wistful, as if filled with longing, maybe a little regret. “Mr. since college, and I’ve never seen him have a girlfriend,”

1. “Mr. Corsing doesn’t really date. We’ve been friends

My curiosity was peaking, but I didn’t want to

to seem too eager. I wanted her to tell me things of her own accord. But I would have to push her a little.

“I assumed he must be popular with women,”

“Ife is,” She agreed. My plating was done, but I kept fiddling with the

wanted, no, needed any information I could get about Felix. I had missed so much of his life, I didn’t even know who he was anymore. But admittedly, learning that he had never had any girlfriends satisfied something inside of me.

Celia was a little drunk. I felt bad for taking advantage.

She continued, “He’s hung up on some girl from his past,” She giggled.

My heart stopped at that. Hung up on some girl from his past.

Me?

There had been no other girls.

“Really?”

She shrugged. Taken aback, I stepped back from the counter, which Celia took as indication that I was done. She picked up the plates and smiled at me, “You should head home, Flora. Its late and past your working hours.”

an stay till you both are done.”

1 nodded, “I can stay

She shook her head, “Really, there’s no need. But thank you for the food, it looks so good!”

I quickly grabbed my purse. “Desert is in the fridge,” I told her, and she smiled in acknowledgement.

On my way from the kitchen to the front door, I didn’t bump into Felix. I was glad, because if I had seen him after hearing what Celia had just said, I would have collapsed right there on the floor. Or worse, I would have said something.

His Little Flowi