We walked into the restaurant at eight. I had worn my usual black suit. Bella had worn a black dress that ended right above her knee, revealing her smooth legs. We looked like a young couple who were celebrating their anniversary together over a romantic dinner.
We put in a word to the receptionist about our arrival and she led us to our dining table. I pulled out the chair for Bella and glanced around to notice Derry and Cathy on the other side of the room. After taking a seat, I picked up the menu and began to browse through. After a while, a waitress appeared and asked us if we were ready with our order.
"Risotto for this lovely lady and steak for me, please-medium rare, garden salad on the side. We'll try the Merlot too. Thank you."
Bella was looking at me the whole time. Once the waitress had left, I looked at her face and smiled. She smiled back at me and looked around. She noticed Cathy and Derry sitting on the other side of the room. Looking at me in the eye, she said, "Get him, big boy."
I smiled at Bella and stood up. Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the couple. As soon as Derry saw me his eyes widened in horror. I approached them with a smile.
"Am I interrupting you two?" I asked as I stood beside their table smiling.
Cathy turned to me and, giving me a confused look, said, "How can we help?"
"Oh. Your date over here and I have been good friends since college. I am sure Derry must have told you about me," I replied to Cathy.
It was obvious that Derry was stunned by my presence. His facial expression spoke a lot more than his words. Finally getting hold of himself he said, "Sorry, honey, this is Noel. Noel, this is... um... my wife."
"Man! You never told me that you had a wife," I said, trying act surprised.
"Oh yes. Derry and I have been married for five years. Today is our wedding anniversary and we decided to spend some time together," Cathy replied with a formal smile.
"Yea... Yes. We have been married for five years now." Derry repeated whatever Cathy had said, which made me conclude that his rationality was on hold.
"Why... Nice to meet you, Cathy. I must say that Derry is lucky to have a beautiful wife like you," I said with a smile on my face.
"Thank you, sir. Nice to meet you too. I never knew Derry had a friend like you," Cathy replied, with a smile.
"Neither did he tell me that he had a wife like you," I replied immediately. We both laughed as Derry forced a smile on his face.
"I don't want to interrupt your lovely evening together. I am on a date myself and I don't like to keep my lady waiting," I said as I looked at Derry.
"Oh. What a pity. I wish Derry and you had some more time together," Cathy spoke.
Derry, who was silent for a while, trying to figure out what was going on, finally spoke, "It's all right, honey." Turning to me he said, "You know what... um... I'll meet you tomorrow at your office."
"Or maybe... you can join us on Sunday for lunch. You know our place, right?" Cathy interjected.
"That will be great, Cathy. I would love to join you two. So I'll see you two on Sunday," I replied with a smile.
I turned to walk to my table but stopped mid-way. Turning around, I returned to their table and said to Derry, "I think I'll see you tomorrow in my office. Maybe we can grab a beer or something, just like the good old days."
I could see a drop of sweat trickling down Derry's cheek and coming down his neck. Looking at me nervously he spoke, "Sure, Noel. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Perfect." Turning towards Cathy, I spoke, "And I'll see this wonderful lady on Sunday."
I made my way to my table and took my seat. I looked at Bella and smiled. She smiled back and sipped the wine, which had arrived in my absence.
"So, big boy. How did it go?" she asked.
"As planned. Cathy did create an opening for me," I replied.
"Oh. She is determined to make Derry pay. I wonder if she wants revenge or wants a fuck?"
"Maybe. Enough about her. Let's talk about ourselves."
"Fair enough. So what do you want to ask?"
"Tell me. If I were to propose to you, would you say yes?"
Bella's eyes widened. She put down the glass of wine and stared at me.
"Hey... I don't intend on doing that. But it's only my curiosity. Do I have a chance?" I added immediately.
"Well, as long as you don't mind me fucking other men."
There was a brief silence and then we both laughed heartily.
"So what are we now? Friends with benefits?" I joked.
"That's what it is. You give me sex and I'll return the favour."
"Oh... you are such a slut," I teased.
"Honey, you have no idea what I am," she replied as she winked at me and sipped her wine.
~~~~~
I stopped the vehicle outside Bella's house and waited for Bella to leave. She remained seated. I looked at her intently, studying her face, trying to decipher what she was thinking.
"Would you like to come in?" she spoke.
"Do you want me to?"
"I don't know. Maybe we should call it a night," she replied with disappointment in her voice.
"Okay, then. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow."
She got out of the vehicle and, closing the door behind her, made her way to the door. I wondered why there was a sudden change in her emotion. I had had a wonderful time with her, and she appeared to have enjoyed it. Was I using her as a means?
I got out of the vehicle and closed the door. The noise of closing the door caught Bella's attention. She turned around in surprise. As I approached her I said, "Is it okay if I sleep here? I will use the couch if you don't mind."
She smiled and gave me a hug. I hugged her back and placed a kiss on her forehead. We made our way into the house. It was just like a date, wherein the girl invites the boy for a coffee. But there was no coffee here.
I made it to the bedroom and she made her way to the bathroom. I unbuttoned my shirt and removed it. Folding it neatly, I kept it on the side table. I unbuckled my trousers and removing them, folded them and kept them beside my shirt. Finally, I settled down on the bed.
