Ava’s POV
My apartnt had been a ss for this week. Witchcraft books were scattered on my coffee table, takeout containers filled my trash can, and I kept the blinds closed to block out the sunlight.
I stared at my phone again, looking through old ssages with Joseph. Nothing new. Not even a simple "I’m back" text. The last ssage was from before his business trip.
"This is pathetic," I muttered, tossing my phone aside.
My life had beco a sad routine— wake up at noon, look at spell books, order food, watch TV, and cry myself to sleep. I’d taken leave from work, saying I needed personal ti. The truth was I couldn’t face the world when my heart felt broken.
When my phone rang, I jumped. For a mont, I hoped it was Joseph. The caller ID crushed that hope.
"Kenneth," I answered with a sigh.
"Ah, so the hibernating bear awakens!" Kenneth’s warm, rich voice filled the line. "Let guess, you’re sitting in your apartnt wearing pajamas at 3 PM, surrounded by books, and feeding exclusively on despair and takeout."
Despite myself, I laughed. "Good guessing. Are you spying on ?"
"No need when you’re so predictable, my dear Ava," he chuckled. "Listen, I can’t stand the thought of you wasting away in there for another night. Have dinner with this evening. It’s not a request."
I looked down at my wrinkled t-shirt and sweatpants. "I don’t know if I’m fit for public consumption right now."
"Nonsense," Kenneth insisted. "I’ll pick you up at seven. Wear sothing nice. You need fresh air before you start growing mushrooms on your skin."
"Charming image," I replied dryly. "Fine. Seven it is."
Kenneth’s idea of "sowhere nice" was Harbor Bay’s most exclusive rooftop restaurant. Getting reservations usually took months unless you were soone important. Kenneth was clearly soone important.
"This is... excessive," I said as we sat at a table overlooking the bay. The sunset painted the sky orange and purple, reflecting off the water.
Kenneth looked perfect in his suit, his salt-and-pepper hair styled just right. At fifty, he had that distinguished look that ca with age and confidence.
"Nothing excessive about treating a beautiful young lady to a good al," he replied, ordering expensive wine without checking the price.
I’d made an effort, wearing a black dress and putting on makeup, but I felt empty inside. The food ca. Beautiful seafood that should have made hungry, but I just pushed it around my plate.
"You know," Kenneth said after watching , "the food tastes better if you actually eat it instead of rearranging it into abstract art."
I smiled weakly. "Sorry. It’s delicious, really. I’m just not very hungry."
Kenneth studied , then asked for the check. "This isn’t working, is it?"
"What do you an?"
"This." He pointed around at the fancy restaurant. "You need sothing livelier. Co on, I have a better idea."
Thirty minutes later, we stopped in front of Pulse, one of Harbor Bay’s trendiest nightclubs. Bass music pounded through the walls, and young people lined up around the block.
"You can’t be serious," I said, staring at Kenneth.
He grinned, looking younger in the lights. "What? Did you expect to take you to so stuffy cigar lounge where old n play poker and talk about their stock portfolios?"
The bouncer recognized Kenneth and let us skip the line. The people who’d been waiting for hours looked annoyed.
Inside, the club was full of energy. Lights pulsed with the music, people danced, and bartenders flipped bottles around.
"Bourbon, neat," Kenneth told the bartender, then looked at . "And for the lady?"
"Tequila shots," I decided. "Four of them."
Kenneth raised an eyebrow. "Starting strong, I see."
I downed the first shot right away, welcoming the burn that took my mind off the pain in my chest.
"Slow down," Kenneth warned as I reached for the second. "If I had a daughter, I’d be deeply concerned about her drinking this much in a club."
I threw back the second shot and smiled sarcastically. "Well, lucky . I don’t have a boring old dad to rain on my parade."
Kenneth laughed. "Touché."
By my third tequila shot, the music felt good. By the fourth, I was pulling Kenneth to the dance floor. He moved surprisingly well for his age, keeping up with the younger crowd without looking silly.
Two hours and more drinks later, I was drunk but feeling better than I had in days. The alcohol had numbed the pain, at least for now.
"We should probably get you ho," Kenneth said, checking his watch. "It’s nearly midnight, and I brought you here to cheer you up, not induce alcohol poisoning."
"Just one more drink," I pleaded, but he was already asking for the bill.
"I may be fun, but I’m still responsible," he insisted. "Your head will thank tomorrow."
My phone buzzed in my purse as we were leaving. I fumbled to get it, my heart jumping when I saw Joseph’s na.
The ssage was short and harsh:
"You moved on quickly."
I looked up, scanning the crowded club. Was he here? Had he seen with Kenneth? The thought made my stomach twist with hope and anger.
"Sothing wrong?" Kenneth asked, noticing my mood change.
"Just a text from a complete idiot," I snarled, shoving my phone back in my purse.
The warm feeling from the alcohol turned into cold anger. How dare he? After weeks of silence, after I’d seen his photo with Sophia, he had the nerve to judge for having dinner with a friend?
"The nerve of so people," I muttered, walking toward the exit.
Kenneth followed, looking concerned. "Want to talk about it?"
"No," I snapped, then felt guilty. "Sorry. It’s not you. It’s just... n are unbelievable sotis."
"As a representative of the gender, I apologize," he said lightly, guiding through the crowd. "Though so of us aren’t completely terrible."
The night air hit when we stepped outside, making realize how drunk I was. Kenneth held my elbow to steady as we walked to his car.
"Of course only professional mourners cry over the dead," I said, the alcohol making talk. "And clearly I’m not professional enough to keep crying over soone who doesn’t care."
Kenneth didn’t ask for details. He just drove ho quietly. When we reached my building, he helped out of the car.
"Thanks for tonight," I said, swaying a little. "Do you want to co up for a coffee or sothing?"
Kenneth smiled kindly. "Ava, you should know that inviting any man to your apartnt when you’re this beautiful and intoxicated isn’t the wisest decision. For the sake of my gentlemanly reputation, I’ll see you only downstairs."
Heat rushed to my face, though it probably looked the sa as my alcohol flush. Joseph’s text had clearly ssed with my judgnt more than I wanted to admit.
"Right," I mumbled, embarrassed. "That was... sorry."
"No need to apologize," he assured . "Get so water and sleep it off. I’ll check on you tomorrow."
I nodded and hurried inside.
When I reached my apartnt door, I couldn’t believe who was waiting for .
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