I sent Elsie a text that evening, not expecting a response from her. I didn’t want to just turn up at her apartment, but that’s what I would have done if she didn’t reply.

I waited for an hour, ready to leave my hotel room to go to her apartment. But she replied.

I reserved a table for us and arrived at the restaurant way before time. It was the same hotel where I was staying. The most premier location in Chicago. Was I trying to impress Elsie by inviting her to my hotel? Maybe I was.

I wanted her to see what I’d made of myself. I wanted her to acknowledge that I was successful against all odds. When we were younger, she felt sorry for me. I didn’t want her to feel sorry for me anymore.

Elsie arrived on time. She was wearing a beautiful green cocktail dress, one that accentuated the earthy tones of her chestnut hair. Her makeup was simple, but it made her face glow. Quietly, and keeping her head held high, she made her way to our table.

“Hello, Elsie. I’m happy you could make it.” I was courteous with her, holding her chair out so she could sit down.

“You didn’t give me much of a choice,” she retorted. I was hopeful that maybe she’d turned up tonight because a part of her wanted to see me too.

Now I knew what Elsie looked like naked, the body she was hiding underneath that dress. She was irresistible to me, but I had to resist her. Elsie and I were never going to happen. I’d given up any hopes of that a long time ago. Tonight was all about business.

She stared at me firmly over her glass of sparkling water.

She broke the silence between us. “What am I doing here, Jared?”

“You’re here to listen to what I have to offer,” I told her and she rolled her eyes.

“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not interested? I just want to get through with this dinner, and then you’re leaving Chicago,” she stated and looked at the menu in front of her.

I watched her as her eyes flitted over the menu. She was beautiful — she always was. Even as a kid, I knew that Elsie Carr would be the most beautiful woman I would ever set my eyes on. Young love was hard to die. That’s all it was. Puppy love. My life had changed drastically since then, and Elsie didn’t feature in it.

“I know you have moral reasons for working at this organization,” I began, and she slapped the menu down.

“It’s what I love doing. If I wanted to go corporate, I would have done so long ago!” she snapped.

“Well, look at it this way. You’ve spent enough time working for a charity. You’ve done your bit…now it’s time for you to make some real money,” I said. Elsie shook her head with anger.

“It’s not all about the money, Jared. Although, I can see that’s all you care about now,” she hissed and looked around the restaurant. It was a luxuriously flamboyant place. The kind of restaurant I wouldn’t even have dreamt of walking into when we were kids.

“I’ve made money myself, so it’s precious to me. I had no help from anybody,” I retorted, and Elsie sat back in her chair. She was playing with the cutlery nervously on the table.

“If you’re going to give me another speech about your miserable childhood, save it, Jared. I’ve heard it all before,” she said.

It angered me to hear her speaking this way. She had no respect for what I’d achieved. She’d seen it first-hand. She knew what I’d been through. Now, Elsie had turned into everybody else in that miserable town of ours. Just like them, Elsie didn’t care about my hardships anymore.

“Where I come from is a daily reminder for me to do anything I have to, to succeed!” I snapped, gripping the glass of water tightly in my hand. Elsie’s eyes drifted to it. She could see I was trying to control my rage. Was she egging me on? Was she saying all this on purpose to make me lose my temper?

“Anything you have to?” she asked. I sat back in my chair.

“Forget about it, Elsie. Let’s just get to the point,” I growled.

“What kind of things have you done, Jared?” she asked. Her eyes were narrowed at me. Her lips were viciously pressed together. She looked like a woman who was on a blood-hunt.

“I have a file here containing everything you need to know about the position I’m offering you,” I said, ignoring her question. Elsie stuck to her agenda.

“How many women have you fucked to convince them to take your job offers?” Elsie hissed.

I stood up from my chair in rage. Heads turned at my angered reaction. She was doing it again! She made me lose my cool. I gritted my teeth and glared at her.

“I am trying to have a professional conversation with you,” I growled under my breath. Elsie’s blue eyes sparkled as she stared back at me victoriously.

“You remind me of your dad,” she said.

I breathed in deeply, holding down my rage. She’d taken it a step further. This time, she’d really done it.

“You’re just like the rest of them at Madison Green. On your fucking moral high-horse,” I said, in a low, deep voice and swung away from her.

I didn’t need this shit. I was done. It wasn’t worth it.

I was walking out of the restaurant, leaving Elsie sitting there at the table. I didn’t care if I saw her again.