Chapter 2
Ella
Ella twirled the stem of her wine glass and shook her leg in anticipation. Gavin has to be here soon, she thought to herself. She pushed her long auburn hair behind her shoulders and took a long sip of her Cabernet. She had worn her favorite dress tonight. It had small cap sleeves and cinched in right at her waistline, accentuating her very curvy hourglass shape. She always felt like a pinup model in this dress, and she wore it to give herself that extra confidence boost. Despite their year of dating, Gavin still made her nervous and self-conscious.
Gavin Halloway was the real-estate mogul who had captivated Ella’s heart the moment she laid eyes on him. He was tall and muscular, with a strong chin and perfectly cut and styled blond hair. He was 100 percent out of Ella’s league, and she knew it. Gavin had been notorious for dating stick-thin models, so when he had shown the slightest interest in her, she felt like she was in a fairy tale. They had met at a cocktail party for the investment bank she worked for. She’d been standing at the bar waiting for a drink when he had come up behind her.
“Need some help?” Gavin asked. Ella had been unsuccessfully trying to get the bartender’s attention for the last several minutes.
“Apparently,” Ella said. “Normally bartenders serve the ladies first, but this one, I think, prefers the gentlemen more.”
Gavin smiled at her. “Well, I can easily fix that, then,” Gavin said, and leaned over the bar. The bartender had taken one look at him and shot him a big smile, and they had had their drinks in an instant.
Their relationship had been easy at the beginning. Ella was so caught up that a guy like Gavin could be with a girl like her that she ignored a lot of the red flags. Now, however, the warning signs were becoming harder to ignore.
Ella looked around at the restaurant and eyed the couples around her. They all seemed so happy, sharing their meals and holding hands across the table. She let out a sigh. Why couldn’t her relationship with Gavin be that simple? How did things become so complicated?
Ella looked down at her watch again and noticed that Gavin was now an hour late. She drummed her fingers across the white tablecloth in frustration. The excuses in her head that he had hit traffic or got caught up with something at work now faded from her mind. Ella had started to read between the lines and realized what his excuses actually were. He wasn’t going to show up to dinner. He had forgotten about their date yet again, and was spending his evening with someone else.
Ella let out a huff of frustration and finished up her wine. Relationships were not supposed to be filled with disappointment. While Gavin certainly was a catch, she didn’t deserve to be treated like this. She pulled out her cell phone and saw that there was a voicemail. Great, Ella thought. Leaving a voicemail so he wouldn’t have to actually talk to her. Ella rolled her eyes and pressed play.
“Hey Ella,” Gavin said. “I know you are probably pissed at me right now, but I just wasn’t able to get away from work.” Anger bubbled in Ella’s chest and she quickly ended the message and slammed the phone on the table. The couple next to her shot her a glare, but she ignored it.
Of course he had to “work late” again. That was his excuse last weekend as well, and she was absolutely tired of it. Ella forced her eyes shut in frustration as the memory of what happened last weekend flooded her mind.
Gavin had been working late and he had promised he would come by her apartment for a late dinner and a movie. Ella had spent hours in the kitchen cooking, making her favorite Italian dish, lasagna. She even went as far as making her own noodles. The meal was ready and remained in the oven to stay warm. An hour passed and there was still no word from Gavin. She tried giving him a call, but there was no answer. Another hour passed and Ella was about to give up and go to bed when there was a soft knock at her door.
Ella walked up and looked through the peephole. “You are over two hours late, Gavin,” Ella said.
“I know, Ella,” Gavin said. “I am so sorry, but my meetings ran over again and I couldn’t find a moment to give you a call.” Ella sighed and opened up the door. Gavin leaned down to hug her and she inhaled, hoping to smell his amazing cologne. Instead, she was surprised by a floral smell that was distinctly feminine.
Ella had asked him about the perfume, but he had brushed it off, saying that it must have been from his clients. Ella had tried to argue with Gavin, but he continued to expertly deflect the situation and distracted her with his amazing lips. Ella hated how Gavin captivated her, but this was the last straw. Ella would not continue to be there whenever Gavin wanted.
Her job as an investment banker was just as demanding as his, and yet she was able to make the time for him. That’s it, she thought. He was going to get an earful of how she felt. She quickly pressed his name in her phone favorites. The phone rang a few times, and Ella feared that he wouldn’t pick up. She was about to give up when Gavin finally answered.
“Hey Ella,” Gavin said, but his voice was muffled by loud music behind him. Anger coursed through Ella’s veins. He had lied to her about being at work. Instead of coming to their date, he was at some bumping club and trying to hide it by stepping outside.
“I knew you weren’t actually at work,” Ella said.
“Wait, Ella, it’s not what...”
“Have fun wherever you are at. I can’t do this anymore.” Ella cut Gavin off.
“Ella, I’m sorry,” Gavin said.
“If you were really that sorry, or if you even cared about me at all, you would have made it a point to come to dinner. You have been blowing me off for days now about actually getting together, so I am going to make this super easy for you. We are done. I deserve so much more than this.”
“Ella, come on, let’s talk about this,” Gavin said. “I am meeting with a client and…”
“A client?! At a nightclub? Are you fucking kidding me, Gavin? I can hear the music in the background.”
Gavin became silent.
“That’s exactly what I thought,” Ella said. “There is nothing left to talk about.” Ella hung up the phone with her hands slightly shaking. Holy hell, she thought. Where had all that power come from? This was the first time she had ever stood up for herself, and it felt fantastic.
Ella was always the one to not let people know when she was upset. She hated confrontation, and always did her best to completely avoid it, which meant she would end up more times than not being a mat that people walked all over.
Ella paid the check for her wine, and as she left the restaurant she sent a text to her best friend Sierra.
He stood me up. Again. I am so done with this bullshit. I ended it.
What an asshole! Congrats on finally growing a pair and taking control. He isn’t worth your time. I’m coming over with wine to celebrate.
No, you don’t need to do that. I’m just going to curl up on the couch and watch a movie.
You sure?
Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
Ella shut down her phone before Sierra could talk her out of it. She knew that Sierra was only trying to make her feel better, but at that moment Ella just wanted to be alone. She didn’t want to see the look in Sierra’s eyes, telling her I told you so. Sierra had warned her about Gavin from the beginning, and Ella had ignored her. She had been too caught up in the relationship and fell too quickly for a man that would never actually love her back. That had always been Ella’s problem when it came to relationships. She always fell too hard too fast. Sierra had warned her so many times to not rush her feelings, but Ella couldn’t help it. She was a true romantic at heart.
Ella changed into her favorite sweatpants and comfy t-shirt and put in her favorite romantic comedy. Deep down she knew she was stupid to believe in true love and fairytales, especially after her experience with Gavin, but a part of her wanted to believe that the fairy tale actually existed.