A Glimpse of His World

Each minute dragged and blended into the next until I felt almost numb as the hours passed in a cloud of stress. I was unable to concentrate, and my job was only half-written marketing text and a flurry of charts. I felt worthless, despite forcing myself to look at my computer screen. I kept thinking about Damien's offer, and as the day dragged to a close, the pit in my stomach only became worse.

I jumped as a voice said, "Hey, Audrey." Jake, an accounting colleague, was hanging uncomfortably at my desk when I turned to look at him. He had warm brown eyes, a soft smile that most of the ladies in the workplace found endearing, and youthful good looks. "Are you okay?" he said, his brow furrowed in worry. "You appear... anxious."

I reflexively responded, "I'm fine," despite the strained tone of my voice. "There is just a lot going on."

Despite his lack of conviction, he smiled sympathetically. "A group of us are going to O'Malley's if you need a drink after work."

I almost said "yes." Jake's invitation seemed secure—the type of diversion that wouldn't have any conditions or potentially harmful repercussions. But my head pounded just thinking about another packed, noisy bar. With a feeble grin, I lied and said, "Thanks, but I think I'm just going to call it an early night." "Perhaps next time."

After hesitating, Jake nodded. "All right. Please be careful.

A part of me wished I could embrace the simplicity of his generosity as I watched him go. However, I had already committed to something more riskier, and my world was no longer straightforward. I packed my belongings and left the workplace before anybody could stop me as the clock struck five.

---

The city rushed by in a haze of gray and neon as I rode the train home in a fog. I had less than two hours to get dressed by the time I got to my flat. As I entered my little bathroom and saw myself in the mirror, my stomach turned to knots with nerves.

My reflection didn't seem good. My hair was a knotted mess, and my eyes were darkened by dark circles. In an attempt to recall the last time I felt attractive, I ran my fingers through it. Damien would be anticipating a polished, self-assured individual. Someone who would have fit right in at Delmonico's, where power and wealth were as freely exchanged as wine.

He was getting me instead. Weary, scared, and broke.

"Come together," I mumbled, splattering my face with cold water. I couldn't afford to consider the implications of tonight or its potential outcomes. I just had to get through it.

I rummaged through my clothes with trembling hands, searching for anything that would seem classy. The majority of my clothing were dull and functional, remnants of my pre-crisis existence. A navy-blue cocktail dress I had purchased for a wedding years before, however, was hidden in the back. Despite its modest neckline, the way it hugged my contours gave me a sense of strength. I put it on, applied a little lipstick and mascara, and gazed at the stranger in the mirror.

Even if the change wasn't flawless, it was sufficient. Enough to give the impression that she could keep up with Damien, if only for a single evening. With my pulse racing, I reached for my phone and a little clutch, pushing my anxieties to the back of my mind where they couldn't stop me. 

The city was alive with bright brilliance as I ventured out into the nighttime air. Couples walked arm in arm, engrossed in their own worlds, as yellow taxis honked and swirled. I tried to let that energy fill me by taking a deep breath, but my nerves simply became more twisted. I was struggling to keep my composure by the time I got to Delmonico's.

The restaurant was slick, imposing, and very glamorous—exactly what I had anticipated. Marble floors were illuminated by crystal chandeliers, and the aroma of wealth and decadence was practically palpable. At the door, I paused, my bravery faltering as a doorman in a sharp black uniform inspected me.

"Miss, do you have a reservation?" With a kind but critical face, he inquired.

I swallowed hard, feeling like a phony all of a sudden. My voice was faint as I said, "I'm meeting someone."

Damien came out of the bar before I could explain. My breath was taken away from me as I saw him. He wore another well-tailored suit, this one in midnight black, with a clean white shirt that accentuated his face's dramatic angles. Something unfathomable flashed over his face as our eyes locked.

He strode over and said, "There you are." Half the diner turned to gaze at him because of his irresistible confidence. My flesh burned as he put a hand on the small of my back in a possessive manner. He told the doorman, "She's with me."

I could hardly hear the guy apologize as he moved aside. The combination of cedar and something dangerously smooth in Damien's fragrance made my knees weak, and his touch was electrifying. I struggled to catch my breath as he led me into the dining room.

His voice was low and personal as he replied, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."

With my heart pounding in my ears, I said, "I almost didn't." "I have no place here."

He came to a halt and looked at me. His gaze was seeking mine, intense. "Who says?"

I pointed to the majesty around us and said, "Everything about this place." "Observe me, Damien. I am... I'm not like you.

A grin curled his lips, but it stopped short of his eyes. "This is interesting because of that." His voice was a whisper on my ear as he drew in closer. "Believe me, Audrey. Compared to those who believe they *do* belong, I would much rather be here with you.

I detested how much his comments touched me, and they sent a chill down my spine. How effortlessly, despite my knowledge, he could make me feel unique. He escorted me to a secret corner table, where a bottle of wine was waiting, and I drew a trembling breath.

Nearly instantly, the waiter showed in, poured us each a glass, and announced the specials for the evening. I hardly heard anything. In a room full of sparkling diversions, Damien observed me with the same focused intensity, as if I were the only thing that mattered.

"Why me?" I couldn't contain the question any longer, so I blurted it out. "Why am I being invited here?"

With a contemplative face, he swirled the wine in his glass. "Because you don't mind challenging me," he said. "In my world, most people wouldn't dare."

I scowled. "I'm not putting you to the test."

"Not yet," he responded, his tone somewhat amused. However, I saw it last night. The way you gazed at me, like if you wanted to both go away and tear me down.

My neck started to become hot. "You're not even someone I know."

With a seductive voice, he raised his glass and remarked, "Then tonight is your chance." "Audrey, ask me anything."

I paused, my stomach churning with distrust. As if he had played this game with innumerable women before me, Damien exuded confidence and practice. However, I wanted to understand the nature of the danger I was facing since I was now perched on the brink of something I couldn't fully describe.

"All right," I answered, raising my glass to look him in the eye. "What makes someone like you want to spend a night forgetting the world?"

For the first time, I saw something unpolished behind his flawless façade as his grin wavered. “Because power doesn’t come without a cost,” he added softly. Additionally, the cost might sometimes be excessively high.

I was shocked by the response, but before I could question it further, a voice sliced through the atmosphere like a dagger.

A lady walked over to our table, her stilettos clicking, and drawled, "Well, well." "Again, Damien Knight, slumming it?"

I tensed up and turned to face a tall, blonde woman with a diamond-cut stare. Under the chandelier lights, her beautiful dress glistened, and she gazed at me as if I were an ugly object she had discovered on the bottom of her shoe.

Damien's mouth clenched. Coolly, he replied, "Claire." "Now is not the moment."

She looked straight at me, ignoring him. Her grin was razor keen as she replied, "I hope you know what you're getting into." "Happy endings are not something that Damien believes in."

The tension between us snapped like a live wire, and my pulse raced. I was left with a thousand questions as Claire pivoted on her heel and left. For a moment, as I looked directly into Damien's eyes, I saw the walls he had erected around himself, the ones that concealed secrets so dark and profound thatthey would drown me.

I suspected I was going to learn the specifics of those secrets.