This is such a mess.
Regina tried to find time to visit Tesoro after they returned from Paris, but ever since the late-night visits with Owen became frequent, she had no time in the morning to drop by. To compensate for her cravings, Owen sent someone to deliver her favorite treats to his mother’s house daily. But now that they were living together and didn’t need to wake up early, they had enough time to sleep. Owen left early that morning for another early meeting, so Regina visited Tesoro to get her treats and say hi to the staff. Jason had been equally busy with the expansion of the menu ever since his training, so he had been busy talking to suppliers and local farmers to establish his new recipes. “Hey, Miss Beautiful, I haven’t seen you around lately. Have you found another cafe to get your treats from?” Regina laughed. It had been more than a week since she moved in with Owen, and though she loved being with him, it had been a while since she felt like laughing. The tension they shared over
“Mr. Bennet—” “Close the door, Regina.” He commanded without looking up from the paper he was shuffling through. “Should I come back? Is this a bad time?” she asked. “No, I’m just finishing some things, then we can go home.” “Together? But I brought my car with me.” “You can leave it here and take it when you need it later.” “But I wanted to get some cake tomorrow.” “You’re passing by the cafe again?” “Yes, and it’s a place I get food from. There is nothing wrong with that.” “It is when you know that the man who owns the place is attracted to you.” “I told him I’m not interested, and he is okay with that.” “It’s not okay with me.” “So, is that why you enlisted François to agree with your scheme to have Jason as an apprentice?” “Yes. I would do anything to get rid of my competition.” “Unbelievable!” “You are my girlfriend, Regina, and I would do everything to protect you, even from yourself.” “Protect me from myself?” “You are too nice, and people take advantage of that
Regina was so proud of herself after nailing down the pictures to the walls and re-decorating Owen’s condo with their pictures that she did not have time to make dinner. So, to surprise Owen, she got food for dinner. “Where the heck were you, Regina?” She was so surprised that she dropped all her purchases on the floor. “I went to get us food. Did you not get my message?” She replied as she closed the door and picked up the bags to bring them to the kitchen. “I did, but that was before I left my mother’s house. It’s been hours.” He looked at the labels on the bags and he sneered. “I see you couldn’t wait to go to your other boyfriend’s cafe as soon as you left my house.” “What are you talking about? I got us sushi and some Chinese noodles.” Regina pointed to the bags on the counter, and she understood why he thought she went to see Jason. She was cleaning up her car and stuffed some of the takeout food in a paper bag without noticing that it was a bag from Tesoro. “Don’t deny it.
When Owen woke up that morning, Regina was nowhere in sight. He knew she used the bathroom because it smelled of her shampoo and perfume, but when he checked the other rooms, she was gone. “Fuck!” He yelled into the quietness. There were a few issues that needed fixing that day, and he did not need Regina to be one of them. Arthur was still missing, and Owen was afraid of the damage he might cause, since he still had his badge on him. He could masquerade as an employee of B&D Construction and ruin their reputation. Owen knew he had to hire a private investigator to search for his missing employee. With that in mind, he hurriedly got ready for work and knew it was time to search for his girlfriend. He knew of only a few places she would go that morning, and he ground his teeth, hoping he was not right. Owen strides into Tesoro like he owns the place. When he doesn’t see Jason at the register, he heads to the kitchen, not caring if he should not be there. “Where is Jason?” He asked
“Where were you?” Owen asked as soon as she entered the Bennet mansion. “Are you here to grill me, Mr. Bennet? I still have time before my shift, so I have nothing to explain.” “I did not see you when I got up. I was just wondering if you had breakfast.” “Really? Is that why you came to my place to check if I’ve been there?” Owen closed his eyes briefly and sighed. He forgot to tell Jeffrey not to say anything to Regina, so of course the old man tattled on him. “Okay, you got me. I was concerned that I drove you away, and you went home when it’s still dangerous out there.” “Oh yeah, I bet you checked for me at Tesoro because you were so concerned about my safety, too.” “How did you know? Did Jason call you?” “No, of course not. I know you, Owen. That’s probably the first place you checked.” “Okay, fine I did. Who cares?” “I do. It’s because you don’t trust me.” Regina looked at him, waiting for an excuse or an argument, and since there was none, she pushed to get past him. “E
“Can we drop by my place before we head home?” “Why do we need to do that?” Owen asked. “I need to find an outfit for tomorrow’s event. I forgot to bring one when I moved to your condo.” “If I let you drive alone, would you have told me about this side trip?” “I just remembered it now because I was thinking about the party tomorrow,” she replied, but when he said nothing, she added, “We can just go to the mall. I just need a dress, any dress.” “It’s okay, we’ll drop by your place. Just don’t take long, okay? I don’t want you to be in that place unless necessary.” He felt uncomfortable being in her apartment, knowing that someone violated their privacy and videos of them making love might be circulating on the dark web. “Okay, I’ll be fast. I promise,” Regina grinned, sorting through the clothes in her mind so she could get everything she needed right away. Like Owen, the place gave her a creepy feeling, especially now that she knew someone had been spying on her, so she had no in
As Regina predicted, they were late for the event. They had a red carpet segment so the press could take pictures of the people to be honored that night and all its guests. But by the time the couple arrived, the organizers were stacking up the metal crowd barriers and cleaning up the red carpet. Regina and Owen sauntered, hand in hand, to the event with smiles plastered on their faces. The couple did not care that they were late because being in the limelight was not their cup of tea. The ushers hurriedly escorted them to their seats just as the lights dimmed and the awards ceremony began. The organizers showed a presentation about the awards handed out by the mayor every year to outstanding individuals in the community. Some of them get nominated by their colleagues, some by their students, and then people like Owen and Regina’s father were public figures chosen for their works. Regina clapped the loudest when her father received an award for the philanthropic efforts he had esta
Regina smiled radiantly at the people around them, the magical moment forgotten. “Do you want to get some refreshment?” Owen asked, and she nodded. He wanted to leave after getting the award. Being with too many people wanting to talk to him made him uncomfortable. Without his assistant, it was hard to say no to people. On the way to the bar, a woman grabs Regina for a quick chat, and Owen nods, telling her to go on while he gets her a drink. It was Carmen, Ronnie’s wife. “My love, it’s nice to see you. We didn’t think you would come.” “Well, I wanted to surprise everyone by introducing Owen, but I didn’t know he was getting an award, so I came as his date instead.” “Well, we saw that kiss earlier, so we knew you came, and we understand. I would ditch my family for a hot tamale like that any day.” “Don’t let Ronnie hear you say that. He might never let you out again,” Regina joked. “Oh, if that’s the case, maybe I should.” Carmen winked mischievously. “Well, I’m kind of nerv