Darren leaned against the kitchen counter, phone pressed to his ear. For a moment, he wondered how Alison had gotten his number.
He hoped that she didn’t go searching about him and got his number from Lily.
But that was impossible, he got a new line some weeks ago.
Right. He remembered now. When they had gone on that impromptu ice cream date, they had exchanged numbers. Honestly, he had almost forgotten about it.
He had forgotten about mostly everything that happened that day. Except being hit on countless times by college girls.
"Hello," he said, his tone neutral.
"Hey Darren. How are you?" She asked, her voice light and casual. "It’s Alison."
"I know," he said. "I have your number saved."
He understood that she might have been nervous or insecure about that. Maybe she had thought he didn’t care at all to save her number.
Darren wasn’t that heartless.
"I’m good anyway. How are you?"
"I’m great, actually! It’s nice to hear your voice." Her cheeks reddened on the other side of the call.
A man’s voice in the morning. The world’s greatest aphrodisiac.
"Uhm..." Darren’s voice sounded like a groan. "Thanks?"
"Yeah. So, remember that night drink I told you about? The little get-together with some of our old school friends?"
Darren took a sip of his coffee, mulling over the memory. Yeah, he did remember her mentioning it briefly, though at the time, he hadn’t given it much thought.
Did he agree to anything? Fuck.
"Yeah," he said, threading lightly.
"Well, it’s happening tomorrow night," she said, her voice lifting with excitement. "Are you still interested?"
Darren set his mug down. At least she’s still giving me the chance to choose again.
He thought about it. A get together of his former colleagues in school. Ugh... Depends.
"Who’s gonna be there?" he asked.
"Oh, just some of my friends."
Darren’s brow arched slightly. Some of her friends? His tone remained measured, but his next question carried more weight.
"Will Tyler Mooney be there?"
There was a noticeable pause.
Kara, who had been eavesdropping shamelessly while buttering a piece of toast, perked up. She widened her eyes mockingly at him and mouthed oooooh before grinning.
Darren looked away.
Allison’s voice came back, a little too quickly. "No! Of course not. Ever since we broke up, we don’t even talk anymore."
Darren didn’t react immediately, letting a beat of silence pass.
Kara leaned closer, making exaggerated faces, mimicking Allison’s nervous response. Darren gave her a sidelong glance but ignored her antics.
Finally, he exhaled. "Fine. Text me the location. I wouldn’t mind catching up with some people."
Truthfully, his decision wasn’t just about socializing.
He was about to start his company, and a gathering of former college mates — especially those from the business and finance department of BUBL — could be useful.
Conversations could spark ideas, connections could be made, and valuable insights could surface.
Not a bad move.
Allison’s relief was almost tangible through the phone. "Really? Great! I’ll text you the place right away!"
Kara, still watching him, narrowed her eyes and started mouthing ’Who is this?’ dramatically, pointing at his phone.
Darren ignored her, finishing the call with a simple, "See you then."
As soon as he lowered the phone, Kara pounced.
"So, who’s Aliiiiiison?" she asked, drumming her fingers on the counter with mock curiosity.
"Someone I know," he replied, brushing past her to grab his coffee again. "Or used to."
"’Someone you know,’ huh?" Kara smirked. "That didn’t sound like ’someone you know.’ That sounded like ’someone I went on a date with but forgot about until she called just now.’"
Darren said nothing. He just took a slow sip of his coffee.
Kara leaned in closer, resting her chin on her hand. "Sooooo...?"
"How would you like a job?" he asked abruptly.
Kara blinked. "A job?"
He nodded.
She narrowed her eyes, staring at him. "You deflect like a pro. I respect that."
But she was intrigued. "What is this job you’re talking about? In fact, scratch that. What’s the pay."
Darren simply smirked and finished his coffee. "Come. We’ll talk about it over another round."
Kara was unable to do anything as he grabbed her by the arm and led her back to the bedroom.
"Jesus, Mr D. You’re gonna run yourself dry."
------------------------
The next night came quicker than Darren expected.
The city lights shimmered against the sleek, metallic body of Darren’s Aston Martin as he pulled up to the curb. The low growl of the engine purred to a stop, drawing the attention of nearby pedestrians.
A group of young men passing by let out whistles of appreciation.
"Damn, look at that ride."
"That’s an Aston Martin One-77, man! That’s, like, one of the rarest models out there!"
"Who the hell owns that?"
Darren didn’t acknowledge them. He stepped out of the car, dressed in a casual yet affluent ensemble: black tailored slacks, an open-collared white button-up, and a sleek, dark gray blazer that complemented his sharp features.
On his wrist, a subtle but expensive timepiece gleamed under the city lights.
Across the street, two women at a café’s outdoor seating area turned their heads. One of them subtly nudged the other, whispering something as their eyes followed him.
Darren barely glanced their way.
Instead of parking right in front of the bar-restaurant he was supposed to meet Allison and her friends at, he had chosen to park a fair distance away.
Why?
Because he wasn’t entirely sure who would be there yet. Rolling up in an Aston Martin straight to the entrance was a statement.
And he didn’t want to come off as a showoff. At least not yet.
His shoes tapped against the pavement as he walked toward the venue, the crisp night air carrying the low murmur of city life.
The restaurant-bar was called The Gilded Stag.
He knew about it but he hadn’t really been inside before. Didn’t have the money for such a fancy place. Experience exclusive tales on freewebnovel
It was a polished establishment with a modern but slightly rustic touch. Its golden sign of stag horns glowed under the warm exterior lighting, casting a soft hue over the stone entrance.
Darren pushed open the light glass door which made a bell sound as he stepped inside.
The ambiance was lively but not chaotic, the hum of conversation was present, including clinking of glasses and cutlery.
Darren scanned the room.
Not long after, he spotted her.
Allison, sitting in a corner booth, waving at him.
Around her, three other women and—
Darren’s gaze landed on the one man sitting with them.
His expression barely changed, but something inside him cooled slightly.
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He recognized him.
That was Terry Wilson.
A familiar face from college.
And not in a good way.
Terry had been one of his bullies back in the day. A good friend of Tyler Mooney.
Darren’s jaw set ever so slightly.
Well. This just got interesting.