When you realise

22. Hunter's Chance

Touching her again made me feel like I was coming home, I could breathe normally, I finally felt alive.

I knew that by coming here today it could go either really well or really bad, I knew she had an important meeting today and possibly would not give me the time of day, but I had to try, I was desperate enough to try anything.

When she first looked at me, she looked broken, all the warmth that is usually in her eyes was no longer there, she had a vacant look and I didn't like that look, she has never looked at me like that, she also looked fragile, pale and thinner, I had the urge to just hold her.

By the time she gave me five minutes, there was a bit of spark back in her eyes, giving me hope that there is a chance that I can get her back.

As much as I wanted to keep her there and listen to everything, I had to say to her, I knew she had a meeting to get to, so I reluctantly helped her off the seat and kissed her cheek, I wonder if I had kissed her lips if she would have kissed me back, I want to feel her lips on mine again.

I watched her walk back over to the table; you could visually see the confidence that radiated off her when she was getting back in business mode.

She reached the table and it was then that I saw Mel sitting at the table taking notes, I saw her look up and then looked back at Eliana's untouched food with a frown, it made me wonder if she has been eating properly.

I made my way back to my table, I told James that I had a chance to see Ellie today, that Mel told me where she was going to be, he suggested that since we were doing hand over for the latest contract that we had completed that we should all go out to celebrate and that way Ellie wouldn't question why I was there waiting for her.

I sat down and all eyes were directly on me and I couldn't help but smile a little, just by her agreeing to answer my calls and talk to me had me hopeful for the future.

"It looks like thing's went well" James said while handing me a menu.

"Yeah, something like that, she has agreed to answer my calls so that's a start" I replied while looking at Eliana, she was so close to me in that restaurant but she was still so far away. I just could not take my eyes of her and how she presented herself through her meeting.

I saw Melanie walk over and say something to the maître de before she made her way back to the table.

Another waitress came over to take our order and she was blocking my view, I couldn't see Ellie anymore, by the time the waitress was gone, Ellie was no longer at the table and I managed to catch a glimpse of her as she was walking out the door, I wanted so badly to chase after her but I knew I had to move slowly and carefully so that I wouldn't scare her off.

After a while the food was brought out and we started to dig in when the maître de came over to the table "How are your meals today" she asked, after hearing a chorus of goods and great she carried on "Miss Hasting has requested that you are her VIP customers today and your meals are complimentary of the restaurant, if there is anything, I can get you, please do not hesitate to let me know" she stated before walking back to her station at the front door.

I looked over to Mel who looked to be flirting more with the guy that Eliana had the meeting with than taking notes, I smiled thinking to myself that Eliana must have left them alone to see if something will come of it, after all he looked extremely interested in her.

"Wow free food" Marcus exclaimed excitedly

"I wonder who this Miss Hastings is, nearly every pub or restaurant we have been to in the last few weeks belongs to the Hastings Inc, it is on the back of every menu, I wonder if she owns them all and what makes us so special" Tim questioned