WALK ME DOWN THE AISLE

* Chapter Thirteen *

The entire day of my stay at the office did not bring an end to my ordeal. David and Alice's dismay became conspicuous when they found out about my secret arrangement with Scott. I felt the urge to apologize, but why bother? I couldn't even forgive myself for my stupidity in thinking there was a tinge of expectation.

And nothing came of it, as everything was thrown away with no use to anyone. Well, that's not quite true, as I benefited from it, and I couldn't find anyone else to confide in except Vanessa and Don. So, when I went to the gym, I didn't hang back any longer, and as usual, they were both dismayed.

"You and Scott could have been fine if you had just been honest about your job," Don expressed worryingly. "Don is right, Danni. I wish you had brought up that you knew him as an actor. Why did it take you so long?" Vanessa preached to me with concern.

"I genuinely wanted to truly know him for who he is, beyond his public image and hidden secrets," I stammered, realizing my mistakes.

"And?" They both said it in unison. "To be honest, I wrote a story about our short encounter," I said, surprising them both.

"What? Are you serious, Danni? Does he know about this?" Vanessa questioned. "No, he doesn't have a clue. He really shouldn't be the protagonist in my story, Van. It should be the guy who looked after me in my room during your bachelorette party when I got drunk," I reasoned and confessed.

"Don't you realize that Scott was the one who saw you that night? Scott was the one who took you to your room, Danni. Scott was the man you were with and was searching for," Vanessa revealed with a smirk.

Why hadn't I discovered this from Scott right away? Why did I need someone else to inform me of his role when, all along, I was with him? I tried to find the man who helped me that night, but I was oblivious because my attention was focused on him.

I can't help but wonder about the unfortunate events that unfolded during our last conversation. Is there still a chance for me to express my gratitude or even extend an apology? However, the fear of the worst possible outcome looms over me when we meet again—the chance that he might despise me. I don't want our relationship to lose its significance and meaning if we were to end up severed because of my actions.

As fate would have it, Scott and I found ourselves face to face once again at a wedding, the third one we coincidentally attended. It was at that moment that I came to find out the reason behind our frequent encounters, not entirely surprised - Scott was a close friend of my boss' movie producer friend. In this interconnected small world, it seemed inevitable that our paths would cross in an event filled with people whose sole purpose was to turn stories into cinematic masterpieces.

Despite our history, I intended to keep our familiarity hidden, unwilling to stir up any more complications after the fallout from my confession of love. The memory of David's wise words lingered in my mind, "Maybe you deserve some respect from yourself." I didn't want to disappoint him any further or taint the image I had worked so hard to uphold.

Feeling suffocated by the weight of our shared past, I mustered up the courage to approach my boss, who was engrossed in conversation with his friends. Nervously, I leaned in and whispered, "Mitch, can I leave and go home now?"

Hoping for a reprieve from this uncomfortable situation I added, "I'm sorry," displaying a smile for his friends. "But something urgent has come up with my family." my request spilled from my lips, with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. "Funny how family problems always seem to pop up at inconvenient times," Mitch responded sarcastically, turning his back on me to join his friends and nod.

I couldn't entirely blame Mitch for his frustrations now. My boss had every right to be sarcastic with me. After all, I had made rash decisions in my personal and professional life, fueled by the pain of a broken relationship. I had been so convinced that my ex-partner was the one for me, ready to commit my life to him. But spending time with Scott opened my eyes to the bigger picture, making me question the expectations I had placed upon myself.