Mother

Chapter 5

I glanced at the stack of papers on my desk, knowing I wouldn't get through them tonight if Santiago had his way. "I'll deal with it tomorrow", I thought, standing up and grabbing my coat.

The drive to Loxers was quiet, the streets mostly empty at this hour. It was an upscale nightclub Santiago loved, a place he could charm just about anyone. When I pulled into the parking lot, I spotted his car right away, a flashy sports car that screamed look at me. Typical Santiago.

I walked in, immediately greeted by the loud hum of music and dim lighting. Santiago was easy to spot, sitting in a booth near the back, already holding a drink and grinning like he'd just won a prize.

"There he is!" he exclaimed, standing up to greet me. "Dominic, I thought you'd bail on me."

"I should have," I muttered, sliding into the seat across from him. "This better be worth it, Santiago. I've got a lot on my plate right now."

"Oh, come on, don't be such a killjoy," he laughed, handing me a drink. "Tonight, we're relaxing. You work too much. You need to live a little."

"I live just fine," I said, taking a sip of the drink. "What's this really about? You didn't just drag me out here to have a drink and talk about my work-life balance."Santiago smirked, leaning forward.

"You know me too well. Alright, fine. There's someone I want you to meet."

I sighed, already knowing where this was going. "Santiago, if this is another one of your matchmaking schemes"

"Listen, listen," he interrupted, holding up a hand. "It's not like that. Well, maybe it  is a little like that, but trust me, this one's different. She's smart, successful, exactly your type. I thought you two could hit it off."

"You've said that about the last ten women," I said flatly. "What makes this one so special?"

"Because she's actually someone who could keep up with you. You need someone like that. And don't lie to me, you've been stuck in that office for way too long. You need a break, and who knows? Maybe you'll finally meet someone who can get you out of that constant work mode and take care of the boys."

Before I could protest, Santiago waved over a waitress. "Another round, please, and could you tell Isabella to come over when she's ready?"I shot him a look, but he just shrugged.

"You're already here, Dom. Just relax and enjoy the night. Worst-case scenario, you have a couple of drinks, and we leave. No harm, no foul."I sighed, leaning back in my seat. I didn't have the energy to argue anymore. I'd play along for now.

A few minutes later, a woman approached the table. She was striking, with a confident stride. Santiago stood up immediately, greeting her with his usual charm.

"Dominic, this is Isabella," he said, introducing her with a grin.

"Isabella, meet the notorious workaholic I told you about." he said, a teasing glint in his eyes. Isabella extended her hand, her smile warm and effortless, I glanced at her outstretched hand, then met her gaze, feeling that all to familiar twinge of discomfort. how do I keep letting myself get caught in these awkward introductions.

Isabella still smiled confidently , her gaze steady. "Santiago has told me a lot about you."

"None of it good, I'm sure," I said dryly, shooting a glance at Santiago.

She laughed. "Don't worry, I know how to take Santiago's stories with a grain of salt."As I leaned back into my chair. I started getting bored I gave Isabella a quick glance, and something about her presence rubbed me the wrong way. She seemed too polished, too put dressed and too put together, like she had rehearsed this entire night in her head already. I could see Santiago's hand in this from a mile away. It was all too predictable.

"So, Dominic," Isabella started, her voice slightly calculating. "Santiago tells me you work in finance?"

I took a sip of my drink, keeping my expression neutral. "Yes." I said, my tone clipped. I didn't bother elaborating. I wasn't in the mood for small talk, and I definitely wasn't in the mood to entertain another one of Santiago's misguided matchmaking efforts.

"That sounds fascinating," she said, leaning in slightly. "I actually work with a lot of consultants in my own line of work. It must be really demanding, though, especially with the long hours."

I could hear the subtle fishing for common ground in her voice, but I wasn't interested in playing along so I kept quite I wasn't about to waste time pretending like I cared about impressing her.

Santiago, sensing the tension but clearly trying to salvage the situation, cut in with his usual charm. "Oh come on, Dom, don't scare her off already. Isabella runs her fathers PR firm, she's always busy too. You two have a lot more in common than you think."

I shot him a glare. "I didn't come here to compare workloads, Santiago. I came because you wouldn't leave me alone."

Isabella's smile faltered slightly, but she recovered quickly. "It's understandable, Dominic. It can be hard to switch off after a long day. I get it." Her attempt to be understanding only irritated me more..

I sighed and leaned back in my seat. "Look, Isabella i really don't have time to play this game." I gestured vaguely between the three of us. "I didn't come here to be set up."

"Santiago seems to think I need to be fixed or 'saved' from my work. I don't,  so why don't you go back to wherever you came from so I could actually enjoy my night here."

Isabella blinked, clearly caught off guard by my words. Her perfectly composed facade faltered for just a second before she composed herself.

"But we would be such a great match and Santiago told me you have kids, think about it, my mother told me I would make such a good mother one day." she said changing her tone to a very high pitched one.

"Don't you ever speak about my children nor about being their mother, now your place." I said raising my voice. Santiago, on the other hand, was staring at me in regret.

"Why can't I, have you seen me. i'm so perfect, beautiful, and rich I even own a company what more do you need in a woman."  Isabella said getting upset.

"The company you own is your father's so why don't you get out of my face before I make you. I said my voice getting deep and low. Isabella got scared, she grabbed her purse and ran off, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

"Hey Don wait" Santiago tried as I made my way to the stairs. "This is not how it was supposed to go down man"

"Santiago just leave me alone." I said making my way downstairs.

Hey Listen to me please"

Enough Santiago, you have already wasted enough of my time, I'm heading home now so leave it be"

"The  boys need their father who's always working and never there and they also need a mother to care for them don't you get it." Santiago shouted back.