Convenience

Part 81

Eventually, David suggested quietly, "Meet for dinner."

She snorted. "Another of your strategy?" She asked cautiously, not trusting him, "Like this meeting today?" She shook her head. "I don't think so!" She said with a great deal of disdain. "No thanks!"

It was like having to deal with a kid, a two-year old! David grumbled under his breath. "We need to meet. Otherwise, our situation will carry on. A stand-off. In this car park!" He told her, "And sweeping it under the rug, wouldn't help you." He couldn't remember a time when he had to work so hard to reach a particular goal! Even in his business. He had a plan, he followed his strategies, and everything just fell into place. Of course there were a few snags, minor snags, and nothing like dealing with Beatrice's stubbornness! Still, he waited with baited breath for her response.

Silence.

"Well?" He prompted.

"Rug?" She shook her head again. "I turned up here, remember, for that meeting, remember?" Beatrice rolled her eyes in complete disbelief. "You call that sweeping it under the rug?" She murmured, wondering how she could be attracted to a man who is so arrogant. She glared. "Why would I do the same? Again! After what happened today?"

He knew that Beatrice was not going to cut him a slack. And he also figured that clearing the decks was probably the best way to go forward. "We need to meet. You know that."

She started to say, "I..."

He interrupted, holding out his palm. "You know I don't want a divorce." With a wry grin he continued on a different tack, "You are beautiful."

She blinked at that compliment. For five years he'd all but forgotten she even existed, how could she be so remarkable? "I was beautiful when you married me!" She said with a loud huff that made his lips turn up at the corner.

He nearly laughed at himself. He knew that she had determination, courage, everything that he considered to be real value: Characteristics of beauty - grace, independence and feisty. He was right. She was beautiful. Then and now. "You really are an extraordinary woman." He said confidently, "Smart, feisty, kind, beautiful."

She snorted. "As I said, I am!" Despite this situation she hoarded his compliments.

He chuckled and smiled in understanding

She said quietly, looking directly into his eyes. "Just a shame that you only realized it!" She said in a tone of voice that sounded far calmer than she felt.

He stopped laughing, and his smile vanished. She was right. David said, "Let's talk this through."

Her eyes narrowed at his tone. She growled at him, "Why?"

He announced candidly, "I told you, I don't want a divorce." He feigned nonchalance, "Remember?"

"Why do you need me?" She couldn't help the terse words. She felt her stomach knot with tension.

"I want a wife. I want to have kids." He took in a deep breath. "Ok, if I am going to be honest, yeah, I wanted to have a proper family. For that, I needed to have a real wife."

Beatrice threw her head back and glared furiously at him. "You can have any woman as a wife. You have beautiful women falling at your feet. I have seen the photographs." She said. He swore under his breath and he ran a hand through his hair and left it massaging the back of his neck. The repercussions of his previous actions were coming to roost. "And yet, you are contemplating staying with me?" Beatrice questioned with genuine gravity. "That doesn't make any sense to me." She muttered beneath her breath, "You just want a wife."

That is exactly what he thought a few weeks ago. He spent so much time, and his energy, on his business. But he thought that life was passing him. Time passes so quickly.

He didn't even notice it, his professional life, his social life, were perfect. Until he realised that his life was missing a part. His social life was not the same as his personal life. Sex, not love, that's all he wanted five years ago. And now, there was no one in his life, no one who made him feel special, no one who loved him. His social life was fine, sex was fine, but there was no love. And it was only a few weeks ago that he realised that love mattered.