The Brunette Luxe

Chapter Nine: The Encounter

Sitting on the balcony 20 minutes before Kyle was due to arrive, I had Adele’s soulful voice filling the suite with the lyrics of Rolling In The Deep pouring out around me, a glass of white wine and a cigarette in my hand. I was indulging in all of my vices at once, preparing myself to come face to face with my past. Kyle had once been one of those vices and as much as I tried to put it in the back of my mind, flashes of the past reminded me just how much I shouldn’t underestimate him. He was tenacious, strong willed, confident, resourceful, sexy, intoxicating and knew which buttons of mine he could push to get the result he wanted.  I drew on my cigarette as I remembered the car ride the morning after I had met him. It was definitely one of those moments in life that I was staring down a fork in the road. I had to make a choice about him, but deep down I knew the moment I came into his line of sight that I was never going to walk away without a fight. I was a challenge, someone he couldn’t manipulate the way he wanted. I was the one person who had ever denied him something he wanted, and it made him more determined to find out what it was going to take to get me.

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“Antonia, I won’t relent. If you want me to leave you alone then join me for dinner tonight. If you still don’t want to see me after that then I promise I will leave you alone. Deny me again and I will just keep pursuing you. Like I said, your intoxicating.” I considered his words as we arrived at the restaurant in Potts Point. A part of me wanted him to leave me alone but another part of me enjoyed the chase. I decided that I would join him for dinner and if I didn’t like it then I’d change my number and tell him to piss off.

“Fine Kyle. One dinner. Pick me up tonight at 8pm and if I don’t want to see you again after this, never call me or turn up at my house again...or I will call the police.” I said glaring at him in the passenger seat as I opened the door.

“Agreed, but trust me Antonia...you WILL want to see me again. I can also promise you that” The look in his eye told me he was dead serious. I didn’t know what it was about him that had me even considering spending any more time with him, whatever it was...I needed to get a grip. I didn’t really know this man at all but the general reputation he had was that he wasn’t just a business man, he was also painted as gangster., although nothing about the man sitting in front of me made me fear that possible side to him. I climbed out of the car and refused to turn back as I began walking towards the door to the cafe. I could feel his eyes burning into the back of me and it excited me to know that he had thought he’d won.

Breakfast was a success. Tash and I had a big laugh over the night before at Copyright and enjoyed a long conversation about anything other than Kyle Richardson. Before I left she asked me once more if anything else had happened with him during the meeting, I knew what she was thinking but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her anything. I was a discreet person and opening up about him, discussing what had happened that night would have forced me to tell her about our little rendezvous that morning and until I knew what was going on I definitely wasn’t getting her involved. I denied it all and made an excuse to leave earlier than expected. 

I walked along the harbor and as I looked out over towards the shore near Manly I felt a wave of sadness wash over me, The thought of Holly came out of no where but I found myself wondering where she was, what had happened to her and if she was happy. I sat on a rock and cried at the thought of everything I had missed out on, the experiences of growing up with a big sister to fight with, share things with and just the general closeness. I’d never blamed her for leaving me behind in that house, I just wished she had taken me along with her.

Later that evening I was back at home and began getting ready for dinner with Kyle. I had no idea where we were going so I opted for a small dark blue dress with white straps and slips of white down the side with a zipper around the front of my cleavage. I let my long dark curls down and painted my nails a bright red.  I looked myself over in the mirror as I placed on a pair of white heels and grabbed my clutch, I threw my phone, cash and cards into it and walked onto the balcony for a cigarette. 10 minutes later as I sprayed myself with perfume and popped a mint into my mouth I heard my phone ring. I leant over and retrieved it from my clutch. It was Kyle.