Dark Redemption - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,5

him about my mom's recovery and I want to introduce him to her.

I don't know how long his trip to Chicago was going to be, but the fact that he hasn't called me back is a little bit concerning.

When Mom gets tired again, she asks me to turn down the lights so she can take a little nap.

I slip out into the waiting room and call him.

Again, my phone goes directly to voice mail.

"Hey, it's me.” I clear my throat. “I found out that you paid the hospital bill again and thank you so much. I just want to talk to you about how mad I got…And I don't know…. I'm sorry about that, but please give me a call back… It's Jacqueline."

My voice message is disconnected with thoughts, beginning and ending different places. I know that, but that's where I am right now.

I regret not organizing the statement in a more cohesive way, but I hope he understands. When I return to her room and crack the door, she’s fast asleep.

Back at the Marriott, I fill the hot tub and slip off my clothes. There's a little bottle of bubbles in the corner and I empty it and slide under the water, feeling the slickness of the soap on my skin.

I miss him.

I miss his touch.

I miss his lips on mine.

I miss taking all of those walks and talking about who we are.

I shared more of my life with Dante than I have with people whom I have known for a long time. He was just that easy to open up to.

I suddenly feel angry with myself, angry for pulling away from him, for pushing him away.

Of course, he shouldn't have lied, but I should have talked to him more.

I should have been in better control of my anger. The truth is that he gave me one of the greatest gifts that anyone has ever given me: he saved my mother's life.

And for that, I will be eternally grateful.

4

Dante

After I leave for Chicago, Jacqueline doesn't call me for a little bit and I assume that it's over. I have said my peace. I have apologized. There's not much else I can do.

When I get to the windy city, gusts come off the lake and tear all around me, chilling me to the bone. I stay in a five-star hotel with the view of the lake. My room is on such a high floor that I feel the entire building sway.

The following morning I have another interview with another CEO, another technology startup, and this one was recommended by an eager investor. Usually I don't do meetings like this, but it intrigued me. It's a dating app for people looking for long-term relationships.

Having never used any dating app before, I check out a few of its big competitors: Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Hinge, and Bumble. I swipe through all the options and the women start to feel like a buffet of choices.

My thoughts again return to Jacqueline. When is she going to stop haunting me? Probably when she finds out the truth. The only problem is that when she discovers that, I’ll lose her forever.

The following morning, I get up early, go on a run despite the wind chilland the gusts that make me practically airborne like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.

After three miles of pure torture, I surrender and run the other two miles on a treadmill in the comfort of a temperature-controlled gym. Sufficiently drenched in sweat, I head upstairs and jump into the shower. Again, Jacqueline pops into my head: the smoothness of her skin, the voluptuousness of her hips, the perkiness of her breasts. I lose myself in the memories of her curves.

I arrive to the appointment on time. I say hello to the security staff downstairs, show them my ID, ride up the elevator and introduce myself to the receptionist.

She shows me to another long conference room with a view of a huge skyline and the lake and offers me a cup of coffee, which I accept. A few minutes later, a petite woman with a tailored suit comes in holding a laptop.

"I'm Meredith Gains," she says, extending her hand.

"Hi, nice to meet you,” I say, genuinely surprised by how young she looks.

"Thanks for taking the time to come."

She has a pleasant smile and shiny lustrous blonde hair. After a little bit of chitchat about the weather and my trip to Chicago, Meredith dives right into the numbers.

She pulls them up on a big