Chapter 49: Stood Up
Maya stepped out into the lobby of the hotel and looked around. She didn't want to be late, but she didn't want to be too early either, so she had arrived exactly at 8pm.
In her long black evening gown, her legs looked particularly long, and everyone that walked past couldn't help but stare, especially since she also had a mask on.
Maya stood awkwardly near the entrance and glanced out at the drop-off spot in front of the hotel. She was embarrassed to see Lucas again after the way they had left off earlier, but she also felt oddly excited.
She subconsciously reached for her neck and whispered to herself, "I hope it's still covered well..."
She took a deep breath and stood there patiently.
But...
One minute passed...
Two minutes passed...
...Ten minutes passed...
Maya glanced at the clock on the wall and felt slightly disappointed. She couldn't believe that she had felt slightly excited to see the man, yet he was late. Clearly, he was not excited at all.
She glanced at the clock again and frowned. Was he arriving half an hour late like he did on their blind date? [Forget it, since you're driving, I'll forgive you.]
Maya tried to make excuses for the man: perhaps he was unfamiliar with the road or there was traffic. But as the clock hit 8:30pm, her heart began to sink. Was he still coming? Had she been stood up? Or even worse...did Lucas get into an accident? She didn't even have his phone number to call him...
So...she continued to wait...
...
Some decisions in life were difficult to make, especially when it involved change. For Sam, who had been in love with Delilah for 10 years and had lived a lie this entire time, changing took a lot of courage.
Sitting inside the club where he was meeting Dr. Brown, Sam sipped on a glass of Whiskey on the Rocks and frowned. Tiffany glanced at her best friend. He seemed to be troubled by something but she couldn't figure it out. Placing her arm around his shoulder, she smiled comfortingly and asked, "What's wrong, babe?"
Sam slammed his drink on the table, brushed her arm aside, and said in his most manly voice, "Don't call me babe!" He was over it. He was over the act.
Tiffany looked at her best friend in surprise. Normally, this pretty boy was feminine and soft-spoken. Even when he went to the bar or the club, he would order pretty cocktails. But today...there was something different about him.
At that moment, a handsome blond man suddenly approached and tapped Sam on the shoulder.
Tiffany looked at the man in surprise. There was no wind, but his wavy hair seemed to sway with the music. The club was dark, but his blue eyes seemed to twinkle like sapphires. Did Sam know this handsome man?
"Sam, you're here early," the man exclaimed. "DJ Dee won't be performing until 10."
Sam turned and glanced at the man. With a polite smile, he said, "I needed a drink, Dr. Brown. You're here early too."
The blond man nodded his head. "It's rare for me to have a night off so I came early to soak in the vibe. I didn't want to invite you too early in case I seemed too keen," he said shyly as he sat down beside Sam. "By the way, you should stop calling me Dr. Brown. We're not at the hospital anymore. You can call me Mason."
Tiffany looked at the man and realized he was Delilah's doctor; the one that was apparently interested in Sam.
Looking at the handsome man, Tiffany began to wonder: was Sam upset because of this doctor?
Feeling like a third wheel, she quickly introduced herself and headed for the dance floor. "Hi Dr. Brown, I'm Tiffany. I heard a lot about you. You two chat, I'm going to go enjoy the music," she said with a wink.
Mason Brown's heart lit up when he heard this. She had heard a lot about him? Did Sam talk about him? What did he say?
He quickly ordered two drinks and gave one to Sam. "This one's on me," he said gentlemanly.
Sam raised the glass thankfully and drank it down in one go. Seeing this, Mason sensed something wasn't right. "Are you upset about something? Ever since earlier, it seems like something's been troubling you..." he asked.
Sam looked into the man's eyes. Although he wasn't actually gay, he had nothing against gay men. In fact, he had made a lot of friends in the gay community and enjoyed talking to them. They were particularly good listeners and they were sensitive, understanding, and compassionate. He had actually learned a lot from them. So...he subconsciously found himself confiding in Mason.
"Have you ever liked someone so much that you lied to them just to stay by their side?" he asked.
Mason looked at the man with seriousness and shook his head. "A relationship built on lies is not a healthy relationship..." Who had he been lying to? It seemed to be tormenting him.
Sam laughed and nodded his head. "I agree," he said with self-ridicule.
"In that case, have you ever loved someone for a really long time, only to realize that you were wrong all along? That you were just being stubborn and had no idea what you actually wanted?" he continued to ask as he ordered another drink.
The doctor nodded his head, "It takes a long time for us to discover ourselves. To tell you the truth, I thought I was in love with a woman for 5 years until I finally came to terms that I was actually interested in men."
Sam thought about this comment and nodded his head as he took a sip of his drink. That's true. He had heard similar stories from his other friends. Suddenly, he didn't feel as bad anymore.
Not too far away, Tiffany looked at the two men as they chatted and drank. With a smile, she took a photo and sent it to Delilah. "Don't they make a cute couple?" she asked.
Over at the hospital, Delilah received the message and looked at the couple. With a smile, she replied, "Adorbs!!!"
But for some reason, deep down, her heart hurt a little...
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone