Alpha Billionaire Series
The Wrong Choice Chapter 11

GAVIN

I held my arm out to Madison, who lightly rested her hand around my elbow. She wore a pastel pink dress that really made her tanned skin glow. She wore her long black hair down, parted to one side, and her makeup was quite tasteful. In all, she was the most stunning woman in the restaurant. I led her toward the table, following our host as he weaved between tables carrying our menus.

Long burgundy curtains hung from ceiling to floor along the large pane-glass windows that lined the entire front and side of the restaurant. The view wasn't spectacular outside, but they made up for it by the design inside. The massive U-shaped bar in the center of the dining room had been fashioned like a 1930s mob dive, and the gold wingback chairs at every table screamed "money."

"This is a pretty nice place." Madison's grip on my arm tightened slightly, and I patted her fingers.

"It's just a restaurant. We can go somewhere else if you prefer." I wanted to make her comfortable. After all, we were supposed to be doing this as friends, so what type of friend would I be if I let her be miserable?

"No, it's okay." She offered a tight smile, then stepped away from me as the host pulled out her chair.

"We have fish on the menu tonight: pollack and salmon. And we have an excellent porterhouse steak too. Your waitress will be along shortly to get your drinks. Let me know if you need anything else."

The waiter pushed her chair in as she eased herself into it, and I took a seat across from her. "Thank you." After dismissing the waiter, I unrolled my silverware from the cloth napkin, and draped it over my waist before scooting my own chair in. I'd been to this restaurant a dozen times on various occasions, and I knew their food was amazing. My mouth was already watering just thinking about the linguini.

"So, what's good here?" Madison asked, picking up the menu the host laid on the table. She opened it and started poring over the contents, and all I could do was watch her. The slightest inflection of emotion on her face captivated me. I was falling in love with this woman.

"Excuse me?" I missed what she said because I was so enamored of how beautiful she was.

"What's good to eat here?" She chuckled and looked at me with confusion. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just thinking how amazing you look tonight."

Madison's face fell, her eyes locking back on the menu. She remained fixated on it for a few moments, her eyes darting between the pages so fast I knew she wasn't reading it, and I wondered if I had said something wrong.

"So, Drew took a turn for the worse? Alice told me he did, but she offered no details." She didn't look up, and I wanted to look down, but I kept my gaze on her, watching her expression. She looked pained.

"Yeah, he did. I can't really talk about the details-the whole doctor-patient thing, you know."

"I know... Is that why you didn't tell me?" She didn't sound upset, but she didn't sound like she appreciated the secrecy.

"We had just... well, it was the next day, Madii. I know by law what I have to do, and given what happened between us, well I didn't know how to approach the topic."

I reached over and pulled the menu down, so she was forced to look up at me.

"It's okay. I understand that you're bound by law. Just as a friend, we could have talked a bit, even without details."

I grimaced. It felt like a kick to the gut. "You're right. I am sorry." Changing the subject, I added, "Speaking of what happened with us..."

"Yeah, about that."

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Madison." My mouth moved faster than my brain, and the words spilled out before I could contain them.

Madison looked up at me with concern in her eyes, but not surprised. Maybe she knew this confession was coming or something.

"I don't know what I feel right now. This is happening really fast for me, Gavin. You have had months to stew over your feelings, while I was sitting there attached to a dying man." She folded the menu and took a nervous sip of water, her eyes scanning the room as if she were seeing if others were watching her.

"I know and I'm not wanting to pressure you, but I really believe we could have something great. And I would take care of your heart so well; you know I would."

Madii shrank back in her seat with an uncertain look on her face. She folded her arms over her stomach in a defensive posture, but I pressed on. I was ready to move forward and see where we could go. I felt like she was letting her reluctance get in the way. "Are you happy right now with the way things are in your life?"

She looked up at me, her brow furrowed, and she shrugged. "Not really."

"With hanging around a hospital waiting for something to happen that may never happen. With spending your days and nights alone."

"I said no." Her tone was firm but not cold. She got my point.

"But were you happy last week when we were together? Have you been happy when we spent time together, eating lunch, talking?" I saw the recognition dawning on her face slowly. It lightened her expression, until a wave of shame washed over her expression. "And do you think Drew would want you to be unhappy?"

"So, are you ready for me to take your drink order?" The tall lanky waitress stood with pen and notepad in hand, all smiles. Her dangling earrings swayed as she chewed gum.

Saved from the intensity of the conversation, Madison sat up straighter again. "I'll just have water with lemon, thank you."

The waitress scribbled on her notepad and turned to me. "And for you?"

"I'll have whatever you have on draft."

She scribbled again, then tapped her pen on the edge of the notepad. "Any starters?"

"No thanks. Just the drinks for now." I offered a stern look and her eyebrows rose. She turned and walked away as quickly as she came, and I offered the same intense look to Madison.

"I am very happy when I spend time with you. It has really changed everything for me." Her voice was timid, and she hid her eyes behind long lashes. "And Drew would want me to be happy."

"So, what is holding you back then?" I reached my hand out to her, and she looked at it for a moment before sliding hers into mine. "Are you content to keep waiting for Drew, put your life on hold, watch your friends move on and leave you behind? Or do you want to take your life back and move on?"

She shrugged again, but she didn't pull her hand away. We sat there for a while holding hands until the waitress brought our drinks and took our order. From there I let up a little. I didn't want her to think that the only reason I invited her to come to dinner was to pressure her into a relationship with me. She talked about her photography and her friends.

Dinner was delicious and so was the conversation. I found her more intriguing every time we spent time together, and the more I got to know her, the more I loved everything about her.

After dinner, I drove her home. It was the perfect ending to the evening. I parked in her driveway, and we sat in the car talking for another 20 minutes. I was perfectly content to walk her to her door and kiss her goodnight. But she invited me in...