"No charade, Dominique. I meant it when I said I would like to get to know you better. For now, I can come to the club and talk if you would like. Or you can let me take you out on a real date. One where I come to pick you up and take you out."
"Why? What's so interesting about me? I really am boring. I'm a workaholic. I really don't do much outside of work."
"Perhaps I see myself in your situation. I worked very hard to get to where I am today. But you also remind me of my wife. I told you before. I lost her, but she would want me to be happy. And if I found true happiness with her, why wouldn't I want to jump at the chance of finding it again with someone just like her?"
"I'm not sure how I feel being compared to your wife. Doesn't seem like I stand a fair chance if I'm being compared to someone or you are constantly thinking of someone else."
I sighed and said, "I'm not comparing you to her. I'm finding the same happiness I once had. Have you ever felt true happiness with anything?"
"Yes, my music. Music is my life. I can always find a song that fits every mood."
"Well, imagine you lost that. If you found something else that made you just as happy, would you not pursue it?"
"Good point. I suppose I would. But honestly, I'm not looking to date. Once burned, twice shy."
"I can understand you are hesitant. Just get to know me first. I'm willing to be your friend first, and we can see where it goes from there."
"Ok. I can deal with that. So, newfound friend of mine, what would you like to talk about?"
"What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?"
"I play music. Whether it be me playing or me listening to music, I constantly have music playing, even when I'm writing. It doesn't matter if I'm in the shower. I have a speaker blaring music. It's an essential part of who I am."
"What do you write?"
"A little of this, a little of that. I've written poems, but they aren't very good. I mainly write short stories. I've written a book or two."
"Are any of your works published?"
"No. I just write for me. Whatever my mind dreams up, I put it on paper. I just write because I have to do something with all the material my mind thinks up. It's a good way to deal with my emotions. I simply write them out into a story. Some aren't great, but some are, I think anyway."
"Do you ever let anyone read them?"
"No. I told you that I only write for myself. However, I let Melissa read one of my short stories once. She liked it, but she might have just lied to not hurt my feelings," Dominique laughed.
"I'm sure she really did like it. Maybe if we get to know each other, I can talk you into letting me read one sometime."
"I won't say never because no one ever knows what's going to happen, but I will say it's doubtful. Do you mind if we sit down?"
"I like holding you close, but we can sit since we are talking."
Dominique sat at the corner table and asked, "So, you said you're an investor. What do you invest in?"
"I own a few properties. But mainly, I have a stockbroker that does my investing for me. Some of my investments are overseas, and that is why I work later into the night. Different time zones from me."
"I see. So, you never leave your house unless it's dark? You said earlier that you usually didn't go out before dark. Do you ever go out during the day?"
"Rarely. I usually just stay in and take care of business. I stay up later and sleep in because I need to be available for different time zones. I prefer the night. It has always felt more alive to me. During the day, you have the hustle and bustle of everyone working. But during the night, well, people come alive. I have always been a studious student of life."
"Did you major in philosophy or something?"
"No," I laughed. "I studied and still do study life. I never went to college. I do read a lot, though. But, mostly, I have just been lucky. I am very comfortable with what I have."
"So, you didn't come from money?" Dominique asked.
"My family had money. We were not millionaires, but we were comfortable. So I never lacked for anything material that I needed."
"Material? The way you say that sounds like you were lacking something else you needed."
"My mother was a sweet woman. She was strict when she needed to be. But I never lacked love from her. She died when I was 17. My father became a drunk after she passed. He was never really a good man anyway. He died when I was 22. I did not mourn his passing. Instead, I took over his company. My wife was there for me every step of the way. She could have the worst temper, but she was usually always sweet-natured."
"How long were you and your wife together? If you don't want to answer, you don't have to."
"We were together for nine years. Married for seven of them. We had our ups and downs, but it was worth it."
"You must have met at a young age."
"Yes, we did."
"Sounds like she was the love of your life. I can't imagine being loved or loving someone like that. My relationship was so crappy I don't think I ever want to get into another one."
"It couldn't all be bad. You were engaged, were you not?"
"Yeah. I thought he loved me. He was so sweet at first. He always brought me flowers or just texted me to say hello. After about a year, the romance died out some, but we were comfortable with each other. We never lived together, but we always stayed at each other's houses. We practically lived together. Then after about three years, he started working late all the time, or he would go out drinking. He started breaking plans with me and forgetting I was supposed to be at his house. When he would come home, he would be surprised I was there, and he would also be plastered. I put up with it for a couple of years because I did love him. But that last year, he was vicious with the things he said. He hit me once when I got in his face about the drinking. That was it for me. I started going to his job and finding out he wasn't working. I would wait until he left his house and follow him. That's when I found out about the woman he slept with."