Chapter 111: Repeat Offender
It was the middle of the work day, and Derek Haven sat at his desk. His work laptop was open in front of him, the screen glowing. All over his desk there was paperwork, evidence that he was a man focused on his duties, and not being distracted in the least. But that was just for show. In truth Derek was a million miles away, his thoughts on something else. That something being what he had been up to the previous night.
The thing was, Derek was a big deal, and he knew it. People, random strangers, were interested in his life, it was just the way it had always been for him, ever since he had been a young boy. Even the most trivial things that he did, seemed to be of great interest to some.
For example if any reporter who covered the social pages was asked, what was it that Derek Haven did the night before. They would all come up with something along similar lines. There would be snippets in their articles saying things like:
Derek Haven, CEO of Haven enterprises seen at a social gala last night...
Or even, Derek Haven spotted out and about with popular actress so and so, could there be wedding bells in the future? Are we looking at a future power couple?...
Those were the sorts of things that the press who claimed to know him would write. But in reality they would have been so far from the truth that they would not have even been within touching distance of it.
What Derek Haven had done the night before was not something that anyone within his social circle would associate with him. And it had not been anything outlandish or wild. Instead Derek had gone to a small diner that the critics who frequented the fancy restaurants that he often went to, would never think to set foot in, let alone write about in their world famous blogs. But he had gone there, eaten a chocolate chip muffin, drank some tea and then paid for his meal, leaving a tip on top of the money for the food.
That was what he had done in a nutshell. To anyone else, that would have been it, and it would not have been anything truly spectacular, but for him it was so much more.
He had finally done something.Instead of chickening out at the door, and driving away. Derek had finally found the courage to open the door and let his presence be known to Emily. He had been able to walk into the diner sit down and have a meal. He should have been proud of himself and in a small way he was, but mostly, he was disappointed in himself.