Daniel and I met at a club. I had a habit of always complaining that I couldn’t find good men. My sister Kelly pointed out that the reason for that was that I was always dating younger men. In her view, a man in his early twenties could never make me happy because those are the years, he is building his life. So, instead, she suggested that I should go to these high-end clubs and meet the men with money.
Even though they had the potential to break your heart, at least you would be able to leave with expensive gifts. At first, I was sceptical, but I decided to try it. One random Saturday, I dressed up in a black low, sleeveless dress that accentuated my thick figure. To complete the look, I added some high heels and did my makeup.
Once I got to the club all I could see was smoke. The place was filled with countless shisha pots and people occupied most of the tables. Although the place was crowded, the drinks people were ordering were evidence enough that it was a place for the wealthy.
I roamed around for a while until I found a table with a couple. They were giggling and holding each other so much that they didn’t realize I was there. Since it was a high-end club, I knew the menu would be expensive but to avoid embarrassment I ordered a cocktail. As I waited for my drink, I stared at my phone even though nothing was interesting to see.
One thing I had forgotten to ask Kelly was what I was supposed to do as I waited to meet a man. Was I meant to stare at people, look at people’s shoes or straight into space? As time went by, I started to assume that everyone was staring at me. Maybe they were even pitying me. Eventually, my cocktail was brought and at least there was something else for me to focus on.
Once I finished my cocktail, I realized ordering another one would cost a lot, so I decided it was time to leave. No man had approached me, and I somehow felt like the odd one out. I called the waiter so I could pay my bill and he informed me it had already been settled.
“What do you mean it has been settled?” I asked.
“The man at the corner table cleared your bill,” He said, pointing at the man.
I looked around and finally spotted Daniel. He waved at me and although I was happy, I didn’t want to show it. That cocktail almost cost me much more than I had intended to spend. He signalled me to go over to his table and I did.
As I got close to him, I got a better view of him. He was wearing a blue polo shirt which complimented his upper body well. He also had a wristwatch and judging by his haircut he seemed like a man in his 30s.
I intended to say thank you and leave but he ended up engaging me in a conversation. During that short time, we talked I felt like I knew almost everything about him. The only thing that surprised me was that he was the owner of the club. The rest of the things seemed casual but interesting at the same time.
Unlike my other first times conversing with men, this time I didn’t feel any butterflies. I just enjoyed his company and how he paid so much attention to me. Also, it was nice to have someone to talk to after the awkward time I had spent alone.
After two hours of talking, I decided to say my goodbyes and leave. Before I left though, he asked for my number, and I gladly gave it to him. He informed me that he would text me and I smiled at him and left. When I got home that night Kelly was sound asleep, so I tried my best to be quiet. As I manoeuvred around trying to change and remove my makeup, a text popped up on my phone.
It was from an unknown number, so I knew it was Daniel.
“Hi, Grace. Thank you for keeping me company. Hope to see you again soon. Please save my number,”
I smiled at my phone and saved his number.
“At least this night didn’t turn out to be such a waste,” I thought to myself.
Daniel and I formed a texting relationship first and later moved on to a serious relationship. As our bond got deeper, I realized Kelly was right. Older men were better. Daniel always showered me with all the things I liked and took me on fancy dates. With time we also started going on vacations. Most of the stories I had heard of men in their 30s seemed like myths every time I thought about him.
We mostly spent time doing outside activities and I realized we didn’t do too many indoor activities. To change that, I asked Daniel if we could spend the weekend at his place. Shockingly he refused, which made me wonder what was wrong. During our next meetup, I decided to ask him again and he got upset.
“What could he possibly be hiding from me?” I thought to myself but decided to drop it.
We continued with our routine, and I never once went to his place. Months went by and his birthday was approaching so I decided to surprise him. Daniel worked and traveled a lot so there was no way I could do it on his actual birthday. Instead, I decided to do it the weekend before his birthday week.
I found out his address, ordered a cake and showed up at his door. He lived in some classy apartments where I had to bribe the watchman so I could get in. Immediately I rang the bell, a young girl opened the door and smiled at me.
“Hey, is this Daniel’s apartment?” I asked her.
“Yes, Daddy is just finishing up some things with Nicole,” She replied.
“Nicole?” I asked in a confused tone.
“Yes, would you like to come in and wait?” She asked.
I nodded, walked in and placed the cake on the table.
“So, what’s your name?” I asked her as we sat on the sofa.
“Jeanette,” She replied.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Grace, your daddy’s girlfriend,” I said.
“So, Daddy has two girlfriends?” She asked.
I felt my throat drying up but tried to contain myself after what she had just said.
“Who is Daddy’s other girlfriend?” I asked her, dreading her answer.
“Nicole, she spends most nights here, so I assumed she was Daddy’s girlfriend,” She replied.
Just then, Daniel walked down the stairs with Nicole. They were laughing until he spotted me, and his expression changed.
“Grace? What are you doing here?” He asked.
“I came to surprise you but since you were busy, I decided to wait. Jeanette has been keeping me company,” I replied with a fake smile.
“She told me she’s your girlfriend, but I was telling her Nicole is your girlfriend,” Jeanette replied innocently.
“Jeanette, please could you excuse us for a moment?” Daniel said as he continued to walk down the stairs.
Jeanette gave me a small wave before heading to what I assumed was her room.
“Grace, it’s not what you think,” Daniel said to me.
“Save it, Jeanette has no reason to lie to me,” I said trying to hold back my tears.
“Grace please,” He pleaded.
I stood up and headed for the door in silence.
“Happy early birthday Daniel, tell Jeanette it was a pleasure to meet her. And Nicole, I hope you enjoy being a skank,” I said before leaving.
During the Uber ride home, I replayed Kelly’s words in my mind. Even though she was right about older men being better, there was something else she was right about. Daniel had shattered my heart but at least this time I had memories of my trips and his expensive gifts to enjoy. Of course, they couldn’t mend my broken heart, but it was better than being in pain and having nothing worth remembering.
If you liked this story, check out
I Got Drunk And Started Confessing My Secrets
My Man Was Living A Double Life – His Betrayal Cut Deep Because I Did Not See This Coming
Her Secret Lover Embarrassed Her During A Family Gathering
He Did Not Expect The Betrayal That Followed His Conversion To Islam To Please The Woman He Loved
Swapped At Birth: The Mistake That Ended My Decade-Long Marriage
Her Grandmother Left Her An Heirloom That Revealed Hidden Secrets Part 1
