SEDUCING THE BILLIONAIRE

Chapter 11

Duke had been very anxious about the interview, even after it was done and the producer assured him that it was a good one, he was still very much worried about how people would receive and react to it such that when it was airing, he sat in his bedroom watching nervously with a glass of whiskey. Before it was even over his notifications went off the handle, people sending him direct messages of love and support, others making social media posts and tagging him, telling him how brave he is and how much they love and support him.

It was so overwhelming for him such that his eyes became misty, and he almost shed a tear, but he shook his head, took a sip of his drink and cleared his throat. Real men don't cry just because the world they thought would shun them was showing them love and support.

Friends who had been close to him, but he had pushed away after the accident also reached out asking if they could get together and catch up.

"I haven't hung out with these guys since the funeral," he spoke as they were having dinner.

"Are you going with Aunt Audrey?" Lindsey asked and he looked at Audrey, his mouth slightly opened but he didn't know how to respond because frankly he hadn't thought of taking her along.

From the expression on his face, Audrey could tell that he didn't want her there, it did sting a bit but by now she was getting used to his rejections and lowering her expectations.

"No sweetheart, this is a hang out for him to reconnect and catch up with his boys," he answered Audrey and Duke smiled gratefully, glad that he didn't have to tell his little sister who had bonded so much with Audrey that their marriage was just on paper, so they were unlikely to hang out a lot.

.

That Friday evening, Audrey remained home braiding Lindsey's hair because she had a church kids party to attend on Saturday and she was so excited about it because initially Duke had been against it but seeing the reaction to the interview, he loosened up a bit and was allowing her to go.

While Audrey was at home, he had gone to the bar to meet up with his friends, sure everything was out in the open, but Duke still wore his sunglasses, at least he had left the mask.

His friends had already reserved a table and when he got there they didn't even seem bothered by his face, of course some people in the bar were taking a peek here and there but he wasn't paying attention to those, after his interview aired a surgeon had reached out saying if he didn't want full plastic surgery, he could at least help him by just reducing the scar, especially the one on the side of his mouth and Duke had agreed, the appointment had already been made for Wednesday afternoon.

As they were chatting, drinking and eating sizzling hot T-bone straight from the grill, they were joined by a few more 'friends'.

"DK!" one of them exclaimed as she squeezed next to him and gave him a hug "gosh it's so good to see you again."

"Hey Connie, didn't know you were around."

She was one of the few flings who came and went, they would fool around casually no strings attached then she would meet a guy and start an exclusive relationship, it would end after some months, and she would be back in his bed.

"How would you know when you've been hiding in that mansion of yours?" she nudged him and he just chuckled, it really wasn't easy to explain how he had been feeling and it's not what he wanted to focus on that night, he just wanted to catch up with friends and get a little drunk.

"So, what have you been up to while I've been 'hiding'?" he asked, and the conversation started flowing.

By 22:00hrs Duke was drunk enough to get up and start dancing, joining Connie who was already on the dancefloor, he hadn't even realized just how much he had missed being out there just swaying to the music and laughing with friends.