Home > Wednesday(16)

Wednesday(16)
Author: Kendall Ryan

“And what did you tell him?”

He shrugged. “Told him I didn’t know where you were, but I invited him out to a double date with me and Sara. She’d brought her roommate Lindsey, so it worked out perfectly.”

My heart leaped into my throat. “And did he go?”

“Yeah. They got along great, actually.”

“How great?” I narrowed my eyes, my stomach turning over.

Jason studied me for a beat before continuing. “After dinner, they left for a different bar to grab another round—just the two of them.”

All the air felt like it had been sucked from my lungs, and I braced my hands against the counter, trying to breathe. Fuck. Why in the hell had I lied the other night—told him I was on my period? And then I had the grand plan to leave last night—to ditch our Wednesday tradition—all because I’d read in one of those stupid women’s magazines about absence making the heart grow fonder, and the idea that holding out on your man might actually get him to fall harder.

Wrong. What ill-fated advice. My absence apparently sent him straight into the arms of another woman.

“I have things to do,” I muttered. “Talk to you later.”

I made my way out of the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. I said I needed to get to work, but what I really needed was to be alone.

• • •

If he’d just had a meaningless one-night stand, it might have hurt less. I knew how cold and detached Shaw could be about sex. He probably never would have talked to her again.

But going to dinner with a woman? An actual date? That wasn’t something even he and I had done. And his past was riddled with long-term monogamous relationships, which was what really scared me about this date. It signaled that maybe he was on his way toward moving on—with someone other than me.

After spending the morning updating our inn’s social media accounts and answering a slew of inquiry e-mails, I decided to text Shaw.

Chloe: Sorry about last night. But it sounds like you kept yourself entertained.

I couldn’t help the snarky tone in my message. We’d never had a spat, a lover’s quarrel, or even a disagreement as friends, and I wondered if we were about to experience our first. After all, I was the one who ditched out on him last night. But him spending time with another woman wasn’t a scenario I ever imagined.

Shaw: Yeah, sorry about that. Something came up.

Chloe: And by something, you mean Lindsey.

Shaw: Ah, shit, thanks for that. I couldn’t remember her name. ;)

I tossed my phone down onto the desk and growled out a curse word. He had to be the most frustrating, infuriating man on the planet.

I’d spent eight long months lusting after him, giving him every piece of my body and soul, not to mention my heart. I’d grown closer with him than I even thought possible. Afraid to admit the truth, even to myself, I knew I had fallen in love with him. And now this?

My phone chimed, signaling a new text. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone.

Shaw: So, where were you last night . . . hot date or something?

I chewed on my lip, half of me wanting to lie to him and say yes, make him think I was out with another man. But I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. I swallowed my pride and replied.

Chloe: No, just needed a break.

I wondered how he’d interpret the message . . . that I needed to put some distance between him and me? That I needed some time off from our Wednesdays together? As I reread the words on the screen, my heart sank. It was just the type of response to send him running into the arms of another woman. I felt raw and vulnerable and scared as I waited for his response.

Shaw: Okay.

After that, he didn’t reply and I didn’t know what to type back, so I shoved my phone in my purse and ignored it the rest of the day.

• • •

“Are you sure this is a good idea? He’s leaving in a month, right?” I asked.

“Exactly. That’s why this is perfect. It’s a low-risk commitment with a finite end date. It’s the perfect thing to get you back up on the horse.”

I winced. Courtney sounded like she’d rehearsed this speech before we met. We were sitting inside our favorite coffee shop. The floors were concrete and the walls were lined with shelves of dusty books; there was nothing fancy about it. But they had damn good coffee and the best fresh-baked cinnamon rolls in the world. They were as big as a dinner plate and held a mountain of cream-cheese frosting. I appreciated a hefty frosting-to-cinnamon-roll ratio. Not to mention the whole place smelled like vanilla and cinnamon.

I cut another piece from the breakfast (dessert) we were sharing and licked the frosting from my fork while thinking it over.

“He’s a really nice guy, and cute too,” Courtney said, smiling at me hopefully.

I wanted to answer her, but I hated that my decision hinged on whether Shaw was planning to see that girl Lindsey again. If he was, I knew the best thing to do would be to force myself to move on.

And this guy, Bryan, who was a new marketing associate for the small company Courtney worked for, would be in town for the next month while he shadowed the owner. Then he’d be heading back to Miami, where he’d work remotely.

“Let me see his picture again,” I said.

Courtney typed his name in a social media site and handed me her phone. “He’s adorable. You can’t deny that.”

I studied his features—light blue eyes, longish blond hair that hung into his eyes, a wide smile displaying perfectly straight teeth. God, why couldn’t I feel something looking at him? Intrigue. Hunger. I’d settle for even mild interest.

   
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