“Not a great start.” We made our way back over to the table.
“So you and Penny are solid then?” Tanner asked. He wasleaning forward a little too far on the table. It looked like he was running aninterrogation. “You’re absolutely sure of that?”
James frowned. “I’m positive.”
What was Tanner doing? Everyone was out of control tonight.
“Interesting,” Tanner said. “The last time I saw her sheseemed kind of…I don’t know…off.”
“I don’t think you’ve been around my wife enough to know ifshe’s off.”
“Who wants another round?” I asked, trying to distract myfriends before we all got into a brawl like we were dumb high schoolers again.
Chapter 9
Sunday
I opened my eyes and blinked. The blonde hair strewn across thepillow next to me slowly came into focus. And for just a second. One stupidsecond. I thought it was Brooklyn. I reached out to touch her, and then my handfroze an inch away from her face. I felt like I was going to be sick.
I closed my eyes and turned away from…Georgia. I think.After my friends had left the bar last night, I’d gone back over to her. Iwasn’t looking for true love. But I didn’t want to go home alone again. A funnight in a hotel with some random chick usually made me feel better.
But not when I mistook her for a ghost the next morning. Myheart was beating too fast. I was having trouble catching my breath. I climbedout of bed too quickly, pulling on the sheet, startling her awake.
“Matt?” she said groggily.
Shit.
“Where are you going?” She sat up in bed, hugging the sheetsto her chest.
I tried to ignore her as I pulled on my pants and looked formy shirt. There it is. I picked it up off a chair and finished gettingdressed.
“Do you want to get breakfast or something?” she asked.
I could barely breathe. The last thing I wanted was to eat brunchand drink mimosas with her. I was never supposed to even talk to her again. I’doverslept. I should have been long gone before she woke up. “I have a meeting.”My voice came out croaky. I needed to get out of this room. I needed fresh air.
“But it’s Sunday. Can’t you take the day off?”
I grabbed my jacket and got halfway to the door.
“Wow, okay,” she said. “Tanner told me you were a nice guy.”
I cringed. I wasn’t a nice guy. “The room is under my card. Orderwhatever you want from room service.”
She sighed. “That’s not what I meant, asshole.”
But I didn’t care what she meant. I was already out the door.
The air outside the hotel was chilly, the temperaturesfeeling more fall-like every day. But the air was hardly fresh.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
I hailed a taxi and slammed the door behind me, blocking outthe cold. I hated when my mind played tricks on me. Like fucking with me wassome fun, cruel joke.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Dreaming of waking up to Brooklyn was a regular occurrence. Butopening up my eyes and actually thinking I saw her?
Breathe in. Breathe out.
“We’re here,” the taxi driver said far too soon.
My heartbeat had evened out and my breathing was almost backto normal. I looked out the window of the cab. Bill was sitting on the frontsteps. I wished I’d had time to hop in the shower real quick to wash off thismorning. And last night. “Sorry I’m late,” I said as I climbed out of the taxi.
“Long night?” Bill asked.
“Something like that.” I pulled out my keys and let him in. Ineeded a glass of water. And a shower. And maybe some aspirin. I took off myjacket and hung it on one of the hooks in the entrance.
Bill whistled. “Are these new floors?”
“Just refinished.”
“They’re impeccable. And the molding.” He ran his hand alongthe molding of the archway that led to the kitchen. “This is impressive work.”
“Thanks.” I went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass fromone of the brand new kitchen cabinets. “Want something to drink?”
“I’m good.” He tapped his knuckles against the countertop. “Granite?”
I nodded and downed half the glass. It felt like I’d just runfor miles instead of panicking in the back seat of a cab. My heart had beenracing faster than when I did sprints.
Bill shook his head. “You’re really sure you want to sell theplace?” He was staring at the custom stone mantle above the refurbishedfireplace. “It’s gonna go quick. So if you’re not sure…”
“I’m sure.”
“Let me just check out the bathrooms.” He walked out of thekitchen, but I didn’t follow him. Bill knew his way around and he knew what hewas doing. He didn’t need me breathing down his neck.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a textfrom Tanner.
“Georgia? Good choice. But I checked, and it wasn’t truelove. Sorry, man. Maybe next time.”
Rob was right. Sometimes Tanner was really freaking weird. “Iknow it wasn’t true love,” I texted back. “That’s why I fucked her instead ofasking her on a date.”
“Interesting. Well, it was worth a shot.”
I went to slide my phone back into my pocket when anothertext came through.
“Also, I called Penny and let her know I wasn’t feeling wellenough today to hang out. I did the whole fake cough thing to really seal thedeal. She believed me. So it’ll just be the two of you.”
That was nice of him to bow out like he’d promised. But Iwasn’t really feeling up to anything today. Maybe I should just cancel myplans with Penny too. I pulled up her name on my phone, but my thumbpaused. Would hanging out with her make me feel better? Or worse?
Another text from Tanner popped up. “And I have anothersurprise for you. You’re welcome.”
I waited a few seconds. But of course he wasn’t just going totell me without me asking. I wasn’t falling for that again. “What exactly am Igrateful for?”
“You’ll see. It’s a surprise. But you’ll know it when you seeit.”
I shook my head. “Does it make up for the fact that youpurposely pissed off James last night?”
“When did I piss him off?”
“When you kept asking him
