CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AND IS HE HIDING ALONE?
GREER
Where the hell are they?
Sitting at the chic bar, I tore at one of the black and gold napkins as I scanned the full room. Contrary to what my phone said, Maddie and Tripp were nowhere to be seen. I was tempted to ask the bartender if Cohen was there, but I’d only met the owner once. I would look like an insane person if I dragged him away from work to ask about my boss and my bestie.
I was beginning to suspect that the app was a glitchy waste of a subscription fee.
With one last sip of the drink I’d ordered so I didn’t look like a pathetic woman getting stood up—I’d have to actually be invited on a date for that to happen—I threw in the towel.
Er, the shredded napkin.
I was almost at the spiral staircase that led away from the clandestine speakeasy themed bar when I heard, “Greer!”
Spinning, I watched as Tripp pushed through a mystery door that I’d assumed was for staff members only.
Ohhhh.
They’re in the back with Cohen or his brother… Whatever his name is.
“Hey, I—” I started before cutting off my own words. When I’d tracked his location, I’d been fueled by indignation. I’d continued the search out of curiosity. But now that I was facing him, I felt more than a little foolish. I could’ve talked to him on Saturday when I went over to set up his calendar. Or just waited for him to return my stalkerish output of texts.
I didn’t need to literally hunt him down using an app I shouldn’t have put on his phone to begin with.
“I didn’t know you were here,” I lied. “I was looking for Maddie.”
“Let me bring you to her,” he said, not questioning me any further.
Phew.
Returning to the door, he quickly punched in a code and opened it for me. Once he followed me through, he paused to ensure it latched back into place.
The empty hall wasn’t at all what I expected. I assumed there would be a storage room. Break room. Offices. The usual stuff at the back of a bar.
Instead, there was only one door, and it didn’t give me a peek of where it led since there was no window. Just the same matte black with gold as the rest of Golden.
With a hand on my lower back, Tripp prodded me toward it. We paused just long enough for him to unlock that one, too, before he swung it open.
Rather than Cohen’s office like I suspected, it was a lobby.
Ohhhh.
The secret entrance with the phone that’s accessible from the street is for the bar. This must be the restaurant.
I wonder if they have those tiny brie en croutes they served at Tripp’s birthday. I’m hungry.
He nudged me up to the hostess stand and the stunning blonde standing behind it.
She gave a soft smile, aiming it at me even though her question was for the man standing at my back. “A guest, Mr. Carter?”
“Yes.” The one word came out tighter than necessary, and I didn’t get why.
She tapped on the tablet in front of her, likely checking for an available table. When she was done, she said, “Your ID, please.”
I didn’t bother to tell her the scary bouncer in the upper lobby had already checked it. I just handed it over.
