CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
COURTNEY
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“Where are you?”Kylieasks.
“Just leaving Nordstrom,” I say, shifting the shopping bags onto my other wrist as I put my earbuds in.“Sorry, I’m just not feeling up to going out tonight.This week was hard dealing with Adam.”
“Honey, the party is at Rock, the new rooftop bar.Have a shower, put on a gorgeous dress,” Kylie insists.
I check the license plate on the waiting car with my Uber app and race across the sidewalk.
“Courtney99?”the driver asks, and I nod, then climb in.
“Thanks for waiting,” I say, then focus back on my call.“Sorry, babe, I’m just exhausted.I walked for hours and then ended up going to a movie, then did some shopping.”
“What’s wrong?”she asks.
Everything.I wanted to escape my life.I didn’t want to go home and think about everything, so I distracted myself every way I could.
Now I’m going to collapse with Chinese takeout.
“Divorce is hard,” I say instead, arranging my bags on the seat.“Adam is lying and accusing me of things that aren’t true.It’s stressful.”
“Yeah, that’s not nice,” she agrees, but I know she doesn’t fully understand.How could she?“If you change your mind, let me know.I’ll call you tomorrow to get lunch, honey.”
“Have fun and be careful.”
“I will.The girls from the YSL shoot this week are meeting me there along with a few of the photographers,” Kylie shares.“One is very cute.”
She won’t miss me.
Kylie has always been more social than I have, probably because I was married to Adam, who kept a short leash on me.It’s been fun having complete freedom, but I’m still not a party girl like she is.
I tuck my phone into my pocket and watch as we move through traffic toward my building.When we pull up, I gather my bags and climb out, thanking the driver.
I’m debating whether pizza is better than Chinese, but something stops me dead in my tracks.
Zander.
He leans against the wall, wearing a pair of blue jeans, a black leather jacket with his hands tucked into his pockets.
Good God, he looks gorgeous.I’m talking bad boy sexy, and the kind of guy your father tells you to stay away from.His dark hair is mussed, and on the ground sits a helmet.
His eyes follow the crowd until they land on me.Then they burst into flames.He pushes away from the wall and strides purposely toward me.
Oh shit.
My face tilts up and up and up the closer he gets to hold his gaze as my body begins to shiver.I’m not cold, it’s a mix of the attraction I feel for him and anticipation.Perhaps even nerves.
I feel my heart pounding.
