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“Know anyone named Chase?” Mariska asked, and I really wanted to shake her. She knew that I wasn’t going to ask this dude outright about Chase. He could have been dangerous, and despite the tightness in my throat, I didn’t want him to know anything about Chase. There was a reason Chase wasn’t talking to his brother, or cousin, or whomever he was.
His face flattened. “How do you know my brother?” He took a step forward when the employee he’d been talking to with the name Mike on his nametag placed his head on the guy’s shoulder.
“Hunter, you scaring off the ladies? We need the business.”
Hunter’s wide and heavy shoulders dropped and he shook his hand. Mike’s expression questioned if we needed him to intervene more or not, but I wasn’t scared of Hunter. All of sudden, I felt numb. Not hurt. Not foolish. I didn’t know how I should have felt.
“We’re catching up,” I lied, and Mike examined us for a split second and departed, chuckling like he’d hear the story from Hunter later on.
“I don’t think we should be talking to him,” Mariska tried to say evenly.
“Then you shouldn’t have mentioned Chase,” I muttered underneath my breath.
Something ignited in his eyes. “I
s Chase okay?” His voice broke and Mariska cast me an anxious glance.
“Yes. Sorry for staring at you. You remind me so much of him.”
A smile touched his lips. “Even from behind.”
“Jeff is signaling me over,” Mariska said to me. “Hunter, we have to go.” He took my arm and with an urgent look on his face, pleaded with me not to go with her.
“I’ll be right in,” I told her.
“Bethany,” Mariska said with a sigh, and walked over to us again. She got in his face, but I could sense the fear in her rigid posture. “Hunter. If that’s even your real name. I’ll be watching you. There’re cameras here. And I’ve got the police on speed dial.”
Hunter looked at her impassively.
“Go. Sign the papers.”
Mariska obeyed and I flicked my gaze back to Hunter.
“Do you really know Chase or are you…um…someone he just kicked it with?” He raked a handful of his hair back and I saw some of the wrinkles on his forehead. His voice was exactly like Chase’s. It was unnerving.
“I am his girlfriend. And are you his brother?”
“Girlfriend?” he asked with a pucker between his eyebrows. I crossed my arms. “We’re twins. I am older by thirty-five minutes. We’re actually fraternal.” He brought his hand behind his back and I took a step to the side and in the direction of the office, creating more distance between us. He handed me a card. Written on the card was, Lasting Impressions Tattoo Studio, Hunter Lovell, Artist and three phone numbers. “I gotta go. My personal email and cell are on the back of my business card so you can reach me. I want us to meet up before you tell Chase that you’ve seen me.”
***
Chase
Beth and I had had a short conversation on the phone last night. She’d stayed in her hometown for the whole day and most of the night. I hoped that she’d enjoyed her visit with Mariska. But she’d been aloof when we’d talked. I’d gotten my questions answered, but it had been like pulling teeth. Since I had some free time in my schedule, I drove to the Paloma Hotel. Unlike weeks ago, I wasn’t apprehensive about going inside.
Mrs. Clark opened the door to HR, smirking at me. “She’s still at her cubicle and hasn’t gone to lunch yet,” she told me in a conspiratorial tone.
I thanked her and went to Beth’s cubicle. Fresh-faced, with her hair tied by a red ribbon, she was as breathtaking as always.
With a surprised expression, she jerked her gaze to me, and she didn’t seem happy to see me at all. My gut was right; I’d upset her somehow and I needed to fix it. I didn’t want to entertain the thought of what my life would be like if she didn’t want anything to do with me.
“Hey, Chase,” she said, and stood up.
“Hey. Come with me to the break room for a sec?”
Some of the females whispered as we left. The few males in the department used to joke that they had to do more work because I’d distracted the women.
There were a few employees in the break room but none were at the small table in the back that I’d seen Beth sitting at before. I craved her so damn badly.
