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“I needed to relax,” I said, setting down my last beer. “But you’re right. And I should get going so that I can prepare for the morning.” I sighed and stood from the bar.
“Yeah, I think that’s exactly what you need to do,” Theo agreed.
“Well, it’s been a blast talking to you,” Rick said, clasping my hand.
“The feeling’s mutual,” I said, clasping his hand back, and then doing the same to Theo.
“All right, Tobias. We have to do this again sometime,” said Theo.
“Definitely. And I’ll have to bring Anderson along next time.”
“Don’t leave out Joanna,” Rick said with a wink.
I shook my head. “All right, guys. Later.”
“Later,” they both said as I left a tip for the bartender and made my way to the door, thinking about what the following day would bring.
I was halfway across the pub when a light hand brushed against my shoulder and someone cleared their throat behind me. Noting the voice sounded too light to be one of the guys, I turned around.
“Hey there.”
I came to a halt, stunned by the beautiful blond standing there, smirking.
“Long time, no see,” she said.
CHAPTER 3
Scarlet
Just for a moment, my heart sank down to my toes because as Preston Walker stared back at me, it was clear that he didn’t remember me. I remembered those intense gray eyes of his like the back of my own hand, yet he looked back at me as if I was a total stranger. I almost wanted to roll my eyes and turn away from him just because of how old he suddenly made me feel, as if high school had been so long ago; we weren’t that old.
Seconds ticked by with the two of us merely staring at each other. I wanted to say something, but my voice had taken a backseat and all I could do was watch the varying emotions flickering across Preston’s face. He had started out as startled and confused. Then, as his eyes raked over me from head to toe, there was a distinct look of admiration, almost lustful, lurking beneath his gaze.
That made me feel somewhat better…
“Well, stranger, are you just going to stand there and stare at me, or do you want to buy me a drink and catch up for old time’s sake?”
He narrowed his eyes, his mouth wordlessly opening and closing for an instant. His eyes then looked past me. I followed his gaze, seeing that he was looking toward the men he’d been sitting with either. They were paying him no attention though, and it was evident that they had thought he’d left already. He stared at them, frowning. It dawned on me that he still didn’t recognize me, and likely thought his friends had sent me over to him, perhaps as a setup or a joke.
“I’m not here on their behalf,” I said, shaking my head. “You have no clue who I am, do you?”
“Should I?” he asked, his eyebrows raised. “Not that I wouldn’t want to…”
I sighed. “You’re making me feel really old right now, you know that? I know high school was a while ago, but still…”
“High school?” he said. “Are you trying to say that I went to school with you?”
“Ouch,” I said, offended. This guy was my first love, yet he truly had no recollection of me. That didn’t feel good, to say the least.
“Look, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings.”
“But you’re doing a pretty good job of it anyway,” I said, cutting him off.
“Well, can you tell me your name?”
“Scarlet. It’s me, Scarlet Kale.” My voice came out harsher than I’d meant it to. I couldn’t help it though. It was just unfathomable to me that he couldn’t remember me. He’d been my first love, my first date, my firs
t kiss. My first everything. But there he was, staring at me as if I was just some random woman off the streets.
