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Chapter Two
DECLAN
“HELLO?” DECLAN HAYES ANSWERED his phone while crossing the busy streets of Times Square.
Thursday evenings were usually his most hectic times. He worked the night shift as a tech specialist at one of the largest social media corporations in the country, overseeing all the daily interactions and ensuring that the platform doesn’t come crashing down again like it did just three months ago.
He was already late as is. Being the most eligible bachelor in all of New York City was no easy task. The women he saw always wanted to go to the same places at the same time, and he struggled just keeping up with two, let alone five. And of course, they never wanted to leave when he needed them to.
He had a job to get to, but his dates would much rather hoard him for themselves and spend the evenings drinking. As much as he’d like to do the latter, he could never be around these chicks for too long. Their neediness drove him insane, and sometimes, he was glad he had a job to use for his excuse.
“Mr. Matthews, sorry, I’m running a little late. I’ll be there in five minutes. Max!” He said on his phone to his boss, adding a little bounce and speed to his steps.
“Don’t even bother, Hayes,” the voice on the other line shouted back. “I’m getting really tired of your excuses. Don’t even bother. You’re fired.”
As the sound of human voice turned to a screeching buzz, Declan almost wanted to walk into the office anyway and clock in, not at his computer, but at his boss’ face. Why’d he need a job anyway? Companies were always full of nothing but pricks who are stuck in the nose and play games with their employees, treating them as valuable members of the team one minute and letting them go the next. Sure, he’d come in late every now and then, take three-hour lunch breaks, and spend most of his time on his phone, but that didn’t mean he deserved to be treated like garbage.
It was nearly 8pm; the night was still early, and he didn’t know how to utilize his free time. His usual routine was to go to work and then head over to the lounge by 2am. He was a regular at Dirty Dancing, and it’d be weird for him to show up so early. He didn’t even think it opened until close to midnight. As he walked over to the nearest cart to buy himself a hot dog, he spotted a familiar face.
Wait, is that Tara Bardot?He turned to the vendor. “Hey, dude, is that Tara Bardot?”
But the vendor, a pimply-faced teenage boy, just stared at him and shrugged. “How the hell should I know? Now, hand over the cash. I don’t do freebies.”
Declan sighed, digging a hand into his pocket, and pulled out his wallet. “How much?”
The boy whacked the sign on the side of the cart with his tongs. “Can’t you read? Two bucks.”
“Here.” He nodded his head toward the condiments. “Some mustard, too. And don’t skimp out.”
“Dude, you gotta pay extra for that.”
Declan raised a brow. “Are you serious, kid?”
“A dollar. Or no mustard.”
“Aw, come on, kid. I just got laid off. Give a guy a break, will ya?”
“A dollar. Or no mustard,” he repeated.
“Fuck, dude. Fine, just give me the dog.”
When Declan walked away, shaking his head, he bit into his hot dog. It was dry and tasteless, the texture so foreign and off-putting in his mouth as he wrestled to swallow the remainder of the bun. When he finished, thirty seconds later, he was left feeling even hungrier than he had been before.
“Hey, Tara, over here! Over here!” He heard close by.
Declan turned his head to where the voice was coming from and saw Tara taking a picture with a little girl.
Tara,he thought. I knew that was her.
He waited for a few minutes before walking over to her. He couldn’t seem too suspicious by cornering her in a coffee shop. So, he waited. And waited. And waited. Plotting his next move for when she came out. He had to make it seem like a coincidence.
“Oops, sorry!” he said, bumping into her.
“Hey, watch it! You almost made me spill my drink. This is a five-hundred-dollar dress, you know?” she exclaimed.
Even though she didn’t make eye contact, she still looked as stunning as ever, her diamond earrings shining bright, and her revealing dress enough to make him drool.
“Oh, trust me, I do know.”
