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"Yes, please! I have a break in a few minutes." I responded eagerly before greeting another smiling fan opening her book for me to sign.
Guy chuckled and went to the café attached to the bookstore and took a seat, thumbing through a magazine. Then, when he saw me approaching, ready to take my break, he stood and asked. "What kind of coffee do you like?"
"A grande café latte with oat milk, please."
We chatted for a bit longer before he mentioned what had happened the night before. "I'm so sorry about last night," Guy offered. "I had no idea Meagan would react the way she did."
"No need for apologies. Meagan is very protective of me, and you, too, it seems. Did she come to your apartment after you left? I tried to call her, but it went straight to voicemail."
"Yeah, she did. And no worries, we talked everything out." Guy looked at his watch and then back to me. "I should probably go. I just wanted to stop by and see how your book signing was going. And tell you what a great time I had with you last night — until the sister from hell showed up.”
"It really wasn't that bad. And oh, I enjoyed it too. Thanks so much for coming in to see me today," I said, noticing a line was growing in front of my table. "Yea, I better get back to my fans. I don't want to leave them waiting for too long. If Marcie gets wind of it, she'll have a fit."
Chuckling, Guy grabbed my hand. "How about we go to the zoo next weekend? I think it would be a good time for both of us. We can walk and talk about old times and..."
My heart skipped a beat at his words. A date at the zoo sounded perfect. "Yes, I would love that." I smiled up at him, feeling hopeful for the first time in what seemed like forever.
"Great! I'll pick you up at 10 AM on Saturday?"
"10 AM it is," I said as we hugged goodbye.
Chapter Seven
Guy
It was Monday evening, and Chase and I had just arrived from work. We were finishing our take-out order of hot wings and fries at his ritzy penthouse apartment. All the guys had stayed late at the office for an update on Carter's investigation into the murder of my driver. He had reported they had done DNA testing from swatches of fabric taken from my car, which was the site of the murder - but ultimately, the DNA didn’t match with the suspects they’d been questioning.
I leaned back in the chair, taking in my surroundings of Chase's place. We had always joked that his condo was his "man cave in the sky." The space perfectly represented his personality. Some people thought he came across as a jerk because of how outspoken and self-confident he appeared to be. But deep down, Chase was really quite vulnerable - which could cause some people to take advantage if he wasn't careful.
Chase was proud of his man cave, as he should be. It had a pool table and mini-bar on one end and a swimming pool with a Jacuzzi outside on a huge deck. Regardless of what people might think of him, Chase’s condo was a fun place where our friends were always coming and going. But on this particular day, it was only the two of us for a change. He leaned back against the couch, stretching his arm out across the backrest. "So what are you going to do now?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the 80" TV where a replay of an Eagles game was on mute.
I shrugged. "I don't know. Just go home, I guess."
"No," Chase barked. “You have to tell me what the fuck is going on inside your head before you go anywhere. I mean, something has got you going. I can see the wheels spinning round and round." He chuckled and crossed his arms, leaning toward me. "Spill the beans. Who is she?"
I shook my head, trying not to smile. "There is no she," I lied.
"Oh, come on now. I can’t stand it when you try to bullshit me,” he ran his hand down his face. "I can see it in your eyes. You've met someone."
I sighed, giving in. "Alright, you got me. There is someone."
"That's what I thought," he said with a smirk, leaning back. "Now tell me all about her."
I took a deep breath and then related a brief story of how I had met Ariel through my sister. He listened intently, only interrupting to ask a question or two. "So when are you going to see her again?"
"We're going to the zoo next weekend," I replied.
Chase nodded his approval. "The zoo is a great place for a date. Get to know each other, and there's always something interesting to look at if the conversation gets dull.”
“I had the same thought.”
He chuckled and stood up. "Want another beer? Maybe that will loosen you up. Why am I sensing there is more shit to this story than you are letting on?"
I grinned, remembering how Ariel had playfully bribed me with a glass of wine to get me to dance with her — not sensing I was dying for an excuse to do so in the first place. Nodding my thanks for the beer, I twisted off the cap and took a chug. "Let me take it from the top."
"I'm all ears."
“Like I said, she is my sister's best friend. And you know Meagan, she has set me up plenty of times with gals she works with or meets at bars and such."
