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Unease crawled up her spine, but she shook the woman’s outstretched hand, anyway. “I am. And you are?”
“Candie. With anie.”
By some stroke of luck, Roxie managed not to roll her eyes. Of course it was with anie. “It’s nice to meet you, Candie.” It wasn’t. She couldn’t put her finger on why, but it really wasn’t. “I’m sorry, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage. Have we met?”
“No, we haven’t. Joey mentioned on the phone that he has a housemate, so I assumed that’s you.” Candie looked over Roxie’s shoulder into the house. “Is he ready?”
Joey?
Roxie’s heart clenched. She really didn’t want to ask her next question, but she had to. “Ready for?”
“Our date. We’re going out to dinner.”
It was like someone had sucker punched her in the gut. But a part of her had expected Candie’s answer, so she shouldn’t have been surprised. The woman was exactly Joe’s type: blond, beautiful, and impeccably put together.
However, there was a part of Roxie that had hoped, prayed even, that her intuition was wrong. It was the same part that said Joe wouldn’t do such a terrible thing to her.
Apparently, that part was a complete idiot.
The smile on Roxie’s face was beginning to hurt. No.Everythingwas beginning to hurt.
She cleared her throat and ignored the pressure building in her chest. “Joe’s actually not here.”
He’d said he needed to work late tonight. He’d said that not only in front ofher, but also in front of hisdad.
Joe’s earlier words echoed in her mind, and the pressure in her chest grew until she felt like a balloon that was about to pop.
I won’t lie to you. I don’t think I ever have, and I never plan to in the future.
She’d bought it. Hook, line, and fucking sinker.
God, she really was an idiot.
“Oh, that’s right!” Candie sighed and cast her a sheepish look. “We were supposed to meet at the restaurant. I’m so sorry!” She fished her keys out of her purse. “Do you know how I can get to Waterford, Water...”
“Watermark?”
Candie’s eyes lit up. “That’s it!”
Of course it was. Why go to a high-end, romantic restaurant with a bunch of dudes when you could go with a woman who looked like Candie?
Smile still plastered on her face, Roxie nodded. “You follow the road back into town and then follow the signs for the Pacific View Resort. Watermark is at the resort. You can’t miss it.”
“Thanks,” Candie said with a wave. “It was so nice meeting you, Roxie.”
She waved back. Because it was the polite thing to do. It wasn’t Candie’s fault. It was hers.
Roxie held her breath until she could no longer see the woman’s taillights. The pain started in her heart, then radiated out. Pressing a hand to her belly did nothing to stop the turning in her stomach. She feared she was going to be sick right then and there.
Stepping out onto the porch, she closed the door behind her. Her blood chilled, and she began to tremble. Neither reaction had anything to do with the frigid temperature.
Taking a seat on the porch’s top step, she looped her arms around her shins and pressed her forehead to her knees. Then she did everything in her power to will away the tears.
Please, universe, make it stop hurting. Amen.
Joe had made no promises. He’d made no commitments. All he’d said was he wanted to make it work. Apparently, his definition ofmake it workwas different from hers.
But that was her fault, not his. She should have seen the writing on the wall. She really should have, dammit. They’d never even been on a date. She was good enough to fuck, but not good enough to take out.
