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I looked back, but I didn’t move toward her. I couldn’t. Not anymore. She was on a date with another man, after I’d called her for two days in a row and texted two more before that.
She frowned up at me. “What are you doing here?”
I glanced in Callie’s direction. She was now watching me. Her eyebrows were furrowed. Her bartender friend, or whoever she was, was also looking my way with rapt curiosity.
A lesser man might’ve lied to cover his humiliation. “I came to see if you were, and I’m hoping you don’t ask me how I knew you might be here, because it’s making me look a certain way I don’t like.”
Her little eyebrows pinched together. “I—I haven’t listened to your last message. What did you say in it?”
I shook my head. “Just that I was going to back off because it’s apparent you’re not interested.” With that said, I really did need to go. Three guys at the bar were headed my way, and I didn’t want to get stuck talking football for the next hour. I touched a hand to her side, and Billie sucked in her breath. I gently squeezed her there. “It was good seeing you again, Billie. I hope you watch the game on Sunday.”
I stepped past her.
She whirled with me. “Brett—”
I paused, looking back, waiting. We were close. Her head was at my chest level, and she dropped her eyes, staring at my shirt. “Why are you wearing a sweatshirt?”
I fought back a grin. “That’s what you wanted to say to me?”
She looked back up, and embarrassment flooded her face, which made her all the more adorable and made my dick stand up straight, like a lapdog hoping to be petted.
“No. I—why didn’t you call me the next day?”
I frowned.
“You said you wanted to see me. Then you said you would call. Then I got a text.”
My frown deepened. “I’m not following.”
“You texted me.”
“Yeah, I did.” I cocked my head to the side, trying to understand.
“It was late.”
“Did I wake you up?”
“No.” Her eyes skirted around, and she moved even closer, her chest lifting. “It was late, like late.”
Comprehension flared. She thought—I looked around for a side door or an exit, because I felt those guys behind me. More had joined them, and they were only holding back because it was obvious I was talking to a woman. A guy didn’t interrupt those conversations, except they would eventually. Football fan code would override bro code.
I didn’t have long.
Callie’s friend figured out what I wanted and gestured behind her.
I touched Billie’s side again and herded her in front of me, my other hand finding her other side.
“Wha—huh?”
“Let’s have this conversation somewhere more private.” We rounded a group, and I ignored a few people calling my name as I steered Billie past Callie, who was grinning broadly.
“Back door through the kitchen,” her friend said, lifting up a part of their bar so we could step through.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. Good luck,” she called after us as we went through the kitchen doors.
I moved past the startled kitchen staff until we were out the back door. Once there, I moved Billie around the corner and back against a wall. I had to be close. There was something about her. It felt like I was fighting gravity if I wasn’t moving to her side or pulling her to me.
