Page 25 of Find Me

I look from his eyes, down to his hand on top of mine. The memories click together suddenly.

The rose tattoo.

This is the guy from the bar earlier this year, the one who left me the note after making sure I got home safely.

“You,” I start, pulling my hand away in shock.

“Me,” he confirms, a playful sparkle in his eyes.

“You…” I paused. “I don’t like those pajamas you know,” I say indignantly.

Shock crosses his face, followed by a quick chuckle. “I wasn’t exactly going for a fashion show, love. I just wanted to get you into something more worthy of your bed.”

I flush at the idea of him getting me changed.

“So, we didn’t, did we?” I ask, looking at him intently.

He raises an eyebrow. “Come again?”

“The night you brought me home,” I continue tentatively, my cheeks flushing even more. “We didn’t do anything… together, did we? Like you got me changed and put me in my bed, but that’s all?” I question, feeling shame stir within me at another hazy memory.

“I also left you a note,” he interjects.

“Right, a note with no contact details on it. Super helpful,” I say sarcastically. “But seriously, did anything happen between us?”

“Necrophilia really isn’t my thing,” he explains with a shrug. “I like a more… active participant in the bedroom, and you were way too drunk.”

“Oh,” I say, unsure of what else to say as I fiddle with my fingers. “Well, thank you.”

“No worries, love.”

“My name is Evi.”

“Alright, love,” he retorts, flashing another grin.

I can’t help but smile back at him.

I open my mouth to ask him what he means about the fire inside of me, but before I can get any words past my lips Mike appears, carrying a heavy duffel bag.

“Here you are Mr. Turner,” Mike says, nervously looking between the two of us, no doubt trying to assess the situation. “Thank you for… everything,” he continues vaguely.

“I’ll see you next week at the same time,” Jax responds, his tone clipped, with a hardness that couldn’t be more different from how he was just speaking to me. And I see a flash of a person I would not want to cross.

He locks eyes with me. “And I’ll be seeing you around too, love,” he says, with a wink only I can see.

“Okay, Jax,” I respond overemphasizing his name, a not-so-subtle reminder that I also have one, and it’s definitely not love.

He pauses, smiling at me before turning to leave.

I turn back to the bar, opening the fridge and picking up where I left off counting stock. I look up a few moments later only to find Mike staring at me, with his mouth open and a shocked expression on his face.

“Close your mouth, Mike, before your teeth fall out,” Red says jokingly, appearing again seemingly out of thin air.

“What?” I ask Mike, as he runs a hand nervously through his graying hair.

“You called him Jax,” he says, surprise in his tone.

“Tell me you did not, Evi.” Red chimes in, putting her hands on her hips.

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