Page 21 of The Prodigal Son

Gabby is at my side like a harsh reminder that I’m supposed to be here with her. But Theo Virgil takes up the entire room. His mere existence drowns out every voice in here. He is the only person I see.

And the more tequila I drink, the more I let my guard down. Those voices in my head that usually pop up with the mantras I learned decades ago are too quiet tonight.

Change is possible. With God, all things are possible.

It doesn’t quite resonate when it feels like God himself is standing right in front of me.

“So, what do you do for a living, Jensen?” he asks with one elbow on the bar.

Instead of his usual worn-out cowboy hat, he has a baseball cap on flipped backward. His dark-brown curls peek out of the back with still-wet tips like he recently got out of the shower.

At his question, I hesitate. I consider telling the truth, but for some reason, I don’t want him to know I’m a preacher.

Don’t lie to yourself. You know exactly why you don’t want him to know.

“I, uh, work for a nonprofit.” It’s close enough to the truth.

“A benevolent man,” he says before his tongue slips out and wets his bottom lip. A spark of arousal travels down my spine, and I reach into my pocket to pinch the flesh of my hip to stop it.

It doesn’t work.

He includes Gabby in on the question, and she answers, talking about her work at the library, but I’m not listening. There is too much going on inside me.

“You said you two were just friends. I take it neither of you are married then?” he asks, again just looking at me.

I shake my head with a smirk on my lips. “Nope. Not married.”

His gaze breezes down to my lips and back up to my eyes.Am I imagining things? Did Theo Virgil just check me out?

Is he…

It doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t.

By the time we order our third drink, Gabby is growing restless beside me. I’m no fool. I know she had hopes for this trip, and maybe I led her on. Only a few days ago, I was supposed to want that, too. I was supposed to have hope of something happening, too.

As of right now, I can’t grasp that hope. It’s slipping through my fingers, and I can’t remember why I wanted it in the first place.

Theo talks for a while about his tour and traveling with the band and what it meant for him to hit it big, and I soak up every word. I could stand here for years and listen to him talk, and it’s not just because he’s a celebrity and my favorite singer.

It’s just his energy. I’m addicted to it. It seeps into my bloodstream like a drug, and I just want more.

“We should get going,” a black-haired woman says as she taps Theo’s arm. “The bus takes off in a few hours.”

It takes me a moment to recognize her as the bassist in his band.

Theo looks disappointed before giving her an obedient nod. “You’re right.”

Then he looks at me, and I realize he’s about to leave. Instantly, imagining him walking away from me tugs painfully on my heart. I’ve never felt that way about anyone, but I don’t want this night to end.

“Hey, this was fun,” he says, looking at me. “Why don’t we exchange numbers? You know…to catch up back in Austin.”

My heart picks up in my chest. Swap numbers with a man? Alarms are going off in my head, and I know this is not what I should be doing, but he’s Theo fucking Virgil. It’s not like he’s hitting on me. He just wants someone to hang out with.

Beside me, Gabby clears her throat, but I ignore her.

“Definitely,” I say, pulling my phone from my back pocket. As I hand it to him, I can practically hear my pulse throbbing. I watch as he pulls open a new text message and types his number out before texting a small message.

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