Page 38 of The Catch

The woman stopped him again, this time with a flat palm on his chest. “Are you sorry that you can’t buy me a drink? Or sorry that you’re here with someone? Because we could always do this another time.”

Blood rushed to Josh’s face, and he instinctively took a step back, glancing around the hallway. That was definitely his cue to end the conversation. The last thing he wanted was to give this girl the impression that he was going to entertain her request, or for one of Cat’s co-workers to see him and come to the wrong conclusion.

“Sorry was the wrong word,” he said, firmly. “I’m actually pretty damn happy about it. Listen, I’m gonna hit the head. It was nice to meet you.”

Cat’s boss finally spotted another target for her alcohol-induced affection, leaving Cat standing alone against a pillar with no one to talk to and no drink in her hand. All she had to occupy her was the sense of dread that had settled in her chest ever since Josh took off in the direction of the bathroom and Kasey disappeared from her spot at the bar.

The suspense of the whole thing had the bile churning in her stomach and she wished she’d eaten more from the buffet instead of staring at Josh all night, too nervous to finish the crackers and fruit she’d filled her plate with. She thought about standing in that bell tower, Josh smiling against her mouth, and how she’d wished for all of this to somehow be true. Now she’d set something in motion, and all she could do was wait it out.

Kasey was right, though. If Josh was going to fail this test, then at least she would know. It was only two dates—steamy, almost-sex on the beach notwithstanding. No harm, no foul. She’d win her bet, and Dani and Sonya would eat their words. Her heart wasn’t even remotely on the line yet. Right? Then why did she feel so woozy and murderous at the same time? Like she wanted someone to give her a hug while she poked Kasey’s eyes out.

She glanced toward the hallway again then sorted through all of the bodies at the bar, spotting neither of them. This was taking forever. Kasey was probably giving Josh that same pouty face she’d been flashing her phone in the bathroom, her tiny dress hiked up even higher on her thighs. Cat remembered what it was like to be twenty-one, a little buzzed and a lot sexy. Josh was probably eating it up, giving her that laser-beam stare of his, swiping his bottom lip with his tongue like he did. It probably wasn’t every day a guy his age got hit on by a co-ed. Or maybe it was. Who knew? That thought didn’t make her feel any better at all.

She glanced at the time, suddenly feeling like she needed a quick escape plan. Things would become extremely uncomfortable once Josh came back, and Kasey gave her all the disgusting details. She swiped her screen, pulling up her messages just as the phone vibrated in her hand.

Kasey: You’re one lucky bitch

Cat: What happened?

Kasey: He is haaawwwttt

Cat: Kasey!!

Kasey: He totally blew me off. Now stop being a psycho.

Relief leaped around like a giddy child in her chest. She had the overwhelming urge to high-five someone. Instead, she stood there, bouncing on her toes and beaming at her screen while she read Kasey’s message again and again.

“Hey,” Josh whispered from behind her shoulder. She jumped, a shiver running down her spine as she rushed to lock her screen.

“Hi.”

“Everything okay?”

“Everything is completely fine.” She dropped her phone back into her purse, reaching for the back of his neck, and pulled him into a kiss that left a smear of red on the corner of his mouth. She wiped it with her thumb, then did it again. He had a drink in each hand, so his participation was limited to an enthusiastic tug on her bottom lip and a pleasantly surprised grin when she let him go. “Let’s get out of here.”

Josh glanced down at the two glasses of wine in his hands, then back at her. “You sure everything is fine?”

She nodded, taking her glass and swallowing one large sip. “I just want you to myself for a little bit.”

Josh gave her a confused grin, clearly having no idea what he was being rewarded for, but he was obviously enjoying it.

“Do you want to come up?” Cat asked when their car had pulled away from the curb. They’d moved on from her work party to an upscale martini bar which Josh had very politely tolerated, then an all-night pizza place that served lukewarm slices and draft beers, where he’d seemed much more at home. After the Kasey test, she’d decided to give him the rest of the night off, and just enjoy his company. She had, more and more with each stop. Now they were back on her stoop, holding on to the last moments of whatever this night was going to be.

Josh leaned in, making a low growling noise into her neck before kissing his way down her shoulder. “I wish I could,” he said, straightening. He dragged a hand over his face, stopping to massage the corners of his eyes. “I’m heading up to Ocean Beach tomorrow with Dylan to surf. We’re leaving at six a.m. sharp.”

“Josh! That’s less than six hours from now, and you still have to drive home. You’re going to be exhausted. You didn’t have to come to this with me.”

“I wanted to. I’m going to be gone for three days, and I wasn’t giving up the chance to see you before I left.”

Her heart flapped its wings inside her chest, sending a rush of blood to her cheeks. “Still,” she said. “I feel bad keeping you out this late.”

“I’ll be back in the city on Wednesday. Can we meet for lunch?”

“I have court on Wednesday,” she said, surprised by her disappointment. “But Dani and I always go out for drinks on Wednesday nights at the bar between our offices. You could meet us.”

“I have dinner with a client that night.” He scratched his brow. “Dylan is having a party Saturday. He has a pool… Shawn will be there. Will you come?”

Oddly enough, not a single excuse reared its head. “Sure.”

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