Page 1 of Spring Fling

ONE

ANGELA

Fucking Kevin.

Shifting on the barstool where I’ve been perched for the past half hour, I recross my legs. I move them gingerly to avoid flashing black lace panties at the passing waiter, courtesy of my short, flowy floral dress.

It is a May evening in Alaska. Not that it isn’t still brisk here. But with the days growing longer and the weather finally tipping toward warm, this night called for something a little more special than my usual thermal leggings and cotton briefs.

Even if, with every passing moment, the lace is chafing my nether regions to the point it won’t be fit to be seen by the end of the night. Then again, with every passing moment, the man I’m torturing myself for is losing his chances of seeing the lingerie and my chafed bits.

Seriously.

I flip over my phone and frown at the blank screen. We were supposed to meet here forty-five minutes ago. Fifteen minutes later, the hostess took pity and gave me a seat at the bar after we’d lost our reserved table.

I’ve been nursing a French 75 ever since. Staring at the door and waiting for my date to appear.

"Does he do this often, Angela?"

I glance up to find Heidi, the sweet but sassy bartender who has been topping off my glass free of charge, giving me a sympathetic look.

I thank her and nod. "Kevin has a tendency to run late. He gets so involved in his work that he loses track of time."

"Sounds like your boyfriend should learn how to use my watch."

"Oh, he has a watch. He bought it on his last trip to New York at Cartier, which he’ll be sure to tell you—at least five times—if you even look at it." I roll my eyes. "He isn’t my boyfriend, by the way."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Oh?"

"He’s the… guy I sometimes… see."

She gives an understanding nod. "Booty call?"

"That’s part of it. But we also sometimes go out for dates or special occasions. Like tonight."

"But it’s not serious, but it’s also kind of complicated."

"Say no more. I’ve had my share of situationships in the past."

"Situationship." I raise my glass to her. "That’s definitely a word for it."

"So, is he still at the office?"

"I’m not sure." I frown at my still-silent, still-blank phone.

While Kevin isn’t the most punctual guy, I didn’t figure he’d be this late. Especially not because he was the one actually working in Anchorage today. I’m the one who had a several-hour commute from our small town to get here.

Thank goodness he booked us a room at a nice hotel nearby. I would have looked like a mess if I didn’t have a few minutes to primp there before our dinner reservation.

Our now-canceled reservation.

"I hope he’s okay." My brows knit together. "There must be a good reason why he isn’t here yet."

"Maybe he—oh!" Heidi’s face brightens as she points to my vibrating phone. "That must be him now."

"It is." I swipe Kevin’s name on the phone and pull up the message. "He must have gotten caught in a meeting. He must have…"

I trail off as I register the words on the screen. Blinking, I shake my head and read them again.

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