Page 17 of Park Avenue Princess

With a look of shock, Addy rears back as if I just slapped her. Her face then morphs with hurt and I instantly feel like the worse person in the world.

“Addy, I’m so sorry, that was completely uncalled for.” I reach for her but she evades my touch, remaining quiet. “I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with me but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I know—”

“No, I don’t think youdoknow, Lynne. And I guess I’m not the one to help you figure it out, so why don’t you take some time to do just that.”

She starts to turn away and I rush forward, stopping her. “Addy, please, don’t leave like this. I’m sorry,” I plead. “I’ve got a lot on my mind and I know that’s no excuse.”

“You’re right, you do have a lot on your mind, and evidently it doesn’t involve listening to a friend who cares about you and hates to see you waste an opportunity at real happiness.”

“But—”

She holds up her hand and talks right over me. “So I’m going to walk away before more shit gets said that can’t be unsaid, and I’m going to give you some space in the hopes that you might pull your head out of your ass and actuallybethat woman you left in Hawaii. Because I know she’s in there dying to come out regardless of all the excuses or expectations. Live your life for you, Lynnie, because at the end of the day,youhave to live with yourself.”

At that, she walks away, getting lost among the throng of people moving about their day who couldn’t care less that I just acted like the biggest bitch to my best friend. Hell, probably my only friend. My breath hitches as my eyes fill with moisture. “Lynne DuVall, yousuck,” I mumble to myself.

I swipe at my eyes and adjust my satchel across my body before looking around to get my bearings. I’m adjacent to the middle of Central Park and I need to get to the city office down in Tribeca near the World Trade Center. I should hail a cab, but I start walking instead, needing some time to clear my head.

Ha, like that’ll happen. My mind is swirling with too many thoughts, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I can’t organize them. They’re all scrambling for dominance and I feel as if I’m going to short-circuit. The first thing I should do is take Addy’s advice and deal with my father, but that holds zero appeal. My pathetic heart feels fragile enough and the last thing I want is to either have it trampled on or taken advantage of by my selfish father. What I need to do is concentrate on my clients and this assessment.

But my thoughts wander to Guy Hamilton, as I now know his last name.Could it reallybe him?Addison seems to think so.

“Of course it’s him, you ninny,” I mutter. Addy wouldn’t have brought it up if she weren’t positive.

Never in a million years would I have guessed he’d be right here in New York. Like some script from a cheesy story, lovers have a magical week in paradise knowing they’ll never see one another again. Or will they? Surprise! They both live in the same city!

DoesGuy live in NYC? Or maybe he’s in Queens?

“What the fuck does it matter, Lynne,” I mutter again. “Same difference.”

Another surprise! His father is a sleazeball who propositioned me!

Gah!What the heck am I going to do? Sure, there’s over eight million people in the city and chances of me just running into Guy should seem slim. But we have mutual friends and interconnected business dealings. At some point we’re bound to come face to face. It’s really unbelievable that we haven’t yet.

And why am I freaking out? Because I’m embarrassed or ashamed of how I behaved in Hawaii? Was Addy correct? Had that woman been inside of me all along and I was finally able to let her free when not trying to fit some mold constructed by others? The fact that I, a woman, wanted to have a fun time, sex only, no-strings fling isn’t unheard of, but it sure isn’t common. Is it? Hell, I don’t know. I’d never done anything like that before and sure as shit won’t again.

Because the truth of it is, I’ve never been able to get Guy off my mind. Sure, I dated a few others, but no one held my interest like he did. Certainly not to the point of me wanting to get naked and do the deed with them. Yes, Guy was fun. More than, actually. Being with him was easy, natural, carefree. And yeah, he was the sexiest man I’d ever known and I doubt that’s changed.

So whydidn’tI make an effort to know more about him? Why had I been so against a relationship?

Could this be our second chance?

Unlikely.

Was there something in my psyche relating back to my relationship with my father? With my parents?

I shake my head, disgusted at myself by how scattered my thoughts are. I don’t like this feeling of being out of control. Of being unsure about my decisions. Of being unbalanced and unfocused.

I absently fuss with the bracelet nestled beneath the cuff of my blouse sleeve, taking me back in time. Guy had a way of keeping me off-kilter in the best possible way, and yes, at times, in a scary way as well.

Now six years later, just the thought of facing him again has my entire world threatening to spin out of control.

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