Page 36 of Conflict
His gaze narrows. “It’s June. We have three months until the season starts.”
I clear my throat. “Oh, of course. Right. It’s just, I’m trying to make sure so I don’t have to find anyone last minute.”
Much better.
Sawyer opens up a drawer, enters a code into a box, then pulls out a stack of dollar bills. He counts out ten Benjamins, then holds them out for me.
“Great, glad to see you’re still in the game. I’ll just… I’ll be on my way.”
Just as I’m about to walk out, his voice stops me. “Shane.”
I turn, an eyebrow raised.
“It’s been too long since we golfed. Change that.”
I nod. Then Cheyenne follows me down the hall and steps into the elevator with me.
“Seriously, Shane, let me find you a woman so we can double date.”
“I’m not on the market, Cheyenne. If I decide to be, you’ll be the first to know.”
She’s about to protest, but I’m saved by the chime of the elevator.
The moment the doors opens, my eyes are transfixed on the backside of a slender woman walking through the turnstiles and out one of the revolving doors. I bolt out of the elevator, surprising Cheyenne.
“Shane?” she questions, but I ignore her.
I see her. Iknowher.
I know that ass.
I know the curve of that neck.
I know that the sudden unease in my chest, the hammering of my heart, is because I’ve done it. I’ve finally found her.
But, when I round the corner, I’m greeted by a sea of faces and I cannot find hers.
Cheyenne catches up to me, panting from chasing after me. “Goodness, Shane. What’s gotten into you?”
“I saw a woman I haven’t seen in far too long. It was her. I swear it.” I’m still scanning the crowd.
Cheyenne’s fingers wrap around my arm, gripping my skin. “Who was she? Is she?” she asks.
I glance down at her. “The reason I don’t want to be set up with any of the women you mentioned.”
She must see the expression on my face, because she moves in front of me, staring up at me. “I don’t know if you know the details about Sawyer and me. We were together once, when we were young. You know where we found each other again?”
My brow furrows. “I haven’t the slightest clue.”
“Here,” she insists. “In this very lobby. And look how it’s turned out for us. You’ll find her, Shane. I’ll do everything I can to help. I just need her name.”
It’s another typical Monday morning at the office. Bryan and I woke up at the ungodly hour of five a.m. to go for a five-mile run. Before him, I hadn’t seen the waking side of five a.m. in, well, ever. But a girl likes to eat, and a girl loves her pencil skirts, so early morning runs it is.
We’ve already been at the office for nearly four hours when Bryan declares he’s starving. Not a surprise because he’s always starving. The moment he mentions the café down the street, my mouth is watering, I’m grabbing my purse, and we’re off.
When we’re exiting the building, I feel eyes in the back of my head. And once I’ve turned to look, my heart doesn’t know whether to race or stop entirely. After the first two months of Shane respecting my wishes, I stopped looking for him around every corner. Now that I’ve seen him? My heart can’t handle it.
“Oh my God, oh my God,oh my God,” I echo, too shocked to even care that I sound like a broken record.
