Page 17 of Every Broken Piece
The bubble immediately appears, and I’m suddenly panicking because I didn’t think this through and that’s not like me. I always think my actions through.
Tess: I am. Do you need something?
I don’t know what the hell to do. I feel like an idiot, yet connecting with her so late at night is almost comforting.
Jack will always be there for me when I need him. Pax too. But this is different, and I need to nip this in the bud. Whateverthisis.
Madness. That’s what it is.
Madness mixed with loneliness and a lot of whisky. Not a good combination.
Me: It can wait until tomorrow. Sorry to bother you
I turn my phone face down and ignore it. Done. Bud has been nipped. Madness has passed. I signal for my check. The woman in red is alone again, sipping her deep burgundy wine and watching me above the rim of her glass.
I sign the slip, grab my phone, and slide off my stool.
The woman mirrors my actions.
She’s attractive in a mature way. Maybe my age. Maybe a bit younger, but with a tight body and generous chest wrapped in all that shiny red. Like a Christmas present.
I keep her in my peripheral as we head toward the exit of the bar.
We make our way to the same bank of elevators, her a few steps behind me on my right. I push the button while she stands beside me.
My phone vibrates in my pocket.
“Heading up?” she asks.
“I am.”
The elevator door opens. I wave her forward, then step in behind her. Our eyes meet in the reflection of the doors as they hiss closed, and I push the button for the twelfth floor.
“Care for some company?” she asks.
My phone vibrates again.
I shake my head. “Not tonight.”
She sighs, then nods once, pressing the button for the fifth floor. When the elevator stops, I hold the door open as she exitswith a longing look over her bare shoulder. The dress plunges low in the back, showing off surprisingly sculpted muscles.
I let the doors close and ride to my floor, not regretting my decision to let her go.
For a long time after Cara’s death I didn’t date. I was too busy putting the pieces of my life back together and figuring out how to be two parents to my son while building my business. There were a few years after that when I dated sporadically but as Pax grew, his demands on my time grew too. I didn’t want to waste one minute with him because I knew how easily it could all be taken away. And I also didn’t want to introduce a string of women into his life, confusing him.
I kept my dating away from my home life, which built a wall between the women I was seeing. None of them liked that, so I just stopped it all.
It’s been years since I’ve been on a date, less since I’ve slept with a woman, but still a long time.
A hotel bar hookup isn’t my thing.
When I get to my room I shrug out of my suit coat and unbutton my shirt, suddenly exhausted and still a little buzzed. I pull my phone from my pocket and see that Tess has texted back.
Tess: No bother! I’m at a bar with friends. Are you doing anything exciting?
I go still; the phone clutched in my hand as I think about Tess at a bar. Has she been drinking? Is she safe? Are her friends taking care of her?
What the fuck.
