Page 22 of Book Boyfriend
It’s like time is moving in slow motion as he rounds the corner from the door. The first thing I see is the navy blue tie against a white shirt, covered in a dark gray suit. As I swallow hard, my eyes slowly travel up his chest to his broad shoulders. Is he walking toward me or is it my imagination?
I summon the courage to make eye contact and feel as if someone punched me hard in the gut. He’s smiling. His teeth are white and perfect and his hair is even better than in my memories. I gasp and jump to my feet as excitement rushes from my toes to my chest in a wave of heat, utter joy, and complete relief.
“Fisher!” His smile grows even wider in my recognition. Is he here to save me from my stalker?
As my mouth opens with the intention of asking him why he’s here, a blur of dark suits blazes forward out of the corners of my eyes. Like the petals of a flower encasing a bee as it’s about to suck nectar, I watch as Fisher is surrounded and knocked to the ground, his legs flying out from under him in the process.
“No!” I shout. “It’s not him!”
Marcus pulls Fisher’s arms to his back and his beautiful perfect face is smashed against the hardwood floor.
I rush from the table over to him and immediately push a guard away so I can kneel next to him. His nose is bleeding.
“Oh my God!” I lean down to get closer to him.
“You could have at least let me buy you dinner before you crushed me,” he says.
My grimace slowly fades away. He’s still smiling even with a bleeding nose and his face pressed into the ground.
“Hi,” I say. “Come here often?”
Marcus pulls him by the arms to a standing position.
“I’ve never been, but I have to say, the staff isn’t very friendly,” he replies as he’s yanked upward.
“You stood up!” Marcus says as he cuffs Fisher’s hands behind his back.
“I know, but it’s not him. I just haven’t seen him in a really long time and I, well, I got excited.”
Fisher smirks and I regret my choice of words.
Marcus huffs and scowls at me. “How do you know it’s not him?”
HowdoI know? Would he have done all this? Maybe this isn’t a coincidence after all. Anger boils under my skin as I turn my head to him. “Was it you?”
“Can I ask what we’re referring to?”
“The tacos, the Fall Out Boy musical experience, this damn dinner. The dress?”
His lips curl into a crooked smile. “You know, you’re even beautiful when you’re angry.”
“Answer the question!”
Marcus pulls on his arms, causing Fisher to wince.
“Surprise?” He poses it like a question. “You didn’t like it?”
I encase my head in my hands as my mouth drops to the floor. I turn and pace back and forth a couple of times before I stop and place my hands on my hips. “You scared the shit out of me. Are you crazy? Are you seriously mental?”
“You started our story. I wanted to make it real.”
I close my eyes.
“What do you want me to do?” Marcus asks.
I sigh as I watch the blood drip down Fisher’s lips and onto his white shirt. I grab a napkin from the table and place it on his nose. “Let him go.”
“You can’t be serious!” Marcus mumbles in disbelief. “We caught him. Don’t you want to press charges so this whole nightmare can be over?”
