Page 29 of Single Girl in the City
Even still, Abi was unable to stop from inserting herself into his world, finding ways to be around him. She told herself it was the only way to uncover new strategies to make his life easier, to find the perfect time to spill the beans, but that would be a lie. She wanted to be in his life because his world had things she’d never had. Stability, support, a tight-knit family, and an openness that was a little intimidating. There was also a loneliness deep beneath the surface that she wanted to heal.
But her time here had an expiration date, a ticking clock that activated the moment she and Jenny had accepted that job in Asia. A job which started in a little under two months. Jenny had mapped out their whole trip, working in Thailand, a yoga retreat in Malaysia, and sailing through Halong Bay. It was meant to be three months of teaching, travel, and self-exploration. Which meant she needed to get her hustle going so she could move on and live the adventure she and Jenny had dreamed about.
Beyond Asia, she didn’t know where life would take her. Maybe to San Diego, maybe Cambodia, but someplace far from Portland and the memories. Someplace as far away from the blast radius as possible. Another reason to stay firmly in her lane. Changing direction this late in the game wouldn’t be fair to anyone—especially Owen.
Nope, she had a plan and the faster this place was in her rearview mirror, the safer her heart would be.
Owen turned to Abi. His eyes flickered, first with surprise, then with something that made her stomach do a funny little dance.What are you doing here?he mouthed.
Interviewing, she mouthed back, and he grinned.
Sorry, you have to reach the bar to apply.
I come with my own step stool.
He laughed and Legs followed his gaze. When she spotted Abi, she reached across the counter and said something to Owen. It took a moment for him to drag his gaze away, but when he did, he must have said something to Legs, who laughed like he was Jimmy Fallon, then handed him her card and shook him an enthusiastic goodbye.
Before he could even catch his breath, the next candidate walked through the door. She was tall, with an hourglass figure, the top of that glass being at least double Ds. She was sure of herself, stunning, and even flirtier than the first.
Owen, on the other hand, kept things straightforward, effortlessly riding that fine line between personal and professional until he glanced down the bar and locked eyes with Abi and all that sexual intensity was directed at her. This felt genuine. It wasn’t some act that he used to put people at ease, it was the real deal. He was the real deal.
She was a fraud.
She tried to smile back but the weight of what she’d done to him and his family, the deceit in her reasons for being there, suddenly turned to lead in her chest. What would he say when he learned theWhy him?Why she’d chosen to focus on Owen rather than any of the other family members. Would he understand that it was because his brothers had moved on and were living their best lives and he was stuck in the past?
Owen must have seen right through her smile because his expression softened, and he tilted his head in concern.
You okay?he mouthed.
She nodded. But she so wasn’t. Her stomach was in knots, her heart sick with anticipation, and the idea of coming clean made her hands tremble. But she tried at another smile, this one brighter but he wasn’t buying it, so she looked away.
She smoothed the edges of her résumé, which she’d taken hours the night before to assemble. On paper, she was experienced, a top-notch candidate for any job. But she only wanted to land one job.
When she looked up next, Owen had placed three bottles on the bar top with a tumbler. The woman studied the bottles for a moment as if recalling the recipe from a flashcard she’d made for a high school exam. It took her a long moment, the kind of long that would leave three customers in the queue, then Double Ds measured out the liquid into the tumbler, shook it and poured it into a glass that she then slid across the bar.
Owen dipped a cocktail straw in the glass and took a sip. He gave anot badkind of smile and replaced the bottles. He quizzed her for a couple more drinks, each causing her to pause and think. She made the right combinations each time, but Abi could tell it was a mediocre finish. Not that it mattered. A woman who looked like that could upsell just about any man and keep the tips flowing with her sex appeal alone—that smile would offset her lack of finesse.
Double Ds dug through her purse for something, giving Owen the chance to, once again, look Abi’s way. Not wanting to drag him down with her, she perked up and looked at her boobs, giving a light-bulb moment smile.
Ah.She traced her hands over her much smaller hourglass.My boobs aren’t big enough.
This time when he laughed, she could hear it. She could also see how some of the stress he’d been carrying since she’d arrived dissipated. Abi might not have an abundance of Victoria’s secrets, but she could make him laugh. Making people laugh was the easy part—it came almost as natural as baking Mee-maw’s cornbread. It was the going deeper that took a kind of finesse Abi didn’t seem to possess. At least that was the one commonality between her exes.
No longer the center of his attention, Double Ds reached across the bar top and touched Owen’s hand. She left it there while she told him something, most likely her number.
After a few other pleasantries, he said goodbye and ushered her to the door. Abi watched as he interviewed three more candidates and when the last one left, instead of walking behind the bar, he stalked toward her. Five steps out and she could see the signs of exhaustion. She didn’t know how many people he’d interviewed prior, but he looked spent. And he still had a full twelve hours of work ahead of him—at least.
“You trying to sabotage me?” he asked.
“Nope, just being neighborly.”
She sat back and crossed her legs as his gaze wandered. She was in a blue blouse, black skirt, and the dressiest cowgirl boots she owned. She wasn’t glammed out like Legs, but she wasn’t there for the bartender job.
He took the seat next to her, turning so they were facing. “What does ‘neighborly’ entail?”
Oh boy.Her nipples rebelled, reaching out to show him exactly how neighborly they wanted to get. He seemed to be on board because when his eyes met hers, they were full of heat and want. Even after a parade of stunning women, he wanted her.
Just as quickly as his eyes flashed, they went carefully blank. “Job’s taken.”
