Page 48 of Five Minute Man
Chapter 24
Still wondering ifhe was doing the right thing, Adam put in a call to Holly. When her voicemail picked up again, he left a quick message, hoping to hell he was not making another huge mistake.
With his clothes coated in plaster powder and sawdust, and his hair stuck to the back of his sweaty neck, Adam managed only a cursory brush-off before walking into the dimly lit bar. He didn’t feel self-conscious; Lakeside had been a community staple for over a hundred years and catered to the blue collar working crowd. Those looking for a classier experience used the formal dining entrance on the other side of the building.
He was well-known there, sometimes stopping by with a couple of his guys after work when they were in the area. The bartender, Paul, and a few regulars offered him friendly nods as he made his way over to one of the small tables along the wall. Given that it was still early, barely past five, the place was fairly empty.
Eve was indeed waiting for him, dressed in a provocative, low-cut sundress that showcased her pin-up girl curves. It was wasted on him. At one time, he might have found her attractive, but sometimes not even the prettiest packaging was enough to hide the ugliness inside. He found the pitcher of beer, two large frosty mugs, and filled shot glasses sitting on the table far more interesting.
Eve gave him a hopeful smile as he approached the table. He did not return it. This meeting was just a formality. His mind was already made up, and the sooner he could get this over with and get back to Holly, the better.
“Thanks for coming,” she said as he pulled out a chair and sat down across from her.
“You didn’t give me much choice, Eve. I want this over with.”
“We always have a choice, Adam,” she said softly.
He ignored that. If she wanted to spend the next five minutes believing that he came here for any other reason than to get her out of his life once and for all, that was her issue. One drink and he was gone. That was the deal.
Eve poured them each a beer, then dropped a shot into each mug.
“Boilermaker?” Adam asked, raising a brow. “Not really your style, is it, Eve?”
She gave him an enigmatic smile. “If you’re only giving me one drink, I thought it should be a good one.”
He couldn’t argue with that. Lifting the mug, he downed a quarter of it in one deep swallow. The beer was ice-cold and smooth; the whiskey, top-shelf. Under different circumstances, he would have appreciated it more.
“The meter’s running, Eve. If you have something to say, you should get to it.”
Her smile faltered for just a moment. “Fair enough. All right. Here it is: I love you, Adam.” She paused expectantly, searching his face intently for a reaction. Exactly what she was waiting for, he hadn’t a clue. Had she expected him to be moved by that? Or, God forbid, to return the sentiment?
Adam’s expression didn’t change when he finally said, “That’s it?”
“That’s enough, isn’t it?” she asked. “Iloveyou, Adam. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”
He took another drink, reducing the amount remaining in the mug to half. “You don’t love me, Eve. You only want what you can’t have.”
Her expression hardened slightly as she began to realize that her declaration of love was not having the desired effect. “How can you possibly know what I feel?”
“I don’t.” He shrugged. “But I do know what love is. It isn’t flirting with and fucking every guy unfortunate enough to catch your attention.”
Guilt suffused her features even as flames erupted in her eyes. “I didn’t care about any of them! I was trying to make you jealous!”
Adam continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “It isn’t calling all hours of the day and night to check up on me.”
Eve’s voice began to rise, growing increasingly shrill. “You weren’t calling me! And I missed you! Is it so bad that I wanted to hear your voice?”
“And it sure as hell isn’t stalking and threatening every woman I talk to for more than five minutes.”
“You aremine, Adam. I just wanted them to know that.”
“Goddammit, Eve!” he said, pounding his fist on the table in frustration as the last of his hope for a clean and easy break faded away. “I amnotyours! It was one fucking night!”
“It was beautiful—”
“It wassex. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Eve shook her head vigorously in denial. “No. You love me. I felt it here”—she brought her hand to her heart—“when we made love.”
