Page 70 of Escape Girl

If only I’d known what was wrong with me sooner. For someone with a broken brain and a wounded heart, I’d done a hell of a good job of finding and marrying the right man. If only I could go back in time and change how I’d acted, what I’d done.

I’d said something similar to Dr. Rivera earlier in the week because I’d heard nothing in response from Bobby after he’d received my escape room invitation. Andie had assured me that the room had at least been accessed, but she had no other diagnostics.

Always pragmatic, Dr. Rivera just offered a wry smile and practical shrug. “There are no time machines. We don’t get do-overs. The past is already written. We want to come to termswith it, to understand it. You can try to make amends, but you can’t go back. You can only go forward.”

*

“Meet me andTess out for a drink tonight,” Jo said.

I shifted the phone to my other ear and forced my eyes off the timeline I was working on. I was only days away from being ready to confront Taggert and Hill. Bella and my four other clients were counting on me.

“I don’t know,” I grumbled. “I’m pretty busy right now.” Also, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to hear about Jo’s wedding plans or see the way Tess’s eyes flashed whenever she told a Max story.

We recent divorcées didn’t have a lot of patience with people in love.

“You’ll always be busy, Emily,” Jo chided. “That’s who you are. You should make time for friends too though.”

Why did she always have to be right? It was so annoying. “OK. When and where?”

There was a triumphant tone in her voice. “Eight. Tess found some trendy new place. One of those lounges that’s so ‘cool’ they barely put the name on the door, you know? I’ll text you the address.”

So, at 8:00 p.m., I stood shivering on the doorstep of some old loft building not far from Jo’s office. Except for the streetlights, the surrounding area was dark and quiet. Shouldn’t I be able to hear music or something? What kind of weird bar was this?

I stared at the panel with buzzer buttons to the building’s entry. There was only one with a label next to it, and it looked brand-new: “The ER.”

“Blech,” I moaned aloud. What kind of bar named itself after an emergency room? Hopefully, one with very potent cocktails. I pressed the button and a burst of noise erupted from the speaker. “Fourth floor!” a static-covered voice blurted, and the door in front of me immediately clicked open.

My heels clicked on worn linoleum as I made my way to the elevator. The last time I’d seen Tess and Jo, I’d had a panic attack and fell asleep in front of them, so I’d made an effort to put myself together tonight. I wore a casual black suit cut just this side of sexy, with my hair blown out and honest-to-goodness makeup on my face.

When the elevator doors opened to the fourth floor, I stepped out tentatively. I still couldn’t hear any music or conversation, but there was one door at the end of the hallway with light showing through the edges. That must be it. I squared my shoulders, pasted a pleasant smile on my face, grabbed the handle, and strode briskly through the door.

It was an empty, black room. The only light was one in the entryway directly above where I stood. I couldn’t see more than five feet in front of me. While it was completely quiet, the hairs on the back of my neck rose. I didn’t feel alone.

“Crap,” I whispered. I must have walked into the wrong unit after all. When I found the right goddamn bar, I was going to give Tess a piece of my mind about her stupid choice of watering holes. I spun on my heel and pushed the door to the hall.

It didn’t open.

I yanked and pulled. Pulled and yanked. The door didn’t budge. What in the actual fuck?

A light flared behind me; I could see it in my peripheral vision. I whirled to face it. At the opposite end of the space, a simple wooden bar with two stools was now illuminated.

My heart pounded so hard I could feel each individual beat in my teeth.

Because out of the darkness, a golden-haired man appeared and seated himself on one of the stools.

“I think it’s time for a real escape room, don’t you?” Bobby asked.

Chapter Twenty-Three

He’d grown hishair back out. That was the first thought that registered in my shocked mind as I slowly crossed the room on shaking legs. He looked like my Bobby again.

“Don’t be nervous,” he said softly. He gave me a crooked grin. “We’re just two single adults, having a conversation in a bar.”

I suppressed a wince at the reference to our finalized divorce. Climbing onto the stool next to him, I tried to calm my face. I didn’t want to be all wide, wild eyes and sealed mouth. I wanted to be clever, confident, and open: a better version of the woman he’d known last fall.

“I’m not nervous,” I lied. I was petrified. Except for saying yes to his unexpected marriage proposal, I’d failed in every high-stakes personal conversation we’d ever had. But hadn’t I been hoping for exactly this when I’d sent him my escape room invitation?

“So how does this escape room work?” I asked, glancing around the austere space. “I don’t see any puzzles or clues.”

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