Page 32 of Conquering Conner

I want you to kiss me.

“Hennie?”

I look up to find Conner and the waitress staring at me.

“Cobb salad, please.” I thrust my menu into her hands, so I can gather my purse and slide out of the booth. “Excuse me.”

I hurry through the restaurant, searching for and finally finding a bathroom. Pushing my way through the door, I hurry into one of the open stalls. Locking the door I slump against it and close my eyes, trying to catch my breath.

I don’t know what’s happening to me. This all seemed so simple. Only a few days ago, I’d been able to convince myself that I had it all figured out. I’d had a plan and sticking to it should’ve been easy. I realize now I’d been lying to myself. That I underestimated Conner. I thought he’d—

“If you were looking for a place to hide, you could’ve done better, Daisy.” His voice comes at me over the top of the stall and I look down to see his boots planted in front of the door I’m slumped against. “In case you haven’t heard, bathrooms are kinda my thing.”

It shouldn’t make me smile but it does.

I should be mortified that he followed me in here but I’m not.

Unlatching the door, I pull it open to find him standing on the other side of it, hands jammed into the front pockets of his jeans, the expression on his face caught somewhere between amusement and mild exasperation.

“I’m sorry, Conner.”

As soon as I say it, his face closes up. Goes still and tight like he’s waiting for me to slap him.

“I wish you’d stop saying that.” He shakes his head, jaw flexing around clenched teeth. “I told you last night, it’s no big—”

“Not about that.” Even though I am sorry for what happened, I know he won’t let me say it. Hearing it would be admitting that my reaction to his request had hurt him. “I’m sorry about what happened. That night. The night I…” I look away from him when he realizes what I’m saying because he suddenly looks like my Conner again. “I regretted it.” I shake my head. “As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I just didn’t know how to—”

The door flies open and a group of college girls tumble through it. They stop short when they see us, their raucous laughter cut off so fast it would’ve been comical if not for the fact that I recognize one of them immediately as the girl he had in his office Friday night.

Kaitlyn.

“Oh, sorry.” She bounces a look between us while her friends dart wide-eyed stares and whisper behind their hands. Finally she lets her gaze settle on Conner. She doesn’t say anything. She just looks at him like she’s waiting for him to tell her what to do.

“Hey.” He gives them a cheeky grin, his face and shoulders instantly relaxing while the rest of them start to titter and smile in his direction. He’s slept with more than a few of them. I don’t even have to ask. I just know. I can tell by the hungry way they’re looking at him.

I don’t sleep with women, Daisy. I fuck them.

Suddenly, I’m in that vacuum again, locked in. Unable to breathe.

“Excuse me.” I push my way through the knot of them while they murmur and stare.

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