Page 13 of Pursued by the Player

Jett honestly couldn’t even believe himself. He was acting like a crazy person, approaching strangers on the street asking them about a sparkly pink shoe. Who did he think he was, Prince Charming? But in the end, he didn’t care. Let people think he was crazy: he needed to find her.

The ever-changing crowd out front of The Black Towers seemed like the best place to start, he figured he was bound to find someone who recognized the shoe and could point him in the right direction, but the sidewalk was filled with bustling people too busy to even listen to what he was saying, brushing him off and pushing past him. People would actively avoid him, putting their heads down or pulling out their phones as they walked past to discourage any contact.

Jett was beginning to think his Cinderella mission was a lost cause. But he wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Scanning the crowded sidewalk, he decided to be more selective with who he approached, looking for people exiting and entering Black Towers. As he started to make his way from the curb to the front of the buildings, the revolving door caught the sun, flashing bright white light as the door spun in place. His heart started to hammer out of his chest when a glimmer of chestnut and chocolate exiting the building caught his vision. Was it her? The wind had blown her hair in her face, and the crowd was thick, preventing him from getting a good look, but he was sure it had to be her.

Squinting his eyes and bobbing through the crowd, he watched as she tucked her long strands behind her ears to expose the face with the slightly hooked nose that he had been searching for all morning. Beautiful.

“Hey!” He shouted as he started to push his way through the crowd. “Wait! I’ve got your shoe!” He held the shoe up in the air high above his head as he rushed after her. “Wait!” God dammit he wished he knew her name.

Jett rushed through the crowd, dodging behind a woman with a stroller, nearly tripping over a dog’s leash, all the while calling after his beautiful brunette, trying to keep her in his sights. But as she got further and further away from him, each time someone blocked her from his view, it got harder to find her again. By the time he reached the doors of the building, she was gone.

“Fuck!” He yelled as he nearly ran right into a brick house of a man who was coming out of Black Towers. “Watch where you’re going, asshole!” He called out after him, taking out his frustration of being so close yet so far from finding his mystery girl on the massive man.

“You better watch who you’re talking to, or that pretty pink shoe of yours will find a new home up your ass.”

Jett ran his hand through his hair and huffed the air out of his lungs as. “Shit. Sorry man, that was my bad. Gotta girl under my skin. You know how it is.”

Mr. Brick House reached for the hand of the man standing next to him – Jett hadn’t even noticed him standing there until that moment as he was about half the size of his partner and much less intimidating – and a huge, warm grin widened over the large man’s bearded face. “Naw man, I don’t know how it is. But good luck with your girl.” And they both walked away, hand in hand, heads tossed back in laughter.

Ready to give up, Jett turned the shoe over in his hands as he watched the sequins dance in the sun. Who are you?

When he looked up from the shoe, ready to call Vince to come pick him up, he noticed a woman watching him with a strange look on her face.

“Excuse me,” he said as he stepped closer to her “Do you know who this shoe belongs to? I’ve been looking for her.”

The woman tilted her head, placing her thumb to her mouth she nibbled on her nail as she contemplated what to tell him. “I might.”

Jett couldn’t help the ripple of excitement that coursed through him. This girl knows something. She must. “You might?”

“I might, considering I just gave her those shoes.”

“Well, what’s her name? Where can I find her?”

“I don’t know if I should tell you, I’m not so sure she wants to be found.”

“Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll give you anything you want.”

“Anything?” She seemed to be considering his offer.

“Anything at all. Just name your price, everyone’s got one.”

“I don’t know…let me think on it and get back to you.”

“Come on, just a name. That’s all I need.” Impatient, Jett didn’t want to wait. He wanted to know now.

“Why don’t you give me your number, and I’ll call you after I’ve had time to think about it?”

Jett let out a frustrated sigh as he pulled his business card from his wallet and handed it to the woman. “Call me as soon as you’re ready to give me what I want. Or better yet, just have her call me. Or text. It doesn’t matter, but we’ve got some…unfished business to take care of.”

“All right. I’ll think on it.” And she turned to walk away.

“Hey, wait!” Jett called after her. “Give her a message for me?”

She turned around to face him again, “What’ve you got, lover boy?”

“Just tell her I just want to ask her out. Take her on a date. Get to know her better. Ok?”

“Yeah alright, I’ll tell her.”

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