Usually, the hottest, most shallow guy in the room.
I wasn't good enough for someone like Jamal.
And he had figured that out.
I finished my workout, aching all over. I decided to spend some time in the sauna, soothing my muscles. I stripped down in the change room and wrapped a towel around my waist.
There was only one other guy in the sauna.
Muscular and sexy.
He eyed me up and down and smiled.
Out of habit, I sat hip-to-hip with him. My body vibrated when he put his hand on my thigh. And not in a good way. I brushed his hand away and hustled out of the stifling room.
Jamal.
I didn't want him off my mind. I wanted to remember every moment we'd spent together. Even if he didn't believe in me. No one was ever going to take me seriously—I knew that.
Not today, but soon, I'd leap back into the carnal pool of men.
Where I belonged.
I was early, but I headed to work at the pub. I needed to distract myself. After checking in with the afternoon bartenders, I found Noah in his office.
I slumped into the only other chair in the room aside from his. It was a ratty old thing that used to be out on the floor of the pub. The final nail in its coffin—a tear in the fabric.
"You're early." Noah looked up from his papers at me. "What's wrong?"
There was no point in dancing around. "Jamal cut me loose."
Noah frowned and set his pen down. "What happened?"
I sighed. "Where to begin."
"At the beginning."
"Okay. He said there are things about himself that I would never understand."
"What did he mean by that?"
"He wouldn't clarify. But it's obvious."
Noah shifted in his chair and leaned his arms on his desk. "What is?"
I needed Noah's opinion because I knew what mine was. Just for clarification. "Do I come across as someone who would dump Jamal because he's disabled?"
"Honestly. Outward appearances—yes. But I know you on the inside."
"And what do you see on the inside?"
"A kind, caring, generous, and intelligent man with abundant love to give."
"Nice words, but do you thinkhethinks I'm shallow?"
"If he thought you were, Jamal never would have become your boyfriend. He's very cautious. In all the years I've known him, he's only gone out on a few dates."
"I worried I'm not good enough for him."