Page 34 of David's Chase

“That’s pretty much it,” I say with a smile before furtively glancing at my watch.

“Having plans for tonight?” she asks, and my eyes meet hers.

She holds my gaze like a warrior.

Unafraid.

Without blinking.

“I might,” I say, a knowing smile tickling my lips.

“Please don’t tell me it’s someone I know,” she tosses at me, leaning back in the oversized armchair while I cross my arms over my chest and push back against the sofa.

The hotel room is vast, tastefully furnished, and dimly lit. The cold weather sets a stark contrast to the decadent interior.

It’s dark outside, a quiet rain drizzling down the windows. The streetlights pierce the darkness, glowing over the wet sidewalks and piles of rusty leaves.

It’s not even seven, and the world looks like it has gone to sleep.

“The girl?” Julie says with a lifted eyebrow when I direct my gaze to her.

“What girl?” I ask, smiling.

A grin colors her gaze.

We had back to back meetings the entire day, and although she’s normally not required to attend, she insisted she could help.

She did help and also made an effort to spruce up her appearance.

Her pink hair is brushed back, her eyes are bright, her favorite bulky jewelry replaced by a delicate necklace with a small pendant.

She rocks a pantsuit that makes her look even more fragile.

“Don’t you have a plane to catch?” I shoot at her.

“Your driver picks me up in half an hour, so I still have a few minutes to kill.”

“How’s your aunt?”

She points to my phone.

“You can ask her. She baked your favorite pie last weekend and waited for you. I told her she’d set herself up for disappointment, but she didn’t want to believe me. She doesn’t know men the way I do,” she adds with humor.

I remember how quickly things unraveled last Saturday.

My leaving came sooner than I had planned, and then I ignored my schedule and went to Elizabeth’s place at the last moment.

I can’t remember much from that morning or the previous night. It’s all a blur. A good kind of blur.

She erased everything bad from my memory.

But somehow, I made it on time and left for New York.

Barely made it, actually.

The plane was on the tarmac, ready to leave, while I was a ball of tension.

Not because I was afraid I might miss the plane but because I didn’t want to leave.

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