Page 2 of One Weekend in Boston

"I was definitely trying to remove the foot from my mouth. Seems that's all I've done since meeting you. But to answer your question, yes, I'm visiting my brother. He moved here a few years ago to work for a security company. I try to visit him a few times a year if I can get the time away."

"And what exactly do you do, Jack?"

I didn't know why I was entertaining the conversation. I came down to the bar with the sole purpose of having a few drinks, but my father always said it was never okay to drink alone. A bar had people, so that had to count for something. Even if the thought of people milling around bothered me, I always listened to my father's advice. It was the only thing I had left of him.

"I'm an electrician. How about you?"

I took another sip of my beer as I figured out how I wanted to answer. I probably should've considered that before I started this line of conversation.

"I'm … in between jobs at the moment. I decided to take some time and travel before I make my next decision."

Not a total lie. Iwastraveling. Just not for the reason I gave, or because I necessarily wanted to.

"What made you decide on Boston?" Jack took his own sip of beer and I was ashamed to admit how attractive it was to watch his Adam's apple bob from the motion. Who knew watching a man drink could make my panties wet?

"A dart on a map."

Jack almost spit his beer all over the bar. He looked at me like he was expecting me to tell him I was joking.

"Wait, you're serious?"

"As a heart attack. Put a map of the United States up on a dartboard and let one fly. Boston was where it landed."

"No shit?" Jack signaled for the bartender to bring us another round before he turned back to me. "I thought people only did stuff like that in the movies."

I wish my life was a movie. At least then I could step off the set and no longer have to deal with the bullshit that seemed to follow me around. My father always said that if there was trouble in the neighborhood, it was sure to find me. Which reminded me …

"You don't happen to be in some kind of trouble by chance?"

Jack looked around confused. "Ah, no?"

"That doesn't sound very convincing, Jack."

I should've ignored my father's advice and stayed up in my room. Two hours in a new town and already I was making poor decisions.

"That was a strange question,Shannon." My name rolled off his tongue like an Olympian gymnast who stuck a perfect landing. So damn smooth that I wondered what it would sound like against my pussy.

I pushed the thought away immediately. I was staying away from men. Detoxing from them, if you will. It didn't matter that my hoo-hoo was begging for some action. The damn hussy needed to sit back and shut the hell up. She was the reason I was on the run to begin with.

"I have a tendency to attract trouble. I figured it was best to find out if that's where this night was headed right out of the gate."

Jack studied me for what felt like ten minutes, but in reality, was probably closer to ten seconds before he saluted me with his beer bottle. "I like your honesty. It's refreshing, and to answer your question, no I'm not in any kind of trouble. My brother would kick my ass, and considering he's seven years older thanme, and has about an extra fifty pounds and three inches on me, I have a tendency not to piss him off."

"What did you say your brother did for a living?"

I was horrible at remembering what people said. Ask me some useless knowledge I read in a book from eighth grade, no problem. Ask me a tiny detail someone mentioned in a conversation five minutes ago, forget it. Whatever the person said was long gone. Dropped into an endless black pit, never to be seen again.

"He works for a security company. Transferred there after he got out of the Navy."

"Ahhh, a sailor." I winked, and it was funny to watch the way Jack's jaw flexed.

"Is that the kind of guy you're interested in?"

Jealous Jack was fun, even if he had no reason to be. Swearing off men, remember? That included nameless, faceless older brothers.

I decided to put him out of his misery. "Nah. I much prefer my men to be blue collar, such as yourself."

Jack was quick to change the subject. Something I found very interesting. "So you threw a dart and landed here. Does that mean you'll be leaving again soon?"

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