Page 24 of Property of Fox

“Don’t you think searching him out seems a little desperate?”

“Not any more than standing here at this bar hoping he comes back,” she shrugs. “Go find him, B.”

I take a deep breath, the warmth from my whiskey fueling me. “Fine,” I finally agree, rolling my eyes again for good measure to mask how flustered she’s made me. It feels ridiculous chasing after some guy who probably didn’t even remember I existed from our short interaction.

I shift from the bar as Keira calls out from behind me like a pageant mom. “Push up your tits and don’t forget to smile!”

I don’t make it far before the lights in the bar flick on and off a few times. The crowd groans before a loud voice cuts over the noise.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” A male voice booms. “We need everyone with the event welcome party to please leave the bar as we open for normal business. If you are still drinking, you can stay, but anyone without a drink needs to leave the area immediately to make room for other guests.”

The announcement ricochets around the space, inciting a flurry of movement as people start shuffling toward the exits. My heart sinks just a little as I glance around, desperately scanning for any sign of Fox. I curse under my breath. “Perfect timing,” I mutter. He’s nowhere to be seen. Fuck.

“B!” Keira’s voice calls out as she finds me again. “Did you find him?”

“No,” I sigh.

“He has to be around here somewhere. Keep looking.”

I pivot to go back towards the direction he went when a security guard notices we aren’t leaving and approaches us. “Time to go, ladies.”

“She’s looking for someone,” Keira argues.

“You can look outside of the bar. Go,” he gruffly orders.

I force a smile through gritted teeth. "It's fine," I say, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. "Let's just go. Maybe he's waiting for us in the lobby." The lie leaves a bitter taste on my tongue as it spills out. Deep down, I know that if he really wanted to find me, he would have. Fox, assuming that was his real name, had clearly ghosted me.

I latch onto Keira’s arm as she pulls me through the throng of people, the loud chatter of excited voices and laughter blending into a dull roar. My heart hammers against my ribcage, each beat echoing my disappointment. I feel more exposed with every step, like a wilted flower cast aside after blooming too soon.

“Let’s just go back to your aunt’s.”

“Don’t you want to keep looking for your mystery man?”

“There’s no point. He’s long gone. I should have known better,” I grumble, trying to stifle the self-deprecating thoughts rolling through my mind.

Keira shoots me a disappointed look. “Stop it! You have no idea what he was thinking. He could be just as interested as you are.”

I snort at that but stay quiet while we exit the hotel and head towards Keira’s car in the parking garage. While we walk, I catch a glimpse of people milling in and out of the venue.

“It’s alright,” Keira reassures me as we step into the garage elevator. The cool evening breeze bites at my cheeks. “We’ll go back tomorrow for the signing event. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be there.”

“Sure.” I nod, knowing it would be a long shot, but part of me clings to that sliver of hope even as I fight against it.

FOX

“Your adoringfans are waiting for you,” Az declares as he drags me away from the beauty at the bar.

“Have I ever told you how much I fucking hate you?” I growl through gritted teeth.

"Every single day," Az replies, his tone mocking.

“It’s not enough.” My eyes narrow in frustration and longing as I'm reluctantly dragged away from the temptation at the bar. The air is thick with the scent of alcohol.

“Well, the next time the club president position opens up, you put your hat in the ring, and then you can make the decisions.”

Internally, I scoff at the notion. The likelihood of me becoming the club president is as improbable as hell freezing over. I'm well aware that my only shot at the position would be if Az either steps down or meets an untimely end, but even then, Asher, Az's twin, and our vice president, would undoubtedly step into the role.

The crowd around Eden is massive. Readers, other authors based on the lanyards draped about their necks, and enthusiasts alike, each buzzing with excitement. Normally, crowds like this don’t bother me. Lots of people usually meant I wasn’t going home alone that night. But this is a completely different animal. The only place I want to be is back at the bar drinking with the redhead but leave it to my asshole club president to pull me away as I was sealing the deal on a good fucking night for myself.

---