Page 71 of Whatever You Need

My phone vibratedon my nightstand. Without even looking I knew it was Logan calling. I was supposed to meet him at a New Year’s Eve party over an hour ago. I’ve been sitting on the edge of my bed, showered, dressed, and stalling.

He sent me a picture of the beautiful woman he was trying to set me up with, but I wasn’t even slightly interested. Normally, the only thing that would keep me from hooking up with a warm body would be if I was sick or working. I knew he was only trying to get me out of my funk, but the thought of touching someone other than Amelia had a knot of apprehension forming in my stomach.

It’s been ten days since we broke up. Ten days of her calling and texting me. Giving her the silent treatment hasn’t been easy. There have been a few times where I’ve been tempted to pick up the phone, but my stubborn pride won out. Only it didn’t feel like much of a victory.

It didn’t matter how much time I’ve had to sit and stew on everything, my mind kept replaying every conversation we had. I tried to do what I do best—search for clues and try to make sense of all this, but the outcome, no matter which way I played it, seemed the same.

My phone buzzed again. Logan was getting impatient, and I needed to put on my big boy pants and stop avoiding the inevitable. I pushed myself off the bed and walked over to my dresser and was about to spray myself with a few drops of cologne when I remembered that it was Amelia’s favorite. I set it back down and looked at myself in the mirror. It didn’t feel right to put effort into my appearance for someone else, but what choice did I have? I fixed a few strands of hair and forced myself out the door.

The bar was hopping by the time I walked in. There were people everywhere wearing hats, bright colored glasses, and silver and gold Mardi Gras beads. I scanned the crowd and immediately spotted Logan and a few guys from work. Everyone was standing around a small pub table, drinks in hand, and laughing over the loud music. I made the welcome round, shaking hands and clapping backs.

Logan broke into a smile when he saw me. “Hey, dude. Just in time.” He looked over my shoulder and I turned my head to see two women making their way toward us. The blonde strolled over to his side and he snaked a hand along her waist. “Stephanie, this is Marco.”

The woman held her hand out. “Nice to meet you, Marco.” I picked up on a hint of a Jersey accent when she spoke.

I raised my hand to return the gesture. “Nice to meet you, too.”

“And this is Fiona,” Logan said, pointing to the redhead in a short black dress. I recognized her from the picture he sent me. Fiona was gorgeous. She was tall and thin and could pass for a model. She had legs for days and hair that went down to her waist.

“You must be my date tonight.” She smiled, and I could tell by the way she stared at me she was expecting a reaction. She crossed her legs, causing the slit that ran up the middle of her thigh to open further. I waited for my body to respond to her, but I never felt a thing.

“The one and only.” I forced a smile as a beat of awkwardness played between us. I was usually good at making small talk, but for some reason, I struggled to keep the conversation moving. The old me would have welcomed the attention but tonight it felt awkward.

“I’m going to grab a drink. Can I get you another glass of wine?” I noticed she was already holding a full glass, but I was trying to be polite.

“I’m good, but I’ll come with you.” She linked her arm inside mine.Bold move, I thought, but it would be rude for me to ignore her, so I gave my head a quick shake, and went with it. If this were a couple of months ago, I would have been completely okay with this setup. Now, not so much.

Fiona slid up next to me as we inched our way to the bar. I placed an order for a Jack and Coke and another glass of pinot for her because she had already finished hers and was ready for a refill.

“So, you’re a homicide detective,” she said, running the tip of her finger along the center of her chest. She knew my eyes would follow, but in spite of her best efforts, there wasn’t even a twitch behind my zipper.

I managed another smile. “I am.”

“That sounds dangerous and kind of hot.” I wanted to roll my eyes. “I bet you know how to use a set of handcuffs too.”

My mind went straight to Amelia and the memory ignited a fire in my chest.

I picked up my freshly poured drink and tried to drown my frustration in my whiskey. We moved from the bar area and stepped off to the side, so the people in back could place their order. Fiona was doing nothing to hide the fact that she was expecting to go home with me tonight. As attractive as she was, I wasn’t the slightest bit interested. If anything, I was annoyed.

I pulled my phone out, pretending to check my messages. I glanced at the time, noticing that there was a little under two hours left to go before the ball dropped. I was debating on whether I should push through for at least another hour or make an excuse to leave early. I slipped my phone back in my pocket and decided to give Fiona a shot. It wasn’t her fault that I was still pining away for someone else.

“So, what do you do for a living, Fiona?” I asked, trying to ignore the commotion next to us. A group of young college kids were doing shots. Their cheering and chanting were distracting.

She flipped her hair over her slender shoulder. “I’m a model. I live in Manhattan, but was born and raised here in Philly. I’m home visiting for the holidays.”

I sipped my drink. “Nice.” I guess I called that one. I probably should have acted more interested but, this mindless conversation was going nowhere fast.

“So, why don’t you tell me about yourself. Surely, a man as good-looking as yourself has a few stories to tell.” Her flirty little giggle landed right on my nerves as she moved closer. “And I can’t wait to hear them all.”

Despite taking a step back to reclaim my personal space, I could still smell the overpowering scent of her perfume. “Oh, I have plenty of stories, but I’m not one to kiss and tell on the first date.”

“Just so you know, I’m all for kissing on the first date.” She brought a hand up to my shoulder and ran it down my arm. The move was meant to be sensual, but the only thing on my mind was trying to figure out a way to defuse the situation. “In fact, maybe we can finish this conversation in a more private place where you can kiss me wherever you like. I also promise to return the favor.”

I removed her hand off my arm, halting her movements. I didn’t want her hands on me. Her sexy poses might work for the cameras, but the only thing I wanted was for her to back the fuck up.

“Are you always this forward?”

Her red-painted lips curved up into a smile as she inched for my mouth. “Only when I’m interested.”

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