Page 24 of Right Number, Wrong Man
Hell, that would actually be less nerve-racking.
I thought I could never have her. The day I left, I abandoned all hope and made my home in the shadows. No light at the end of the tunnel. No happiness without her.
Just darkness.
But now there’s a chance—a tiny, time-limited chance to possess a part of her—and I can’t help following her radiance like a moth to a flame.
I know I’ll get burned, but I can’t stop myself.
So I wait.
And I watch.
When Hailey pushes the cleaning trolley down the hallway to the screening room, I walk across the road and sneak into the lobby, locking the door behind me again.
I skulk after her, taking a left to the projector room above the auditorium. Next to shelves of film roll is a small desk with a computer for admin stuff and I turn it on. The monitor is a decent light source that won’t attract attention with the projector off.
Through the projection window, I peek into the lit screening room.
Hailey stands in row three, hands on her hips. Her face pulls into a grimace as she takes a pair of rubber gloves from a box on the cleaning trolley and puts them on. Cringing, she lifts a squashed soda cup from the floor, dropping it into a trash bag while her mouth moves. I bet she’s cussing out whoever made the mess.
I’ve never seen another woman who’s so effortlessly stunning, no matter what she does—even cleaning. She’s always been like this, though, and time has only made her more beautiful.
In the grand scheme, not much has changed through the years of running from my feelings. Denial was mylifeline when I left town, but I’m still as obsessed with this woman as I was the moment I first laid eyes on her.
And now, my brother is no longer standing in my way.
I swallow thickly as I take Mike’s phone from my pocket and type out the message I came up with.
Me
Ma’am, I would like to apologize for my irascible temper and impolite behavior from last night. If you allow me, I’d like to explain myself and make proper amends.
My hands tingle with nerves as I press send.
I can pinpoint the moment Hailey receives my message. She takes off her gloves and slides her phone from her dress pocket, the screen illuminating her wide eyes and raised brows.
Seconds pass, but they seem like hours.
Suddenly her fingers fly over the keyboard and soon after, a notification pops up on my screen.
Hailey
You get one chance.
My gut lurches. If I fuck this up, I ain’t getting another shot.
No pressure.
Okay, I can do this. I know exactly what I wanna say, but my hands tremble so badly I turn into Butterfingers McGee. Every word comes out garbled. I curse, take a deep breath, and roll my shoulders the same way I do before I pull the trigger on a target.
Then I start over.
Me
Thank you kindly. Last night, I let the bourbon do the talking, but my momma raised me better than that. She’d smack me upside the head if she knew I was rude to a pretty lady like yourself.
In the auditorium, Hailey tilts her head as she reads my message. A smirk lifts one corner of her mouth and sunshine fills my chest. I made her smile for the second time tonight!
