Page 106 of Love Undiscovered
Chapter 28
Remi
Connie invites me to lunch. And I agree to go. Which doesn’t happen often. We’ve grown kind of close over the last few months, chatting about everything going on in our lives and the such. She being one of the only other women in the company. Regardless, I still don’t pal around outside work a lot with her. But I’m feeling like a new me, one that decides to trust men, and agrees to go to lunch with women who aren’t Lexie or Kat.
We decide on an Italian restaurant that is close to the office so we can walk.
She babbles on a bit about making the travel plans for our upcoming conference.
“Hey, I never asked you what kind of room you want,” she says.
“What do you mean? I get a choice?”
She laughs. “Well, with me making all the travel plans, you do.”
“Okay then, something far away from everyone else, King bed, double occupancy, soaking tub, and a view.”
“Done!” she says.
I immediately think of Chance and what we can do in a king bed. And a soaking tub. Or against a window with a view. I reach into my purse for my phone. Maybe I can talk him into coming up for a night if he doesn’t have to work.
“It’s right across the street here.” She points to the restaurant. I slow my steps before stepping off the curb so I can start a text to Chance. I look up briefly, see nothing, then move to cross the street. Movement in my periphery causes me to pause just as Connie pulls me back by the arm. A blue car speeds by, barely swerving to miss me. My hands drop in shock, my phone falling from them and bouncing off the edge of the curb into the street.
I could have been hit. I wasn’t even paying attention. I was too busy thinking about Chance to watch my surroundings. Another second or so and that car would have flattened me.
“Holy shit, Connie, did you see that? Fucking maniac almost hit me! Thank you so much. Ohmigod.” My heart is racing, and I want to throw up.
“Hey asshole, watch where you’re going!” I yell belatedly after the car.
“You okay?” she asks.
“I think so. I just need to catch my breath. That really scared me.”
“That was a close one,” she says.
I move to pick up my phone, or rather what’s left of it, having bounced off the curb at just the right angle to shatter the entire screen.
Fuck.
“I’m going to have to hit the cell store after this, look.” I hold my phone up so Connie can see the screen.
“Oh no,” she cries. “That sucks. Eating always makes me feel better. Maybe pasta will make you feel better.”
Somehow I doubt that. But I don’t share that out loud. Connie had said this place was her favorite, and even though I think pasta is a little heavy for lunchtime, I agreed. Because that’s the kind of thing thatnew Remidoes with her friends.
Connie crosses ahead of me, but I hold back, double-checking both sides of traffic before crossing the street on still shaky legs.
The hostess sits us at a little table near the back of the restaurant. I grab my menu and plan on what to eat before taking in my surroundings.
Deciding on angel hair pasta tossed with olive oil, Roma tomatoes, and basil, I sit back and sip on my water, the waitress comes to take our order. I give her mine, but Connie asks a lot of questions before making her decision. I take the time to look around the restaurant, it’s got a nice homey feel, with wood paneled wainscoting on lower half the walls and pictures of regular customers posing alongside the owners scattered across the upper half. We are sitting in a deep red high-backed booth that makes me feel like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are going to walk in at any time, call me dollface, and order a platter of pasta and gravy.
My gaze halts at a booth near the front door. A familiar head of blonde hair is turned away from me.
Helen.
Of all the places.
She turns suddenly and sees me. I try to turn away, but it’s almost like I’m caught in her gaze. The fly to the spider web. Her eyes meet mine, a glint of recognition lights in them. Except she’s not exactly looking at me. It’s like she’s looking past me. I turn to see who is behind me. Just Connie.
