Page 99 of The Merger
“Yes. It’ll be nice to catch up with Gannon,” Hugo says. “I haven’t seen him in years.”
Two other couples approach the table, and Gannon’s still nowhere to be seen.
“If you’ll please excuse me, I need to find the ladies’ room,” I say.
Hugo raises from the table to pull my chair out for me.
“Oh, thank you,” I say, blushing as I stand.
He nods before pushing my chair back into place.
I clutch my purse and take off the way Gannon went, hoping to find him quickly.
I need a hug.
Gannon
“It was good seeing you again. Don’t wait so long to make an appearance next time,” Joey Jenkins says, shaking my hand.
“I’ll try.”
He lifts his drink to his lips and walks away.
Securing two beverages took entirely too long—much longer than I anticipated. Getting through the crowd was a task in and of itself. Actually receiving the drinks was another. Extracting myself from the partygoers has turned into a nightmare.
Everyone wants to fucking talk and no one can read my face.
What’s wrong with these people?
I pick up Carys’s and my drinks and turn to make my way back to our table. I don’t fully pivot when I’m stopped by a hand resting on my bicep. Although it’s been a decade, I remember that touch.
I freeze.
“Hey,” she says, her voice calmer than I heard it last.
I look down at her long, slender fingers and creamy white skin. Her nails have her signature French manicure. Something about that amuses me.
“What do you want, Tatum?”
My eyes find hers and I take a breath, waiting for something to happen. She misreads my smile and returns it.
“You need to take your hand off me,” I say.
“Oh.” She flinches, withdrawing her fingers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that.”
I narrow my gaze. “Don’t worry. If you meant anything, I’m certain you’d make it clear.”
A cloud settles over her eyes. “Gannon, can we talk for a minute?”
“No. No, we can’t.”
“Please. We left things so badly.”
“Ten years ago, Tatum. None of that matters anymore.”
I need to get the hell out of here.
I never should have agreed to come.
