Page 12 of Abduction
“I’m saying I would find it boring,” I replied. It was clear from the way she was chatting with me that this girl didn’t have a clue who I was, and honestly, it was kind of nice to spend some time with someone who seemed chill about my identity. Most of the time, I was dealing with people who were consistently in the middle of a freak-out about who I was and what I was up to, but she didn’t seem to care, if she was even aware at all.
I led her down to the hot dog stand where I had grabbed my lunch, and she ordered about the biggest dog she could carry. It was clear she was starving as she took a huge bite of it and let out a groan of relief. I liked this girl. She didn’t seem worried about what I thought of her, not like the woman I had been with last night, who had made an effort to laugh at all my jokes just to ensure I knew how much she wanted me.
I noticed, as she ate, a large ring on her finger—an engagement one, I would bet, with a big enough rock to make sure everyone knew she was tied down. Whoever had put it on her, I didn’t blame them. She was seriously cute, with a smart mouth too, and I was sure there were plenty of guys out there who would have liked to pretend they didn’t see that ring and make a move.
And I would bet, by the look of the ring, they were pretty damn wealthy, too. Maybe supported her while she was dedicating her life to working on her law degree. It wasn’t an easy process—I’d encountered enough lawyers in my time to know that, though most of them wished they had never come into contact with me—but someone like her, she would have to be dedicated to make it work.
I felt my stomach grumbling as she ate, and I decided to grab another hot dog to keep myself busy. I got the feeling it would have been way too easy for me to get distracted with her right in front of me like this.
I should have known better—but I liked a challenge. And a girl with a ring like that, I knew it was going to be one hell of a challenge.
Chapter Eight
Amber
––––––––
IDIDN’T KNOW WHATexactly I planned to get out of this little outing with this random stranger, but as we munched on our hot dogs and strolled toward the lake, I realized I didn’t really care. I just wanted to get out of my head for a while and pretend I didn’t have exams to study for or a fiancé I couldn’t stop worrying about lately.
Maybe that was why I was doing this, walking with this stranger. I knew I should have told him I was going home, but there was something about his attention I enjoyed, and I couldn’t deny it, much as I wanted to. He was handsome, in a slightly rugged way—scruffy stubble on his chin, slightly overgrown dark hair, and sharp blue eyes that looked somehow familiar to me. I got the feeling I would have remembered this man if I had run into him before, though. He seemed like the type who wouldn’t easily be forgotten.
“So you live in the city?” he asked as we reached the banks of Lake Michigan. The wind chill whipping off the water made me shiver, and I tightened my scarf around my neck.
“No, I live out in the suburbs,” I replied, trying to keep my voice casual. I hesitated a moment before I added the final part. “With my fiancé, Aaron.”
“Ah,” he replied, grinning. “So you’re a suburban girl, huh? The city just too much for you?”
I laughed. “Nah, I love the city,” I replied, stuffing my hands and the napkin from the hotdog into my pocket as I walked with him. “But it’s closer to his work, so it’s easier for him. Plus, it’s way better than any of the student accommodation I would be able to afford myself.”
“So your fiancé pays for everything?” he asked bluntly. I was a little taken aback, but I guessed I didn’t mind him being straightforward like this. Most people would just assume and silently judge me on our set-up, but he didn’t seem so worried. I wondered what it was he did that had him so confident in talking to me like that, as though he was owed an answer for everything that even briefly crossed his mind.
I nodded. “For now,” I replied. “Like I said, I’m studying real estate law so, I can pay for stuff in the future. But I’d rather not freeze to death or starve before I have a chance to finish up, you know?”
“Hmm, sounds fair,” he reasoned. I realized as he settled down on to a bench and gestured for me to sit beside him, that I hadn’t even gotten his name.
“I’m Amber, by the way,” I told him, feeling a little shy all of a sudden. I didn’t know what it was, but being so close to him like this, this man I had only just met, was making the hair on the back of the neck stand up. He was handsome, sure, but that didn’t mean anything. I was engaged. And I saw plenty of cute guys around the university. I didn’t have to make anything of an attraction, did I? In fact, I would have been crazy to allow myself to get drawn in to someone just because they were kind of cute. I was smarter than that.
