Page 78 of Perfect Fling

Erin drew a deep breath and walked out the door.

***

At Joe’s, surroundedby friends, Erin could only focus on one thing. “Where’s Cole?” she quietly asked Cara, who sat by her side.

“I don’t know. He should have been here by now. Wasn’t he ready to leave when I picked you up?”

Erin nodded. “He said he’d be a few minutes behind me.”

“Have you called him?”

Erin tipped her head to the side and glared at her sister-in-law.

“Okay, dumb question.” Cara laughed. “Let’s talk about something else while we wait for showtime. How are you handling everyone knowing your secret?” She reached out and patted Erin’s stomach.

Erin took a sip of her club soda. “Considering I haven’t been allowed to leave the house since the news broke, just fine.”

Cara winced. “Right. So... how’s it going being out tonight?”

“You all already know.” Erin gestured around the table to Macy, Trina, and most of the same people who were at Nick’s. Though Joe’s was crowded, Erin had immediately taken a seat. Besides, she was so thin she could still cover... mostly.

But there was nothing she could do about the news being public.

“Erin! You’re out and about.” Evan Carmichael’s familiar voice sounded from behind her. He walked around and eyed her warily.

“It’s not what it looks like,” she assured him. Erin knew that if she wanted to save her job, she needed to explain. “Give me a second and we’ll talk, okay?”

He nodded, but his expression showed his confusion and displeasure.

She swiveled in her seat. “Cara, I need a few minutes to talk to my boss. I won’t go far. Just to the nearest quiet corner.”

The other woman frowned. “Erin—”

“It’s about my job,” she said, rising from her seat before Cara could stop her. “I have to do this,” Erin insisted.

Cara let out a groan. “Fine. I’ll call Cole in the meantime. And you keep me in sight. Your brother’s at the bar with an eye out too. Any problems, just let us know,” she said, tipping her head toward Mike, who leaned against the bar, talking with some guys from the station. But Erin didn’t miss that he was alert, his gaze shifting around the room.

“I’ll be right back.”

She and Evan stepped to the nearest wall, but they were constantly jostled by people walking by, and it was too noisy for a private conversation.

“This is ridiculous,” Evan muttered. “Come on.” He steered Erin toward the bathroom hallway. She would have argued but he wasn’t listening, and since she could still see her brother from her location, she tried to relax.

He faced her, his back to the main room. “What’s going on? And I’m asking not as your boss but as your friend. Because I know you well enough to realize you wouldn’t bail on work but come drink at Joe’s.” He raised an eyebrow, the concern in his chiseled face very real.

Erin opted to explain the stalker part of her situation first and gave Evan the briefest overview of why she was in Joe’s Bar tonight and what she hoped to accomplish.

He nodded slowly. “So where’s your partner in crime?”

Erin swallowed hard. “I can’t imagine what’s keeping him.”

The other man’s scowl told her just what he thought of Cole. “Do you really know what you’re getting yourself into with him? You must realize you can do so much better.”

Erin stiffened. She disliked being told who or what was good for her, but even more, she hated anyone making assumptions and insulting Cole. He might not be the man for her, but he had reasons she had to respect—though none that warranted Evan putting him down.

“Look, I appreciate that you think you mean well, as a friend and as my boss, but I’ve told you before, the subject of Cole is off-limits. He’s going to be in my life for the foreseeable future and that’s the end of it.” Her voice sounded harsh, brittle to her own ears.

Evan stepped back and studied her. “For God’s sake, why can’t you see he’s just going to leave you high and dry when he’s had his fill?” the man asked.

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