Page 4 of Runaway Bride for the Boss

AUTUMN

I’m about to start panicking when with a low groan, my car rolls to a stop. Damn it. I sit in the car for several minutes trying to wrack my brain for any information I might have gleaned about the town from Larson.

Okay, I know he hasn’t been here in years. We’ve been together for three years, and he hadn’t been here for the two years before that, so five in total. That’s right. For some reason, he hates this place and has no family left. He was a foster kid, like me. We bonded over that fact when we met, and he mentioned having no relations here, giving him even more reason not to return.

My heart starts to pound as my predicament registers. The rain is my first sign of approval that I did the right thing running from Larson. After a series of mindless and impulsive turns from New York, I manage to land here? The one place Larson would never think to look for me.

What runaway bride in her right mind would go to her ex-fiancé’s hometown? A smart one who knows her ex hates this place more than anywhere in the world, that’s who! But this wasn’t planned at all. What are the odds that I’d end up here?My trusty old Betty is looking out for me, after all. I give her an appreciative pat on the dash.

I half-heartedly try to turn on the ignition of my car. Nothing. At least I’m in town already. And if I didn’t make it Downtown, It’s probably not far from here, anyway. I take a bracing breath and step out of the car. I suck in a sharp breath as a gust of icy wind hits me. So, so cold. Not exactly the appropriate weather for a gown and no jacket.

The street is empty. I can’t hear much above the pounding of the rain and the whine of the wind, but my heart sinks because there’s no distinct sound of people nearby; no other cars and no pedestrians braving the weather for a night out. What if everyone’s asleep? This place most likely isn’t like Manhattan where the city is awake 24/7.

I can’t see much in the rain as I wander down the road. I keep my head tucked down as I walk, only glancing up occasionally—I have the irrational fear that the rain might make my contacts slip out if I let it get into my eyes. It would leave me blind and stranded in a strange town. It’s purely fate that I happen to glance up at the same time I walk past a red brick two-story building with rustic black rails on the balcony and a red awning.

A warm glow emanates from the ground floor. I can hear the sound of people coming from the building. Liquid Elixir is written in glowing red neon lights on a sign hanging from the balcony railing, and underneath it are the words, Lounge and Bar.

For some reason I come to a stop. Only then do I notice the blackboard to the side of the door. I squint to make out the words. Bartender needed. Apply within. Oh, God. My heart starts racing as I make my way towards the entrance. I shiver involuntarily when I open the door, and I’m hit with a delicious wave of heat. I didn’t realize just how cold it was outside until now.

The warmth of the bar envelops me, and I immediately take in a deep breath of cinnamon and cedar, putting my aching muscles at ease. I don’t realize how tense my shoulders are until I finally allow them to settle down and roll back, twisting my neck from side to side.

At first nobody notices me as I make my way to the bar, but slowly the conversation trickles down. Something makes me stop. I don’t deny my instincts; it brought me this far, didn’t it? An undeniable sensation runs down my spine. I stop walking and glance back to see a tall dark-haired man in a suit walking toward the exit.

He opens a back door and disappears down a dark hallway. For some reason, disappointment and longing settles like a weight in the pit of my stomach. I frown as I stare at the door. What the hell? This bar is having a strangely euphoric effect on me; I really need to get some sleep.

My curiosity getting the better of me, and I start to walk to the door, but a black haired woman suddenly blocks my path. She takes one long look at me and frowns, her turquoise eyes darkening the slightest bit as our gaze meets.

“Hi there, you look like you need a drink.”

A drink? “I don’t have any money on me for a drink.” I lick my lips, craving the sharp burn of alcohol sliding down my throat. I need it after this hellish day. “I’m here because of the hiring sign outside. Can you point me to the manager?”

She frowns as she contemplates me, then yells to someone at the bar, “Keith! I’m going into my office for a moment. Hold the fort.”

“Aye aye, boss.” The man at the bar, Keith, salutes her, but there’s a frown lurking on his face, and his gaze flickers from the woman to me.

“Come on, follow me.”

I hesitate briefly, then follow her in the direction of the mysterious man. The door leads to a small hallway with several doors. She walks straight down the hall and opens an unassuming door. It opens into a quaint office. Most of the space is taken up by an oversized wooden desk. A tall, dainty chair is tucked under it, in direct contrast to the masculine desk. Two small leather chairs face what I assume to be the manager’s desk.

A few feet away stands a tall bookshelf overflowing with paperbacks, and not far from it is a black, overstuffed leather couch, decorated with colorful throw pillows. On top of a small coffee table is a glass vase with yellow flowers.

Overall, the space is well utilized, neat, and cozy. It has a faint floral smell. The woman rounds the desk to take the manager’s chair and nods for me to take a seat across from her.

“Um, I’m good, thanks,” I say, hyper-aware of my dripping dress. Thank God the floor is wooden and not carpeted or covered with a rug. I’d feel terrible leaving such a mess in my wake.

She raises a brow. “Because of the dress?” She guesses correctly. “Would you like to change?”

I would love that, but—”I don’t have any change of clothes.” I bite my lip, hating just how vulnerable I am at this moment.

If I had stayed in New York, I would be a wife by now, preparing for my honeymoon in Bali. It says a lot about my relationship with Larson that I prefer looking like a drowned rat in front of this stranger than being Mrs. Brown with all the luxuries that title brings.

“Wait here,” the woman says getting to her feet. I watch her disappear through a door next to the bookshelf. It’s on her side of the room, so I didn’t notice it earlier. She’s not gone long before she returns, fresh clothes in hand.

“I always have a spare change of clothes here in case of spills. If you don’t mind wearing a stranger’s clothes, would you like to change?”

My lips part as she speaks, my eyes growing wide. She doesn’t even know me. For the first time today, my eyes sting with tears. I blink them back rapidly. “Thank you,” I whisper, my voice breaking.

Her brows furrow as she watches my reaction, so I scurry through the still open door before I have a full-fledged meltdown and make a scene. It’s just been so long since anyone’s been kind to me, simply for the sake of being kind…without expecting a favor from Larson, or something in return.

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