Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 164828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 824(@200wpm)___ 659(@250wpm)___ 549(@300wpm)
I had a wonderful afternoon. I had a massage and went shopping. It felt good to just be me for a while, with nothing to do. I put my phone into my bag and roll my eyes. Nathan still hasn’t called and I know he is waiting for me to call him.
I’ll get it over with. I dial his number, and he answers on the first ring.
“Hi, there,” he purrs, and I can tell that he’s smiling.
“Hi.” I smile at the sound of his deep voice.
“How was your day?”
“Good, I only had to be there in the morning. I had the afternoon off, so I had a massage and went shopping.”
“Ah, working hard, I see,” he teases.
“Yes.”
“What’s on tonight?” he asks.
See…. this is normal…..this is a normal conversation, why can’t he be so chill all the time?
“A welcome dinner.”
“Where is it?”
“Just here at the hotel.”
“Okay.”
I smile. It makes me miss him when he’s like this. “I’ll call you when I get home.”
“Okay, babe. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I hang up feeling happier, and I make my way down to the bar. It’s packed with people from the conference. Henry waves when he sees me. He’s standing with a group of people near the bar. I smile as I approach them.
“Hello, Eliza,” Henry says in a husky voice. Boy, is he tipsy already? How long have they been here? He turns to the men he is standing with. “This is my wonderful office manager, Eliza.”
“Hello, Eliza.” They all smile. Henry goes around and introduces me to everyone, and I shake all of their hands. They are all around Henry’s age or a little older. They are also heavy in conversation. Henry gets to the last man in the group. He’s very good-looking with dark hair. He’s tall and well built.
“And this is Zavier,” Henry introduces.
“Hello, Eliza.” He smiles as he shakes my hand. “Lovely to meet you.”
“Hi.” I smile. Zavier has a really lovely feel about him. I instantly feel at ease.
“Zavier is from San Fran, too,” Henry says.
“Oh, you are?” I smile.
Zavier holds his drink up. “Best city in the world.” He laughs.
“Actually, you might know Eliza’s boyfriend,” Henry says.
“Who’s that?” Zavier smiles.
“Nathan Mercer.”
Zavier’s brow furrows and his eyes come to me. “Nathan… Mercer?”
“Yes.” I smile.
“The heart surgeon?”
“Yes.” I chuckle. “That’s him.”
Everyone continues on their conversation, and Zavier raises his eyebrows, as if surprised.
“Do you know Nathan?” I ask.
“Um.” He pauses. “Yes, he… dated someone I know for a while.”
“Oh.” My eyes hold his. The only people who know who Nathan has dated in the past are the people he dated.
“How long have you been together?” Zavier asks.
“It’s only new; just recent.” I sip my drink.
He smiles as if relieved, and my stomach sinks.
Nathan has dated Zavier. I can feel it in my gut. “When did your friend date him?” I ask.
“Last year.”
“For long?” I ask.
“Couple of months.”
“Oh.” I force a smile feeling suddenly weirded out. Zavier is a beautiful looking man, and although I already knew it, the concrete evidence is hard to swallow. Nathan Mercer can literally have anyone he wants. Male or female. The thought is unsettling.
“He’s an excellent doctor.” Zavier smiles as if to change the subject.
“He is.” He rocks on his toes awkwardly.
I point to the bar. “I’m going to get a drink.”
“Okay.” He smiles. “Have fun.”
* * *
It’s late, near 2:00 a.m., and its been a great night. I should have gone back to my room hours ago but I’ve been having too much fun. I think I’ve met everyone in the world and these margaritas have gone down way too easily. I sit at the end of the bar, watching Henry laughing out loud as he dances on the dancefloor. He’s rap dancing… at least that’s what I think he’s trying to pull off. He’s dry, crass, and yet everyone seems to adore him.
He’s actually hilarious and nothing at all like what my first impression of him was.
I glance over and see Zavier watching me from his place in a group of men. I offer him a small wave, and he waves back before he comes over.
“You lonely over here?” he asks.
“A little.”
“Want some company?”
“Sure.”
He pulls up a stool and sits down beside me. “Is this your first plastics conference?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “Are they all this wild?”
He chuckles. “They get wilder every night. Wait till the end of the week.”
I giggle, and we fall silent.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” I say. His eyes meet mine. “The friend who dated Nathan. I mean, it was you.”
He presses his lips together and nods. “So, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” I smile. “We’re very serious. I know everything there is to know.”
He nods.
“You seemed surprised that I was dating him.”
He raises his eyebrows. “To be honest, I am.”
“That he’s with a woman?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs. “I just would have never thought…” His voice trails off. “You think you know someone, hey?” His eyes smile. “But I can totally see why.” He offers a playful chaser to the hit I just received.