Here goes nothing.
“Well, I hope you find the love of your life tonight,” I tell Glenn with a slippery smile on my face. Yeah, my lips are tingling.
I need a breadstick pronto.
“You too. Unless you scare them away with the breadsticks, then I’m just going to say, ‘I told you so.”
“But you didn’t tell me so.”
“Cheeky.”
I take a step to go sit at my assigned table when the front door opens. My eyes drag across the room and my breath hitches when I see Quin walk through the door—and wouldn’t you know, he doesn’t have on his cut. He is dressed to impress.
My cheeks heat as I look him up and down.
He’s wearing a freshly pressed black button-up long sleeve shirt. It stretches across his firm chest and hugs his shapely arms. The cuffs are rolled to the elbow, showing his strong forearms, and it’s tucked into a pair of dress pants—dress pants that don’t leave much to the imagination. He’s wearing his formal eyepatch, the kind he only reserves for special occasions.
Even his hair is combed. God, he looks amazing.
“And who is that rugged drink of water?” Glenn whispers into my ear.
“That… that is, um. That’s the guy I was grumbling about this morning.”
“That’s the guy you’re dating?”
“I don’t know if I’m dating him or not.”
“My god, Alicia. If you don’t know, you need to have a talk with him because someone is going to snatch that beautiful man up.”
“I know. And we have talked. Believe me, it gets nowhere. It hurts and it’s frustrating, but what else can I do?”
“What happened to his eye, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Something horrible.” I should go to my table before Quin sees me. “He doesn’t like to talk about it, but I’ve heard whispers from the Club, and I can’t imagine someone so good could go through something so bad.”
“Wait a minute… Club? You mean…” Glenn lowers his voice. “He is a Ruthless King?”
I nod. “I know they look scary, but they are great guys. They’ve really helped my daughter and me. Quin wants to be her father. He loves her more than anything.”
“So what’s the problem? Why are you two here, then? Sounds like the perfect guy to me.”
“Please, take your seats.” The host’s bright white smile seems like a grand gesture as he holds out his arms. It makes me feel like I’m at a circus.
“We’ll talk later. Have a good time.” I kiss Glenn on the cheek and that’s when I feel someone watching me, but it doesn’t make my hair stand on end. This time, the feeling has my entire body burning and only one man has ever done that to me.
“Oh, he looks so pissed. I’m afraid he might take my eye in retaliation. Maybe you aren’t good for my health.” Glenn sashays away with a smooth strut, walking to the room where they have the gay speed dating.
“Don’t leave me!” I beg in desperation, reaching for his hand, but can’t freaking grab onto it since my hands are full. “Stay calm, you’re fine. Everything is going to be okay,” I whisper softly to myself, so no one thinks I’m crazy.
I pass a few tables decorated with luxurious, soft tablecloths. Each table alternates between red and black, to show where the men and women are supposed to sit. In the center of each table is a fancy centerpiece with a candle, a few flowers in a vase, and a set of pen and paper.
That’s where my breadsticks are about to go. I want this night over sooner rather than later.
I sit down and keep my eyes glued to my breadsticks, but I’m suddenly not hungry, just nervous. I’m hurt, guilty, jealous, confused, and angry. So angry. I feel like he is here to get back at me for going out tonight with Glenn, but I literally came for Glenn, no one else.
Unlike Quin. He is dressed to prove a fucking point, and I swear, if I see one woman put their hands on him, I’m going to throw my breadsticks at them.
And I hope it leaves a breadstick indentation on their whore face.
Okay.
I didn’t mean that.
Maybe.
I take a long gulp of my drink. It’s so cold, I feel the freeze at the base of my skull. Blood is pounding through my body, the rush deafening the noise around me. I turn my head ever so slightly to the right and see Quin sitting with a beautiful woman. She has long blonde hair and her eyes are so blue, I can see them from here.
Debating on launching that breadstick…
“Hi.” A handsome man sits down in front of me. He’s wearing a grey suit and blue tie paired with a white shirt. He has black-framed glasses on and warm brown eyes that remind me of hot chocolate.
He’s good-looking, but he does nothing for me. Not when Quin is just a few tables away looking hotter than hell.
“Hi,” I say weakly, rubbing my hands together under the table.
The microphone makes a high-pitched noise before the boisterous voice of the host resonates in the room. “Two minutes starts…” he holds his breath, bends forward while staring at the stopwatch in his hand. “Now!”
“My name is Lyle. What’s your name?” the man introduces himself, not missing a beat.
“Alicia.” I push the basket to him and grin. “Breadstick? Sorry, I was so hungry before and now I’m nervous.”
“I understand. I am too. I’ve never done anything like this before. I wanted to try something new to meet people.”
“Oh, yeah? Do you not get to go out much? Sorry, if that’s rude.”
“No, it’s fine. I work as a pathologist at the hospital, and everyone dates everyone there. I wanted to see if I could meet someone outside of that scene.”
“I understand.” The more I sit here with a complete stranger, a man at that, I realize I’m not afraid of him. I’m… fine.
Part of me thought I’d be afraid of every man for the rest of my life. I know that’s irrational, but when you’re as scarred as I am, sometimes things don’t always work out rationally. But I have worked so hard these last few months on pushing myself out of my comfort zone, on trying to really overcome my fear. I knew I was making progress, but meeting a stranger and being comfortable? That’s huge in my book.
“And what’s a beautiful woman like you doing at an event like this? I’d think you’d be able to get anyone you want.” He swishes his drink around, a dark and stormy by the looks of it, and smirks, showing a dimple in his cheek.
“I work at a chiropractic office. I’m kind of starting my life over, in a sense, so I’m slowly getting back out into the world.”
“Hey, that takes a lot of guts, good for you.” He holds up his drink. “To good things.”
The glasses clink as we toast each other. “To great things,” I correct him.
“Next!” the host says quickly, and the men begin to get up, the chairs scraping across the floors.
“Already? Wow. That was fast. It was nice meeting you, Lyle. I think I’ll meet you again in the rounds, right?”
“Yes, we all go around a few times. I look forward to seeing you again.” He grabs my hand and gives it a quick kiss before he darts to another table.