Todd’s nostrils flared as he watched Hazel cross the bar, his eyes turning a dark, stormy gray-blue that made the hair on the back of Scott’s neck stand up.
Clearing his throat and knowing that he needed to go and say goodbye to Mason before he left to find Eva, he gave one final wave to Todd and headed toward the bar. Todd barely acknowledged him though. He was too busy scoping out another waitress across the room.
What a pig.
“I’ve got my eye on him,” Mason said as Scott approached his good friend at the bar and dug out his credit card from his wallet. This was a business meeting, so the company was paying for it, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t collect his AirMiles while he was treating the douchebag client to some top-shelf scotch.
Todd still hadn’t retreated to the bathroom like he said he was. His head was pointed at one of the televisions now, but his eyes were on the blonde waitress who was clearing a table to his right.
“Guy’s a real pig,” Mason said through gritted teeth.
“He hasn’t even touched me, and yet I feel like I need a shower just after the way he was looking at me,” Hazel said, grabbing Scott’s credit card from him and ringing him up on the cash register.
“He’s not a friend,” Scott said, feeling the need to make that clear. “Business relationship only. But I need to keep the man happy if I want to keep my job. I’m sorry if—”
Hazel held up a hand and shook her head. “You did nothing wrong, Mr. Dixon.”
“I keep telling you to call me Scott,” he said with an eye roll.
“Where’s your date?” Mason asked, plunking a full, frothy beer stein down on the bar next to a couple of lowballs filled with ice, clear liquid and limes on the rim.
Thanking Hazel for his receipt and credit card, Scott shoved both back into his wallet. “No clue. I thought for sure I saw her heading down the sidewalk away from the bar. Her hair is pretty unmistakable. I don’t know why she was leaving though. I said to meet me here.” He pulled out his phone and glanced at it. No messages.
“Maybe she misunderstood,” Hazel offered, her eyes holding a sympathy usually reserved for those who had been rejected. Scott didn’t know that look well, but he’d seen it given enough to his friends—particularly those guys at that bachelor party all those weeks ago—that he recognized it, and it felt weird being directed at him.
He shook his head. “No, she knew the plan.” He punched in a quick everything okay? message to Eva and then waited. If she didn’t respond, he’d call her. What if that wasn’t her outside on the sidewalk and her cab was stuck in traffic? Or what if that was her on the sidewalk and she’d fallen and twisted her ankle?
He waited a few moments for a reply but got nothing.
“Gonna call her?” Mason asked.
He nodded and pulled up her number on his phone, hitting dial and then putting it to his ear.
It rang and rang and rang until the sweet and sultry sound of her voicemail came up. Hello, you’ve reached Eva Marchand of Eva’s Hair and Esthetics. If you’d like to make an appointment, please hit one to be directed to my business line. If you’re calling with regards to a personal matter or something regarding the boys, please leave a message after the beep, and I will return your call as soon as I can. Thank you and have a great day.
God, he could listen to that message and that sexy, gravelly voice of hers all day long.
He waited for the beep.
Beep.
“Eva, it’s Scott. I’m at Prime and just finished up my work meeting. I’m sorry it ran late. The guy wouldn’t stop talking about himself. Anyway, I thought I saw you heading down the sidewalk, but maybe that wasn’t you. I hope everything is okay. Call me back. If you’re still at home, I can come get you. We can grab drinks after the signing, or if we’re too late for the signing, just go grab drinks and a bite. Please call me back and let me know you’re okay. I can’t wait to see you.”
He hung up and let out a slow breath. That was a long message, and he fought back the feelings that he was coming on too strong and tried to convince himself that he was just showing her that he was interested. That he cared about her. Because he did. He was a nice guy, and even though Eva hadn’t gone into explicit details about her ex, he knew that after what that guy had put her through, she deserved a nice guy to treat her like the goddess that she was.
Mason and Hazel were both standing behind the bar watching him, but then their eyes flicked up at the same time and followed something—or more likely someone—behind him.
A hard thwack landed on his shoulder. “Thanks for the drinks, buddy,” Todd said, the scent of his musky cologne encircling Scott and overpowering his senses. It was probably embedding itself in his jacket too. He’d be smelling Todd for days now. “We’ll chat later in the week, okay?”
Scott smacked on a big, fake smile. “You got it, Todd. Looking forward to working with you.”
Todd’s smile was big and grew even bigger when his hawk-like stare shifted to Hazel behind the bar. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. The predator always remained quiet when stalking its prey. His smile was now toothy and sinister.
Hazel swallowed then smiled grimly. “See you next time.”
The wooden doors banged shut a moment later, and all three of them watched as Todd sauntered down the sidewalk toward his waiting car and driver.
Hazel shuddered. “God, he’s gross.”
“Again, I’m not thrilled to be working with him. Food in my kid’s belly and a roof over his head are what drive me to put up with tools like that.”
“How is Freddie?” Mason asked.
“Doing great, thanks. So happy that Kellen and Lucas moved in next door. Our neighborhood needs some young blood in it. I think the boys will have a blast together this summer.”
Mason nodded. “Good, good.”
Scott checked his phone again. Still no call or text.
He was beginning to worry that something was wrong. Like maybe her cab driver had lost control behind the wheel, had a seizure or something and both he and Eva were upside down in a ditch on the I-5 while emergency vehicles blocked off traffic and the fire department prepared the jaws of life.
Or her phone died and she’s just running late, you morbid freak.
“I’m going to run back to her place to see if everything is okay,” he said, not really paying attention to Mason or Hazel behind the bar anymore. He was seriously starting to worry about Eva. He’d always had a bit of an overactive imagination, which was probably why he loved fantasy novels so much. They were gasoline for the bonfire of his creative thoughts.
“Let me know how it all goes,” Mason called behind him as he pushed the doors open and stepped out into the still warm April air. Spring was a funny season, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. One minute you could be washing your car in your driveaway in a T-shirt, working on your tan, then the next day you’re digging your gloves and knit cap back out of the crawl space because a cold front had just blown in.
He reached his truck in no time and hit the fob, taking one last glance at his phone before he started the engine. They were most likely going to miss the book signing, and as much as that seriously sucked, he was more concerned about Eva and that she was all right.