2. Amy

2

AMY

" S o, you'll meet me at the bar after you're done here?" Missy asked as she lingered at the check-out counter at the vet clinic we both worked at.

I sighed, wishing I hadn't agreed to go out with her for an impromptu girls' night out. I couldn't have told her no, though. My friend had so much to celebrate. A new promotion from vet tech to assistant supervisor meant she didn't have to do as much hands-on work or deal with customers as much as I did any longer. And her boyfriend of five years proposed to her just last night. No wonder she was all smiles and excited to have a good time with me.

"Yeah. Maybe in an hour or so?" I guessed.

Missy wasn't only my coworker. She was my best friend. We hit it off quickly when we both started working here a few years ago. She'd already graduated from her vet tech program, but I had been working my way through the last of the courses.

Not that they've helped so far. Every day here felt long, like a grueling challenge to suffer with all the unhappy customers. If I had a chance to work more with the animals, I would've been happy as a clam. Unfortunately, I was the lowest person on the ladder here, and I was often stuck with fielding the front desk.

If my stomach still wasn't giving me as much of a hard time, I might have been in more of a mood to go out. I liked to hang out with Missy off the clock. Dancing was always fun. But tonight, I had to force a smile and stand by my commitment to go out with her.

A stomach bug knocked me out a couple of weeks ago. It was so bad that I broke my streak of never calling out sick. For the first time ever, I had to stay home sick for a few days, and I hated how I'd missed all that pay. Sick time and vacation pay weren't options for me with this entry-level position. But I was miserable. If I wasn't on the toilet, I was curled up with cramps. Still, all this time later, I didn't feel one hundred percent. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep, but I was determined to be a good friend to Missy. I truly was happy for her.

And maybe a little envious. Getting married and starting a family sounded fabulous, and so, so far out of my reach. I didn't have a boyfriend and hadn't for a long time. The last guy?—

No. I've got to stop thinking about him. A one-night stand shouldn't stay on my mind like this, but Nate was burned into my mind. The memories of that one night we shared would never leave me alone.

After Missy left, I closed down the front desk and tidied up the paperwork for whoever would be coming in first thing tomorrow morning. I hated keeping things cluttered or messy, but some days, it seemed that I was the only one on the staff with the mentality of being orderly and organized.

I headed home and took a fast shower, but when I perused my options for what to wear, nothing stood out to me. My ambivalence about going out was preventing me from even caring, and in the end, I didn't try hard. I knew I wasn't looking my best, more casual than suggesting I was looking for a good time. And I didn't care. I wasn't in the mood to hook up with anyone. Hell, I wasn't interested in even talking to a man. Since Nate, I was indifferent about dating or finding someone to have a fling with.

Missy was at the bar as promised, and I mentally cringed when I saw her all glammed up and so cute. She'd taken her time to doll herself up, and I regretted being so whatever about my appearance.

Hey, as long as we have fun and she knows I'm happy for her, that's all that matters. It wasn't like we were hitting the town to score someone. She was taken now, after all.

Our first drink didn't last long. Missy downed hers fast, eager to have fun and let loose, but I couldn't manage a single full sip of my beer.

"Water?" Missy raised her brows. "You sure?"

I grimaced and nodded, a hand on my stomach.

She sighed, pouting in commiseration. "You poor thing. You're still messed up from that stomach bug?"

"Yeah."

"Damn, girl. Why won't you go to the doctor?"

I shrugged. Because I can't afford the co-pay. "I'll make an appointment next week if it doesn't clear up." And thank God it's Thursday. Only one more day until the weekend, when I'd be able to sleep in a little more—if my stomach allowed.

When a live band started playing, butchering the cover songs they performed, we shared a glance and left. The next bar we headed to was too noisy and full of too many bachelorette parties, so we didn't stay there long, either.

In the end, we danced and tried to hang out at Harrow's. I wasn't a fan of strip clubs, but it was nearby and we figured it was an upscale place where we wouldn't have to deal with crappy music or crowded parties.

Even though she ordered me another drink, I stuck with water .

Maybe I do need to go to the doctor. I was tired of feeling so blah.

"Hey." Missy tipped her chin up slightly, smiling. "That man's been watching you since we got here."

I knew how this worked. I could play it cool. I continued dancing and sipped my water through the straw as I twirled to the side just enough that I could check out this admirer from the corner of my eye.

Huh. I had no clue who he was. Shrouded mostly in the shadows, he blended into the wall back there.

I dared another look, making sure to really try to get a good look at him.

When I faced my friend again, I made a face and shrugged. "I can't really see him."

"He has not taken his eyes off you since we came in and grabbed this table."

"From what I see, I don't think he's anyone I'd know."

She winked and did a little suggestive shimmy. "Then maybe it's time for you to get to know him."

I waved her off, rolling my eyes. "Nah."

"Okay, don't take this the wrong way, girl, but you're a downer tonight."

I sighed and let my shoulders slump. "I'm sorry." She frowned, catching me rubbing my stomach, and I lowered my hand. "Even if I were feeling better, I'm not in the mood to strike up a conversation with some guy."

Now that I'd spotted him and Missy had pointed him out, I swore I could feel his stare on me.

"How come? You're single."

"Because of… him . "

She arched her brows and leaned closer to talk quieter over the music. "Him who?"

"That one guy."

She laughed lightly. "Gotta be more specific than that."

"Nate."

Still, she stared at me expectantly, clueless.

"I told you about him. Nate."

"Oh!" She snapped her fingers as recognition hit. "That one-night stand from the bar?"

I nodded. The way she said it, it sounded like he was just an insignificant detail. Some guy. A nobody to be hung up over. But he lingered in my mind. I remembered exactly how good it was when he filled me and took me roughly.

"You're still thinking about him?" She shook her head. "Must have been really good in bed."

I nodded. "Scarred me for life."

She snorted. "Oh, come on. No guy's that good."

I beg to differ.

"He never gave you a number? Nothing?"

I shook my head. "Nate John. No number. No details. Nothing."

She scrunched her nose before she sipped her cocktail. "Nate John? Sounds like a made-up name."

I'd thought of that too. I wasn't good at hiding my discomfort about the possibility that he'd lied to me so easily and that I could've been duped just like that.

"Maybe he's married. "

Ugh. That thought made me feel even worse.

"You looked him up online?"

I dragged my hand through my hair, bringing my long locks away from my face. "Yeah." I felt like a weirdo, a freak, hunting him down like that. I looked on all the social media platforms. I Googled him. I looked everywhere, and there's not a single trace of him.

Dammit. He probably did give me a fake name.

"Well, maybe it's time to chalk it up as a lesson learned."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's the lesson, again?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. But if you both knew it was just a quickie for that night, sex with a rando…"

"Oh, it wasn't quick." I smiled dreamily. "That's part of the problem. I've never been with a man so skilled and so…" I shaped my hands, trying to feebly gesture something abstract. "I don't know. I've never been with such a hot and sexy man like him. With such a big dick—that he knew how to use!"

She giggled, sipping more of her drink. As she locked her gaze on someone over my shoulder, she waved. "Hey, there's Talia. She said she'd come find us tonight."

I nodded, glad that I could be off the hook now. Talia had been a friend of Missy's for much longer than I had, and I bet she could do the friendly thing of celebrating with her all night long.

"Well, in that case, I'm going to head home."

"Aw." She stuck out her lower lip, still dancing slightly to the music as we stood there. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired. Maybe one more good night of sleep will be the cure I need. "

"I hope so." She rubbed my forearm and glanced aside. "Your man's still staring at ya."

I smirked. So what? Instead of complaining, not wanting to be more of a downer for her, I smiled. "Maybe another time."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Talia joined us then, waving her arms over her head in a swaying sort of dance.

I cringed at the volume of her high-pitched voice, and I knew that was definitely my cue to go. After I said goodbye to both of them, I started going down the long aisle space alongside the dancing area. Plush chairs circled low tables, and I had to deviate and detour around a large portion of the seating area because so many men were receiving lap dances at the moment.

Before I reached the door to exit, I turned, freeing the strap to my clutch from where it had gotten stuck on a chair. As I twisted at the hips, I spotted the man. My secret admirer. His jacket collar was up, hiding most of his face, but this close, I spotted how well his suit molded to his muscular body.

What the hell? He was really interested in keeping me within his sights.

I couldn't make out many details of his face with his longish, dark-brown hair hanging over his features. There was no mistaking how directly he kept his eyes trained on me—only me.

Creepy. I was no stranger to getting men's attention. But this felt like an obsession, something more than just checking out a woman at a club.

I hurried the rest of the way to the door, doing my best not to run or look panicked. More than anything, I had to look cool and confident. I never ran from my problems. I wasn't a coward.

One more glance back over my shoulder proved that I was correct. This guy, whoever the hell he thought he was, was chasing after me. There was no other explanation, and realizing that I was some predatory man's prey, I felt the first punches of adrenaline coursing through my body.

Fight or flight?

Oh, I was going. I was fleeing.

My flimsy shoes hit the pavement outside, and now that I was out in the open night air, I hustled. I picked up my pace and quickened into more than a walk.

I glanced over my shoulder again, unable to resist this nagging sense of alarm.

Oh, shit.

He was following me, hurrying to catch up.

I lowered my arms and dropped into a faster power walk, wondering if I should just jog to the alley and slip away in the shadows.

That man clearly wanted something from me, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out what.

Racing forward, I tripped and sprained my ankle a bit. Fuck!

His footsteps sounded closer, and I gasped and tried to stem this growing panic.