Intoxicated (26 page)

I knew I looked anything but bright eyed and
bushy tailed today. Fortunately, should anyone ask, I could make up
a story about how I had scored a really good deal on a television
and no one would be the wiser. Holing up in my office, the chances
of me having to fabricate something were slim to none. I wondered
if anyone would notice me even if I was sitting in a cubicle smack
dab in the middle of the office. Maybe I should work on being more
personable while on the clock. I resolved to do just that as soon
as I got the whole personal issue thing sorted out.

My cell stared at me from its perch on my
desk. Having it out in plain sight was against company policy, but
I was bending the rules today. If George happened by, I could stash
it in my desk drawer fairly easily. I didn’t want to risk missing a
call from Eric. I knew that he would be midflight to Vegas right
about now, with no chance of connecting, but still held hope that
he would reach out to tell me he had arrived safely. I didn’t know
why it mattered so much; my anger still flared in my veins, but I
couldn’t pretend I didn’t care. I supposed ten years worth of love
for a person could do that to you.

Hours later, as people around the office
began to leave for the evening, I realized that I hadn’t gotten a
text or call from anyone all day. I remembered what Eric had said
yesterday when he left. That I should call him when I felt like
being honest. At the time, I had considered pulling out my cell and
dialing him immediately just to make my point that nothing had
happened between Matthew and me. But perhaps he was meaning
something more figurative than literal. Was he referring to me not
admitting my feelings for Blake’s brother? If so, I may never be
able to place that call.

Whatever the case, Eric obviously wasn’t
going to be the one to budge. His flight surely would have landed
by now. Knowing him, he would have his cell attached to his ear
even while hanging out with the guys. Who would be on the other end
of the line, I had no clue. But it wouldn’t be me.

I shook my head and stared at my computer.
The headache had finally disappeared, and I was actually feeling
productive. I decided to stay a little longer and wrap up some
email responses. Sometimes it was easier to get things done after
hours, when the phones stopped ringing and the hum of the office
dissipated. I was so buried in my task that when George poked his
head in my office to announce his departure, I jumped.

“Sorry to scare you, Lauren,” he apologized
with a smile.

“No big deal. You out of here?”

“Yeah. Want me to walk you out?”

We were often the last ones to leave. Ever
the gentleman, I wondered if he purposefully stayed until I was
ready to go so he could escort me to my car. I typically let him,
allowing him to feel like he was protecting me. I never mentioned
that I was accustomed to living in a much bigger city in a much
scarier section of town.

“No, I’m good. I need to finish up a couple
things yet.”

He shrugged, and I imagined that I had
deflated his ego just a bit. “You’re good with locking up
then?”

I nodded, giving him an encouraging
smile.

“Don’t stay too late. It is a holiday weekend
for most of the country.”

“And my family’s two hours away.” I
grinned.

“Good night.”

“Good night, George.”

He hovered in my doorway for a split second
as if he wanted to say something else. The moment disappeared, and
he turned away and headed for the exit instead.

I stayed for another hour and a half, not
really wanting to head home to an empty house anyway. Blake had
informed me via a note on the counter this morning that she had a
date with yet another unnamed suitor and she wouldn’t be home until
late. I seriously doubted that Matthew would be heading over for
dinner after the debacle that had been last night, so it was just
me. Eventually though, my growling stomach convinced me that it
needed attention. I powered off my computer and headed for the
door.

Being mid-fall, the sky had already darkened
and the air was chilly. A shiver ran down my spine as I headed for
the Honda, and I wrapped my coat tighter around my body. A cool
mist filled the air, and I trudged across the parking lot, wet
leaves sticking to my shoes.

I climbed into my car, telling myself that I
would just stop at a drive-thru on the way home and grab something
quick for dinner. Cooking for one didn’t appeal to me, and at this
point I wanted nothing more than to take a nice hot bath and go to
bed anyway. The Honda, however, had other ideas. When I turned the
key in the ignition, nothing happened. I tried a couple more times
with the same result.

“Shit!” I slammed the steering wheel in
frustration, tears threatening to spill over my cheeks.

I grabbed my cell out of my purse and dialed
Blake. Straight to voice mail. Date night must be going well, or
she would have eagerly accepted the excuse to opt out. I took a
deep breath and dialed the only other person I knew in Fort Wayne.
Even though I knew I was inviting trouble, I had no other choice
unless I started calling tow trucks and taxis.

The phone rang four times before Matthew
answered. Though his greeting was the usual “Hey, gorgeous,” I
wondered if Blake had anything to do with his hesitation. Or Eric.
Or anything that had gone on since we met.

I swallowed hard and tried to compose myself.
There was no need to cry. Car trouble happened to everyone at some
point. “Hey.”

“Are you okay?” There he was being super
perceptive again.

“Not really. My car’s dead. I’m still at
work. I tried calling Blake, but she’s out on a date.”

There was a pause on the other end of the
line, during which I chastised myself for not calling a cab
instead. Had Blake’s lecture scared him off totally? Had I? I had
been so certain that he would have agreed to help me out, and I
blushed at my stupidity. I wondered if he was even still on the
other end of the line. I pulled my phone away from my ear to make
sure the call hadn’t been dropped.

“Matthew,” I said shakily, “don’t worry about
it. I’ll just call a cab.”

“No, don’t,” he said quickly, “give me half
an hour or so.”

“Okay,” I said hesitantly, “see you
then.”

Guiltily, I hung up the phone. Him asking for
a half hour leeway meant that he was not just sitting at home,
doing nothing. I was interrupting whatever was going on in his life
right now. It had taken him a few more rings than usual to pick up,
and he had seemed strange after he answered. Yet he was going to
drop whatever it was he was in the middle of and come rescue me.
Just like Gracie said, he had proven he would open the proverbial
vein for me.

Half an hour would be enough time to go back
inside and finish some more work, but I didn’t want to run the risk
of making him wait for me. Besides, I wasn’t too keen on crossing
the windy, wet parking lot once more and dealing with the security
code to the building. It all seemed like more trouble than it was
worth. It wasn’t too cold out here; even though I couldn’t turn on
the heater given its current state, just being inside the car
provided a small bit of warmth and a barrier from the breeze.

The operations center for the bank sat off
the main road by several hundred yards. I doubted anyone would
drive by here and give me trouble, but I locked my doors just to be
certain. Then I reclined my seat and closed my eyes. My mind
wandered almost immediately, starting with the mundane, like what I
was going to eat for dinner. All too soon, I was reminded of my
current dilemma.

My eyes snapped open as I realized that
Matthew, like Blake, could also be out on a date tonight. Jealousy
stirred in my empty stomach. True, from what I had gathered, he
hadn’t had a serious relationship since his legal issues had begun,
but that wouldn’t stop him from taking part in a string of
one-night stands. Someone as handsome as he was wouldn’t have any
problem finding a willing partner. Maybe he and Blake were more
alike in that regard than I cared to admit.

No, I told myself. I couldn’t see that being
the case. While Blake was fairly open about her love them and leave
them philosophy, Matthew didn’t act like a stud. He acted so hollow
and lonely and ashamed that I couldn’t imagine him having the
confidence to pick up lady after lady. The only time he seemed to
be at ease was around his sister or me. I had seen a glimpse of his
charm appear last night when he asked Gracie to ride with him, but
he had only been on a fishing expedition to find out more about
yours truly.

I reached over to the passenger seat and
removed my phone from my purse. I flipped it open and checked the
time. Five minutes more, give or take. I yawned and could have
sworn I saw my breath. I rubbed my hands together to warm them up
and stretched in my seat.

Headlights reflected off my rearview mirror.
I jumped, despite anticipating Matthew’s arrival. I whirled around,
watching as the vehicle continued down the drive and entered the
parking lot proper. They didn’t belong to the Mustang or even the
Camry. I shuddered, this time not due to the weather.

Silly me, I chided myself. The cleaning crew
was probably showing up now. I hadn’t yet stayed at work this late
and had no idea at what time they normally arrived. However, when
the car didn’t pull into one of the spots nearest the building, I
was glad I had locked my doors. As I feared, it continued across
the lot in my direction. As it came closer, I could see it was an
older model Honda Civic, probably blue in color, a cousin of my own
currently worthless vehicle. My heart pounded as I reached for my
cell once more, ready to call the police.

I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed for there
to be an explanation for this. Nobody would have seen me parked
here from the road. Someone looking for trouble wouldn’t just
happen by a secluded parking lot, hoping for something to be there;
they’d pick an easier mark, right? For that reason only, I held off
on dialing 911.

That’s me, ever the eternal optimist. I
wondered how that optimism would benefit me when the driver of the
unknown car came at me with a gun and demanded my purse. Or worse,
realized that I was a bank employee and thought I had access to a
vault that contained massive amounts of money.

My breath caught in my lungs as the Civic
came to a stop in the spot right beside me. I kept my face straight
ahead, but attempted to look to my right to see the driver. It was
too dark, but the shadow appeared tall and bulky enough to be male.
Some witness I would be. The dome light of the other vehicle
snapped on, but the driver didn’t budge. This meant only one thing.
He had a passenger, and that passenger was getting out of the
car.

I braced myself for whatever was going to
come next. I hoped that my attacker was small enough that I could
fight him or her off. I was only about a hundred pounds soaking
wet, but adrenaline had to count for something. Maybe I could bide
my time until Matthew showed up. He would swoop in and get me out
of whatever mess I had gotten into. I only had to not die or get
too severely injured before he got there. Or try not to get clubbed
over the head and kidnapped. It also wouldn’t be good if I wasn’t
physically here to save.

My hysteria at how to control the situation
lasted long enough for the passenger to cross around the back of my
vehicle and approach the driver’s side. I could see a silhouette
out of the corner of my eye, but I stubbornly refused to turn my
head. A hand reached out and rapped on my window.

I screamed. A loud, bloodcurdling scream. I
hoped it would be enough to distract whoever it was outside long
enough to call for help. All I had to do was get the dispatcher on
the line, and even if something bad happened, as long as we were
connected, they could trace the general proximity of my phone and
that would be better than nothing. But before I could convince my
trembling fingers to dial anything on the touch screen, I was
keenly aware of the sound of laughter.

Slowly, I turned to look out my window.
Matthew stood mere inches away from my door, practically doubled
over. I realized that the laughter was coming from him, and heat
entered my cheeks. I unlocked my doors and climbed out.

“Thanks a lot!” I practically yelled at him,
my embarrassment causing me to be more harsh than I should have
been. After all, he was the one who agreed to help me. Still upset,
I swatted at him with my purse.

He straightened himself up to his full six
foot four inch frame. “I’m so sorry, Lauren,” he choked out, “but I
got you good.”

“You could have at least told me that you
were coming with someone else. I was looking for one of your cars,
not someone else’s.” My words were still tinged with bitterness. I
couldn’t help it.

“I’m sorry, gorgeous, you’re right. I wasn’t
thinking.”

He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into
his warmth. Maybe it was colder out here than I had originally
thought. I began to shiver uncontrollably, maybe caused by a
variety of factors, and he hugged me tighter, this time with both
arms.

“Shhhh,” he soothed softly, rubbing his hand
in circles across my back, “it’s okay.”

I relaxed in his embrace as I always did, and
if we hadn’t both realized that the Civic was still idling beside
my car, we might have stayed like that for an extended period of
time. Instead, he cleared his throat, and I untangled myself from
him.

“Do you know what’s wrong with it?” he asked,
motioning to my Honda as if I needed a visual.

I shook my head.

“Good,” he smirked, “because I wouldn’t know
how to fix it anyway. Grab your purse, your garage door opener, and
anything else you think is valuable. We can call for a tow truck in
the morning.”