Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85593 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85593 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Sorry, guests aren’t allowed up without an appointment. I could page her and have her come down to get them, if that’s okay.”
“Uh, yeah. Sure. I’ll wait outside. Just send her out when she comes.”
The girl smiled and I headed outside to wait on the sidewalk under the overhang. I was pacing and kept checking my watch. How long would it take her? Ten minutes passed and then twenty. She still hadn’t come down.
With the way Polly made it sound, Darcy was desperate to talk to me again. I figured maybe there had been a mistake, so I headed back inside. “Excuse me,” I said.
The girl looked up and winced when she saw me. “I paged her three times, Sir. She finally sent a message down just a minute ago saying she doesn’t want to see you.” She gave an apologetic shrug.
I glanced toward the staircase. “Sorry,” I said, then jogged toward the stairs and took them two at a time. I ignored the receptionist calling after me. She was probably going to call security, but I just needed to see it for myself. Why would she act desperate to talk to me again and then turn me away when I show up?
I expected a scene similar to the one at The Squawker where I’d be able to spot her as soon as I entered the floor. Instead, I was greeted with frosted glass partitions in a maze-like pattern. Every employee was sectioned off in a little glass box and I had no way to know where Darcy was. I started moving through the room, opening doors and finding surprised face after surprised face, but no Darcy.
“Darcy!” I shouted. “Where are you?”
My heart was pounding. I could hear someone heavy jogging in my direction–probably security. “Darcy!”
“Sir,” a man came up from behind me and took me by the arm. He was out of shape and several inches shorter than me, but wore a black shirt with “Security” printed over the chest and a little badge emblem. “I need you to leave. This building is private.”
“Darcy!” I shouted, tugging from his grip.
The man radioed for backup and I pressed on, moving through the halls shouting her name as curious faces popped up from half-opened doors.
Finally, I saw Darcy come down the hallway toward me. I’d sort of expected a tearful hug when she saw me, but she was scowling and coming my way fast.
That didn’t look good.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she hissed once she was in front of me.
“I wanted to apologize. I brought these for you, but the girl at the desk said you refused to see me.”
“Because I did,” she said, tugging me by the arm out of the view of a growing number of people who were gathering to watch the drama.
“That doesn’t make any sense. Polly said you were going on and on about how much you wished I’d apologize over drinks, and…” I trailed off at the look on her face. In a split second, it was painfully obvious to me. Polly had lied to try to get me to do what she thought Darcy wanted. Darcy hadn’t said a word about wanting anything from me. “And she tricked my dumb ass,” I added, shaking my head.
Darcy hesitated. She’d been so angry I thought she was on the verge of hitting me, but for the first time, she looked conflicted. “Look, thank you. I appreciate the flowers. But it’s over. We’ve both moved on. Right?”
She stared into my eyes after that last word. Part of me felt like it was a test–like she wanted me to come out and say what was in my chest. I could tell her I hadn’t moved on. I’d been thinking of her every fucking night and kicking myself for what I did–that I hadn’t touched another woman since I was with her and I didn’t want to. I only wanted her, and I would’ve done just about anything to put things back the way they were.
But I just stood there and nodded my big, stupid head. “Yeah,” I said.
Darcy’s expression fell and she nodded too. “Well, thank you. I hope security isn’t too rough with you on the way out.” She took the flowers with a small smile.
I turned and saw two larger men had joined the security guard and were motioning for me to follow them. One had his hand on what looked like a taser. “You could ask them to let me leave on my own.”
She scrunched up her nose. “I think watching them drag you out will be more fun.” She sniffed the flowers and gave a dangerously sexy little wave. “Bye, Dominic.”
The men took one of my arms each and the other got in front of me, ushering me back the way I came. But all I could think about was that little wave of hers.