Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Why would he go to Dallas, of all places? Be realistic.
I eyed my phone as I walked—his phone—reminding myself that I could try to access my phone remotely. I hadn’t tried it without my phone being nearby, but it was worth a shot if I wanted to placate my mom. If I needed that map.
Crap, and my presentation notes.
A notification on the phone made me halt my steps. It was from my number, and it was a series of numbers. Four, to be exact. It had to be from Ryan, but he had a lock on his phone. He should have known I couldn’t respond.
The password.
He wasn’t a con artist! I knew it. In a flash, I had access to all his personal things, and no one with ill intentions would do something so risky. Now, I was sure.
I jabbed the numbers into the phone, cheering quietly when the input unlocked the screen. Without delay, I dialed my number, not caring whether he was still on a flight or in a business meeting. This was an emergency.
Chapter 4
Ryan
About damn time, I thought when my number flashed on the screen. I’d wondered if her flight was longer than mine but breathed a sigh of relief and answered the call.
“Yell-o,” I said as heartily as I could. It was my fault, after all, and I could imagine her pretty face scrunched up with panic.
“Ryan!”
I chuckled. “That’s me. How’d you get my number?”
“What!”
I frowned, her flustered tone sending alarm bells in my head. I opened my mouth to reassure her I was kidding, but in the next large breath, she yelled over the radio waves.
“You idiot! You took my phone this morning. Where did you land? You need to send my phone back. I have to have it.”
“Calm down. Calm down,” I said, trying to swallow my frustration. “Look, I didn’t mean to take it, and I’m as inconvenienced as you are. If you need it now, you can go to the store and—”
“Not everyone is as financially secure as you are, and I have a meeting tonight that I absolutely cannot miss. A conference. I’m speaking at a conference.”
I stuffed my hand into my pocket, nodding when my Uber pulled up, and the driver waved. Grabbing my stuff, I walked toward the car and slid in before she could come around to help me with my bag.
“Are you there?”
My breath hitched. “Oh! I’m sorry. I was getting in my Uber. What did you say?”
“I’m sure you need your phone for things, too. I’m not in a position to buy one, and—”
“Right, right.” I nodded at the redhead in the driver’s seat, confirming where I needed to go. I switched the phone to my right ear to press it against my shoulder and pulled out my wallet to ensure I had tip money. I hated paying digital tips. It felt insensitive. “I can mail it,” I said, trying to stay on track. Darlene. I needed to call Darlene. “Hey, I need you to send me a number from my phonebook . . .”
“No, mailing it isn’t an option. There’s a map I downloaded on there and notes I took that I’m not sure I can get back.”
“I’ll send them to you.”
“You can’t just go through some stranger’s phone!”
I started to withhold a smile, then remembered she couldn’t see me, so I breathed a laugh and rolled my eyes. “We weren’t strangers last night.”
She was silent. I wondered if I’d somehow insulted her again.
“You there?” I’d forgotten her name again. “Uh . . .” Crap. “You there?” I tried again. “I’ll overnight it. I promise. Just send me the address to your place, your hotel, wherever you are, and first thing I’ll do right now is mail it.”
I barely heard the sound of a soft breath on the other end of the line. When she sniffed, I realized she might be crying. What was so important for this woman that she couldn’t wait just one day for her phone? Surely, she could pull her pictures from the cloud or something. That synced automatically, right? And I’d said I would email her whatever she needed. What was the problem?
“Hey, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to take your phone.” I laughed a little and caught the driver’s eye when she giggled softly. “I know it’s inconvenient but bear with me. We’ll work this out. I have a lot of stuff I need on my phone, too. So, let’s handle this like adults, okay? Let’s communicate, and we’ll get you your phone back.”
She sniffed, and after a long sigh, she said, “Yeah.”
“What do you need me to send you? And where did you land?” We were pulling up to the garage in the warehouse district–my temporary home. Six months, and I’d managed to lose everything.
“I’m in Dallas,” she said, and I froze.