Chapter Two
Bethany
"Stop looking over there. What's wrong with you?" Annie jabbed me in the ribs.
"Nothing. I can't look around?" I asked.
"Since when do you scope out men in bars?" Annie turned to me, her blond curls bouncing. "And aren't we here because you wanted me to set you up with Jacob?"
I gave my friend a rueful smile. "Daniel got that big promotion, remember? Though I'm really here because you didn't give me a choice. What was your threat? Pulling a fire alarm if I didn't leave the office?"
Annie poked me with her elbow again. "You work too much, Bethany. Everyone knows that."
"I like my job," I said.
"But you shouldn't like it more than the occasional date. I'm not pushing for a raging hot 24/7 romance. Just a night out here and there," Annie said.
"I'm here. I'm out." I stirred my drink and tried not to look over at Dylan again.
It was impossible. The man was magnetic. So tall that I had tipped my head too far back and almost lost my balance. Or maybe that was just the effect of his dark, jade-green eyes.
Since when did I notice eye color?
It was important to look clients straight in the eye. And I'd been talking to so many witnesses and victims lately that I was finally picking up on the micro-expressions. I could tell when someone was lying, evading the truth, and feeling nervous.
How on earth did I make that handsome man nervous?
That surprising fact sent my stomach into a long swan-dive. I decided to take a sip of my fizzing gin and tonic in the hopes that it would settle my insides.
Annie noticed my hand trembling as I lifted my glass. "All right. You better tell me who he is. Now."
"His name's Dylan," I said. I knew it wasn't enough but I didn't know what else to say.
This is the only man whose eye color I've voluntarily noticed in over a year?
Annie studied me closely, but she still couldn't tell what I was thinking. I shrugged. The man was a perfect stranger, we'd bumped into each other, and that was that.
I glanced around the tight clump of our co-workers and office mates. Jacob, the hapless contract lawyer Annie had designs of setting me up with, gave me a lopsided grin from across the way. I nodded at him and turned away. He was sweet, and I always enjoyed our quick chats at work but there was nothing else there. No sizzle. No somersaults.
My gaze was pulled across the crowded VIP lounge again. Dylan's dark green eyes locked onto mine. I remembered that close up his eyes gleamed like polished jade.
"Didn't I just see him on TV?" Annie asked. "Something about some tricked-out car for a movie star, right?"
I shrugged and forced my eyes back onto my gin and tonic. "I don't know."
"You still don't have a television, do you?" Annie sighed. "I've seen him on reality shows, too. Not in the show but in the background. He dates all kinds of actresses. I think he works with a bunch of celebrities."
I inched back from my eager friend. "So, this must be a quiet night for him."
"He seems to be enjoying himself," Annie said.
I glanced at Dylan again. He wasn't my type at all. Not that I had a type, but I just didn't see myself with someone who stepped off the tabloid headlines. Jacob fit my life better: gray suit, regular guy, shorter, and a little slouchy. Dylan, on the other hand, was over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a taut, athletic body. His wavy black hair was smoothed back.
He laughed at something his friend said and a few unruly locks fell across his forehead. My heart fluttered, and I took another unsteady sip of my drink.
"Why does he keep glancing over here?" I grumbled. I couldn't concentrate on anything with those bright green flashes lighting me up.
Annie laughed. "Because he's got the hots for you and doesn't know what to do."
I swatted her arm. "Don't be ridiculous!"
"Honey, I keep telling you how gorgeous you are, and you don't believe me. I mean, I count one, two, five guys checking you out right now. Including your Mr. Wylde."
I pursed my lips and shook my head. "They're probably checking you out."
Annie fluffed up her bouncy blond curls. "Yeah, I'm cute but you're all tall and redheaded and have those eyes and that body. The only problem is you're intimidating."
I sighed. "That's silly."
"No, that's good. Keeps the riffraff away." Annie laughed and dug me in the ribs again.
I could feel Dylan's eyes on me again as I tried to keep my cheeks from blazing pink. "Teddy wasn't intimidated by me."
My heart squeezed at the memory.
"That's because he ignored you," Annie said.
I tried to laugh. "He didn't ignore me. Not really. We were in law school. Remember law school? We were a little busy."
"And that's why what you need now is a guy who'd drop anything to be with you. Look at you two gazing across the crowd. Star-crossed lovers," Annie said with a dreamy sigh.
I swatted her again. "Since when are you such a romantic?"
"Since I saw that doe-eyed look on your face," Annie said. "This is a whole side of you I've never seen before, and I like it."
I stuck my tongue out at Annie. "How about you go on with your romantic daydream and leave me out of it?"
"No way. You're not changing the subject. He's still glancing over here, and you're trying way too hard not to stare at him. Tell me everything."
I groaned. "I thought I already did."
"Oh, no. You forget I'm a lawyer, too. I know when there's more to the truth. Now out with it," Annie demanded.
"We bumped into each other while we were walking in," I said.
"Wrong!" Annie giggled. "He dodged across the lounge when he saw you. Stepped right into your path, didn't he?"
My cheeks radiated heat. Annie was just flattering me, trying to get me to loosen up. There's no way Dylan whatever-his-name crossed a room just to run into me. I'd seen plenty of women falling all over themselves in front of him.
"And you saw him coming." Annie sat back and took a congratulatory sip of her drink. "I know that look, that micro-expression. We took that class together, remember?"
"I don't know what you think you saw but you're wrong." I fought the urge to press my cold drink to my blushing cheeks.
"You noticed him right when we walked in. This is huge, Bethany! You've been so dug in at work that I was afraid you'd forgotten how to see people; much less find a man you're attracted to." Annie beamed.
I laughed. "I know it's been a while, but it hasn't been that long. I think it's better for me to be single right now. I need to concentrate on work. That's all I really care about."
Annie could sense I was lying but didn't say anything. All of a sudden, she scooted back farther into the booth and dove into another conversation.
"Are you sure we haven't met before?" Dylan asked, suddenly appearing at my side.
I snorted. "No, but I bet you've used that pick-up line before."
Annie elbowed me even as she carried on comparing workloads with our nearest colleague.
Dylan grinned and held out his hand. "You're right, I probably have. You're the first girl I've ever honestly asked that question."
I couldn't believe my hand slipped into his; what was my body thinking? He tugged me out of the booth, and I reclaimed my hand in order to smooth down my pencil skirt.
"And I already answered that; no, we have not met before," I said.
Dylan tipped my chin up so our eyes met. "I don't look at all familiar to you?"
I frowned and hitched my chin away from his hand. "I don't watch reality television or read tabloids. My friend here told me you were some kind of celebrity."
He mirrored my frown. "You misunderstood. I'm not fishing for you to recognize me because of that. I just honestly feel like we've met before."
My feet took me toward the bar even though I was leaving behind a half-filled drink. I just needed to move. Dylan made my blood pump. He moved quickly and followed me closely, one hand hovering behind my waist as the other strong arm gently shoved people out of the way. I felt protected but hunted, his eyes still studying me.
"Where on earth would we have met before?" I asked.
Dylan's lips curved up. "You think we're really so different? It's not at all possible that we've ever crossed paths before?"
I reached the bar and had nowhere else to run. "I'm a lawyer. My life was school, studying, passing the bar. Now it's work. This whole nightclub thing is an anomaly."
"Some people think anomalies like this are fate." Dylan flagged down the bartender with one crook of his finger. "Where'd you grow up?"
I shook my head. "Small talk is all right but I'm not diving into life stories. I really can't stay that long. I'm just here because my friend wanted me to come."
Dylan took the fresh drink and held it out to me. When I shook it off, he shrugged and swirled the ice around. Then he chuckled.
"I don't know what it is about you, Bethany, but you're making me feel like I'm ten years old again," Dylan said. "Everything I say sounds like a cheesy line, and I can't convince you to stay."
My laugh surprised us both.
"I feel the same way," I confessed.
"So, what should we do about it?" Dylan asked.
I pushed away from the bar and held up a hand to stop him from following me. "How about we say goodnight? I have to go. Goodnight, Dylan. Nice to meet you."
Annie waved at me frantically from across the bar, so my escape was not going to be graceful. I made my way back to our booth and forced myself not to look back. Dylan was attractive and interesting but that wasn't what I wanted.
I sighed. All I wanted was a good night's sleep, so I could survive another long day of meetings. I didn't want to sit there and watch as Dylan found someone else and had a fun night.
I sat down with my back to him and promised myself I wouldn't turn around. And I would head for the front doors the first chance I got.
I wasn't about to let another man break my heart by leaving first.