Chapter 37

Jenna

AFTER MY THIRD ATTEMPT, I finally managed to squeeze my car in between the pickup truck in front of me and the minivan behind me. Parking along the street seemed to be the only option in this quaint little town that reminded me a lot of the one I lived in. The streetlights were all decked out in Christmas greenery and the storefronts decorated to welcome the fast approaching holiday season. It was a cute place, but still not as charming as my little town.

I got out of my car and walked down the street, eyeing up the window displays of the overpriced clothing boutiques while taking in the delicious scents coming from the bakery. The line forming around the corner not too far ahead caught my eye. I cringed, knowing it was more than likely the bookshop, and I would be at the back of that line. I shuffled over and got at the end, eyeing up some of the people in front of me. All of them anxious to meet this author, who up until a few days ago was unknown to me. I flashed the older woman in front of me a quick smile when she turned around and remarked, “Isn’t this so exciting?”

Yeah, real exciting, lady, I thought to myself. I grabbed my gloves from my pocket and covered my hands as I stared straight ahead, trying my best to drown out the multiple conversations going on. I’d been so curt with Ethan earlier, and now it was eating away at me, but it was so awkward talking to him and keeping what I knew from him. Hopefully after this little trip, it would all be resolved and things could go back to normal. I wasn’t sure exactly how everything would be rectified by attending a simple book signing, but I was remaining optimistic.

“I once stood in line for four hours to meet Jonathan Reed,” the woman in front of me said to the redheaded woman standing beside her.

My ears perked up. “Oh, yeah. He’s amazing. I just wish he’d put another book out soon. I’ve read everything of his to date.”

“Oh, Jonathan Reed is the best there is,” I chimed in, unable to control myself. “His writing is flawless. Much better than this guy. Don’t you agree?”

“Yeah, he does have an edge over Carl Hampton, but then again, he’s been writing for quite a few more years than him,” the redheaded woman replied. “There’s definitely a lot of similarities in their stories and writing style.”

She had no idea. I shrugged my shoulders, continuing with my shameless plug of Ethan. “I suppose, but I’ll always be a bigger fan of Jonathan Reed. I’m sure his next book will be fabulous and well worth the wait.”

“I hope so.” The woman turned around, seeming to be tired of my love fest for Jonathan—Ethan. As expected the line moved at a snail’s pace, and quite a few times, I thought of dodging the whole idea and coming clean to Ethan about what I knew. When I thought of the alternative—the dark side of him coming out if I were to present this information, I kept my feet planted firmly in place.

Only two people ahead of me, and I used that time to eyeball Ethan’s competitor. He looked around the same age as Ethan, dirty blond, not too thin, not too heavy, but as I listened to him speak, I could sense he was a little full of himself. His newfound fame had definitely overinflated his ego a bit. I shifted from one foot to the other, waiting not so patiently for the woman in front of me to wrap up her longwinded conversation to which he seemed to have no interest in, flashing him a smile when it was my turn.

“Hello.” He smiled back when I approached his table.

My guard instantly went up while his eyes moved up and down my body as if I were standing in front of him naked. Normally, if a guy was checking me out in this perverted manner, I’d tell them to go to hell, but this time I decided to use it to my advantage.

“Hey!” I raised my voice to my flirty, fake level. “I’ve read your book four times already.” Little did he know, I read it once and then picked it apart, comparing it to Ethan’s story.

“So, I guess it’s safe to say, I have a fan in you?” His smile broadened.

“A very loyal fan.” I raised an eyebrow, our eyes remaining locked.

He cleared his throat and grabbed a book from the pile sitting next to him, appearing a little less cool and a little more flustered from just a few seconds ago as he picked up the pen. “So, do you have a name you’d like me to put in here?”

“I do.”

He lifted his head from the book and creased his eyebrows in confusion.

“I would love for you to guess what it is over a cup of coffee.” I was pouring it on thick, and he seemed to be falling right into my trap.

He ran his hand down the side of his face and broke out in a wry smile. “The hotel I’m staying at has the best coffee shop around, and I’ll just happen to be there in about an hour drinking some. Maybe if I just happen to run into you there drinking some too, we can…talk.”

“Sounds perfect.” I turned around and looked at the line behind me, which seemed to be dwindling down before moving closer and whispering, “So, what hotel is this that has such delicious…coffee?”

His eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. Clearly coffee was code for something else for him. Now it was me who felt as if I were walking into a trap. What the hell was I doing? I knew nothing about this man, and here I was leading him on just to try and get information from him…and information about what? What the hell did I think I was going to find out? Clearly it was Ethan who had copied from him, so it was Ethan I needed the answers from, not this pompous asshole sitting in front of me. And, at the end of the day, it really wasn’t my business at all. Ethan and I were in a relationship, but was it really my business what he did with his career?

He scribbled an address on a piece of paper and stuck it inside the book after signing the front page. “I look forward to putting a name in there in about an hour.”

“We’ll see!” I giggled, feeling his eyes burning into my back as I walked away.

I killed the next hour, browsing through the artsy overpriced shops, waiting until the last possible second to head over to the hotel. My legs trembled as I walked through the parking lot, almost turning back a few times. I pulled out my phone just before entering and called Amelia, so at least someone would know my last whereabouts in case this man was a complete lunatic.

“You’re what?” she screamed after I told her about my plan.

“Relax, Amelia. I’m just having coffee with him. I’m not going up to his room.”

“Well, I’m sure he thinks you are, Jenna! You can’t do this. What do you think you’re gonna gain by it anyway? The real answers lie with the man you’re sleeping with not the one you’re leading on.”

“I don’t know. There’s just more to it. I have this weird feeling.”

“No, Jen, the only thing you’re feeling is you don’t want to believe that Ethan would do something like this. Look, I know you care about him a lot and don’t want to believe it, but all the signs are there. Don’t take the chance of getting raped or killed because you’re trying to prove otherwise. Just get back in your car and leave.”

“I can’t, Amelia. I came this far. I’m not turning back. I promise I’ll call you as soon as I’m safe and sound in my car again.”

“Jenna, please don’t.”

“It will be fine…I promise.”