Cold Hearted Bachelor

I stare at her for a moment, and then check my phone for the time. “We should get going it’s getting late.”

“Right.”

For some reason I hate the fact she’s going out with this guy and not me. And yes, I really did just think that.

I’m cracking under the pressure.

“Do you have plans tonight?” she asks once we’re on our way back to her parents’ house. “You can always join us.”

I smile. “Yeah, I already got plans tonight.” But, if I’m being honest I haven’t got shit planned, but I do now. I’ll be crashing their little party at the Groove.

Because I have to see who this Colby is. Does that make me a bad guy?

Nine

Paisley

* * *

The red dress I’m wearing isn’t overly sexy, but it hugs and flows in a seductive way. Kind of wish I could have worn this today with Vaughn. Just so he could for once see me as the woman I’ve become, and not the lovestruck teenager he remembers me as.

When I picture his hands running all over me like they did my cabinets, I shut it down. Maybe I’ll be able to forget about him tonight. I glance at the time and see I’m running a bit behind.

I rush down the stairs, grab my purse, and wave to my parents as I leave the house. It’s so weird living back at home. Even if it’s just for a few months. It brings me back to my high school days. The days I’d lie awake at night, wishing Vaughn James would just notice me. I’d have done anything back then to get him to look at me the way he looked at other girls he dated.

And for one quick second I feel like I’ve traveled back in time. Because here I am once again, wishing and hoping Vaughn would look at me the way I wanted him to back then.

His loss, I tell myself, as I hop in my Jetta and head downtown to the club. Once I park, I spot Gwen’s dark curls and green sundress by the door, waiting for me. She still looks the same from high school, long dark curls and green eyes. Her skin is flawless. She hasn’t aged a bit.

“Sorry I’m late,” I say. “You been here long?”

“Wow, you look great.” She touches the fabric of my dress and smiles. “I just got here.”

“Colby just texted. He’ll be here in a few.”

“Great, let’s go inside and get a drink.”

We enter the building and head toward the bar. This isn’t one of those clubs that people only venture to on the weekends. It’s actually not really a club at all, but more of a local hangout with drinks, dancing, and tables filled with happy people excited to be out for a night on the town.

The bartender takes our order and when we have our drinks in hand, Gwen says, “I’m dying for alcohol.” She takes a large gulp of her martini.

“Rough day at work?”

“I just hate my job. Maybe one day I’ll get a new one.”

“You should see if Spencer would hire you. They could probably use the help with marketing.”

Gwen shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. I love the work I do, but the people sometimes are hard to handle.”

I nod. “Tell me about it.”

She takes another gulp of her drink and laughs.

There’s a tap on my shoulder, and I spin around to see Colby smiling at me. His brown hair is perfectly coiffed to one side. His blue eyes sparkle against the lights of the club. He wraps me into a tight hug, and I let him.

“Hey, what’s up?” I say.

As I introduce him to Gwen, I notice a flash of dark hair out of the corner of my eye. “Is that Vaughn?” I ask Gwen.

Her eyes shoot to where I’m looking and yep, there he stands, in all his good-looking glory. Damn, he puts every other man in this club to shame.

“Yeah,” she says. “Wonder why he’s here?”

He’s dressed in all black, and his black-button down sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showcasing all those sinewy muscles on his forearm I love so much.

It’s not fair how anyone can look so sexy. His eyes sear into me from across the room, and he moves toward us.

Gwen steps up. “Hey, long time no see.”

He smiles, his eyes never leaving mine. “Hey, ladies, wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

He’s lying, and I don’t know why. He said he had plans but now I can’t help to wonder if he cancelled them or lied about that too. I glance up at him, noticing a smirk he tosses my way. What’s his game? “Liar,” I call him on it. “You knew we’d be here.”

He acts shocked. “Not me. I’m meeting a friend.” His lips curve up into a smile.

My mood instantly deflates at the thought of some lucky woman who gets to go home with him tonight.