Or she could knock and knock and he wouldn’t answer because he was on a date or out with friends or he could see her through the peephole and hide because she hadn’t seen him since she’d left for college.
Weariness battled with adrenaline, and it was making her feel like the world was about to explode. Of course, she was the one who’d pushed that button, so she had no one to blame but herself.
Her cell phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket like it was a lifeline, praying it was her mom or dad or even work. Anything that would give her another fifteen or twenty minutes before she had to explain to Deke why she needed his help.
Before he probably laughed at her and told her to take a hike.
She grimaced at the name. Daniel Gray was her latest experiment in modern-day dating. She’d put herself out there on a dating app specifically made for men and women in high tech and science fields. After a couple of truly awful experiences where dumbass men tried to explain her own field of expertise to her, she’d matched with Dan. He was in biotech and a good listener. Five dates in and he hadn’t even tried to make a move on her. It was comforting. He was easy to be around.
She was totally uninterested in him. She wished she wasn’t, wished he could be the guy who made her heart race, but the chemistry wasn’t there.
She let the call go to voice mail. She wasn’t going to ghost the guy, but it wasn’t a love match.
Would it be if she gave it time? If he’d come into her life before she’d found herself here, standing on the precipice of being near Deke again?
Not that it would matter. They’d made their choices a very long time ago, and she was at peace with the fact that Deke had done her a favor. He’d been right to break it off, and she was grateful to him. Over the last couple of years she’d even gotten to the point that she didn’t think about him every day. Once or twice a year she got wistful about him, but she’d moved on.
This was a mistake. Bringing him back into her life was a huge mistake, and maybe one she couldn’t afford.
A text came over her screen, this one from her boss. Nolan Byrne. He was one of the world’s most successful inventors.
And Maddie was worried he was also a killer. He was the very reason she was standing here.
Thanks for the new reports. Good work on the interface. It looks like we’re on track for launch. Changing the world, baby!
He called everyone baby. Men. Women. His cat. She didn’t read a thing into it. He was a genius, and she’d learned oftentimes genius came with weird habits. Male geniuses were especially likely to indulge their own oddities. The women, well, they were still women, and there were expectations even on the most gifted. She stood on the steps that led to the building and quickly typed her response.
Awesome. I’m super excited about it.
One of the ways to deal with Nolan was to be as over-the-top enthusiastic as he was. She sometimes thought of him as the tech version of Willy Wonka, and the rest of them were Oompa-Loompas just trying to get by while making all the candy and singing all the songs.
I’m excited about meeting your guy and getting into that club. Enjoy your vacay, M. See you back here on Monday. I’ll take your guy to lunch. N signing off!
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She grimaced and sent off a quick round of smiley face emojis and little suns since she was supposed to be in Sedona on a girls trip this weekend, not visiting her long-lost ex-boyfriend who might be the only person in the world who could get her out of the corner she’d placed herself in.
Why, why, why had she done something this freaking dumb?
She was going to lose her job and if she did, she might never find out what Nolan was up to.
Well, until the world exploded.
Yes, this was something she had to do. It didn’t matter how embarrassing it was going to be. Two people had lost their lives to whatever Nolan was plotting, and she wasn’t about to let more victims get sucked in.
She strode up the steps, forcing her feet to move. She pressed the button on the elevator, got in, and pushed number fourteen. When the doors opened, she strode out even as her heart started to pound.
When she got to his door she heard the sound of laughter coming from inside and hesitated for a moment.
He had people over. The clock was closing in on midnight and he had guests. Probably a girlfriend. She should…