looked like a champagne drinker, smiled like she deserved a Shirley Temple, and shuffled cards like she could throw back a whiskey better than most men. Yet, here she was
,
sipping a beer and making me desperately wish I were that bottle. If my life were different, I would have done anything to keep her.
Sarah
“So, you’re going to be a doctor?” Jay asked. He was a handsome guy with gelled hair and a smile that probably put some orthodontist’s kid through college.
“Yes, a Ph.D., not a medical doctor.”
“But we can still call you doctor, right?” Tony, the flirt with the tacky t-shirt asked.
“Only if you’re good.” I winked. His face froze, and I could tell he thought I was serious. Some people…
“Really?” he asked a little too excitedly.
I leaned closer and set my chin on my hand. He leaned in as well. “No,” I told him and sat back in my seat. The other guys went wild, and a second later, Michael came back in the room with Amy trailing behind him.
“And here I thought they’d give you a hard time. You can come back anytime,” Amy told me as she lowered herself into the chair next to her husband.
“Why, thank you.”
The rest of the night was exactly what the doctor ordered. I felt right at home with this crew. It was almost like being back with Maggie, Parker, Max, and Becca. While I found myself missing my friends from Atlanta, I was thankful Michael invited me into his group. Amy was especially great. She and I connected and didn’t stop talking the whole night.
By the time the poker game was over, it was late. I didn’t even realize so much time had passed, and I had thankfully forgotten the events of the day. In fact, not one thought of Jameson crossed my mind until I received a text from Lana right while I was zipping up my jacket.
Don’t come home. Psycho is sitting in front of our building in a town car. Tried to follow me inside.
“What in tarnation?” I muttered to myself forgetting Michael was standing there.
“What’s wrong?”
“My roommate sent me a text. Jameson is waiting at the apartment for me.” I let out a deep breath. “Guess I should get this over with.”
“You’re not going back there so he can hurt you again.” His tone took me by surprise.
“What should I do then? I have to go home sometime. Maybe if I talk to him, he’ll leave me alone. The cops didn’t seem too interested in helping me out.” I knew Jameson wasn’t likely to leave me be, but I didn’t want or need Michael to worry about me.
Michael hesitated for a second then spoke. “Why don’t you come to my place tonight, and I’ll help you figure it out in the morning?”
I understood his hesitation. I was also skeptical of his suggestion. It sounded like a terrible idea considering the last place I should be with a study participant was his friend’s house for poker, let alone in his apartment.
“No thanks. I’ll be fine. Trust me.”
“I would feel better if you stayed at my place, at least until he cools off.”
Jameson apparently didn’t cool off. Then I realized that maybe he wasn’t ready to end our night together considering this would be our only one. “You want me to come home with you?”
He stared at me for a moment before explaining. “I want you safe.” Maybe not.
“I’ll be safe. Don’t worry about me. I’m a card-carrying member of the NRA. I shoot skeet better than my daddy, have killed a nine-point buck with a bow, and keep two guns tucked safely in the apartment, which my roommate finds unnecessary and absurd. While I may not have ever had to use a weapon on a human, I have no doubt that I could keep myself safe.”
A sweet one-sided grin touched his lips. “Sarah, you’re not as tough as you think. You need someone to look after you.”
“No, buddy, I don’t.” I patted his chest patronizingly and quickly regretted it, just as I had the first time. I could feel the planes of his muscles through his t-shirt, and all I could
,
sipping a beer and making me desperately wish I were that bottle. If my life were different, I would have done anything to keep her.
Sarah
“So, you’re going to be a doctor?” Jay asked. He was a handsome guy with gelled hair and a smile that probably put some orthodontist’s kid through college.
“Yes, a Ph.D., not a medical doctor.”
“But we can still call you doctor, right?” Tony, the flirt with the tacky t-shirt asked.
“Only if you’re good.” I winked. His face froze, and I could tell he thought I was serious. Some people…
“Really?” he asked a little too excitedly.
I leaned closer and set my chin on my hand. He leaned in as well. “No,” I told him and sat back in my seat. The other guys went wild, and a second later, Michael came back in the room with Amy trailing behind him.
“And here I thought they’d give you a hard time. You can come back anytime,” Amy told me as she lowered herself into the chair next to her husband.
“Why, thank you.”
The rest of the night was exactly what the doctor ordered. I felt right at home with this crew. It was almost like being back with Maggie, Parker, Max, and Becca. While I found myself missing my friends from Atlanta, I was thankful Michael invited me into his group. Amy was especially great. She and I connected and didn’t stop talking the whole night.
By the time the poker game was over, it was late. I didn’t even realize so much time had passed, and I had thankfully forgotten the events of the day. In fact, not one thought of Jameson crossed my mind until I received a text from Lana right while I was zipping up my jacket.
Don’t come home. Psycho is sitting in front of our building in a town car. Tried to follow me inside.
“What in tarnation?” I muttered to myself forgetting Michael was standing there.
“What’s wrong?”
“My roommate sent me a text. Jameson is waiting at the apartment for me.” I let out a deep breath. “Guess I should get this over with.”
“You’re not going back there so he can hurt you again.” His tone took me by surprise.
“What should I do then? I have to go home sometime. Maybe if I talk to him, he’ll leave me alone. The cops didn’t seem too interested in helping me out.” I knew Jameson wasn’t likely to leave me be, but I didn’t want or need Michael to worry about me.
Michael hesitated for a second then spoke. “Why don’t you come to my place tonight, and I’ll help you figure it out in the morning?”
I understood his hesitation. I was also skeptical of his suggestion. It sounded like a terrible idea considering the last place I should be with a study participant was his friend’s house for poker, let alone in his apartment.
“No thanks. I’ll be fine. Trust me.”
“I would feel better if you stayed at my place, at least until he cools off.”
Jameson apparently didn’t cool off. Then I realized that maybe he wasn’t ready to end our night together considering this would be our only one. “You want me to come home with you?”
He stared at me for a moment before explaining. “I want you safe.” Maybe not.
“I’ll be safe. Don’t worry about me. I’m a card-carrying member of the NRA. I shoot skeet better than my daddy, have killed a nine-point buck with a bow, and keep two guns tucked safely in the apartment, which my roommate finds unnecessary and absurd. While I may not have ever had to use a weapon on a human, I have no doubt that I could keep myself safe.”
A sweet one-sided grin touched his lips. “Sarah, you’re not as tough as you think. You need someone to look after you.”
“No, buddy, I don’t.” I patted his chest patronizingly and quickly regretted it, just as I had the first time. I could feel the planes of his muscles through his t-shirt, and all I could
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