another step away.
Frustration and desperation warring on his face, Chad looked from side to side. He sighed. “Okay,” he said, unzipping his jeans and dropping them along with his briefs to his knees.
Wilhemina bit her lip as she pretended to study his organ, which appeared to be shrinking in the night air. Already moving away, she glanced back up at his face. “I think I'll pass,” she said and walked briskly toward the lobby of the hotel. She heard Chad scream profanities at her and she picked up her pace.
Stumbling inside the lobby, she raced to the elevator and stepped inside. Pressing the number for her floor, she waited until the doors slid closed, then leaned against the back wall, her heart pounding a mile a minute.
She couldn't believe what she had just done. She wondered where she'd found the nerve. She'd spent her life feeling like a weirdo, like a victim.
The rush of power made her light-headed and she began to laugh so hard her eyes watered. She would never forget the look on Chad's face when she'd rejected his offer. Sniffing and wiping her damp cheeks, she walked to her room and entered to find Chantal mewing balefully. Tensing, Wilhemina quickly checked the curtains and felt a trickle of relief that Chantal hadn't done anything destructive.
Freshening the cat's water bowl, she chuckled again at Chad's indignation. She sank down on the bed and the cat jumped up beside her. Wilhemina absently rubbed Chantal's hairless little head. “Chad definitely was not any cowboy knight,” she murmured, wondering if such a thing existed. “Maybe I should just go back to Philly. Katie's probably sick with worry.”
She sighed, discouragement seeping through her veins. What if she was on a crazy wild goose chase? Something inside her balked at the thought of returning with her tail tucked between her legs. Wilhemina felt as if she'd spent most of her life discouraged and defeated. She couldn't bear the idea of seeing pity in Katie's eyes. No, she wasn't ready to return, she decided. Whether she found a cowboy knight or not, she was going to have her own-adventure.
Nothing was going to stop her.
After visiting three nightclubs in Dallas, all Katie wanted was to go to sleep, but she wouldn't dare let Michael know how tired she was. She'd already embarrassed herself with that anxiety attack on the plane and heaven knows what all she'd told him after taking the Valium.
They headed for Fort Worth, also known as Cowtown, and arrived at a huge bar just after midnight. The place was still jumping. Michael flashed a photo of Wilhemina to the main bartender and he shook his head.
Michael returned to Katie's side. “Let's try one more tourist trap bar, then find a place for the night. We can start calling hotels on the list,” he said, raking his hand through his hair. “We'll find her. She'll stick out among all these cowgirls.”
“The same way you do,” Katie said, unable to squelch her thoughts.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you definitely don't look native Texan. You look and sound pure Philly.”
He shrugged. “I'll put on a pair of jeans tomorrow, but I draw the line at boots and a ten-gallon hat.” He scrutinized her. “You look like you're about ready to fall over.”
“I'm okay,” she lied. “It's just been a long day. Why don't we try another bar?”
He hesitated as if he were reconsidering, then nodded. “Let's go.”
The bar yielded no leads, and Katie and Michael checked into separate rooms at a chain hotel close by. Michael insisted on carrying her bag to her room. “Thank you,” she said as she pushed open her door. “I wouldn't have expected you to be so…”
“So what?” he asked, the intensity of his gaze unsettling her.
“Gentlemanly, considerate,” she said, and wincing at her bluntness, she rushed to explain herself. “I can tell you're very goal-oriented and when you're focused on solving a problem, it's sometimes hard to remember
Frustration and desperation warring on his face, Chad looked from side to side. He sighed. “Okay,” he said, unzipping his jeans and dropping them along with his briefs to his knees.
Wilhemina bit her lip as she pretended to study his organ, which appeared to be shrinking in the night air. Already moving away, she glanced back up at his face. “I think I'll pass,” she said and walked briskly toward the lobby of the hotel. She heard Chad scream profanities at her and she picked up her pace.
Stumbling inside the lobby, she raced to the elevator and stepped inside. Pressing the number for her floor, she waited until the doors slid closed, then leaned against the back wall, her heart pounding a mile a minute.
She couldn't believe what she had just done. She wondered where she'd found the nerve. She'd spent her life feeling like a weirdo, like a victim.
The rush of power made her light-headed and she began to laugh so hard her eyes watered. She would never forget the look on Chad's face when she'd rejected his offer. Sniffing and wiping her damp cheeks, she walked to her room and entered to find Chantal mewing balefully. Tensing, Wilhemina quickly checked the curtains and felt a trickle of relief that Chantal hadn't done anything destructive.
Freshening the cat's water bowl, she chuckled again at Chad's indignation. She sank down on the bed and the cat jumped up beside her. Wilhemina absently rubbed Chantal's hairless little head. “Chad definitely was not any cowboy knight,” she murmured, wondering if such a thing existed. “Maybe I should just go back to Philly. Katie's probably sick with worry.”
She sighed, discouragement seeping through her veins. What if she was on a crazy wild goose chase? Something inside her balked at the thought of returning with her tail tucked between her legs. Wilhemina felt as if she'd spent most of her life discouraged and defeated. She couldn't bear the idea of seeing pity in Katie's eyes. No, she wasn't ready to return, she decided. Whether she found a cowboy knight or not, she was going to have her own-adventure.
Nothing was going to stop her.
After visiting three nightclubs in Dallas, all Katie wanted was to go to sleep, but she wouldn't dare let Michael know how tired she was. She'd already embarrassed herself with that anxiety attack on the plane and heaven knows what all she'd told him after taking the Valium.
They headed for Fort Worth, also known as Cowtown, and arrived at a huge bar just after midnight. The place was still jumping. Michael flashed a photo of Wilhemina to the main bartender and he shook his head.
Michael returned to Katie's side. “Let's try one more tourist trap bar, then find a place for the night. We can start calling hotels on the list,” he said, raking his hand through his hair. “We'll find her. She'll stick out among all these cowgirls.”
“The same way you do,” Katie said, unable to squelch her thoughts.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you definitely don't look native Texan. You look and sound pure Philly.”
He shrugged. “I'll put on a pair of jeans tomorrow, but I draw the line at boots and a ten-gallon hat.” He scrutinized her. “You look like you're about ready to fall over.”
“I'm okay,” she lied. “It's just been a long day. Why don't we try another bar?”
He hesitated as if he were reconsidering, then nodded. “Let's go.”
The bar yielded no leads, and Katie and Michael checked into separate rooms at a chain hotel close by. Michael insisted on carrying her bag to her room. “Thank you,” she said as she pushed open her door. “I wouldn't have expected you to be so…”
“So what?” he asked, the intensity of his gaze unsettling her.
“Gentlemanly, considerate,” she said, and wincing at her bluntness, she rushed to explain herself. “I can tell you're very goal-oriented and when you're focused on solving a problem, it's sometimes hard to remember
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