I’d called Rachel after we’d rushed Nate to the hospital this morning, needing her voice to calm the chaos in my brain as always. She had no answers, but none of us did. The guys were looking to me to lead, but I had no one to follow.
It was the loneliest feeling in the world.
Too wired to try to sleep, I stopped at the hotel bar for a drink. I couldn’t have more than one or else I’d really be useless tomorrow, but maybe the liquor would uncoil my nerves enough to sleep.
I slid onto a stool at the bar and pulled up my texts with Rachel. She hadn’t written back since I’d spoken to her this morning, which wasn’t like her. Maybe something was going on with Taylor today. We hadn’t talked about her plans for the day since it was all about me and my worries over Nate and my team and what the hell I would do.
My girl deserved more attention than that, and I needed to get out of this shitty mind space so I could be who everyone needed me to be.
But right now, I needed to be the lost asshole at the bar trying to find the answers to all his problems at the bottom of his bourbon glass.
“Excuse me, sir.”
My head shot up at the bartender’s voice.
“The lady over there wants to buy you a second drink of whatever you’re having.”
I held in a groan, not in the damn mood for this tonight. Since Kent would lose his shit over any nasty behavior that could make its way on to social media, and rude was never my style, I tried to smile and shook my head.
“Tell the lady thank you, but I have a girlfriend so I’m going to decline.”
“Fair enough,” he said. “I’ll let her know.”
I hoped she’d take no for an answer and I could just go upstairs without a hassle and try for a few hours of sleep.
“I should’ve known. The hot ones are always taken.”
My head whipped around to a very familiar voice. I blinked a few times, wondering if I was hallucinating Rachel’s face on the woman settling next to me at the bar.
“You didn’t even pick up your head to see what I looked like. Whoever your girlfriend is, she’s one lucky lady.”
I wasn’t sure if it was my exhaustion or shock that left me speechless. Rachel was here. In Boston, on a stool next tome at the bar. Smiling and carefree like that day we’d met in Williamsburg.
Her lips were painted a bright cherry red that matched her skintight red dress. Her chestnut hair brushed her shoulders in loose waves as she crossed her legs, the swells of her breasts fighting with the low neckline.
Jessica fucking Rabbit.
How the hell had she pulled this off? This explained why I hadn’t heard from her since this morning, but how long had she been waiting for me at the bar? Looking like that?
All good questions I wanted the answers to, but right now, my only interest was in playing along.
“You look a little sad,” she said, jutting out her crimson lip in a pout. I wanted to bite it, along with the rest of her. “Missing your girl?” she asked, tilting her head as she set her large purse on the stool next to her.
“I am.” I nodded. “I always do, but especially on long trips like this. Sleeping in a king-sized bed by myself is a little lonely.”
“I bet.” Her eyes traveled up and down my body as she leaned back. “What do you do for a living that you’re this built? Football player?”
I stifled a laugh as she waved at the bartender.
“Since he didn’t want a drink, I’ll buy myself one.” She rubbed her hands together. “You can give me whatever he’s having,” she said, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Bourbon,” I said, lifting my glass.
“Sounds perfect,” she said, leaning over the bar.
He nodded, giving Rachel a long once-over that almost had me over the counter and in his face, but he didn’t know she was with me.
And I couldn’t fight every man in this bar. That dress was pure fire and sin, and while I hated anyone looking at my girl, I couldn’t blame them.
