“Think you can track Jensen down for me? She bailed on our run this morning.”
“Okay?” Callie pauses for a second. “Is Jensen bailing on you really that surprising, though?”
Normally I’d hate to say no it’s not, but something isn’t sitting right. Between the look on her face last night and the fact that we’ve done this every Tuesday I can make for months now…
“I just want to make sure she’s okay, and if she’s not meeting me here then I doubt she’ll answer any call or text.”
“Well, she hasn’t replied to our group chat at all this morning, which isn’t crazy unusual, but I did check her location. Looks like she’s at Winedown.”
“Winedown?” I parrot back. “She doesn’t work Tuesday mornings and it’s barely ten a.m.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, that’s what her location says. Hey, I thought you were leaving for your parents’ house today anyway?”
“I am—not till later, though. Might’ve planned a later flight because of this little standing running date we’ve got going.”
“You’re hopeless.” Callie chuckles softly. “Let the group chat know when you land safely in Virginia, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I will. Thanks for checking on Jensen for me.”
Will replies this time. “Okay, time’s up, she’s hanging up now.” Just as soon as the words leave his mouth the call ends.
Asshole. Not that I entirely blame him, but still—asshole.
I click on my watch and start a map to Winedown. Another three miles and I get to see Jensen? Sold.
I take the first open seat I see at the bar, despite the fact that it’s November and fucking freezing—after seven miles I’ve worked up a bit of a sweat.
“Oh, well, good morning, Beck.” The bartender that Jensen always pushes me off on, comes up in front of me. “You look like you need a drink.”
I check her name tag again, because despite the many interactions I can never seem to remember it. “Hey, Mia, is Jensen here?”
I feel like a huge dick for asking her after my clear “no” to her offering her phone number last time I was here, but it needed to happen. I don’t want a relationship, and while I can’t tell what has me so hung up on Jensen…it’s never going to be Mia and she deserved to know it’s not on the table.
Mia doesn’t seem to take my words to heart though, she actually…smiles? “Yeah, she’s here. There was a bridal brunch that rented out the upstairs bar. Jensen’s working it.”
“Any way I could sneak up there?”
Mia laughs. “They’re two mimosa towers and at least two rounds of shots deep—they’d change your career from baseball player to stripper so fast.”
Yeah, can’t say Olsson would love that news. “Right, well, I just wanted to check on her, we usually run together on Tuesdays. It’s no big?—”
“Ugh, stop talking. You’re too good looking to be caring and thoughtful.”
Uh… “I’m sorry?”
“You should be.” Mia walks to the side then rounds the bar. She points to a waiter walking in. “You, perfect, watch the bar.I have to go cover for Jensen for a sec.” She points to me next. “You, follow me.”
The waiter and I make eye contact, but neither of us dare to question her. I catch up to Mia as she heads up the stairs. “I thought me going up here was a bad idea?”
“Oh, it is. You’re going to wait here.” Mia points at the ground, and I fall in line.Damn, when did she get so bossy?“I’ll send Jensen out here and cover for her for a few minutes.”
“Yeah, well, don’t tell her it’s me or she won’t trade with you.”
A scoffed laugh comes from Mia. “She won’t have a choice.”
I look at her and I can’t say my face is doing a very good job of hiding my emotions right now. “You’re scaring me.”
Mia scrunches her nose. “Oh, we definitely wouldn’t have been a good match up.”
