Matt, the loner.
The waiter walks in, looks around, and gives me a soft smile.
“I’ll pay the bill now. Thanks for tonight, and if you could thank the owner for making this room available for Alex and me, that would be great.”
He nods. “Of course, sir.”
I hand him my card without asking for the total, and he doesn’t offer. It doesn’t matter.
Thinking back over this disaster of a date, I wonder if it ever stood a chance.
What are Alex and Logan doing right now?
When they left, they were coupled up and appeared to be having a good time, even though it started with him arriving late.
And that’s when it happens.
It hits me that I’m jealous.
Not that she left with him, but that her date went well enough for her to leave with him. Especially considering she didn’t really want to do this dating thing in the first place. Hell, she only went along with it to appease me.
But I guess if Logan is the guy for Alex, who am I to stand in the way of her happiness?
Who am I kidding?
He’s not the guy for her.
I grunt, and the waiter looks at me, creasing his brows as he hands me my card. “Sorry, long night,” I say.
The waiter nods with a gentle tilt of his head while giving me my receipt. “Well, we don’t close for a few hours, and neither of you had dessert, so if you feel like something sweet, the room’s available until eleven.”
I chuckle. “Thanks, good to know.” I pat his shoulder and turn to watch Dwayne walking back in. With a tilt of my chin to my security detail, they walk toward me, and then we head to the back of the restaurant, walking out the back door and toward my car.
“Did you have a good night, sir?” Dwayne asks, and I scoff.
“I tried, I did. Just wasn’t meant to be, Dwayne,” I reply as we continue toward the car.
“Oh, well, better luck next time,” he states.
Suddenly, Scott halts in his tracks and puts his arm out, stopping me from walking. I look up to see a figure leaning against the trunk of my car. Scott tips his chin to Dwayne, who is instantly on alert. My spine straightens, the tension putting me on edge. It’s dark, so we can’t make out the figure completely, but Scott pulls me back against the wall, standing directly in front of me as Dwayne takes off toward the car at full force. It all happens so quickly, their protection mode immediately kicking into gear.
I go rigid, wondering who would know I’m here and how they knew that was the car I arrived in. Unless someone overheard Jaci saying something on her way out, and now a fan has come to find me? But surely, she wouldn’t be that stupid, would she?
Dwayne rounds the car, his body at the ready as he approaches the dark figure. He steps up to the person, and I take in a deep lungful of air, not realizing I was holding my breath. All my muscles tense while I watch him, wondering who the fuck it is and what game they’re playing at. I hate even more that it’s dark, and I can’t see anything other than an outline from where I am.
Sometimes being famous sucks. It’s times like these when you realize fans are not always your best friends.
Dwayne’s body relaxes while he looks back at us and shakes his head. “It’s fine, false alarm,” he calls back to Scott, who releases me but stays by my side as we walk to the back of the car. With each step, I try to calm my racing heart, wondering who the hell it is. As we get closer, the moonlight reveals the figure of an obviously petite woman, and then I look at her hair, and the dim glow highlights a familiar aqua color.
“Alex?” I call out, and she smiles.
“Matt, where’s Jaci?”
“Where’s Logan?” I ask, confused.
She jumps off the trunk of the car and steps up to me. “Uh-uh, you first. You guys were such a good match. Why is she not on your arm right now?” she asks, poking me in the ribs.
“Once she saw me, realized who I was, I knew she only cared about the fame. It was over from then on. Sucks, but it is what it is. But that’s not the issue here. You walked out with his arm around your neck. You two were so cozy. I thought you were leaving together. Why are you here? At my car?”
