Page 21 of Flung
Chapter Nine
Emma
It hadn’t stopped raining since we got back from Miami.
New York wasn’t usually this wet, but we were having a streak of bad weather that just wouldn’t break, and it was really bringing my mood down.
Well, that and missing Colton.
We’d gone back to the rooftop club every night and never seen him again. None of the bartenders knew where he was, only that he’d taken an unexpected leave.
I’d been way more disappointed by this news than I’d have expected.
And now that we were home, it was next to impossible to get him out of my head.
At least my job was engaging. I could throw myself into work and keep from dwelling on how depressing New York was after spending a week in Miami. I could quit kicking myself for not leaving Colton my number.
And really, I was glad Marilyn was my neighbor. She didn’t talk about him and was kind enough not to talk about Brendan. They were texting all the time, I knew that much, but she didn’t spend too much time dwelling on it when we were together.
It just made me think of Colton and how sad I was to have left him behind.
I sat at the circulation desk for a little while today, enjoying a lull in library traffic. I was usually on my feet, so covering the desk for a while was a nice little break. It gave me a second to check my email and texts.
Surprisingly, I had a message.
From Marilyn.
Of course.
Hey, girl! This weather sucks, right? We need some drinks to cheer us up! Meet me at Saffron after work?
That did sound nice. And Saffron was fancy. I never would have gone there on my own, but I knew Marilyn would insist on eating dinner, and then on treating.
It was just who she was—extravagant but generous.
That sounds great. I’ll be off at 6, should make it there at 6:30?
Perfect! I’ll be there! Enjoy the rest of your day, babe!
It was something to look forward to. I rarely let her take me out, especially at a place so exclusive.
Maybe I needed a treat to cheer me up.
Maybe it was time to start considering Tinder or something.
Because dwelling on Colton wasn’t going to get me anywhere.
* * * * *
I walked into Saffron still in my work clothes—a knee-length dress with a full skirt, a cute cardigan, my hair pulled halfway back. I looked professional, probably nice enough to be in a place like Saffron.
I sent Marilyn a text. I’m here! Where are you!
She replied a minute later. Back left side of the restaurant, second booth from the bathroom hall. See you in a sec!
I headed that way but didn’t see Marilyn’s copper-colored hair.
There was… a guy sitting in the booth. Professionally dressed, blond, looking down at his phone.
