I slid my hands into my pockets. “I’m living here in the city. I teach at CU.”
“Really? Good for you. That’s great. So, do you ever hang out with Gabe, Zack, or any of the guys anymore?”
Hearing Gabe’s name felt like a punch in the gut. “No, we all sort of went our separate ways. You know how it goes.”
He nodded. “I sure do.”
The woman who Tucker walked in with called out his name, so he glanced at her before turning back to me. “I have to get going since we’re on a bit of a time crunch, but it was good seeing you, Elliot.” He held out his hand once more.
“You too. Take care,” I said, shaking his hand and turning to walk away.
I felt every muscle in my back stiffen, causing me to square my shoulders. My hands tightened into fists as I moved to my car, which was parked against the curb. Climbing behind the wheel, I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly in hopes of releasing some of the annoyance I was feeling. I hated bumping into someone from my past. They always want to know if Gabe and I were still friends, and every time his name was mentioned, I couldn’t help but think of the night that ended our friendship.
I’d worked hard to separate myself from my old life. I built something new when I took the teaching job at the college. With as big as Chicago is, I never thought I’d bump into someone who grew up in the same tiny town as me. I mean, what were the chances of bumping into a guy that I played baseball with back in high school? What were the chances that the little sister of my ex-best friend would come to the same university where I was teaching? Apparently, the odds weren’t in my favor.
I leaned my head against the headrest of my seat and closed my eyes as I tried to calm the anger inside of me. The problem was that the moment I closed my eyes, all I could see was the memory of the night everything went to hell between me and Gabe. His wide, panicked eyes and Rachel’s mouth that had fallen open the moment my presence made her speechless.
I shook the memory from my head, and I pressed on the brakes as I started the engine. I couldn’t wait to make Gabe pay for his crimes, and it was all falling into place perfectly. I just had to be patient for a bit longer.
I gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the skin on my knuckles turned white from the pressure. I glanced into my mirror, and once I saw a clear spot in traffic, I stepped on the gas and pulled out of my parking spot. I sped through the city, unsure of what it was I was doing. I didn’t want to go home, but I wasn’t exactly in the mood to party either. Not anymore, anyway. I felt like I’d been on an emotional rollercoaster this week. I needed to release some tension.
I drove across the city and parked in a parking garage before making my way across the street to a crowded nightclub. I wasn’t in the mood to party, but I was in the mood to get drunk off my ass and fuck myself into exhaustion. When the bouncer saw me approaching, he removed the red velvet rope that blocked the entrance.
“Elliot,” he said.
“Patrick.” I slipped him a twenty as I slid past, walking into the club while all the people in line bitched about being held back.
Inside, the music was loud and the overhead lights were off. The place was lit only by multicolored stage lights that danced around. There were bright lights behind the bar, illuminating the bottles of liquor that were on display. Somehow, it was just dark enough and just light enough for what I had in mind. I didn’t want to be too picky with my selection tonight. I would settle for anyone who resembled her. I needed her dark hair and someone who was roughly her size. I didn’t want to take her home either. I wanted to fuck her hard and fast, and then I wanted to walk away and never see her again.
Usually, when I’d go to the club, I’d go directly to the VIP area and I’d stay there, but those women wanted too much. At the very least, they wanted to be taken back to my place. I wasn’t in the mood to wine and dine anyone.
I stayed in the lower level of the club because the women there were usually a little easier to convince to go outside with me. Outside, bathroom, dark corner, whatever worked in the moment.
I found myself a seat at the end of the bar, and I ordered a glass of scotch. I hated the loud pop music that the DJ was always playing and remixing, but I ignored it as I skimmed the crowd in front of me. The dance floor wasn’t packed, but it was getting fuller as the night went on. Couples were moving back and forth to the beat of the music, and the tables scattered about were mostly full of friend groups. The bar was where all the singles lined up, ready to be picked off. There was a mix of men and women around me. Some appeared to be together, while others seemed to be in the early stages of a hostage negotiation.
The women who looked like they were waiting to find someone for the night didn’t look anything like her. There was a pale redhead, a fake-baked blonde, and a black-haired beauty who would’ve been a treat any other night.
I sipped my drink and turned my attention to the tables instead.
I started with the table in the far corner, looking at every face around it before moving to the next. I felt someone watching me and my gaze immediately jumped down, locking with a set of light colored eyes. She was too far away for me to make out such fine detail, but from the distance between us, I could see her long locks of dark hair. She was thin and reminded me of Eve.
Her lips turned up into a smile, and I nodded a hello before taking another sip of the scotch in my glass. I went back to looking around the club. After several minutes, she was in mysights again. This time, she ran the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip before pulling it into her mouth and biting down on it. She batted her lashes while she twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
Fuck it.
I finished off my drink and placed the empty glass on the bar. I stood and started toward her. Once she saw that I was approaching, she sat a little taller.
“Are you here alone?” I asked when I stopped beside her.
She nodded.
“Do you want to go outside?”
Her brows furrowed. “Not even going to offer to buy me a drink first?” She ran her fingertips around the rim of the glass in front of her as her eyes moved up and down my body.
“No.”
She lifted her glass and poured the remainder of her drink into her mouth. She placed it on the table once again, and then she stood.
