Page 36 of Playing Hard to Get

My heart raced and my hands were slick with sweat. I pulled up the message and sat there, staring.

Vivian: You too.

What the fuck was that supposed to mean? You too? I had to reread my message to Viv a couple times, but it didn’t make sense.

“Everything okay over there?” Cael was watching me through narrowed eyes.

I shook my head. Dragged my hand down my face. Cael sat up and I waved him off.

“It’s nothing. It’s…” I shook my head again. “Women.”

The kid chuckled and leaned against his pillows. “Your girlfriend?”

I winced, tearing my eyes off my phone and back to him. “No. Just a woman I know.”

A woman I wanted to know more. Damn. What the hell am I doing? I tossed my phone aside. Finished watching the game while Anna slept. The whole time I was thinking of Vivian, trying to understand.

Thinking about you tonight.

You too.

Hope you're doing okay.

You too.

Whatever she meant, at least one thing was clear. She was coming out of hiding.

9

Mitch

That week in the presence of Anna Carrington was enough to make me want to stick a flaming hot poker through my eye. Not sure I’d ever find someone whose company I despised more than that girl. I'd never once questioned my love for my job in security. Never once, until the past week.

Cael and I spent a good chunk of time together. Every few nights, Anna would go on a binge. Cael and I would stay up late, keeping an eye on the girl like we did that first night. We stayed in our motel room, playing cards, watching TV, checking on her at least once an hour. It gave us plenty of time to get to know each other. I learned I really liked the kid. The more comfortable he got with me, the more he opened up, the less he patted down that tuft of hair. I would have been proud to serve with him in the Marines, and I was proud to have him on my team. In our time together, I came to consider him a friend. And to me, my friends were like family.

Vivian had been on my mind all week. Her You too text was followed up with short responses to other questions I sent her. You doing okay? Yes. Where you at? NYC. Do you miss me?

That last one never got a response. I waited for it. Waited the typical half hour or more for her response to come across. Waited a couple days, but still nothing. Should have known not to send that one to her. Not when things were finally getting back to decent.

I took a slow drive through the slums near my home, mulling the whole thing over. I made my way into the city and parked at the pier. The breeze off the lake made for a chilly day, but it was nicer than the desert temps I’d suffered through last week. My gray athletic shorts and black, long sleeved shirt gave me the right mix of warmth and cool. I headed south along the lake for a while, then jogged farther from the shore, into the city. I was about to head back to the pier and call it a day when I spotted something that halted me in my place.

Not something.

Someone.

At a green metal table outside a cafe sat a familiar, gorgeous face. Vivian. The sun dripped down through a small flowering tree above her and lit up her beautiful skin. Her long, long legs were stretched out beneath the table and were crossed at her ankles. Bare, smooth skin crept up under her dark pink dress. I couldn’t help the smile that broke across my lips. I ducked into a men’s clothing store across the street and pulled out my phone. Then I shot off a quick text to her.

Me: You doing okay? Haven't heard from you in a couple days.

Across the street, Vivian set down the tablet she was looking at and grabbed her phone off the table next to her white coffee mug. She smiled. God, she was so fucking gorgeous. Then she dropped the phone to the table, tucked a hair behind her ear, and took a sip from her cup.

The wait was excruciating. She kept picking up her phone, then setting it down again. She’d suck on the tip of her finger in a way that made my cock twitch. Finally, after ten minutes, she responded.

Vivian: Yes.

With a quiet chuckle, I shot back a response.

Me: Yes, you miss me? Or yes, you're okay?