the Magnificent Mile. And from the other side of my living room, I could see the ferris wheel at Navy Pier.
“This is amazing,” she said breathily.
“I know.”
She slowly turned to me and walked over, her hips swaying with each step. She smiled seductively and ran her fingers down my chest. “Do you want to take this to the bedroom?”
I pulled on my sweatpants and headed out into the living room. The brunette was pretending to sleep in my bed. She was faking it, hoping she could stay the night and get breakfast in the morning. That wasn’t going to happen. I would let her cool down from the fucking I just gave her, but when she came looking for me, she would be on her way, and I would feel no remorse.
I walked over to the wet bar and poured myself another scotch. Walking over to my living room windows, I looked down at the lights below. I loved to watch the cars moving along Lake Shore Drive. The lake was dark at this time of year. There were no boats out there now that the lake was freezing over. I missed summer in the city. I loved how it stayed lighter at night and I could see the city busy below me. Now it was dark at five o’clock at night and the winter felt like it would never end.
Thanksgiving was just around the corner, just two weeks away. I would be going home to Indiana, and it would be nice to spend the holidays with my brothers, but I always felt off when I was home. As long as I stayed on the farm, it wasn’t too bad. But on Christmas Eve, my brothers and I always went out for drinks in town. I wasn’t sure that would happen this year since Eric was with Kat. He went last year, but that was different. Kat was pregnant and she just wanted to go to sleep early. But after what happened with them over the past year, Eric was always by her side. I couldn’t blame him, but I missed hanging out with just my brothers. Everything was changing.
And then there was the fact that my ex-girlfriend was now working for him. I spoke to her when I had to, but she was different now, not at all the girl that I used to know. I supposed that was my fault, but what was done was done. There was no going back and changing what happened between us. But every time I went home, I had to hear about Anna. Eric was always going on about her, whether it was how she scared the crap out of him or how she was making his life so much easier around the office.
I was happy I had gotten the job for her, but in doing so, I brought her back into my life. It was screwing with my head. I had a good life here in the city. I met tons of pretty women and my career was never better. But on the weekends, a secret thrill ran through me at the prospect of going home. Maybe I would see her this weekend. Maybe I would drop by Eric’s office on a Saturday and run into her. It never happened, but deep down, I always hoped it would. She was the one that got away. The one I let slip away. No, she was the one I ran from.
“Hey,” the woman said as she slipped her arms around my waist from behind. I didn’t even hear her sneak up behind me. She nibbled at my ear and I found myself swatting at her like a fly. She was irritating the fuck out of me. I didn’t want her, period. The only thing I wanted, I got from her, and now it was time for her to go home.
“Thanks for coming over. I’ll call you a cab.” I pulled her arms away from me and turned out of her hold. Walking over to my phone, I pulled up the number for the cab company and dialed.
“What?” she snapped. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“I know. I have to be somewhere early in the morning.”
“Where?”
“That’s none of your business.”
She threw her hands on her hips and scowled at me. “Is this seriously how you treat women? You take them home, screw them, and then toss them out?”
I hung up the phone and walked over to her and stared her straight in the eyes.