course he did. Good men like Ryan will give up everything for the women they care about. But what happens in five years when all those tingly little sparks fade?” I see what he’s doing. I’m not going to let his words affect me. I’m not. “Eh, but don’t mind me. I’m just bitter because he turned me down. This restaurant was going to be huge for both of us. An epic career changer. But that’s okay. I wish you guys the best of luck. Better than my luck, at least.”
I must give him some hint that I’m curious about his meaning, because as he’s standing from the table and adjusting his tie, he says, “I was married once to a woman I loved. But those sparks faded, and now, I regret waiting so long to launch my career. I hope that doesn’t happen for you and Ryan.”
Noah leaves the table, and when he’s gone, I pick up my napkin again and fold, fold, fold. My hands are trembling. Where is Ryan? I feel lightheaded. Come on, RYAN. I look toward the kitchen door again and will it to open. It doesn’t, and my whole body is shaking with energy now that I can’t contain. I bounce my knee to keep myself from doing something more drastic, but I feel the need to run bubbling through my veins.
I hate that weasel, Noah. He’s sleazy, and I’m not oblivious to it. But I also feel the truth in his words. Ryan is giving up too much for me. He’s going to regret it. When we fight, he’ll bring it up. If my company thrives, he’ll resent it.
I can’t do that to him. To me.
Before I fully realize it, I’m standing from the table and rushing toward the exit.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ryan
I come back from the kitchen and find June’s seat empty. Thinking she must be in the bathroom, I sit down and order another drink. People have been coming to the table all night, and now is no exception. I’m forced to smile and talk with a few people, but with every minute that goes by without June returning to the table, a sense of foreboding builds.
Finally getting a break in conversation, I text June to make sure she’s okay. I’m half-expecting a text saying she’s sick, because of how long she’s been in there. Five more minutes pass and still no response.
Enough is enough.
I make my way to the women’s restroom and crack the door open. “June. You okay in here?” It feels uncomfortable calling out in a bathroom like this, but what else am I supposed to do?
“Uh, no one else is in here but me,” says a lady who is definitely not June.
I let the door close, feeling even more concerned now. If June is not in the bathroom, where is she?
As I’m turning a circle in the hallway and scraping my hand through my hair, Noah comes out of the men’s bathroom. “Why are you hovering outside of the ladies’ room?” he asks, smirking in a way I don’t appreciate.
“I thought June was in there.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, she left, like, thirty minutes ago. I assumed there was some sort of emergency with how quick she was moving out the door in those heels.”
“What?” My voice is so stern the walls rattle.
Noah’s head kicks back, and he steps away, accurately interpreting my mood. “Calm down, man. I’m sure she’s fine. Come sit with me and Gazel and have another drink. Maybe I can get her to convince you to take the position at Bask.”
I’m not interested in a drink.
“What did you say to June?” I say, grabbing Noah by the front of his shirt and backing him up against the wall.
“N-nothing!”
“Not buying it. I know you talked to her. Tell me what you said.” I put a little more pressure against his chest.
“It was nothing. I just told her that I thought you were making a mistake by passing up the job. Because you are!”
I shove Noah while releasing his shirt and stepping away. I start to walk away but then turn back and point. “Did you imply that she was getting in the way of me taking the job?”
His eyes widen, and his Adam’s apple bobs over the top of his dress shirt, telling me everything I need to know.
What I want to do is ram Noah into the wall and make him physically pay for meddling in my life, but June is more important than vengeance