Chance Encounter - Jerry Cole Page 0,11

work.” He smiled at me as I reached out for his hand.

“Of course,” I replied, looking forward. We reached the coffee shop to see Mari waiting at a table that was surrounded by several other crowded ones.

“Is she in line?” Hayden asked, and Mari chuckled. She nodded.

“How did you manage that?” He asked as Mari stood up to give us hugs.

“You don’t want to know,” She replied as Hayden pretended to gag.

We took our seats and waited in the sun. Mari’s phone buzzed, and she glanced down. “I need to help her.” The woman stood and went in while I looked at Hayden.

“I can’t believe that she’s in there. Normally, Mari does everything that she asks,” he said, laughing. The girls came out with a tray of coffee and a bag of pastries, laughing together. Becca hugged us before sitting down, looking happy.

We ate and drank coffee as they talked about last night. The girls portrayed it as light and fun, so I wondered why Hayden was so quiet. Did something happen that they didn’t know about?

“What’s up with you?” Becca asked Hayden after he’d remained quiet for a while.

“I think I’m just tired.” I glanced at him as she stared him down. “I didn’t sleep a lot last night.” He took a bite of an eclair, leaning back into his chair.

“You have something simmering. I see it in your eyes and come to think of it; you were brooding last night. What happened?” She asked as he let out a sigh.

“I ran into Ryan there last night.” I leaned forward as the girls cursed.

“What did he say?” Becca asked as I watched the conversation.

“He was a dick, as usual. I told him to get out.” There was something more that Hayden wasn’t saying.

“Did you sleep with him?” Becca demanded as she looked at me.

“Fuck, no. I got him out of there, and now he’s left some messages on my phone. I feel like I’m right back in his shit.” He pushed his hair back. “He threatened to come to the party.”

“Is this guy threatening or something?” I asked as they all looked at me.

“Not physically. He’s just a manipulator, and the only reason he wants to come to this party is to fuck with me,” Hayden said as relief flooded my body. I sucked in a breath as he stared at me. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” I reached for my coffee. He didn’t sleep with his ex.

“I’ll handle him if he shows up at the party. Don’t worry about it. Ryan just wants attention.” Becca waved her hand in the air.

“I hope so,” Hayden said, looking serious for a moment before he smiled. We enjoyed breakfast and went up to their apartment to hang out.

When we walked back to his place later, I slipped an arm around his waist. “He’s not going to do a thing. I’ll be there.”

“I’m not scared. He was going after Becca last night since I was fool enough to trust him with some stuff.” Hayden nibbled on his lip. “I don’t want her getting hurt.”

“Becca seems pretty tough to me,” I told him, and he shrugged.

“I hope so.”

I dropped him off at home, letting him grab a nap and heading home to get some work done.

Hayden seemed like he had a weight lifted from his shoulders after talking to me, but I wondered about this ex of his. I already cared a lot for his friends, and I took care of those that were close to me.

He worked the next few nights, and I sat in on some podcasts. I had picked up a few more clients in the last few weeks based on reputation, but it meant more time working. I sat in on newer shows to get a feel for the hosts and their style, if at all possible. I did that both day and night until the Saturday of the party.

I showered that evening, dressing in jeans and a blue button-up with short sleeves. I slipped my feet into worn chucks, heading down to my car to drop it near Becca’s apartment around the time Hayden got off from work. I parked and glanced up to see that the windows brightly lit, hearing the sound of voices and music. I hoped they had understanding neighbors as I locked my car, turning to walk down to the theater.

People were walking out the doors into the street with smiles on their faces. They seemed to like the play, and I smiled