Hot SEAL, Heartbreaker - Cat Johnson Page 0,51
she say anything? Or did she leave me a message or a note or something?”
Ray looked at him like he was nuts. “No.”
He could see the bartender was too busy tonight, and too cranky on a regular basis, to annoy further. He let it go. “Okay. Thanks.”
Surprisingly, Ray stayed a moment longer. He tipped his chin toward a back table and said, “That’s her friend. They were in here together that night. Talk to her. I don’t know shit but she might.”
He spun and saw a pretty blonde. The only woman with a group of three men who he’d bet were team guys, from the looks of them.
The last thing he wanted to do was walk up to that table and ask the blonde if she had a message for him, like he was in middle school hoping the girl he liked had given her bestie a note to pass.
But the only other alternative was to keep calling and texting Alicia and hope she didn’t keep ignoring him. Or stop by her house uninvited and look like a real loser.
Maybe her friend had some insight about what was going on with her.
It felt oddly like he was walking up to the cool kids’ table in the cafeteria as he crossed the room. But fuck that. He was a cool kid too. He was a damn SEAL. And he needed to talk to that woman.
Confidence restored, he stopped next to the table and said, “Hi. Ray says you’re Alicia’s friend.”
Her brows rose high. “I am. I’m Shelly. And you are?”
“Brian.”
Her eyes flew wide. “Oh my God. Brian. Alicia’s Navy man.”
At least she’d heard of him. That had to be good.
His gaze swept the group of men who watched the interaction with moderate interest. “Any chance I could talk to you for a second?”
“Sure.” She glanced at her watch. “I have about five minutes then I’m going to have to get to work.”
“That’s fine. Thanks.” Five minutes would have to do.
She stood and turned back to the men. “Do not leave this table. I’m going to need you all in the courtyard when she arrives.”
The oldest man there lifted a brow. “What if I have to take a piss?”
“Hold it.” She pinned him with a glare as the other two chuckled.
“Thought I was done taking orders when I retired,” he mumbled.
“Sorry to tell you this, Clay, but you gave up your freedom when you signed that contract with Joanne,” the youngest one said.
“True that.” The third man nodded.
Brian didn’t know what they were talking about but he was once again on the clock, having to prove himself in a set amount of time.
He walked to the quiet end of the bar and turned back to Shelly. “I was wondering if you’d heard from Alicia lately.”
She nodded. “I talked to her today.”
Shit. So her phone was working. And she wasn’t so busy she couldn’t take time for a call. So it was just him she was avoiding.
“I thought you were away,” Shelly said before he could think of the next question for her.
“I was. We just got back today.” A thought struck him. “Is that why she didn’t call me back? Because she knew I was away?”
Jesus. Just listening to himself whine like a baby about her not calling was making him sick. He used to be a tough guy. What had this woman done to him?
He glanced up to find sympathy in Shelly’s expression. “Brian, it’s not you. It’s her.”
He laughed at the ridiculousness of that. Even her friend was trying to let him down easy. “This thing between me and her is that hopeless?”
“Not at all. I’ve been pulling for you. But she’s carrying a lot of baggage that has nothing to do with you. Unfortunately, you’re getting hit with the fallout from her last serious relationship. It . . . didn’t end well.”
“She never mentioned anything about that to me.”
“Not a surprise. Look. It’s not my place to tell you her secrets. But Alicia’s very good at avoiding things. Believe me. I have first-hand experience with her in that department. So I’m just going to tell you this. Don’t give up on her. Break down those walls she’s built. Now, I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”
He hadn’t gotten as much as he’d hoped but still more than he’d expected out of her friend. “Sure. Thank you for talking to me.”
“My pleasure. I hope to see you around a lot more soon.”
So did he.
“And here.” She pulled a business