Page 36 of One Shade of Gray
I had no intention of taking advice from this man. In fact, I had no intention of saying another word until I was properly showered, fed, and clothed. “Take me homenow.”
He nodded and stood up. I watched him carefully before following him to the door. “I’m sorry about this,” hesaid.
I thought he meant the kidnapping and lecture. But, he actually meant the pistol whip he gave me to the back of thehead.
16
Izzy
The manacross from me was not Dorian Gray. In fact, he couldn’t be Dorian Gray on even his best day. I tilted my head to stare at him at a different angle, hoping it would help. Nope.Nothing.
Currently he was on his fourth tirade about the American healthcare system. The first time I pretended to be interested. Now I wished the table was bigger, so I could hide my phone under the edge to play Candy Crush. At least until I could make a quick cleangetaway.
After I saw Michael yesterday, he assured me Dorian often went off on his own and that I shouldn’t worry. He actually shooed me out of the pastry shop and onto the street…without a loaf ofbread.
It didn’t stop the worry though. Especially because Jake had yet to call me back. He always called me within at least an hour of me contacting him. This radio silence made me fear theworst.
The world thinks twins have a sort of psychic connection. Not in my experience. Jake and I may look alike, and we definitely love each other, but we also couldn’t be moredifferent.
I defined impulsiveness, him, logic and reason. He was always the military man and patriotic solider. I’m more of the wild-child artist. I resisted the urge to pull my phone out, instead taking a long slow drink of my coffee so I could stop smiling and nodding at this guy for asecond.
What was his name? Rob, Ron, Rich…I think it started with anR.
Someone from the theater came into the café and waved. I seized on that gesture and waved back, standing and giving Rob…or was it...Rick…Rich? a give-me-one-second hand. When I reached the woman, I stopped and waitedsilently.
She leaned to glance at my table. “Are you alright? Do I need to call the cops orsomething?”
I shook my head. “No please just stand here and look really concerned, so I can stay here plausibly for a fewminutes.”
She chuckled and ordered her coffee then schooled her features into a frown. “Is it that bad? Comeon.”
“Oh I just learned more about insurance companies than I ever needed or wanted toknow.”
“Why insurancecompanies?”
I shook my head. “Also something I really don’t want toknow.”
The barista gave her the coffee, and she turned to go. “Please, stay, chat. How’s the boyfriend?” Ibegged.
She took a sip. “I don’t have a boyfriend. Although I hear you do, and it’s not the insurance sales man overthere.”
“Ok, Trish, back towork!”
I whooshed her away with my arms before I returned to the small table. “Sorry about that, workthing.”
He nodded and launched right back to where he’d stopped before I left. I lasted five more minutes before I pretended my phone was vibrating in my pocket and I had to go. He leaned in to kiss my cheek, and I had to talk myself into keeping my feet planted to lethim.
This is why I don’t date. Damn it, Gray. I was pissed when I’d realized we had something good before we even got to explore the options. I was pissed he left without saying a word to me about it. I was pissed that I cared so damn much that I wasn’t sleepingwell.
As I stepped out of the café, my phone did start vibrating. Unknown number. I swiped the screen. “Hello?”
“Hey,Beautiful.”
All the air pushed out of me like a sharp poke to an over-inflated balloon. “Jake. You asshole, why haven’t youcalled?”
“Sorry, Iz, I’ve been busy. I didn’t mean to worryyou.”
I tried to keep some of the shaking from my voice while I clutched the phone in both hands to my ear. “I wasn’t worried. More like scared I’d have to adopt your cat if you died. That thing hatesme.”
