Read Online Better Than Chance by Lane Hayes - Free Book Online Page A

agreed with Aaron that nothing could be proved, but it seemed irresponsible to say nothing. Not everyone was wise to the ways of horny bastards. I couldn’t stop thinking about how something much worse could have happened. I decided to place a call to the local police department as well. Better safe than sorry.
    I also couldn’t stop thinking about Peter. But now, it wasn’t about how much I hated him or anything to do with work at all. He had been a godsend Saturday night… unfailingly generous with his time and patience. I felt myself revising my perception of him. After all he did for Aaron and me he surely couldn’t be that bad.
    When I went to the gym on Sunday afternoon, I wondered if I’d see him out and about. It’s like when you’re a kid and you see your teacher at the grocery store one day, and you think, “What are they doing out of school?” The same thing happens sometimes when you are older. At least it did to me. My personal life and professional life had crossed Saturday night in a most peculiar way, and I felt unsettled by my encounter with Peter.
    By Monday, I was almost nervous about running into him at the office. Since we were no longer working closely on a project, the odds of me seeing him were slim. He tended to travel and interface with the clients more than my position allowed. But I couldn’t deny that I had butterflies. Would it be totally embarrassing when we saw each other next, or would he pretend it never happened? And all of my worrying begged the question: Why did I care? Number one, I was fairly sure he was straight in spite of what Aaron thought. And number two, he was a coworker. It was highly inappropriate of me to think of him at all. All indications were that my crush was back. Damn it! Hating him wasn’t good, but neither was having a crush on him. I needed to find my way to a neutral state so I wouldn’t feel so much angst around him.

3

     
     
    I SAT down at my cluttered desk a couple of days later with a large cup of coffee, thanks to the ever loyal and wonderful Rebecca, and took my first peek at my e-mail. There was one from Aaron. Weird. Aaron never e-mailed me unless he told me first that he wanted to send me a link or a picture. He was a texter or a caller, not an e-mailer.
    “Meet me at Koi tonight! I feel like sake and sushi. 7:00 p.m. Don’t be late!”
    When Aaron didn’t respond to any of my phone calls, texts, or e-mail, I began to suspect that he was up to something. He can be quirky at times. It’s part of his charm. I got on with the day at hand and put my suspicions aside until Rebecca popped her head into my office at the end of the day to say good-bye.
    “Hasta mañana, handsome.”
    “Damn! What time is it?”
    “Time for me to get home. I should miss the worst of the traffic now. Go home, Jay. You must be hungry. You barely ate lunch.”
    Rebecca loved mothering me. However, she was right. I was starving and… Aaron! Sushi. I checked my watch. I had half an hour to finish up and make my way over to the Japanese restaurant he suggested. Luckily it was nearby. I could walk if I hurried. I tried his number, and once again it went to voice mail. That little shit had better not stand me up , was all I could think.
    “I’m going, I’m going. See you tomorrow, beautiful!”
    Rebecca batted her eyelashes at me playfully and promised me a large latte first thing in the morning. Flattery will get you everywhere , I mused. I picked up the phone and dialed Aaron’s number.
    “You better not be up to anything. I’m feeling very suspicious right now, A,” I breathed deeply into the phone. “Alrighty, I’m leaving the office now. See you in a few.”
     
     
    K OI WAS a hip new downtown hot spot. Because of its location, it was popular with the business crowd and tourists alike. The interior was ultra-contemporary with a tasteful blend of glass, concrete, and reclaimed wood. I tended to prefer this type of modern design rather than the ubiquitous