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That Night Intro
A wave of nausea rolled through me, and all because someone heated up some sausage in the break room. It was a smell that would have normally had my stomach growling, but not the past week. My stomach clenched before heaving up my breakfast and expelling it into the toilet.“Nat, you okay?” my best friend, Jenna, asked as she knocked on the stall door.I hastily wiped at my mouth and flushed the toilet as I stood. “Yeah.” I turned the lock to find Jenna’s dark brown eyes staring at me, a toothbrush and toothpaste in her hand.“I love you,” I said as I took them from her.“You look like shit.”“I feel like it.” My stomach clenched again, but I managed to breathe through it. Thanks to my actions that night, I was now swallowing back waves of nausea.“Can you cancel the meeting?”I shook my head. “No.”Jenna was always prepared, and I was very thankful to be able to wash my mouth out. I watched her reflection in the mirror as she pursed her lips, then pulled the hair band
That Night Part 1
New Year’s EveI stared at my reflection, analyzing every angle. My light hazel eyes popped out from the smoky eye makeup, and my face was framed by what I called miracle curls of my coffee-colored hair. Perfectly pink lips with a hint of mischief finished the look.The silver off-the-shoulder dress with its flared skirt was festive, along with a mix of cute and sexy. Best thing—pockets.While I did have a wristlet, I could use the pockets as well. The silver wristlet had just enough room for my phone, lipstick, and some cards and cash.“How do I look?” I asked as I stepped out of the hotel bathroom.Jenna’s lips twitched up into a smile. “Like a hot beotch.” She slipped a silver bangle over her hand. “Zip me up?”I stepped over as Jenna turned, the glitzy deep red of her fitted dress contrasting against her golden, fair skin. Like mine, her dress sparkled in the light.Chicago’s Resolution Gala was all about the shiny. It was an event we’d both looked forward to
That Night Part 2
After
That Night Chapter One
Six weeks had passed since I last laid eyes on him, and I couldn’t help but notice the difference. The excitement, the life I saw more and more through that night, was gone. The light inside was replaced by the loneliness I’d also seen in him. All work and no play.It was hard to keep my attention on what was being said, my gaze locked on him. His lips moved, but I heard none of the words, until his eyes were fixed on me. In fact, the whole room was. A jolt of panic kicked inside me.“I’m sorry?” I asked, realizing my wandering mind had missed something important.“I asked why there are so many discrepancies in the GL for January. They should have been addressed before month end, yet they are still hanging open.”It was something I knew was going to come up. All accounts were supposed to be balanced by month end, but there were two general ledgers that wouldn’t balance and I was still investigating the reason why.I cleared my throat, nervous energy vibrating through my ve
That Night Chapter Two
Hours later I was fresh out of the shower and staring down at the two dresses I’d picked out. One was the standard little black dress, the other was that dress, the silver one I’d worn the night we met.Was it cliché? Stupid? Was I being an idiot for even considering it?“Knock knock!” Jenna called out as she entered, the sound of the lock clicking back into place.“Bedroom,” I called back.She walked in with her makeup kit in one hand and her curling iron in the other. She set it all down on the bathroom vanity before coming to stand next to me.“What do I do?”“Oh, hell, yes,” Jenna said when her gaze hit the dress I’d worn on New Year’s Eve. She picked it up and brushed the other one to the side, barely looking at it. Not that she hadn’t seen it before—I’d worn it to the office Christmas party.“Not too much?”She shook her head. “Totally fitting, but it reminds me…I can’t believe you got pregnant on New Year’s Eve!”A chuckle left me. “I still can’t believe you hoo
That Night Chapter Three
The entire way to the restaurant I couldn’t help but constantly glance over at her. In that dress, it was like we were picking right back up, like the last six weeks hadn’t even passed.Six weeks that I pined for her thinking she’d blown me off, but it was my own stupidity. I thanked that little voice that told me not to delete the contact, because that was my only saving grace. That evidence took her from standoffish to melting in my arms.And now she was sitting in my car in that motherfucking dress. The one I’d clumsily spilled her drink on, then promptly shoved my hand down.It was possibly the most idiotic move I’d ever made, but also the best.Still, that dress did things to me. It represented weeks of fantasies, and was a reminder of how I had felt that night. How much I loved that night. How captivated I was.“Have I told you how much I love that dress?”Her lips pulled up into that blinding smile, making her light brown eyes sparkle. “I chose wisely. I did notice
That Night Chapter Four
Dinner progressed, and I’d never felt the level of connection that I felt with her.We were poking at a piece of chocolate cake when her phone went off with a text message.“Going to check it?”She shook her head. “No. I just want to be here with you.”It went off again. “Might be important.”She blew out a breath and pulled the phone from her clutch. Her brow scrunched as she looked at the screen.“Well, the thought that maybe this was you is now blown out of the water.”“What?”She shook her head. “I’ve gotten a couple of random text messages from an unknown number.”“Well, we know it wasn’t me.” I held out my hand and she set the phone on my palm.After a couple of cursory, nondescript texts there were two new ones.Why haven’t you responded?It’s Valentine’s Day. You’re breaking my heart, baby.“Given your numbers to any strange men lately?” I asked with a chuckle.“Well, there was this one, he turned out to be mostly harmless, but hot as hell,” she teased wit
That Night Chapter Five
We never left my apartment on Saturday, with the exception of running to Richard’s hotel to gather his clothes, check him out, and pick up some food on our way back. We barely wore clothes. The entire time we were together, we were either eating or having sex.There were also downtimes where we just lay there and talked.“Seriously, though, I don’t understand why they didn’t get an interim for Nina,” Richard said. We were recovering from our third round of the day, lying in bed and just talking. It felt so good to have that as well as the physical. Conversation wasn’t filled with all fluff thanks to our mutual employer.“Because there was no one. Trent getting fired created a hole and luckily I was chosen to fill it, but it takes an average of six months to fully understand a position, and I wasn’t in it three weeks before Nina was rushed to the hospital.”“Is she okay?” he asked. I wondered if he even knew before the meeting that she was out.I nodded. “She’s doing well,
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