#Delete

NewYorkTimes,USAToday&WallStreetJournalBestsellingAuthor

SandiLynn

#Delete

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ChapterThirty-Eight
ChapterThirty-Nine
ChapterForty
ChapterForty-One
ChapterForty-Two
ChapterForty-Three
ChapterForty-Four
ChapterForty-Five
ChapterForty-Six
ChapterForty-Seven
BooksbySandiLynn
AbouttheAuthor

ChapterOne

Eloise

Men. They all come from the big genetic whirlpool of douchebag central and

their brains are all wired the same when it comes to women. More than half of

themdon’tevenhavelifefiguredout,andtheonesthatdocarryaroundbaggage

that is so over-packed the airlines would make a fortune off them. Do I sound

bitter? Maybe I am. No, I know I am because growing up, the only thing I ever

wanted was a relationship like the one my parents had. They’d been married

twenty-sevenyearsandwereasinlovewitheachotherasthefirstdaytheymet.

Theywereamirrorforwhatarelationshipshouldbe.ButasIfoundout,starting

inmyteenageyearsthroughmyyoungadultlife,myfatherwasararefind.One,

whobysomefate,escapedfromthewhirlpoolofdouchebagcentral.

JerryandAnna’srelationshipwasn’tperfectbyanymeans.Imean,comeon,is

any relationship ever perfect? Is perfect or perfection even real? No, of course

not,buttheirrelationshipwasasclosetoperfectasitcouldbe.Tothisday,my

father still buys my mom flowers every Friday and tells her how much he loves

her.

Sothereyouhaveit.ThatwaswhatIgrewupseeingandbelieving.Ibelieved

that every man was like him and I’d meet the one who would sweep me off my

feetandtreatmelikeaqueen,thewaymyfathertreatedmymother.Growingup,I

tookprideinthefactthatmyparentswerehappyandstayedtogetherwhenallmy

friends’parentsweredivorcing.

Ihonestlydidn’tthinkorexpectmentobesofuckingcomplicated.They’relike

abigrubberband,stretchingouttowardswhattheythinktheywant,thensnapping

backwhenthingsstarttogettoocomfortable.Ihadatalkwithmymomaboutthis

verythingandshecouldn’trelatebecauseshe’dneverexperiencedit.Luckyher.

It was all I seemed to experience over the last, oh I don’t know, ten years of

dating.

Ihadmyfirstboyfriendattheageoffifteen.Didhereallycount?Afterall,his

brain wasn’t anywhere near mature enough to comprehend relationships with

girls. The only thing they focused on that young was how quickly they could get

into our pants. They would do or say anything to make us swoon and eventually

we’dgiveinandhavesex.Butthatwasn’tme.Iwasnowherenearreadyforsex

atthatage.

IwaiteduntilIwassixteenwhenImet“theone”andhisnamewasKyleStone.

We’ddatedforacoupleofmonths,hadsex,andthenhesuddenlybrokeitoffwith

mewhenthenewgirl,TaylorBradford,transferredtoourschool.Thedevastation

he left behind was unbearable. My first heartbreak, and we all know first

heartbreaks are the hardest. We can’t even begin to comprehend what the hell

happened,letalonequestionourselvesatwhatwedidwrong.Ittookmeoversix

months to get over Kyle and that kind of heartbreak was something I’d never

forget.

Afterspendingthenextcoupleofyearsdatingdifferentguysandfailingatany

type of relationship, I gave up and went off to college, focusing on my passion:

photography and writing. I was a natural. My father told me I was born with a

camerainmyhand.Sillyman.IknewIwasn’t,buthesaidIhadagiftatcapturing

people’srealemotions.Peoplemaylieabouthowtheyfeel,butthecameranever

did.Icouldphotographthehappiestofcouples,butsometimes,theirpicturestold

adifferentstory.WhenItookcountlesspicturesofmyparentsovertheyears,they

still looked the same in every one of them, a reflection of their happiness and

love. Okay, you get the point about my parents and how I was raised. My

expectationswerehigh,maybetoohighandunrealistic.

WhileIwasincollege,ItookonajobasanassistanttoGerardTruman,oneof

thegreatestphotographersinNewYork.Hewasedgy,cool,andhadagreateye.

He told me I had a promising future and he could see magazine shoots such as

Vogue,Cosmopolitan,andevenTime.Idatedhereandthereincollegebutnever

would commit to any type of relationship. Ha, who was I kidding? It wasn’t me

whocouldn’tcommit,itwasthevarietyofboys—andyes,Isaidboys—Idated.

Afternumerousrejectionsandtotallyfeelinglikeafailureinthedatingworld,I

decidedtotakeagoodlookatmyself.MaybeIwastooneedy.Ididn’tthinkIwas,

andIcertainlydidn’tactlikeit.Iwasastrong,independentperson,andneediness

wasn’t a trait of mine. But, after the countless rejections, I began to think there

was something wrong with me and that I was the problem, a cycle that went on

throughoutmycollegeyearsbeforeIdiscoveredIknewbetter.

AfterIgraduated,Igotajobataphotographystudio.But,workingforsomeone

elsedidn’tsitwellwithme,plusastudiosettingwasn’tmything.Ifelttrapped

and my creative abilities felt stifled, so I decided to start my own freelance

photography business. I updated my portfolio and pounded the streets of New

York, showing off my work with the hopes it would catch the attention of

someone,anyonewhowouldhireme.Icreatedawebsiteandadvertisedonevery

socialmediaplatformIcouldfind.Slowly,businessstartedtotricklein,andwith

the help of my event planner friend, Natalie, I photographed birthday parties,

anniversaryparties,weddings,andanyothereventshewashiredfor.Wordabout

myworkspread,acouplesmallmagazinecompanieshiredme,andafterayearof

gettingmybusinessoffthegroundandmakingdecentmoney,Iwasabletomove

out of my parents’ home and into an apartment of my own. I not only had the

incomefrommyphotographybusiness,butIalsoearnedmoneymonthlyfrommy

blog: “The Dating Adventures of Eloise.” It was fun, sassy, and all me. Women

loved to hear about my failed relationship after relationship because they could

relateandsomehowitdidn’tmakethemfeelsoalone.

Iwastwenty-threeyearsold,anentrepreneur,andIlivedonmyown.Mylife

was great, but I still felt like something was missing. And that something was a

man/relationship.Ihadalottoofferandwhywouldn’tIwanttosharethatwith

someone special? I was independent, had my own business and my own money.

Aftertakingabriefhiatusfromthedatingworld,Iwasreadytodiveintoitagain.

Howbadcoulditbe?IwasoldernowandthemenIwoulddatehadtobemore

mature.Shit,wasIwrong.

Twoyearslater,stilltreadingthedatingworldandwithnoluckatfindingMr.

Right,ithadbecomeapparenttomethatallmenwereassholesandallbuiltfrom

thesamegeneticallydefecteddouchebagcloth.Myphotographybusinesswason

top,myblogwasevenbigger,butthemenIdatedallsucked.

Myself-esteemovertheyearswenttoshitfromtheseexperiences,asdidall

the other women’s that were part of my blog. One day, I woke up and finally

realizedithadnothingtodowithme.ThemomentIdecidedtotakeabreakand

focusonself-love,ImetamannamedLuke.Hewasolder,divorced,andhadtwo

kids.Theolderpartdidn’tbothermebecauseolderguysgenerallyhadtheirshit

together. Right? He approached me, introduced himself, and we got to talking.

Besides being super cute and adorable, he had a great and fun personality. We

clicked right on the spot, but there was something about him that wasn’t sitting

rightwithme.MyintuitionwastellingmethingsIdidn’twanttohearandIwasin

nowaylistening.WehadaconnectionandthatwasallIcaredabout.

We exchanged numbers and had some deep conversations. Then the flirting

startedanditwasexciting.Wewentonafewdateswhenhedidn’thavethekids

andIwasn’tbusy,andgenerallytextedeachothereveryday.Sometimesallday

long.ThemoreIgottoknowhim,themoreIfoundhowbrokenhereallywas.My

intuitionwasstillonpoint,butthatdidn’tbotherme.Wehadaconnection.

He had just started a new job he didn’t feel was up to his potential, his

financial situation was in the toilet, and his ex-wife was a total bitch. Did I

mentionhedrank?Itseemedtobeadailythingwithhim.Sothefactthathemight

potentially be an alcoholic crept inside me. Here I was this confident,

independent,andfinanciallystablewoman,datinganoldermanwhohadwaytoo

muchbaggage.AskmewhyIdidn’trunasfastasIcould.Again,Iwasblindedby

thefactthatwehadthisweirdtypeofconnectionthingbetweenusandthatmaybe

Icouldsavehim.IsawaglimmerofhopebecauseitwaswhatIdid.Iattracted

thetypeofmenwhoneededtobesaved.

Then one day, out of the clear blue, the text messages became scarce. He

wasn’ttextingasmuchashedidandIfeltlikeIwasdoingallthetalkingwhenwe

didtext.Becausemyintuitionwasstillkickingmeintheass,Idecidedtocallhim

one day to find out what was going on. It was then he told me he felt we were

gettingtoocloseandheneededtofigureouthislifeandfocussolelyonthatand

hiskids.Needlesstosay,Iwasblindsidedbythatone.Ihadfallenforamanwho

had made mistake after mistake in life, was seemingly depressed, and drank

himselftosleepeverynight.Hetoldmethathewasn’tinanypositiontodateat

thatmoment.Thenwhythehelldidhepursuemethewayhedid?Heevenwentso

far as to say that maybe he shouldn’t have asked me out the few times we saw

eachother.Whothehellsaysthatafterthefact?

The real kicker was the day before our enlightened conversation, he told me

howmuchhereallylikedmeandevencalledmehisangel.Icouldn’tunderstand

forthelifeofmewhyIcouldhavemylifefiguredoutattheageoftwenty-five,yet

Icouldn’tfigureoutamanandwhyhebehavedthewayhedid.Afterpullingback

foracoupleofweeks,hewormedhiswaybackintomylifeandIlethim.Mistake

numbertwo.Theflirtingbecameheavyonceagainandthenhedidtheunthinkable

act:theplungeandlunge.Hekissedme,notonce,buttwice,thendisappeared.

ChapterTwo

Eloise

Iwaslyinginbedlookingthroughourtextmessages,tryingtofigureoutwhere

thingswentwrong.Icouldn’tfindanything,butIneededtotryandmoveon.But

what was I moving on from? A broken alcoholic man who didn’t have his life

together?Hewaseverykindofwrong,andIknewitfromthefirsttimeImethim,

butIdidn’twanttoseeitbecauseIwaslonelyandhewalkedintomylifewhenI

was most vulnerable. That was what I did. I over analyzed these situations and

spenttoomuchtimethinkingaboutthem.Butnow,Iwastakingmypowerback.I

would no longer fall victim to these idiots we called men and let them have

control over my emotional state. I did something I hadn’t done before. I deleted

hisnumber.

I had never deleted a guy’s number. My contact list was filled with guys I’d

datedovertheyears.IsupposeIkeptthembecausesomewhereinthebackofmy

mind,Ihadthislittlebitofhopethey’dcallorsendatextandthenIwouldknow

who it was, even if it was a couple of years later. I held on to this notion that

maybe they would miss me. Stupidity on my part, I know. I was fully aware of

howpatheticIsounded.Butnow,thingsweregoingtochange.Withoneswipe,I

went through my phone and deleted the number of every guy I had dated. It felt

goodandempowering.

“I’msoproudofyou,”myfriendNataliespoke.

“Metoo.”Clairesmiled.

“Thanks.”Itookasipofmycoffee.“Thingsaregoingtobedifferentnow.“By

theway,where’sScarlett?Ithoughtshewasmeetingushere.”

“Shewasgoingto,butHannahwokeupwithafeverthismorningandJeffhad

togooutoftownonabusinesstrip,”Nataliespoke.

“With your new empowerment, I’m assuming you’re over Luke now?” Claire

asked.

IsighedasIsetdownmycoffeecup.

“Istillhavesomeunfinishedbusinesswithhim.ThethingIdon’tunderstandis

why he pursued me in the first place, knowing full well his life was shit and he

didn’twanttodateanyone.”

“Maybehejustwantedsex,”Clairespoke.“That’sallmostguyswantanyway.

Theyaren’tlookingforanythinglongtermanymore.Theywanttheircakeandeat

ittoo.”Shesmiled.

“Don’t even question it. He’s not worth it. Plus, did you really want to play

step-mommy to his monster children?” Natalie asked. “You’re only twenty-five.

Far too young to take on any sort of kid responsibility. Not to mention his

excessivedrinkinghabit.”

“IknowandIthoughtofthat.”IlookeddownatmycoffeecupasItracedthe

rim with my finger. “I mean, I know he wasn’t good for me and he’d eventually

dragmedownthesamedrainhislifewasstuckin,buthewasfun,andIlikedour

conversationsandourtimetogether.”

“You haven’t even slept with him,” Claire spoke as she reached across the

table and placed her hand on my arm. “Not to mention he did the plunge and

lunge.”

“Thank God we didn’t sleep together. But it’s not like he didn’t want to,” I

spoke.

“Here’swhatIthink,”Nataliechimedin.“Ithinkit’sthewholerejectionpart

ofit.Hewasthestrawthatbrokethecamel’sbackforyoubecauseyouexpected

morefromhimsincehewasolder.Weallknowyoudon’thandlerejectionvery

well.”Shesmirked.

“All that’s changing now.” I smiled. “My problem is I always get too

emotionallyattachedrightoutofthegateandI’mnotdoingthatanymore.Iflipped

theswitchandturnedoffallmyemotions.”

“Youcan’tdothat,”Clairespoke.

“I can and I have.” I smiled. “Plus, I know my self-worth and I have

standards.”

Bothgirlsrolledtheireyesatthesametime.

“Sonowwhat?Areyoujustgoingtoswearoffmen?”Natalieasked.

“No.”Ismirked.“I’mgoingtogetinsidethemindsofthem.”

“Really?”Nataliesighed.“Andhowareyougoingtodothat?”

“Bygoingoutwithabunchofdifferentguysandinterviewingthem.”Itooka

sipofmycoffee.

“Youcan’tbeserious!”Clairelaughed.

“Iam.You’llsee.Ihaveaplan.”Iarchedmybrow.“Bytheway,Claire,how’s

thenewjobworkingout?”

“Great.Ilovemyboss.He’ssoniceandI’mreallylikingitthere.Kennyjust

methimtheotherdayandtoldmethatIneededtoquit.”

“Why?”Iasked.

“Becausehe’syoung,super-hot,andrich.”Shesmirked.

Irolledmyeyes.

“Iwouldneverbeinterestedinhimanyway,he’saserialdater.Everynight,he

hasanewwomanhegoesoutwith.Ithinkhehasarelationshipphobia.”

“See!”Ipointedather.“Ifguyscandoit,socanI!”IsmiledasIheldupmy

coffeecup.

ImetClaire,Natalie,andScarlettmyfreshmanyearofcollege.Weformeda

little posse and have been inseparable ever since. Natalie is an event planner,

Claire is a graphic designer, and Scarlett is a stay-at-home mom. She and Jeff

werehighschoolsweethearts.Hewasanotherrarefind,likemydad.Hewasa

goodguy,andwhenshegotpregnantayearandahalfago,heaskedhertomarry

him and now they’re a happy little family. He works on Wall Street and has a

fantastic job, one that allows Scarlett to stay home with Hannah. I wasn’t sure

howlongherstay-at-homemommystatuswasgoingtolast,though.Icouldtellshe

wasstartingtoloseherself.Wealltriedtoconvincehertogetaparttimejob,but

Jeff wouldn’t hear of it. He wanted her home raising their daughter. I could

potentiallyseesometroubleintheirfutureifshedidn’tstandupforherself.

****

Aftermyphotoshoot,Igrabbedsomedinnerandheadedhome.Sittingonthe

couch with my knees up, I stabbed a piece of sweet and sour chicken from the

cartonandbroughtittomymouth.TheGilmoreGirls played in the background,

butIwasn’tpayingattention.MymindwastoobusythinkingabouttheplanIwas

putting together for my blog. I finished my sweet and sour chicken, set the

container on the coffee table, grabbed my laptop, and signed into my Match

account, weeding through the seventy-five messages I received in the last two

days. I picked the seven that I thought were the best and set up a date for every

night of the week with a different guy. Now I know you might think this was

nothingbutpuredesperationonmypart,butIcanassureyouitwasn’t.Iwasno

longerlookingforarelationshiportheperfectman.Ihadaplantoputintoaction

formyblog.Thewomenwhofolloweditdependedonmetogivethemanswers

andguidance.Butfirst,IneededtogiveLukeapieceofmymindandputclosure

onhim.

Ipulledupmytextmessages.Shit.IforgotIhaddeletedhisnumber.Mymind

pondered.Iknewtheareacodeandthefirsttwonumbersandthelastfour.Itwas

thatthirdnumberthatIcouldn’tquitethinkof.Ah,Iremembereditandmyfingers

wenttowork.

“You’reanasshole.Plainandsimple.Ican’tbelieveIwastedmytimewith

someone like you. You are a pathetic alcoholic who will never amount to

anything.Sokeeptryingtofigureyourlifeoutandgoodluck.Someonelikeyou

will always be destined to stay at the bottom. Peace out, motherfucker! BTW,

don’tevertextmeagain!”

IletoutadeepbreathasIhitthesendbutton.Withasmileonmyface,Isigned

intomyblogandchangedthenamefromTheDatingAdventuresofEloisetoThe

Chronicles of #Delete. My fingers typed away at the victory that was mine. He

was gone, done, and a memory that was now forgotten. As I finished, my phone

dinged with a text message. Looking over, I narrowed my eye at his number. I

didn’tcarewhathehadtosay,butIhadtocheckanywayandthendeleteit.When

Iopenedthetextmessage,Ilookedatitinconfusion.

“Hello.Yourtextmessagehadmeintearswithlaughter.You’requitealittle

spitfireandI’massumingyourboyfriendbrokeupwithyouorsomething.Ifthis

text was meant for him, I’m sorry to say that he didn’t get it. Apparently, you

sentthisbymistaketothewrongnumber.Thankyouthough.Thistotallymade

myday.”

Whatthefuck?IstaredatthenumberIsentthetextmessagetoverycarefully.

Shit. Shit. Shit. I was ninety percent sure I had the right number. Apparently, I

didn’t,soIsentanapologytext.

“I’m so sorry for that text. I had already deleted the guy’s number and

thoughtIhaditcorrect.Iwasgoingoffmemory,whichobviouslyprovednotto

beagoodidea.Anyway,Iapologizeforthemixup,butI’mhappyImadeyour

day.”Iattachedthesmileyfaceemojiandhitsend.

ChapterThree

Christian

Myphonedingedwithatextmessage,andwhenIlookedatit,Inoticeditwas

from that same number as just a few moments ago. I lightly shook my head as I

readitandasmallsmilecrossedmylips.

“Someonesextingyou?”Petersmirkedashewalkedintomyoffice.

“Nah. I got this bizarre text message a few minutes ago. Here, read this.” I

handedhimmyphone.

“And you’re sure this isn’t from one of the million women you date?” He

laughed.

“I’veneverseenthatnumberbeforeinmylife.Soyes,I’msure.Besides,I’m

notanalcoholic,Ihavemylifefiguredout,andI’matthetop,notthebottom.”I

smiled.

“True.Butyouareanassholeandsometimesamotherfucker.So,she’sgotthat

right.”Hehandedmyphonebacktome.

“Veryfunny.AreyouandJimmydoinganythingtonight?”

“I’mnot.Why?”

“IthoughtthethreeofuscouldheadovertoHellcatAnnie’sforsomebeerand

foodwhilewediscussanaccount.”

“You’reactuallyfreeofawomantonight?”Hisbrowraised.

“Nooneworthaskingoutatthemoment.Plus,weneedtogoovertheFireLine

accountandwhatbetterwaytodoitthanhavingabro’snightatHellcatAnnie’s?”

Ismirked.

“Soundsgoodtome.I’llgotellJimmytocancelanyplanshehas.”

“I’ll meet you guys there around eight o’clock. I’m going to go home and

changefirst.”

WhenIgothome,Ijumpedintotheshowerandquicklychangedintosomething

morecasual.Pickingupmyphone,Idecidedtorespondbacktothelastmessage

shesent.

“Ifounditquiteentertaining.Imustapologizeforourspeciesandthefact

thathemusthavedonesomethingreallyshittytowarrantthattext.Smartmove

deletinghisnumber.He’snotworthit.Moveon.”

AsIfinishedbuttoningthelastbuttononmyshirt,myphonedingedwithatext

message.

“Thankyou.Noneedtoapologizeforyourspecies.Youcan’thelpthatyou

allcomefromthesamewhirlpoolofdouchebagcentral.Iknowhe’snotworthit

andIhavemovedon.Allisgoodnow.”

Samewhirlpoolofdouchebagcentral?Iletoutachuckle.

“We’renotalldouchebags.Therearesomedecentguysintheworld.”

“Really?Areyouadecentguy?”

“Iliketothinkso,atleastmostofthetime.IwilladmitIdohavedouchebag

tendencieshereandthere,butthatalldependsonhowcrazythegirlis.”

“Soit’sthewoman’sfaultthatguysaredouchebags?”

Itookaseatontheedgeofthebed.

“Sometimes.Ifthey’rewhiny,needy,andunbearable,thenyes.It’stimeslike

thatwhenweneedtobedouchebags.”

“Did you ever stop to think that women act like that because of the

douchebaggeryofmen?”

Ilaughed.

“Is‘douchebaggery’evenaword?”Iasked.

“Lol.Idon’tknow.”

“Thank you for the stimulating conversation, but I need to leave now. I’m

meetingsomefriendsfordrinks,”Ireplied.

“Haveagoodnightanddomeafavoranddon’tbeadouchebagtonight.”

“I’lltrynottobe.Haveagoodnightaswell.”

Igotupfromthebed,shakingmyheadandsmiling.Thisgirlwaskindoffunny.

IgrabbedmywalletandkeyandhailedacabtoHellcatAnnie’s.

ChapterFour

Eloise

“Whatareyoudoing?”NatalieaskedasIansweredthephone.

“WatchingGilmoreGirls.”

“GetchangedandmeetmeandScarlettatHellcatAnnie’s.”

“IthoughtScarlettcouldn’tgooutbecauseHannahwassick?”

“Jeff’s flight got cancelled and he couldn’t catch another flight out today, so

he’shomeandtoldherhe’dtakecareofHannahifshewantedtogoout.”

“Whenareyoumeeting?”Iasked.

“We’re on our way now. Claire has a family dinner at her parents’ house, so

shecan’tjoinus.”

“Okay.I’llgetchangedandheadoverthere.”

“Great.Seeyousoon.”

Ireallydidn’tfeellikegoingout,butIknewifIdidn’t,I’dneverheartheend

ofit.Igotupfromthecouch,turnedtheTVoff,andchangedmyclothesforanight

ofdrinksandlaughterwithmygirls.

When I walked through the door of Hellcat Annie’s, I spotted Scarlett and

Nataliesittingatatable.Nataliewavedmeoverwhenshesawme.

“Hello.” I smiled as I kissed Scarlett’s cheek and then Natalie’s. “Oh, is this

forme?”IaskedasIlookeddownatthecosmopolitanonthetable.

“Yes.Itookthelibertyoforderingitforyou.”Nataliesmiled.

“Thanks.”

Isatdowninmychairandpickedupmyglass.

“How’sHannahdoing?”IaskedScarlett.

“The doctor said she’s teething. She’s been a nightmare lately. She was

screamingherheadoffwhenIwalkedoutthedoor.PoorJeff.”Shesmirked.

“Youdon’treallymeanthat,”bothNatalieandIspokeatthesametime.

“No,Idon’t.”Shelaughed.

“So,”Islightlyleanedacrossthetable,“tomorrowwillbetheofficialdayI’m

kickingoffTheChroniclesof#Deleteonmyblog.”

“What?”Scarlettaskedinconfusion.

“You’regoingtolovethis.”Nataliegrinnedasshetookasipofherdrink.

“#Delete is the new project for my blog. After I go on multiple dates and

interviewtheguys,Iwill#Deletetheirassfrommyphone.”

“Why?”sheasked.

“So she’s not tempted to text any of them when they don’t text her,” Natalie

spokeassherolledhereyes.

“That is not true.” I cocked my head. “I’m changing my game in the dating

world. I have given up trying to find the perfect guy who doesn’t behave like a

douchebag.I’llcollecttheinformationandthenpassitalongtomyladies,viamy

blog.”Ismiled.“Infact,Ialreadyhavedatessetupforthenextsevennights.”

“AllfromMatch,Ipresume?”Scarlettspoke.

“Asamatteroffact,yes.”

“Butwhy?”Shegavemeaweirdlook.

“Whynot?Mygoalistohelpempowerwomenwhenitcomestodatingaguy

who starts behaving badly. I’m not doing this with the hopes of getting into a

relationshipwithsomeone.Thosedays,atleastfornow,areoveruntilIcanget

insidetheheadofamanandtrulyknowwhat’sgoingoninhisfeeblelittlemind.”

“Waitaminute.”Scarlettshookherhead.“Isn’tMatch.comaplacewhereguys

and girls actually want to meet someone with the possibility of having a

relationship?Isn’tthatwhytheyjoininthefirstplace?”

“Yes.And?”Iarchedmybrow.

Itookthelastsipofmydrinkandheldmyfingeruptosignalourwaitressover

toourtable.

“I’m headed over to the bar.” A gorgeous man smiled as he stopped by our

table.“WhatcanIgetyou?”heaskedashelookeddownatmyemptyglass.

I stared at him from head to toe. Six foot one, maybe two. Sandy brown hair

thatwasperfectlystyled.Thebluesteyesthatcouldbenoticedfromfaracrossthe

room. Eyes that reminded me of beautiful tropical waters. His smile was panty-

meltingaswasthelightstubblehesportedalonghismasculinejawline.Igulped.

“Acosmopolitan.”IgraciouslysmiledasIswallowedthelumpinmythroat.

“One cosmopolitan coming right up.” He winked. “Ladies, do you need a

refill?”heaskedNatalieandScarlett.

“No.We’regood,”Natalieresponded.

Themomenthewalkedaway,IletoutthebreathI’dheldinsideme.

“OhmyGod.”MymouthdroppedasIlookedatthem.

“He’sahottie.”Scarlettsmiled.

“He’s a player,” Natalie spoke. “A guy who you’d fall for in a second, full

emotionsandall.Iseethelookonyourface,Eloise.It’salreadyhappening!Stop

rightthere!”Shepointedatme.#Delete,remember?”

“You’re right.” I put up my hand. “He is a player. I’ve got that whole player

viberunningthroughme.”

“Hereyouare.”Thegorgeousmansmiledashesetmydrinkdowninfrontof

me.

“Thankyou.”Ifelttheheatriseinmycheeks.“HowmuchdoIoweyou?”

“Yourdrinkisonme.TheonlythingIaskinreturnisyourname.”Hesmirked.

Iswallowedhard.

“Eloise.”

Withasmile,hecockedhishead.

“Whatabeautifulname.I’mChristian.”Heheldouthishand.

Ilookedatitforamomentwithfearcoursingthroughmyveins.Slowlylifting

my hand, I placed mine in his and lightly shook it while my knees trembled

underneaththetable.

“Itwasnicetomeetyou,Eloise.”

“Youtoo,Christian.Thanksagainforthedrink.”

“Thepleasurewasallmine.”Hegavemeawinkandwalkedbacktohistable.

Isatthere,staringathimwhilehewalkedawayasNatalieandScarlettwaved

theirhandsinfrontofmyface.

“Shit,”Nataliespoke.“Eloise,focus!”

Isnappedbackintorealityandinhaledasharpbreath.

“You aren’t that woman anymore, remember?” Scarlett spoke. “You’re on a

missionandhe’snotpartofit.Don’tletthegirlswhoreadyourblogdown.”

“You’reright.”

Wetalkedforawhilelonger,finishedourdrinks,andheadedhome.AsIleft

therestaurantandwastryingtohailacab,Iheardsomeonecallmyname.

“Eloise?”

Iturned,onlytoseeChristianapproachingme.

“Hi.”Ismiled.

“Hi.IsthereachanceIcangetyourphonenumber?”

Thebutterfliesinmystomachwokeupandfilledmewithaflutteringsensation

thatwouldn’tstop.Shit.Shit.Shit.Iwantedtogiveittohim.Itwasonthetipof

mytongue.MyheartwasscreamingYES,butmyheadscreamedNO,andthenI

thoughtaboutmymission.

“I’mflatteredyouwantit,butIcan’tgiveittoyou.I’msorry.”

“Youcan’toryouwon’t?”Hesmirked.

“Iwon’t.IjustgotoutofarelationshipandIhavethingsIneedtofigureout.”

“Okay,butwhosaidanythingaboutarelationship?Ithoughtmaybewecould

talkandmeetfordinnersometime.”

“Ididn’tsayIwantedarelationshipwithyou.”Icockedmyhead.“I’msimply

lettingyouknowthatI’mnotinterestedingoingoutwithanyonerightnow.”

Hiseyenarrowedatmeasheslowlynoddedhishead.Fuck,hewassosexy

andthisbrokemyrapidlybeatingheart,forIknewhistype,anditwashistype

thatwouldsendmespiralingdownintothedepthsofemotionalhell.

“I understand. Have a good night, Eloise.” He held up his hand and hailed a

cabforme.

“Thankyou,Christian.Sametoyou.”

IclimbedintothebackofthecabandChristianshutthedoor.

“Whereto,lady?”thecabdriverasked.

“360West43

Street,please,”IspokeasthecabpulledawayandIliftedmy

hand,givingChristianasmallwavegoodbye.

ChapterFive

Christian

“So,didyougethernumber?”Jimmyaskedaswesatattheroundtableinmy

office.

“Nah.Shewouldn’tgiveittome.”

Peternearlyspitouthiscoffee.

“What?SomeoneactuallyturneddownthegreatChristianBlake?”Helaughed.

“She said something about just getting out of a relationship and she wasn’t

lookingtodateanyonerightnow.”Isighed.

“Ohwell,ontothenext.”Jimmysmiled.

Icouldn’tstopthinkingaboutherallnight.Themomentmyeyessawhersitting

atthetablewithherfriends,somethingstruckinsideme.Ifeltthisoverwhelming

need to want to get to know her. She was gorgeous. Five foot seven with long

brown wavy hair that perfectly flowed over her shoulders. Her green eyes

sparkledlikeshinyemeraldsthatcouldlightupeventhedarkestofrooms.Eyes

thatcouldholdtheuniversewithinthem.Isatatmytableandwatchedthewayher

perfectlyshapedlipsgavewaytoasmile.Asmilethatilluminatedherbeautiful

face.

Wesharedamoment,andeventhoughthatmomentwasbrief,itwouldbeone

I’drememberforalongtime.

“Bro,areyouokay?”Peterasked.

“What?”Iblanklystaredathim.

“You zoned out for a moment,” Jimmy spoke. “You still thinking about that

girl?”

“Noway.”Igotupfrommychair.“Idon’tdoshitlikethatandyouknowit.”I

lookedatmywatch.“It’stimeforourweeklyproductivitymeeting.I’llmeetyou

intheconferenceroom.”

Walkingovertomydesk,Ipickedupmyphoneandhelditinmyhand.Opening

mymessages,Idecidedtosendatextmessagetothegirl.

“JustcheckingintoseehowlastnightwasandtoletyouknowthatIwasn’t

adouchebag.”

AsIwaswalkingtomymeeting,areplycamethrough.

“Lol.I’mhappytohearyourefrainedfrombeingadouchebag.Mynightwas

exciting!Well,maybenottooexciting.Justhadagirls’nightwithmyfriends.”

IsentheramessagebackasIwalkedintotheconferenceroom.

“Girls’ night is good. At least you weren’t home moping around over that

jerk.I’mofftoameetingnow.Catchyalater!”

“Idon’tmope.I’mbetterthanthat.HaveagoodmeetingandI’llcatchya

later.”

Iletoutalightchucklebeforetakingmyseatandstartingthemeeting.

****

WhenIgothome,Iquicklyshoweredandchangedformydatewithawoman

named Cheyenne. I’d met her last week at an art gallery opening. She was

attractiveandnewlydivorced.Shetoldmeshe’donlybeenmarriedacoupleof

yearsanditwasthebiggestmistakeofherlife.Oneshewouldn’tmakeagain.Her

vibetoldmethatshewaslookingtohavesomefunandthatwasallIwantedtoo.

So, I called her last night after I got home and set up the date. Was she Eloise?

Absolutely not, but I couldn’t let her rejection of me interfere with dating other

women.I’dbeeninacoupleofrelationshipsinmylifeandtheyjustneverseemed

right.Iwasn’tagainstrelationships.Theyjustweren’tforme.Atleastatthispoint

inmylife.Maybeintenyears,I’dfeeldifferently.Ijustdateddifferentwomenall

the time without the hassles of being in a relationship. Life was too short to

commit to one person. Especially at my age of thirty. I was in my prime years,

buildingmyadvertisingfirm,makingashitloadofmoney,andenjoyingeverything

lifehadtooffer,includingbeautifulwomen.

“Sorry I’m late,” I spoke as I leaned over and kissed Cheyenne’s cheek.

“Traffic was horrible tonight and I was almost killed twice when the cabbie

decidedtocutafewpeopleoff.”

“Noproblem.”Shesmiled.

Itooktheseatacrossfromherandlookedoverthewinelist.

“Isthereacertaintypeofwineyouprefer?”Iasked.

“Iwouldactuallypreferabottleofchampagne,”shereplied.

Wow. That caught me off guard. First date and she’s already expecting the

best.

“Okay.Champagne,itis.”

ThewaitressbroughtourbottleofChampagneandthenproceededtotakeour

dinnerorder.Ofcourse,Cheyenneorderedthemostexpensivethingonthemenu.I

couldalreadytellshewashighmaintenance,especiallywiththeamountofBotox

shehadinjectedintoherskinatsuchayoungage.Themorewetalked,orshouldI

say, she talked, the more bored I became. When she excused herself to the

bathroom,Ipulledmyphonefrommypocket.Pullingupmymessages,Isentatext

tothatgirl.

“Hi.I’monadateandterriblybored.”

“You’renottheonlyone.I’malsoonadateandmyfaceisaboutreadytohit

theplate.”

Iletoutalightlaugh.

“Hecan’tbeworsethanmine.She’sabuyer.Asinhandbagsandshoes,for

herself.”

“Lol.Myguyisafinancialadvisor,andforthelasttwohours,allhe’stalked

aboutisRothIRAsandshit.DidImentionhe’swearingabowtie?”

“Youpoorgirl.”

“He’scomingbackfromthebathroom.We’lltalklater?”

“Ofcourse.Cutthedateshortifhe’sthatbad.Ifyouneedmyhelp,letme

know.”

“Thanks. But, like the lady I am, I’ll finish it out and then let him down

gently.”

“Goodgirl.”

Cheyennewalkedbacktothetableandsatdowninherseat.

“Whowereyoutexting?”sheasked.

Igaveheranoddlookbecause,frankly,thatwasnoneofherbusiness.

“Oneofmycolleagues.There’saworkissue,”Ireplied.

“Doyoualwaysdoworkwhenyou’reonadate?Myexusedtodothatallthe

timeanditwassoannoying.”

I wanted to tell her that he probably wasn’t working and more than likely

textingotherwomenhewasseeingontheside.Oncewefinisheddinner,Ipaidthe

billandwesteppedoutintothebrightlylitNewYorkCitystreets.Cheyenneran

herfingerdownmychestasIwastryingtosaygoodbye.

“Howaboutwegotomyplaceforanightcaportwo?”Shesmiled.

“As nice as that sounds, I’m afraid I can’t. I have a very early meeting

tomorrow.”

“Poopoo.”Shepouted.

Isighed,asIcouldn’twaittogetawayfromher.

“Thanksfordinner.Ihadagreattime,Christian.Callme?”Herbrowarched.

“Ihadanicetimetoo,”Ilied.“I’llcallyou,”Iliedagain.

I leaned over and lightly kissed her cheek before putting her in a cab and

sendingherhome.

Stepping into my bedroom, I stripped out of my clothes and put on a pair of

blackpajamabottoms.Pickingupmyphone,Isentthatgirlatext.

“Hasyourdateended?”

“Yes.I’mhomesafeandsound.ButthetalkofRothIRAswon’tstopcircling

aroundinmyhead.Howaboutyou?”

“Yes.I’mhome.Shewantedtogobacktoherplace.Ipolitelydeclined.”

“I’m shocked. You turned down sex with a woman? What kind of man are

you?”

“Amanwholooksatawomanformorethanjustsex.Idon’tsleepwithevery

womanItakeout.Bytheway,isthereachanceIcangetyourname?Afterall,

weseemtobetextingquiteabit.”

“Wouldn’t that ruin the mystery of us?” she replied. “I kind of like not

knowingwhoyouare.”

“I suppose you’re right. Two strangers talking by one accidental text is

different.ButIstillneedtocallyousomethingotherthan‘thatgirl.’”

“HowaboutDigits?”shereplied.“SinceIsentyoumydigitsbyaccident.”

“Digits.Ilikeit.YouarenowofficiallyinmyphoneasDigits.”

“Great.I’llthinkofanameforyou.Enjoytherestofyourevening.Ineedto

gotobednowandsleepoffthemassivenumbersrunningthroughmyheadfrom

allthatfinancialadviceIreceived.”

“Lol.Goodnight,Digits.”

“Goodnight,MobileMan.Oh,there’syourname.”

“Ilikeit.”IsmiledasIreplied.

“Metoo.”

ChapterSix

Eloise

Iwasinthemiddleofshootingacouple’sengagementpicturesinCentralPark

whenmyphonedinged.Aswewereonourwaytoournextlocation,Ipulledmy

phonefrompocketandcheckedmytextmessages.

“Hi! I was just thinking about you. How are you doing? I’m surprised I

haven’theardfromyou.”

I glared at the number and realized it was from Luke. He was surprised he

hadn’theardfromme?Washeserious?Myfingerswenttotypingtown.

“Why are you thinking about me? By the way, I’m doing fantastic! I would

ask how you’re doing, but I don’t really care, which is the reason why you

haven’theardfromme.”

Afewmomentslater,hereplied.

“Wow.Justwow!Wherethehelldidthatcomefrom?”

“#Delete,”Iquicklyrespondedandthendeletedhisnumber.

“Whatdoesthatmean?!”Hisnumberpoppedupagain.

I ignored him, swiped to the left and deleted his number because I couldn’t

spend any more time or energy on his dumb ass. I finished the photo shoot and

headedtoStarbucksforacoffeeandtostartwritingmyblogpostaboutmydate

lastnight.IhadacoupleofhourstosparebeforeIhadtogethomeandchangefor

anotherdate.

AsIwastypingawayandsippingmycoffee,Iheardaloudvoiceenterthrough

thedoor.

“Hey,you!”Clairesmiledasshewalkedoverandhuggedme.“Whatareyou

doinghere?”

“I just finished a photo shoot and I’m blogging.” I smiled. “Aren’t you

supposedtobeatwork?”

“I’monacoffeerunfortheguys.”Sherolledhereyes.“Hey.”Shesatdownin

thechairacrossfromme.“MybossishavingapartythisSaturdayathisplaceand

invited me. Kenny is going on that camping weekend with the guys and said I

wasn’tallowedtogounlessyou,Nat,orScarlettwentwithme.”

“Ishereallythatworriedaboutyourboss?”Icockedmyhead.

“Hehasinsecurities.Youknowthat.Remember,hislastgirlfriendlefthimfor

anotherguy.”

“Igetthat,butheneedstogetoverit!Whyareyouwithhimifhedoesn’ttrust

you?”

“Hetrustsme.It’stheothermenhedoesn’ttrust.Sayyou’llgo.Please.Pretty,

prettyplease.”

“IhaveadateSaturdaynight,remember?”Iarchedmybrow.

“BFFsbeforedates.Youknowtherule,Eloise.Thinkoftheguysyou’llmeetat

theparty.Youcanblogaboutthem!”Shesmirked.

“Thatdefeatsthepurposeof#Delete.”

“Maybe not. Get their number, go out on a date, interview them, and then

#Deletetheirass!”

As she was trying to convince me to cancel my date for Saturday night, my

phone dinged with a text message from Mobile Man. The corners of my lips

curvedintoasmallsmile.

“Topofthedaytoyou.Hopeit’sagoodone.AndIhopethenumbershave

stoppedinyourhead.”

“Whotextedyou?”Claireasked.“Whyareyousmiling?”

Ihadn’ttoldanyofthemyetaboutMobileManbecauseIdidn’tthinkwe’dbe

talkingasmuchaswewere.Iguessitwastimetoletthecatoutofthebag.

“I’mtalkingtoMobileMan.”IcasuallysmiledasIsippedmycoffee.

“Who?”Herbrowsfurrowed.

“Last week, when I was telling off Luke via text, I accidentally sent it to the

wrong phone number. This guy responded and we just started texting each other,

likeeveryday.”

“Whoisthisguy?”

“Idon’tknow.Icallhim‘MobileMan’andhecallsme‘Digits.’”

“Okay,that’sfuckingweird.What’shisname?”

“I don’t know and I don’t want to know. The mystery of it is exciting!” I

smirked.

“So you’re texting some random guy every day and you don’t know anything

abouthim?”

“Youarecorrect.”Ilightlynodded.

“You,myfriend,havegonecompletelyinsane.Hecouldbemarriedforallyou

know.”

“He’snot.HewasonadatelastnightjustlikeIwas.Wewerebothboredso

westartedtextingeachother.”

Ipickedupmyphoneandrepliedtohim.

“Hi!Topofthedaytoyoutoo!Thenumbershavestopped,thankgod!How’s

yourdaygoing?”

“Putthatphonedownandtellmemore!”shedemanded.

“There’s nothing more to tell. I know not one thing about him except that he

doesn’tsleepwitheverywomanhetakesout.”

“Yeah,right.”Sherolledhereyesandthenlookedatherwatch.“Shit.Ineedto

orderthecoffeesandgo.So,yestoSaturday?”Shestoodupandplacedherhand

onherhip.

“Fine.I’llgo.”

“Yay!It’llbefun.Justyouwaitandsee!”

Assoonasshewalkedaway,myphonedingedagain.

“The day is good. A lot of contracts are being signed today and money is

beingmade.Couldn’taskforanythingmore.”

“Soyou’reincorporatebusiness?Justasimpleyesorno,please.”

Ididn’twanttoknowanythingabouthim.Thisgamewasfunanditallowedme

tobeanyoneIwantedandanyonehewanted.

“Yes.I’mincorporatebusiness.Whatdoyoudo?”

Ineededtothinkquick.

“I’minthesocialmediarelationsbusiness.”

“Ah,Isee.Caretoelaborateonthat?”

“Iliketowrite.”

“Areyoulikeajournalistorsomething?”

“Somethinglikethat.”

“Listen,Digits,Ihavetoheadintoameeting.Catchyalater?”

“Okay.Catchyalater.”

****

I slipped into my tight-fitted, spaghetti-strap black dress and shoved my feet

intoapairofblackKateSpadeheelswithapeeptoeandabow.Tonight’sdate

was with a man named Aaron. According to his profile, he was thirty years old

andahighschoolscienceteacher.AsIwaswalkingoutthedoor,atextmessage

camethroughfromanumberIdidn’trecognize.

“Hi,Eloise.Ireallyenjoyedournighttogetherlastnight.Howaboutweset

upanotherdate?”

Shit.ItwasfromFrankie,thefinancialguy.Becausehewastoobusytryingto

feedmysoulfulloffinancialadvice,Ididn’tgettoaskhimmanyquestionswhen

itcametowomen.TheonlythingIcouldgetoutofhimwasthathelikedtowaita

coupleofdaysafteradatetotextthegirlback.Sowhythehellwashetextingme

already?

“Hi,Frankie.You’reaniceguy,butIdon’tthinkanotherdateissuchagood

idea.Ireallywasn’tfeelingaconnection.I’msorry.”

“No problem. I wasn’t feeling it either, but I thought I would give you a

secondchance,”hereplied.

Rollingmyeyes,Iswipedtotheleftanddeletedhisboringass.

When I reached PRINT, a restaurant over in Hell’s Kitchen, I walked inside

andlookedaround.

“CanIhelpyou?”theyoungredheadedhostessasked.

“I’mmeetingsomeonehere.”

“Aaron?”sheasked.

“Yes.”Ismiled.

“Followme,please.”

I followed her to the table where Aaron sat. He was cute, I won’t lie. Clean

cut,darkhair,babyface.Iwassurethegirlsinhisclassswoonedoverhimevery

day.

“MyGod.”Hegrinnedashestoodupfromhischair.“Youaremorebeautiful

inperson.”Hekissedmycheek.

“Thankyou.”Ismiled.

“Itookthelibertyoforderingabottleofwhitewine.Ihopethat’sokay.”

“Ilikewhitewine.”ThecornersofmymouthslightlycurvedupwardsasItook

theseatacrossfromhim.

Wetalkedabouthisjob,myjob,hisfamily,andmyfamily.Wehadafewthings

incommonandheseemedeasytotalkto.Iwasanxiouslywaitingfortheperfect

opportunity to slip my questions in. He caught me off guard when he reached

acrossthetableandtookholdofmyhand,interlacingourfingers.

“Can we just get married? Because I’m ninety-nine percent sure that we’re

soulmatesandonehundredpercentsurethatI’minlove.”

Isattherestaringathimindisbelief.Suddenly,Iletoutalightlaugh.

“That’ssweet.You’refunny.”

“Whyisthatfunny?”heaskedinaserioustone.“Imeanit.IknowwhenI’min

love, and right now, I’m in love with you, Eloise. You’re gorgeous, you have a

greatpersonality,andIknowyou’remysoulmate.Icanfeelitineveryfiberinmy

body.”

Pullingmyhandawayfromhis,Ispoke,“Well,Aaron,canyoupleasetellthe

fibersinyourbodytostopfeelingit.”Ismirkedtotryandlightenthemoment.

“No,Iwon’t!”heloudlyvoiced.

Iglancedaroundtherestauranttomakesurenoonewasstaringatus.Slowly

gettingupfromthetable,Igrabbedmypurse.

“IthinkI’mgoingtocallitanight.”Ipulledsomecashoutfrommywalletand

threwitonthetable.“Icanpayformyowndinner.Thanks.”Iscurriedoutofthe

restaurantandclimbedintoacabthatwassittingatthecurb.

This date was one that went very wrong. Pulling my phone from my purse, I

deletedAaron’snumberandthensentatextmessagetoMobileMan.

“Ijusthadtoexitadateearlybecausetheguytoldmethathewasinlove

withme,heknowswe’resoulmates,andweshouldgetmarried.”

Afewmomentslater,hereplied.

“Howlonghaveyouknownthisguy?”heasked.

“Ijustmethimtonight.Whatthehelliswrongwiththeseguys?”

“Lol.Youmusthavemadehisheartstop.Iwillsaythatisunusualbehavior.

Theguymustbedesperate.”

“He’snotdesperate,he’sweird.AndnowIcanseewhyhe’ssingle.Shame,

though,hewasreallycute.”

“Youcan’talwaysgobylooks,Digits,”hereplied.

“Oh please, Mobile Man. You’re not going to tell me that you date not-so-

attractivewomen.It’spurelyphysicalforyouguys.”

“Fine.Youcaughtme.”

“Thoughtso.”

“Butit’sthesamewithyouwomenaswell.Ifyoudon’tthinkaguyishotor

sexy,youwon’tgivehimthetimeofday.”

“Thatisnottrue.”

“Yes,itisandyouknowit.”

Isighed.Iknewhewasright,butIdidn’twanttoadmitittohim.

“Comeon,Digits.Admitit.”

“I’mpleadingthefifth,”Ireplied.

“Ha.Thatrightthereisyouranswer.”

“I’mhomenowandgoingtosoakinahotbubble-filledtub.Catchyalater,

MobileMan.”

“Enjoytherestofyourevening,Digits.Catchyalater.”

ChapterSeven

Christian

“Who are you texting, bro? We’re trying to finish this meeting so we can go

home,”Peterspoke.

“Digits.”Isetmyphonedown.

“Isthatthegirlwhosentyouthatweirdtextmeantforsomeoneelse?”Jimmy

asked.

“Yes.”Ismirked.

“Youtwoarestilltextingeachother?”Peterfurrowedhisbrow.

“Yep.Everyday,”Ireplied.

“Butyouknownothingabouther?”Jimmycockedhishead.

“Nope.Nothing.”

“Dude,seriously,whyareyoustilltalkingtoher?”Peterasked.

“BecauseIliketo.She’sfunandaloteasiertotalktothanhalfthewomenI

date.”

“Ibetshe’suglyasfuck.”Jimmylaughed.

Peterletoutalaughandpointedathim.

“Sowhat?It’snotlikeI’mdatingher.We’rejusttexting.”

“Andyou’regoingtositthereandtellmethatyou’renottheleastbitcuriousas

towhatshelookslike?”Peterraisedhisbrow.

“Nope.Notatall.She’sjustsomeoneIliketotalktoviatext.”

“Yeah.Okay,bro.”Jimmylaughed.

WeendedourlatenightmeetingandIheadedhome.ThetruthwasIwouldlove

toknowwhatDigitslookedlike.Iwascuriousbecausesheseemedtohavesucha

great personality. But, unfortunately, I would never know because she liked

keeping herself a secret. Nonetheless, she was a delightful distraction from the

humdrumofthedailygrind.

****

Eloise

After my relaxing bath, I climbed into bed with my laptop and began editing

some of the engagement photos I took, for I promised the happy couple that I

would have them ready by Monday. As I edited the pictures and stared at the

images that so profoundly captured their happiness, my mind began to wander

aboutthelasttwodatesI’dhad.Financialguydidn’tworkoutbecauseIcouldn’t

getawordinedgewisebeneathallthefinancialadvicehespewed.Soulmateguy

didn’tworkbecausehewouldn’tshutthefuckupabouthowinlovewithmehe

wasandthethoughtthatweshouldgetmarried.MaybeMatchwasn’tagoodway

to do my research. I sent a text message to the rest of the five guys,

unapologetically canceled our dates, and then proceeded to #Delete their asses

frommyphone.

****

NataliesatontheedgeofmybedasIsatonthefloorinfrontofmyfull-length

mirrorandappliedmymakeup.

“I’m proud of you for cancelling those dates. I didn’t think you could go

throughwithit,”shespoke.

“It’s not that I couldn’t go through with it.” I looked at her after meticulously

applyingmyeyeliner.“Theyweren’ttherightguystointerview.”

“Thenwhoaretherightguystointerview?”Shenarrowedhereyeatme.

“TheonesI’mgoingtorandomlymeetatbars,clubs,coffeeshops,etc.”

Sheletoutalightlaugh.“Whatareyougoingtodo?Walkuptothemwithyour

notebookandpenandaskthemwhythey’resuchdouchebags?”

“Prettymuch.”Igrinned.

“Jesus,Eloise.YourissuesgobeyondanythingIimagined.”

“Actually, I only have one issue and that is trying to get inside the head of a

man.”

“Goodluckwiththat.Andwhenareyougoingtodothis?You’rebookedback

tobackwithphotoshootsforthenexttwoweeks.”

“I can carve out some time. After all, I did have five more dates set up.” I

winked.

Shegotupfromthebedandgrabbedherpurse.

“Well, keep me posted and have fun tonight with Claire. Try to keep your

interviewstoaminimum.Youwouldn’twanttoembarrassherandhaveherco-

workersthinkingyou’reafewstacksshortofmentalstability.”

“Thanks.”Iscrunchedupmynoseather.

Asshebegantowalkoutoftheroom,shestoppedandturnedaround.

“Speaking of a few stacks short of mental stability, who the fuck is Mobile

Man?Andwhyhaven’tyoutoldmeabouthim?”

IsighedasIrolledmyeyes.

“Shetoldyou?”

“Ofcourseshedid.ButtheproblemisthatYOUdidn’ttellme.”

“It’s no big deal. He’s just a guy I’ve been talking to. Two strangers texting

eachother.That’sit.”

“It’s weird, Eloise. You don’t know his name or anything about him, yet you

talktohim.Hecouldbesomemurdererorkidnapperforallyouknow.”

“He’s not.” I rolled my eyes. “He’s a nice guy. He’s in business and he’s

alwaysattendingmeetings.”

“Whatdidyoutellhimyoudo?”sheaskedsuspiciously.

“ItoldhimIwasinthesocialmediarelationsbusiness.”

“LikeIsaid,afewstacksshortofmentalstability,”shesighed.

“GetoutofheresoIcanfinishgettingready.”Ithrewoneofmypillowsather.

Shegavemeaslysmileassheleftthebedroom.

****

The cab pulled up to the tall building on East 89

Street and Claire and I

climbedout.

“Nicebuilding,”IspokeasIlookedupatit.

My phone dinged with a text message and when I took it from my purse, I

noticeditwasfromMobileMan.

“Hithere.Irealizedwedidn’ttouchbasetoday.Everythinggood?”

ThedoormanopenedthedoorforusandClairetoldhimwewerehereforthe

ChristianBlakeparty.Hepolitelysmiledandtoldustotaketheelevatoruptothe

floorandhewasinapartmentB.

“Is it weird that I’m really nervous?” Claire asked as we stepped off the

elevator.

“Yes.Whywouldyoubenervous?He’syourboss.”

“Exactly!”Shelightlyhitmyarm.“He’smyboss!I’veneverseenhimoutside

oftheoffice.”

“Calm down. He’s just a person like you and me,” I spoke as I knocked on

apartmentBandrepliedbacktoMobileMan.

“Hi!Everything’sgreat.Outwithmygirlfriendrightnow.You?”

“Goodtohear.It’sbeenquiteabusyday.Havingsomepeopleover.Catchya

later?”

“Catchyalater!”

Some guy, a really cute guy, dressed in all black with blonde wavy hair

answeredthedoor.

“Hey,Claire.”Hesmiledashekissedhercheek.“Comeonin.”

“Hey,Peter.Thisismygirlfriend,Eloise.”

Webothlookedateachotherstrangely.

“IthinkIknowyou.”Hepointedatme.

“IfeelasifIknowyoutoo.”Icockedmyheadbutcouldn’tforthelifeofme

rememberwherefrom.

“Waitaminute.You’rethatgirlfromHellcatAnnie’s.”Hesmiled.

Iglaredathimforamoment.Shit.

“Claire,who’syourboss?”Iasked.

“HisnameisChristianBlake.Why?”

Igulped.

“Hello,Claire,”hisvoicespokefrombehind.

“Christian.”Sheturnedaroundandhelightlykissedhercheek.

HiseyesdivertedtheirattentionovertowhereIwasstandingashelookedat

mefromheadtotoe.

“Eloise.”Hetookholdofmyhandandbroughtituptohislips.“It’snicetosee

youagain.”

“Christian.”Igavealightnodandsmile.

Mystomachstartedtoflutterandmyskinstartedtoheat.

“Youtwoknoweachother?”Claireaskedinconfusion.

“EloiseandIbrieflymetatHellcatAnnie’snottoolongago.Ihadnoideashe

wasafriendofyours.”

“AndIhadnoideahewasyourboss,”Ispoke.

“Okay. Wow. This is weird. I need a drink. I’ll be right back.” She walked

away.

“Would you have come if you had known I was Claire’s boss?” He slyly

smiled.

A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne glasses sitting upon it. Taking

one,Ismirked,“Idon’tknow.”

Hechuckledashetookasipofthedrinkhewasholding.

“Pleaseexcuseme.Afriendofminejustwalkedin.”Heplacedhishandonmy

armanditfeltlikeitwentnumb.

I swallowed hard before bringing the tall glass of bubbly up to my lips. I

couldn’t believe he was Claire’s boss. His smile, his charm, and overall

appearancemademeweakintheknees.ButIneededtorememberthathewasa

serialdater,accordingtoClaire.

“Whydidn’tyoutellmeyoumethim?”Shecameupbehindme.

“HowthehelldidIknowhewasyourboss?”

“But you didn’t even tell me that some guy approached you that night.” She

pouted.

“Itwasabriefencounter.Heboughtmeadrinkandaskedformynumber.”

“Andyoudidn’tgiveittohim?”sheaskedwithamazement.

“No.Becauseaccordingtoourdearfriend,Natalie,he’sthetypeIwouldfall

forheadoverheelsinstantly.Plus,Igotthatwholeplayervibefeelfromhim.”

“Thatistrue.Hedoesdatedifferentwomenallthedamntime.Ihonestlydon’t

knowhowhekeepsthemallstraight.I’llberightback.Oneofmyco-workersjust

walkedin.”

As Claire went off to talk to her co-worker, I walked around Christian’s

apartment,takinginathowlovelyitwas.Whatcaughtmyattentionwerethewhite

oakfloorswiththesubtletintedbeigewallsthatmadethelivingspacelooklarger

thanitreallywas.Hisfurniturewascoloredinblacksandbeiges,givingoffthe

modern urban décor style vibe. Walking over to the three-oversized floor-to-

ceiling windows, I took in the dramatic city and river views, which were

picturesque.

“Beautifulview,isn’tit?”IheardChristian’svoicecomeupbehindme.

“Itdefinitelyis.”Ibroughtmychampagneglassuptomylips.“Sotellme,Mr.

Blake,howdoessomeoneyouragehavehisownadvertisingfirm?”

“Well,”hesmiled,“mypartnersandIhavetalkedaboutowningourownfirm

sincewewerekids.”

“Yourpartners?”Icockedmyhead.

“Yes.PeterandJimmy.Westartedourfirm,BlakeGroup,threeyearsago.”

“Please tell me if this is too personal, but if you’re all partners, why is your

nametheonlyoneonthedoors?”

He chuckled. “That’s because I put up the majority of the money for the

companyaftermygrandfatherdied.”

“Ah.Isee.”Ilightlysmiled.“FromwhatIcantell,yourcompanyseemstobe

doingverywellforonlyopeningitsdoorsthreeyearsago.”

“Ourcompanyisdoingextremelywell.We’veworkedveryhardandputina

lotofblood,sweat,andtearstomakeithappenandasuccess.Alotofsacrifices

weremade,butnothingthatI’veregretted.Tellmeaboutyou.Whatdoyoudo?”

“I’mafreelancephotographer.”

“Interesting.”Hesmirked.“Whatdoyouphotograph?”

“Whatever people hire me for.” I smirked back. I’ve done a few small

magazineshoots,butmostlyit’sweddings,engagements,anniversaryparties,and

birthdays.”

“I’d love to see your work someday.” The corners of his mouth curved

upwards.

Iswallowedhardbecauseeverytimehesmiled,itsentmybodyintoablazeof

fire.Thiswasnotgood.Notgoodatall.

ChapterEight

Eloise

I finished off my second glass of champagne and took another as the waiter

walkedby.Christianarchedhisbrowatmeandthenlookedathiswatch.

“You’vebeenherethirtyminutesandthat’syourthirdglassofchampagne.”

“Yeah.Well.It’sjustsogood.”Iwinked.

“Christian,canyoucomeoverhereforamoment?”ayoungmanaskedashe

heldhishandup.

“I’llberightback.”Hesmiledashelightlytouchedmyarm.

IlookedaroundforClaire.Damnherforleavingmelikethis.Pullingmyphone

frommypurse,IsentatextmessagetoNatalie.

“YouarenevergoingtobelievewhosehouseI’mat.”

“Aren’tyouatthatpartywithClaire?”

“Yes.Doyouknowwhoherbossis?”Itypedwithrapidfingers.

“No,shouldI?”

“ChristianBlake!”

“HowdoIknowthatname?”

“TheguyfromHellcatAnnie’sthatboughtmeadrinkandthenaskedformy

phonenumber!Theoneyousaidtostayawayfrombecausehewasaplayerand

youcouldseemetotallyfallingforhim!”

“Ohshit!Omg!He’sherboss?”

“YES.We’vebeentalking.He’ssofuckinghotandseemsreallynice.”

“No, Eloise! #DELETE! I don’t want to see you go down that road again.

Claire said herself he’s a serial dater. He’s the type that won’t commit to

anyone. You’ll date a couple times, get your hopes up, he’ll stop texting or

calling, you’ll get all pissed off and upset and then we’ll have to pick you up

and put you back together again. Men like Christian Blake are notorious for

that.”

“You’reright.Buthe’sshowinginterest.”

“Of course he is! You’re drop dead gorgeous, but I can guarantee you he

onlywantsonethingandyouknowexactlywhatI’mtalkingabout!”

“You’re right,” I replied with a sad emoji. “He’s coming back my way. I’ll

talktoyoulater.”

Idownedtherestofmychampagneandthatlastgulphitme.Whydidn’tIeat

beforeIcamehere?

Hewalkedovertomewithapanty-meltingsmilethatsentaweaknesstomy

knees.

“Youdrankthatfast.”Hegrinned.

“It’ssogood.Icouldn’thelpit.”Ilookedhimupanddown.

“Issomethingwrong?”heasked.

“No.Why?”Icockedmyhead.

“It’sjustthewayyoulookedatme.”

“You’reanincrediblyattractiveman.I’msureallthewomenlookatyoulike

that.”

Hestoodthereforamoment,hiseyesburningintomine.Heslowlybroughthis

handupandplaceditonmycheek.

“AndIthinkyouareaverybeautifulwoman.”

Icouldfeeltheheatrisethroughoutmyface.Hishandwassoftassilk,andhis

touchfrozemeinplace.

“Thankyou,”Imuttered.“Couldyoupleasetellmewhereyourbathroomis?”

“I’llshowyou.”Hesmiled.

Hegrabbedholdofmyhandandledmethroughthelivingroomanddownthe

hallway.

“Lookslikesomeoneisusingit,”hespoke.“Youcanusetheoneupstairs.”

Stillholdingmyhand,heledmeupthestairsandtothefirstdoorontheleft.

“Thank you.” My lips gave way to a small smile as I went into the bathroom

andshutthedoor.

Mybodywastinglingfromheadtotoe.Afterwashingmyhandsandlookingat

myself in the mirror, I took in a deep breath and opened the door, only to find

Christian standing there waiting for me. Our eyes locked on each other’s and

suddenly,hislipswerepressedintomine.Soft,subtle,invigorating.Ireturnedhis

kissandthenhelookedatme.HeleanedinforanotherandIwillinglylethim.His

tonguemetmineasourlipsmovedinsync.Thehandthatwassoftlyplacedonmy

cheek moved to the nape of my neck, intensifying the lip lock we were in. He

slowlybeganpushingmebackintothebathroom.Shit.Weweregoingtohavesex,

andatthispoint,Ididn’tcare.Thealcoholfuckedwithallmysensesofwhatwas

rightandwhatwaswrong.Thiswasdefinitelyawrong,butIwastoodeepinto

thefeelingofhishandsallovermybodytocare.Hekickedthedoorshutwithhis

footandreachedhishandbackandlockedit.

HisfingershookedaroundthethinstrapstothedressIwaswearing,andwith

ease,pushedthemoffmyshoulders,lettingmydressfalltotheground.Myhands

fumbled with the buttons on his shirt as the heated moment made my heart race

with anticipation of seeing his naked body. With one hand, he unclasped my

straplessbrawitheaseandtossedittotheside.Hishandsgropedmybreastsas

ourlipsstayedlockedtogether.Softmoansescapedbothofusatthesametimeas

his hand traveled down my torso and into my panties. The light sweep of his

fingersacrossmywetzonemademegasp.

Ifumbledwithhisbeltasheslippedoffmypanties.Breakingourkiss,hetook

astepbackandstaredatmewhileheunbuttonedhispantsandslidthemoffhis

hips.Holyshit,hisbodyrockedinalltherightplaces.Toned,muscular,perfect.

Hiscock,long,big,butnottoobig,stoodtallandproudinfrontofme.Myheart

racedatthespeedoflightasheremovedhiswalletfromhispantsandtookouta

condom.Afterrollingiton,hishandsclaspedmyhipsandheliftedmeuponthe

counter.Ourlipsmetagainwithpleasureandmyhandsroamedoverhisbody.In

onethrust,hewasinsideme,mypussytakinghimininchbyinch.Ithrewmyhead

backatthepleasureashislipsexploredmyneck.Mylegswrappedtightlyaround

himashedeepenedhimselfinsideme.Hishipsmovedbackandforth,whilehis

cock hit every pleasure station. The buildup was coming and I found myself

standing at the edge of a cliff waiting for the moment to take the leap into

euphoria.Iquietlymoanedsonoonewouldhearasdidhewhilehethrustinand

outofme.Myorgasmeruptedandhismouthsmashedintominetoquiettheferal

soundsthatescapedme.Tighteningmylegs,mybodyreleaseditselftohim,giving

upallthepleasureIhadstoredupinsideme.Hesloweddownasgroanserupted

in his chest and he halted as he came, pushing deep inside as my nails dug into

back.

Hepulledoutofmeanddisposedofthecondominthewastebasket.Hopping

offthecounter,Ialmostfellduetotheintenseshakingofmylegs.

“Areyouokay?”Christianaskedashelightlygrabbedholdofmyarm.

“I’mfine.Justalegcramp.”Ilightlysmiled.

Afterputtingonourclothes,heturnedtomeandplacedhishandonmycheek.

“Iwanttoseeyouagain.”Histhumbsoftlystrokedmyskin.

Ineededtoplayitcoolinfrontofhimandittookeverybitofpostsexstrength

Ihadtoremaincomposed.

“I’mthinkingthisisaone-timething.We’dbeendrinkinganditjusthappened.

So,Ithinkit’sbestthatwedon’tseeeachotheragain.”

“You’renotserious,”hespoke.

“Oh,Iam,Mr.Blake.Nowifyou’llexcuseme,Ineedtoleave.I’msureClaire

islookingforme.”

“Can I at least get your phone number?” he asked as I opened the bathroom

door.

“No.I’msorry.LikeIsaidbefore,I’mnotreadytodateanyonerightnow.”

Iwalkedoutofthebathroom,practicallyhyperventilating,andscurriedtothe

frontdoor.Takingtheelevatordowntothelobby,IranoutasfastasIcould.Once

the fresh crisp air hit my lungs, I leaned against the brick wall and placed my

handsonmyhead.IhadneverdonewhatIjustdid.I’dneversleptwithamanI

didn’t know and I’d never had a one-night stand. All kinds of feelings and

emotionswerecoursingthroughmybody.Forfucksake,whydidhehavetobeso

sexyandsuperbatsex?SexwaswhathewasafterandIwillinglygaveintohim.

HowstupidcouldIbe?Shakingmyhead,Ipulledmyphonefrommypurseand

sentatextmessagetoClaire.

“Hey,I’mnotfeelingwell,soI’mgoingtogohome.”

“What’swrong?”

“I feel nausea and I have a headache. It hit me out of nowhere. Talk

tomorrow?”

“Ofcourse.Feelbetter.Ifyouneedanything,callme.”

Iwalkeddownthestreetandhailedacabhome.Ifeltthisoverwhelmingneed

totextMobileMan.

“Hi.I’mhavingabadnight.”

“Youandmeboth.Youokay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just one of those nights where everything seems to go

wrong.”

“Funny you should say that because I feel the same way,” he replied. “I’ll

textyoulater.I’minthemiddleofsomething.Okay?”

“Okay.Catchyalater!”

“Catchyalater,Digits!”

Assoonasthecabpulleduptomybuilding,Ihandedthedriversomecashand

climbedout.Insteadofgoinginsideanduptomyapartment,Iwalkedaroundthe

blocktoDidjo’s,apopularbarwhereI’dgoandsitwhenIneededtothink.

“Hey,Eloise.”Charliesmiledashesetanapkindowninfrontofme.“Usual?”

“Hi,Charlie.Yes,please.”

He perfectly made my cosmopolitan and set it down. Picking up the glass, I

tookalargesip.

“Youokay?”heasked.“Youseemofftonight.”

“Sure. If you call having sex with a total stranger in his bathroom and then

runningoutlikeafrightenedchildokay,thenIam.”

Hechuckled.

“Ah.Isee.Thegoodoldwalkofshame.”

“I’dneverdonethewalkofshamebefore.”Ifinishedoffmydrink.“Another,

please.”

“Chalk it up to a life experience. Everyone has to do it at least once in their

lifetime,”hespokeashemademeanothercosmopolitan.“Nobigdeal.”

Istaredathim.Hewascute.Imean,Ialwaysknewhewascute,butthesudden

urgetoaskhimquestionsaboutwomenjoltedthroughme.

“Howoldareyou,Charlie?”Iasked.

“Twenty-eight.”Hesetmydrinkdowninfrontofme.

“I’msureyouhavealotofexperiencewithwomen.Right?”

“Sure.I’dsayso.”Hesmiledashewipeddownthecounter.

“WouldyoumindifIaskedyouafewquestions?”

“Gorightahead.”

ChapterNine

Eloise

AfterinterviewingCharlie,andthreecosmopolitanslater,Istumbledhome.As

Iapproachedmyapartment,IheardNataliecallmynamefromdownthehall.

“Eloise?”

“Natalie?Whatareyoudoinghere?”

Sheheldupthebrownbagshewascarrying.

“Clairetoldmeyouleftthepartybecauseyouweresick,soIthoughtI’dswing

byandbringyousomechickensoup.But,bythelooksofit,Idon’tthinkyou’re

sick at all.” She walked up to me and placed her nose in front of my mouth.

“You’vebeendrinkingcosmopolitans.”

“So?”Iwalkedinsideandkickedoffmyshoes.

Shesetthebrownbagwiththesoupinitdownonthekitchencounter.

“Wherewereyou?”

“Didjo’s around the corner.” I walked into my bedroom and she followed

behind.

“Why?WhydidyoutellClairethatyouweresickandhadtoleave?”

“Ididn’twanttobethere.”Istrippedoutofmyclothesandpulledmynightshirt

frommydrawer.

“DidsomethinghappenwithChristian?”Shetookaseatontheedgeofthebed

andnarrowedhereyesatme.

“No.Whywouldyouthinkthat?”Iwentintothebathroomtowashmyface.

“Youscrunchedupyourface!You’relying!”sheexclaimed.

Forfucksakes,ifIdidn’ttellher,she’dneverstop.

“Wehadsexinhisbathroom,”Ispokeinawhisper.

“What did you say?” She walked up beside me and rested her hip on the

counter.

“WEHADSEXINHISBATHROOM!”Ishouted.

Shecuppedherhandoverhermouthindisbelief.

“Don’t.”Ipointedather.“Don’tlookatmewiththosejudgyeyes!”

Sheimmediatelyputherhandsup.

“Nojudgmenthere.But,ohmygod,Ican’tbelieveyoudidthat.Youdon’teven

knowhim.”

“Right.”Inoddedmyhead.“Likeyoushouldtalk.”Ipointedather.

“Hey.IownwhatIdo.Butit’swhatI’vealwaysdone.You,ontheotherhand,

haveneverfuckedaguyyoudidn’tknow.Infact,they’reluckyifyougiveinafter

thefifthdate.”

“I know.” I lowered my head as I placed my hands on the sink and took in a

breath.“I’mnotproudofwhatIdid.Believeme.Itjusthappened.”

Sheplacedherhandonmybackandbegantosoftlyrubit.

“Sometimes these things happen. He is definitely fuckable and gorgeous, so I

don’tblameyou.Didyoujustleavehisplaceafterithappened?”

“Yes.Icouldn’tstaythere.”

“Didyouatleastexchangephonenumbers?”

“He wanted it and I told him no. I said it was a one-time thing and it would

neverhappenagain.”

“Good for you. #Delete without actually having to delete him.” She smiled.

“Don’t overthink what happened.” She kissed my head. “Chalk it up to a few

moments of great sex and move along. You’re far too busy to give it another

thought.”

“You’reright.”Isighed.“Alreadyforgotten.”

“Sureitis.”Shewinkedassheleftmyapartment.

After Natalie left, I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and

retreated to my bedroom for the night. I plugged my phone in, set it on the

nightstand, and climbed under the covers. As I lay there, my mind went into full

replay mode about the events of tonight. I didn’t want to rehash what had

happened.Iwantedtoforgetaboutit,butIcouldn’t.Thesexwastoogoodandso

wasChristian.HewastheexacttypeofmanIwouldfallinlovewith.I’dalready

felt the connection between us at Hellcat Annie’s and, to be honest, my intuition

wasn’tsayingawordtome.Butmenlikehimcouldn’tcommittoonewomanand

hehadprovedthatwiththenumberofwomenhedatedeveryweek.

****

Christian

AshardasItriedtogoonwiththenightandentertainmyguests,Icouldn’tget

Eloiseoutofmyhead.MaybeIshouldn’thavehadsexwithher.MaybeIshould

have just stopped at the kiss. But she wasn’t telling me to stop. Her body was

perfectionandthefeelingIgotwhileIwasburieddeepinsideherwasafeeling

I’d never experienced before. Shit. I needed to apologize to her for what

happened.

“Hey,Claire,”IspokeasIlightlyplacedmyhandonhershoulder.“Istherea

chanceyoucangivemeEloise’snumber?”

Shelookedatmeinbewilderment.

“Umm.I’msorry,Christian,butIcan’t.Icanaskherifshewantsmetogiveit

toyou.”

“Shewon’t.Shealreadytoldmenotonight.”

“Listen,she’sbeenhurtrecently.Notonlyrecently,butalot,andshe’stakinga

stepbackfromdating.”

“Ijustwanttotakeherouttodinnerandmaybegettoknowheralittlebetter.”

“Dinner and getting to know someone usually equals a date, and that’s

somethingshedoesn’twanttodorightnow.She’sgothercareerandthat’swhat

she’sfocusingon.”Shegavemeasmall,sympatheticsmile.

“Iunderstand.”Inodded.

“Thanksforinvitingme.Ihadagreattime.I’llseeyouonMonday,”shespoke.

“Haveagoodweekend.”Ikissedhercheek.

Aftereveryoneclearedoutandthecatererscleanedupandleft,Iheadedtomy

bedroom.AsIclimbedintobed,Iheldmycellphoneinmyhandandpulledupmy

textmessages.WasittoolatetotextDigits?Itwasmidnight,butshedidsayshe

wasoutwithfriends.

“Ihopeit’snottoolatetotextyou.”

“I’mawake,”sherepliedwithasmileyface.

“Didyoureveninggetanybetter?”

“Notreally.Howaboutyours?”

“Couldhavebeenbetter.”

“Somethinghappen?”

“Nah.Justgirlproblems.”

“Samehere,butsubstitutethegirlwithaguy.”

“Anotherdouchebag?”

“I haven’t decided yet. What’s your girl problem? If you don’t mind me

asking?”

“She’sjustsomeoneIwanttogettoknowbetter.”

“Thengoafterher.Youdoknowit’stheguy’sjobtochasethewoman.”

“Shewantsnothingtodowithme.”

“Thenshe’snotworththetroubleofgettingtoknow.”

“Perhapsyou’reright.I’llcatchyalater,Digits.I’mtired.Goodnight.”

“Catchyalater,MobileMan.Goodnight.”

MaybeEloisewasn’tworththetrouble,butIstillneededtoapologizetoher.

ChapterTen

Eloise

Iturnedoffmyalarm,stumbledoutofbed,andmademywaytothekitchenfor

a cup of coffee. I had hoped that sometime during the night, the sensation that

flowed through my body from Christian would cease. But it didn’t. After letting

outalongyawn,Igrabbedmycoffeeandheadedtothebathroomforashowerand

togetreadyfortheweddingIwasshootingtoday.ThethingIlovedaboutSunday

weddings was the fact that they were always in the afternoon and over with by

fiveo’clock.

Aftertheceremonyandphotoshootwiththebride,groom,andthebridalparty,

it was time to head to the reception at Antun’s in Queens Village. As I was

photographing the guests, I was startled when I heard a voice come up from

behindhim.

“Eloise?”

“Christian?”

My stomach twisted in a ball and a wave of heat swept over me as I turned

around.

“You’rephotographingthiswedding?”heasked.

“Yeah.Whatareyoudoinghere?”Inervouslyasked.

“Thegroomisafriendofmine.Wow.Ican’tbelieveyou’restandinginfrontof

me. I really need to talk to you. I tried to get your number from Claire, but she

wouldn’tgiveittome.”

“I’msorry,butI’mreallybusy.Idon’thavetimetotalk,”InervouslyspokeasI

neededtogetawayfromhim.

ThehumiliationIfeltaftertheeventsoflastnightwasoverwhelming.

“Afterthewedding,then.It’simportant.Please.”

“Christian,look—”

“Eloise,please,”hesoftlyspoke.

“Okay.Fine.Afterthewedding,butIonlyhaveafewminutes.”

“AfewminutesisallIneed.”

Hegavemeasmallsmileandwalkedaway.

Whatcouldhepossiblywanttotalktomeabout?Icouldbarelylookhiminthe

eye,letalonecarryonaconversationwithhim.Oncetheweddingcametoanend

and I said goodbye to the bride and groom, I headed out the door and found

Christiansittingontheedgeoftheretainerwallinfrontofthefountain.Itookina

long,deepbreathandwalkedovertohim.

“Hey.”

“Hi,”hespokeashestoodup.

“Sowhatdidyouwanttotalktomeabout?”Inervouslyasked.

“Ijustwantedtoapologizetoyouforlastnight.Ishouldn’thavecomeonso

strong.ItwaswrongandI’msorry.”

Waitaminute.Washeactuallyapologizingforhavingsexwithme?

Ididn’tknowhowtorespond.Noguyhadeverdonethatbefore.Itwasatthat

momentthatstupidfellfrommymouth.

“Don’tapologize.It’snotlikeItriedtostopyou.Iwasawillingpartner.”

“Still.ItnevershouldhavehappenedandIjustwantedtocleartheair.Iknow

howupsetyouwereafterwards.AndClaireisyourfriend,whohappenstobean

employeeofmine.I’msurewe’llrunintoeachotherfromtimetotimeandIdon’t

wanttheretobeanyawkwardness.”

IsighedasItookaseatonthewallandhesatdownnexttome.

“It’snotthatIwasupset,Christian.WhathappenedissomethingIdon’tever

do.”

“Youdon’teverhavesex?”Hesmirked.

Iletoutalightlaugh.

“Ihavesex,justnotwithaguyIdon’tknow.GuysareluckyifIgiveitupon

thefifthdate.”

“Irespectthat.You,Eloise,areawomanofvalue.”

“Somevalue.”Irolledmyeyes.

“Shithappens.We’veallmademistakes.Don’tbeatyourselfupoverit.Ijust

wantedtoapologize,that’sall.”

“Thankyou.Iappreciateit.Butyouseriouslyhavenoneedtoapologize.”

Hegotupfromthewallandbegantowalkaway.Afterplacinghishandsinhis

pockets,hestoppedandslowlyturnedhishead.

“Fortherecord,I’mhappyIwasyourfirst.”Hewinked.

Asmallsmilecrossedmylips.

“Fortherecord,I’mnotconsideringitamistake,”Ispoke.

Hegavemeasmallsmileandwalkedaway.Ialreadyknewthekindofeffect

hehadonwomen.ItwasthesameeffectIfelt.Womenfellhardandfastforhim

andifIgavehimanotherthought,Iwouldbecomeoneofthosewomen.Hencethe

reasonIcouldn’tgetinvolvedwithhim.Ipulledmyphonefrommypurseandsent

atextmessagetoMobileMan.

“How’syourday?”

“Funny,Iwasjustthinkingabouttextingyou.DayturnedoutbetterthanI

thoughtitwould.Yours?”

“It’sgood.Reallygood.”Iinsertedasmileyface.

“Gladtohear.Anymoredatesscheduled?”

“Notyet,butI’mworkingonit.”Isentthewinkyface.

“You’llfindtherightguy.I’msureofit.”

“I’mnotlookingforaguyorarelationshiprightnow.Justsomeanswers.”

“??”

“I want to know a man’s thought process when it comes to pursuing a

woman.”

“I’mnotsureIunderstand.”

“Iwanttoknowwhytheytakehoursordaystorespondtoatextmessage.

WhydotheysuddenlygoMIAorghostawomanafterleadingheron?”

“I see. Maybe I can help you with that. We should meet for a drink.” He

insertedthesmileyface.

“You’re smooth, Mobile Man. But all is good. I’ll get the information I

need.”

“Sonodrink?”

“No drink. Do you really want to ruin what we have by actually meeting

each other? Don’t you think this is fun? The two of us just randomly talking

everydaywithoutknowingwhotheotheris?”

“Iwilladmitit’sweird,Digits.ButI’mcoolwithit.Iliketalkingtoyou.”

“Iliketalkingtoyoutoo.”

“OnelastquestionandthenIhavetogo.Howoldareyou?”

Ididn’tseetheharmintellinghimmyage.Plus,itwouldbegoodtoknowhis.

What if he was some sixty-year-old man or something. Not that it would matter

becauseIlikedtalkingtohim.Butitwouldbekindofweirdtocarryonatexting

relationshipwithsomeonethatold.

“I’mtwenty-five.Andyou?”

“Thirty.”

ThankGod.Hewasonlyafewyearsolderthanme.

“Haveagoodnight,myfriend,”Ireplied.

“Youtoo,Digits.Besafeandbehaveyourself.”

“Youtoo.Don’tgooutandbeadouchebagtosomepoorgirl.”

“Iwillkeepmydouchebaggerytoaminimum.”

IsmiledasIclosedoutofmymessagesandplacedmyphoneinmypurse.It

wastimetogohome,getchanged,andhitupthebartotryandmeetsomeguys.

ChapterEleven

Christian

AsmuchasIhatedtoadmitit,IfeltthisincrediblystrongconnectiontoEloise,

a connection I had never felt before with any woman. Perhaps this was the

connectionI’dbeensearchingformyentiredatinglife.NotonlydidIfeelitthe

moment I laid eyes on her at Hellcat Annie’s, or the moment we had sex in my

bathroom, but sitting on the wall and talking to her made it even stronger. I

couldn’t explain it and I didn’t want to think about it anymore. She wasn’t

interested in dating anyone, and as hard as it was, I needed to respect that. I

wantedtoknowwhathappenedinherlastrelationshipandtherewasoneperson

whocouldtellme.

The next morning, after grabbing some coffee and getting settled into work, I

calledClaireintomyoffice.

“What’sup,Christian?”Shecheerfullysmiled.

“Haveaseat,please.IhaveaquestionaboutyourfriendEloise.”

Shesattherewithanarrowingeye.

“I’mnotsureIcanansweryourquestion,buttryme.”

Leaningbackinmychairandbringingmyankleuptomyknee,Ispoke,“What

happenedinherlastrelationship?”

“Excuseme?”Shecockedherhead.

“I’massuminghehurtherprettybad.Badenoughthatshedoesn’twanttodate

anyonerightnow.”

“Youmeandateyou,right?”

“Meoranyoneelse.Isitjustmeshedoesn’twanttodate?”Icautiouslyasked.

“Toputyourmindatease,Christian,no,it’snotjustyou.Eloisedoesn’twant

todateperiod.Asforherlastrelationship,itwasn’tevenarealrelationship.She

andtheguyhadbeentalkingforafewmonths,wentoutacoupleoftimes,andthen

hedecidedtheyweregettingtooclose.Thatwasthestrawthatbrokethecamel’s

backforher.She’sneverbeenluckyintherelationshipdepartment.Alltheguys

sheattractsaretotalassholes.”

Iraisedmybrowather.“Includingme?”

“Oh,God,no.Ofcoursenot.It’sjustthetimingofthetwoofyoumeetingwas

wrong.”

“Yeah.Maybeitwas.Thanks,Claire.”

“Sure.”Shenoddedwithasmallsmileasshegotupfromherseatandwalked

outofmyoffice.

Ipickedupapenthatwaslyingonmydeskandstartedtwirlingitbetweenmy

fingers.AsmuchasIneededtorespectherdecisionaboutnotwantingtogoout

withme,givingupwasn’tanoption.Tobehonest,Ididn’tevenknowwherethe

hellallthiswascomingfrom.Ididn’tchasewomen.Theychasedme.ButEloise

wasdifferent.AndeventhoughIreallydidn’tknowher,shepossessedsomething

Icouldn’texplain.

****

Eloise

Ididn’tgethomeuntiltwoa.m.ThankGod,myphotoshootwasn’tuntileleven

o’clock. Natalie and I hit up three different bars and I gave my number to three

differentguys.AsIwassittingonthecouchdrinkingmycoffeeandtryingtowake

up,myphonedingedwithatextmessagefromMobileMan.

“Goodmorning.Howdidyourquestgolastnight?”

“Good morning. Three different guys have become my victims. Now to

patientlywaitforthetextmessagestopourin.”

“Goodforyou,tiger!Justwantedtocheckin.Ihaveabusyday.Catchya

later?”

“Ihaveabusydayaswell.Catchyalater,MobileMan.”

Afterfinishingmycoffee,Iheadedintothebathroomtotakeashowerandget

ready for my photo shoot. Today’s shoot was for Vibe magazine, photographing

their spring collection for next year. They had a regular photographer they used,

buthehadafamilyemergencyandhadbeeninEuropeforthepastmonth,sothey

called upon me to take his place until he came back. I had about thirty minutes

untilIneededtogetreadytoleave,soIopenedmylaptopandstartedtolookfor

someotherbarsIcouldhituptonight.WhileIwasresearching,anadpoppedup

for a singles mixer over at the Loews Hotel, which was being held tomorrow

night.Whydidn’tIthinkofsomethinglikethatsooner?Myfingersstartedtyping

awayintheGooglesearchbar:SingleMixersinNewYorkCity.Jackpot!There

was Date & Dash, Weekend Dating, Flirt Fete, Eight at Eight, and a lot more

festivities around the city. Excitement overtook me. As much as I wanted my

friendstogowithme,Icouldn’taskthemsincetheywerealreadyinrelationships.

ExceptforNatalie,butshewasgettingreadytoleaveonatripwithhermomto

Hawaii.So,Iwouldbegoingsolo.

IsentthemodelsonabreakabouthalfwayintotheshootbecauseIcouldtell

they were getting tired and hungry. Pulling my phone from my purse, I noticed I

hadthreetextmessages.AllfromtheguysImetlastnight.

Frank:“Hithere!Itwasgreatmeetingyoulastnight.Areyoufreefordinner

thisweek?”

Ron:“Eloise,it’sRonfromlastnight.Youupforadrinklater?”

Mark:“Hi.Itwasgreatmeetingyoulastnight.Drinksanddinnersometime

soon?”

Iimmediatelyrepliedtoallthreemessages.

“HiFrank,I’mavailabletomorrownight.Sayseveno’clockatTavernonthe

Green?”

IfIplayedmycardsright,IcouldsqueezeinadrinkwithRonanddinnerwith

Markinthesamenight.

Hi,Ron.DrinkstonightatDidjo’s?Aroundsixo’clock?Ionlyhaveacouple

ofhours.”

Ron:“I’llmeetyouthere.Acoupleofhoursisgoodtostart.Seeyouatsix.”

Hi,Mark.Itwasgreatmeetingyoutoo.I’mavailabletonightfordinner.Why

don’twedoTavernontheGreenateight-thirty?Thatway,I’llhavetimetoget

readyafterwork.”

Mark:“Icandotonightateight-thirty.Seeyouthen.”

I smiled as I closed out of my messages. See what I did there? I didn’t give

them a choice. I took control, which only gave them about ten seconds to think

aboutit.IfIwouldhaveletthemchoosetheday,time,andplace,itwouldhave

giventhemtoomuchtimetothinkandthepossibilityofapromptdatewouldhave

decreased.

Afterthephotoshootended,Ilookedatmywatchanditwasfiveo’clock.It

would take me at least a half hour to get home, which meant I only had about

twentyminutestogetreadytomeetRon.AsIwasrunningthebrushthroughmy

longbrownhair,myphonedingedwithatextmessagefromMobileMan.

“Goodevening.Howwasyourday?”

“Busy,butgood.Howwasyours?”Iasked.

“Alsobusy,butnottoobad.Plansfortonight?”

“Actually,Ihavetwodates.”

“Two?Whatareyoudoing?Seeingthematthesametime?”

“LOL. No. I have drinks with Ron at six and dinner with Mark at eight-

thirty.”

“Ah.You’requitethelittlelioness,goingafterherprey.Isortoffeelsorry

fortheseguys.”

“They’llbefine.It’sallinthenameofresearch.”

“Icanstillhelpyouwithyourresearch.WhereareyoumeetingthisRonguy

fordrinks?”

“Wouldn’tyoulovetoknow?ThelastthingI’dneedisyoucominguptous

andtellinghimhowyou’retheguyItexteverysingleday.”

“Itwouldbefun,though.”

“Whatareyoudoingtonight?”

“Goingtoastripclubformyfriend’sthirtiethbirthday.”

“Ah,lotsoftitsandassforyoutonight.”

“Iguessso.”Hesentthewinkyface.“Havefunonyourdatestonight.Ineed

tojumpintheshower.”

“Iwill.Thanks.Youtoo.Domeafavoranddon’tpayextratohavesexwith

oneofthosestrippers.Godknowswhatyou’llcatch.”

“Lol. I wouldn’t touch any of them anyway. They aren’t my type. Catch ya

later,Digits.”

“Catchyalater,MobileMan.”

ChapterTwelve

Eloise

DrinkswithRonwasinterestinganddinnerwithMarkwasveryinformative.

Bothseemedlikeniceguys.Ididn’twanttooverloadthemwithquestionsrightoff

the bat, so I discreetly snuck them in when the opportunity was right. By time I

madeithome,itwaseleventhirtyandIwasexhausted.

KickingoffmyheelstheminuteIsteppedinsidemyapartment,Iwentstraight

tomybedroomandchangedintomynightshirt.ThewholetimeIwaswiththose

guys,Christianwormedhiswayintomymind.Infact,hewasonmymindmore

than he should have been. It wasn’t just the sex I kept thinking about, it was the

conversationwehadaftertheweddingandthewayheapologizedtome.Doesa

manevendothat?Hedidandhewassincere.IsenseditandIcouldtellbyhis

bodylanguageandhistone.Maybegivinghimachancewouldn’tbesobad?No.

Noway.Iwasn’treadytogodownthatroadagain.

I grabbed my laptop and climbed into bed. After getting myself situated, I

decidedtocheckmyemailformyblog.Myeyesjustaboutpoppedoutofmyhead

whenIsawthatIhadoverahundredmessagesfromthepastcoupleofdaysfrom

womenaskingrelationshipquestionsandseekinganswers.AsIwasreadingafew

ofthemover,myphonedingedwithatextmessagefromMobileMan.

“Iknowit’slateandI’msorry.Howdidyourdatesgo?”

“It’sokay.I’mstillup.Theywereveryinformative.Howwasthestripclub?”

“Likeanyotherstripclub.Iwanttomeetyou,Digits.”

“You’redrunk,MobileMan.”

“Maybealittle.Okay,maybealot.IthinkI’mdrunktextingyou.”

“Gotosleepandwe’llchattomorrow.”

I waited for a reply that never came. He must have passed out. Rolling my

eyes,Icontinuedtoreadacouplemoreemailsbeforedriftingofftosleep.

****

The next morning as I was sitting on the couch editing some wedding photos,

myphonedingedwithatextmessagefromClaire.

“Lunchtoday?”

“Sure.Whattime?”

“Noon.Cometotheadvertisingagencyandpickmeup.”

“Idon’tthinkthat’ssuchagoodidea.”

“Why?”

“BecauseIreallydon’twanttorunintoChristian.”

“Hewon’tbehere.Hehasaclientmeetingacrosstownateleventhirty.”

“Okay.SendmetheaddressandI’llseeyouatnoon.”

AsIwassittinginthebackofthecabonmywaytopickupClaire,Idecided

tosendMobileManatextmessage.

“How’sthehangover?”

“HowdoyouknowI’mhungover?”

“Youcelebratedabirthdayatastripclub.You’rehungover.”

“You’rerightandI’msorryIdidn’trespondlastnight.Ipassedout.”

“Ifigured.Didyoubringhomeanystripperswithyou?”

“Nah.Noneofthemwereinterested.”Hesentthewinkyface.

“Why?Wereyouusingyourdouchebaggerymovesonthem?”

“I’mnotsure.Idon’tremember,lol.”

As soon as the cab pulled up to the curb of 276 5

Avenue, I paid the fare,

climbedout,andsteppedintotheforty-one-storybuilding.Takingtheelevatorup

tothethirtiethfloor,Isteppedoutandwasgreetedbyayoungblondewomanwith

brightredlips.

“Good afternoon, welcome to Blake Group. How may I help you?” She

proudlysmiled.

“Hi.I’mheretoseeClaire—”

Before I could get her last name out, I heard her voice coming from the

oppositeway.

“Good,you’rehere.JustgivemeasecondwhileIgrabmypurse.”Shesmiled.

She walked past me and I glanced down at my phone, replying to Christian’s

textmessage.

“Youprobablydidn’tofferthemenoughmoney.”Isentthesmileyface.

“Ihopenot.I’musuallyaverygenerousguy.”

Iletoutalightlaugh.

“Soyoupaytopdollarforsex?”

“Sweetheart,Idon’thavetopayforsex.Womangiveituptomeforfree.”

I smiled, and as I looked up to see if Claire was coming, I saw Christian

headingtowardmewithhisphoneinhishand.

“Eloise.Whatanicesurprise.”Hesmiled.

My stomach started to flip in a million different ways, causing an

overwhelmingnervousnesstoerupt.

“Hi,Christian.”

“Howareyou?”heaskedashiseyesstaredintomine.

“I’mgood.Andyou?”

“Good.AreyouhereforClaire?”

“Umm.Yeah.We’regoingtolunch.”

“Haveanicelunch.”Hesmiled.“IhaveameetingacrosstownIhavetogetto.

Itwasgoodseeingyouagain,Eloise.”

“Youtoo,Christian.”Ipolitelysmiled.

“Youready?”Claireaskedasshewalkedup.

“You told me he wouldn’t be here!” I spoke through gritted teeth as I hooked

myarmaroundhers.

“Hismeetingjustgotpushedbackrightbeforeyougothere.Ididn’thavetime

towarnyou.Bytheway,whatthehellisgoingon?”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

We stepped out of the building and walked down to Ai Fiori because Claire

wasinthemoodforItalian.

“WhyareyoubehavinglikethattowardsChristian?Ireallydon’tunderstandit

atall.Imean,Iknowheaskedforyournumberandhe’sinterestedinyou,butyou

don’thavetoavoidhimliketheplague.Ialreadytoldhimthatyou’vebeenhurta

lotandyou’resteppingawayfromthedatingsceneforawhile.”

“What?!Whendidyoutellhimthat?”

“TheMondayafterhisparty.Hecalledmeintohisofficeandwantedtoknow

about your previous relationship. Oops. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that.”

Shebitdownonherbottomlip.

“And you told him that I have had nothing but one failed relationship after

another?”Inarrowedmyeyeather.

“I didn’t say that. I just said you haven’t been lucky in the relationship

department.”

“Ugh.Claire!”

“What?”

IswallowedhardbecauseIwasabouttotellherthatIsleptwithherboss.I

wasn’tsurehowshewasgoingtotakeit,butshehadtoknow.

“Wefuckedinhisbathroom.”

Sheletoutaroaringlaugh.

“I’msorry,IswearyoujustsaidyouandChristianfuckedinhisbathroom.”

Iloweredmyheadanddidn’tsayaword.

“Whatthefuck,Eloise!Isthatwhyyouranoutoftheresofast?”

Islowlynoddedmyhead.

“HowthehelldidthathappenandwherewasI?OhmyGod,yousleptwithmy

boss!”

“Itjustdid.Heshowedmewherethebathroomwasupstairsandthenhewas

waiting for me when I was done. It just happened and believe me, I’m still in

shockatmyselfforlettingit.But,IranintohimthenextdayattheweddingIwas

photographingandheapologizedtome.”

“Apologized?Forwhat?Havingsexwithyou?”

“Yes.”

“Whatmandoesthat?”Herbrowsfurrowed.“Listen,Eloise,youknowIlove

youtopiecesandItotallyrespectwhatyou’redoingforyourblog,butmaybeyou

shouldgiveChristianachance.There’sobviouslyastrongconnectionbetweenthe

twoofyou.”

“Andlookatwhereconnectionshavegottenmebefore.Thatdoesn’tmeanshit,

Claire.Yes,twopeoplecanhaveaconnection,butitdoesn’tstopmenfrombeing

jerks.Itallcomesdowntoawoman’sself-worthandvalue,andthemorewomen

put up with men behaving badly, the lower their self-esteem gets. We shouldn’t

havetoplaygamesorbeputthroughtheringerwiththeseguys.”

“I agree. But maybe, just a small maybe,” she pinched her fingers together,

“Christian is different. You could always just try him and then #Delete his ass.

Isn’tthatwhatyou’repromoting?”

“Yes.ButI’mnotinanypositionrightnowtoevenbethinkingabout#Deleting

someone.I’mfartoobusywiththeblogandmywork.Ohshit.”Ipulledmyphone

frommypurse.

“What?”Claireasked.

“Holdon.IhavetosendatextbacktoMobileMan.”

Shesighedandrolledhereyesasshesippedherglassofwine.

“Actually, it does cost you. You take them to dinner, drinks, and maybe a

movie.Thatcostsmoney.Sothesexisn’ttotallyfree,darling.”

“IwasstartingtothinkIscaredyouoff.”

“Lol, sorry. I’m out and about. I’m sure you’re busy with work. Catch ya

later?”

“Catchyalater,Digits.”

“FOCUS!”Claireloudlyvoicedasshepointedtoherself.

ChapterThirteen

Christian

FocusingonmymeetingwashardsinceIsawEloisestandinginthelobbyof

myfirm.ShelookedasbeautifulaseverandthemomentIsawher,thatnightinmy

bathroomstartedtoplayinmymind.Icouldn’tforgether.NomatterhowhardI

tried,shewasalwaysinmyhead.

WhenIarrivedbacktotheoffice,IwalkedovertoClaire’scubicleandasked

howherlunchwas.

“Itwasgood,Christian,”shespokeasshegavemeastrangelook.

“Good.I’mhappytohearthat.”Ituckedmyhandsinmypantspockets.

“Isthatall?”sheaskedasshecockedherhead.

“Yeah.”Inodded.

I walked away and went into my office. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I

noticedIhadatextmessagefromVictoria.

“Hey,handsome.Ihaven’theardfromyouinafewdays.Arewestillonfor

tonight?”

Shit.ItotallyforgotIhadsetupadatewithher.

“Hi.Sorryaboutthat.Workhasbeencrazy.Yes,wearestillonfortonight.

Whydon’twemeetatTavernontheGreenatseveno’clock?”

“Soundslovely.I’llseeyouthen.”

Sighing,Isetmyphonedownandturnedtomycomputer.

“Whatwasthatsighfor?”Peteraskedashewalkedintomyoffice.

“AdateIforgotIsetupfortonight.”

“Who’stheluckygirl?”Hesmirkedashetookaseatacrossfrommydesk.

“Victoria.”

“Isn’tshethechickyoumetthatnightattheartgallery?”

“No.Thatwassomeoneelse.”

Heslowlyshookhishead.“Dude,Ican’tkeepup.Whathappenedwiththeart

gallerychick?”

“Nothing.WehaddinnerandIcouldn’tgetawayfromherfastenough.Shewas

annoying.”

JustasPeterwasgoingtosaysomething,myphonedingedwithatextmessage.

Glancingoveratit,IlookedatPeter.

“Great.It’sher.”Irolledmyeyes.

“YousaidyouweregoingtocallmeandI’mstillwaiting.Whatisgoingon?

Ithoughtourdinnerwentwell.Ithoughtweconnected.Whyhaven’tyoucalled

meforanotherdate?”

“Well,”Peterspoke.“Whatdidshesay?”

“ShewantstoknowwhyIdidn’tcallherlikeIsaidIwasgoingto.”

“Don’trespond.Ihatechickslikethat.”

“Itwouldberudeofmenotto.I’lljustsimplytellherthatI’vebeenbusywith

work.”

“Bro,ifyoudothat,thenshe’llbeallupyourass.Silenceisabetterformof

rejection.”

“I guess you’re right. I don’t have time to deal with her anyway.” I set my

phonedown.

“StillthinkingaboutthatEloisegirl?”heasked.“Isawherinthelobbyearlier.

Whatwasshedoinghere?”

“ShewasmeetingClaireforlunch.”

“Iknowwhatyourproblemis.”Hepointedatme.“You’resoenthralledwith

herbecausesheturnedyoudown.Youwantwhatyoucan’thave.”

“That’snottrue,Peter.I’mattractedtoherinawayIhaveneverbeenattracted

toanyotherwomanbefore.”

“Becausesheturnedyoudown.”Hecockedhishead.

It wasn’t worth arguing with him over it. He was going to believe what he

wantedto,soIjustdecidedtogoalongwithit.

“Yeah.Maybeyou’reright.Maybetheappealtoherisbecausesheturnedme

down.”

“Thereyougo,man.”Hepointedatmeashegotupfromhisseat.“Nowforget

aboutherandenjoyyourdatewithVictoriatonight.”

Igavehimasmallsmileasheexitedmyoffice.

****

Eloise

When I returned home, I set my purse on the table, grabbed my laptop, and

resumed editing the wedding photos before I had to get ready for my date with

Frank. As I was diligently working, my phone dinged with a text message from

him.

“Hey,I’mnotgoingtobeabletomakeourdatetonight.Somethingcameup.

Anothertime?”

Isatthereandglaredatthetextmessagebeforeme.Hislackofexplanationand

onlystating“somethingcameup”wasalie.Andhis“anothertime”wascodefor

“wearen’tevergoingonadate.”ButIdecidedtoplayalongandseewhatexactly

thisassholewasupto.

“Bummer. I was looking forward to seeing you, but I totally understand.

Thingscomeupallthetime.Whenareyoufreeagain?”

“ImaybeavailableThursdaynight.I’llhavetocheckmyscheduleandget

backwithyou.”

“Okay. I’m free Thursday. If you can’t do dinner, maybe we can meet for

lunch.”

“I’llcheckitoutandletyouknow.Again,I’msorryIhadtocanceltonight.”

“Noproblem.”

MyasshewassorryandIcouldguaranteethatIwouldn’thearfromhimagain.

Iwentbacktoeditingthephotoswhenmyphonedingedagain.Thistime,itwas

fromanumberIdidn’trecognize.Openingthetext,IrolledmyeyesasIreadit.

“What’sup?”

“What’supismewonderingwhothisis?”Ireplied.

“Really?It’sEddie.”

Ah,EddieFischer.TheguywhomIhadn’theardfromforapproximatelyeight

months.Thesameguywhotookmeoutonfourdates,constantlytextmessagedme,

andthen—poof—disappearedwithoutatrace,AKAghostedme.

“Ithoughtyoudied.”IsmiledasIhitthesendbutton.

“Lol.Whywouldyouthinkthat?”

“Gee, I don’t know, maybe because it’s been eight months since I’ve heard

fromyou.Ifiguredyougotintosomekindofaccidentandwereburiedsixfeet

under.”

“That’s weird, Eloise. I’ve been really busy with work. I started a new

positionthattookupallofmytime.”

“Goodforyou,Eddie.Sowhyareyoutextingme?”

“Ithoughtmaybewecouldmeetupfordinnerandamovie;resumegetting

toknoweachotherbetter.”

“That’sniceofyou,butthetimetogettoknoweachotherbetterhasexpired.

Bye.”

I smiled as I deleted his text message and continued with my work. After I

finishedwiththelastphoto,Iwentintothekitchentothrowsomethingtogetherfor

dinner.WhileIwascuttingupsomevegetablesforastirfryandlisteningtosome

musiconmyphone,atextmessagecamethroughfromMobileMan.

“Gettingreadyforyourdate?”

“Mywonderfuldatecancelledonme,soI’mjustgoingtoenjoyanicequiet

eveningathome.”

“Hesucks.Whydidhecancel?”

“Heclaimssomethingcameup.”

“Ouch.Thatusuallyindicateshechangedhismindorgotabetteroffer.”

“I know. We’re supposed to set up something for Thursday, but I doubt I’ll

hearfromhimagain.”

“I’msorry.”Hesentthesadfaceemoji.

“Don’tbe.Iwasonlyusinghimforresearchanyway.I’mjustgoingtomake

myselfastirfryfordinneranddosomework.”

“I like stir fry. Maybe I can come over and keep you and your stir fry

company.”Hesentthewinkyface.

“I’mmyowngoodcompany.Butthanksfortheoffer.Whatareyourplansfor

tonight?”

“Ihaveadate.”

“Soundslikefun.Who’stheluckylady?”

“ItcouldbeagirlIcallDigits,butsherefusestomeetme,soIhavetosettle

forawomannamedVictoria.”

“Lol.I’msureyou’llhaveanicetime.”

“Perhaps.I’llcatchyalater,Digits.”

“Don’tbeadouchebag,MobileMan.Catchyalater.”

IsmiledasIsetmyphonedownonthecounterandcontinuedcookingmystir

fry.

ChapterFourteen

Christian

Isatontheedgeofmybedstaringdownatmyphone.Icouldn’tstopthinking

aboutEloise.IpulledupVictoria’snumberandgaveheracall.

“Hello,”sheanswered.

“Victoria,it’sChristian.I’mstuckatworkwithahugeproblem,soI’mgoingto

havetocancelourdatefortonight.I’msorry.”

“Damnyou,Christian.Iwasreallylookingforwardtoseeingyou.”

“IknowandI’msorry.Itcan’tbehelped.”

“Iunderstand.Callmesoonandwe’llsetsomethingup.”

“Iwill,andthanksforunderstanding,Victoria.I’llbeintouch.”

“Noproblem.Justdon’ttakeaslongnexttime.”

“Haveagoodnight.”

“Youtoo,Christian.”

IletoutasighofreliefandsentatextmessagetoDigits.

“Howaboutatextdatetonight?”

“Huh?”Shesenttheconfusedface.

“Wetalkovertextforafewhours.Unlessyouhavealotofworktodo.”

“IthoughtyouhadadatewithVictoria?”

“Icancelled.”

“Why?”

“Ididn’tfeellikegoingouttonight.”

“Soyouliedtoherandtoldhersomethingcameup?”

“ItoldherI’mheldupattheofficewithaproblem.”

“Thatwasadouchebagmove,MobileMan.”

“I know, but you don’t understand. I can’t stop thinking about this other

womananditwouldn’tbefairtoleadVictoriaon.”

“IguessIunderstand,butthenyouneedtotellVictoriathat.Youneedtobe

upfrontandhonest.”

“Sowhatdoyouwantmetodo?”

“Text her and tell her and then send me screenshots as proof. After you do

that,Iwillhaveatextdatewithyou.”Shesentthesmileyemoji.

“Areyouserious?”

“Very.”

“Fine.Justgivemeafewminutes.”

“Waiting…”

Icouldn’tbelievewhatIwasabouttodo.Andforwhat?Afewhoursoftext

talkwithagirlI’dneverevenmet?Digitswasworthit,though.Ienjoyedtalking

to her for some odd reason, and tonight, I wanted to spend an evening with her,

evenifitwasjustovertextmessaging.

IsentVictoriaamessagetellingherthatIliedandsomethingdidn’tcomeup.I

explainedhowitwouldn’tbefairtoleadheron.Shecalledmeeverynameinthe

bookandthentoldmetolosehernumber.Itookascreenshotoftheconversation

andsentittoDigits.

“Happy?”

“Actually,Iam,MobileMan.Thatwasverynobleofyoutocomeclean.Very

matureasfarasI’mconcerned.”

“Our text date will begin at nine o’clock. I’m going to grab some dinner

first.Unlessyouhavesomeofthatstirfryleft?”

“Sorry, I ate it all. I’ll be anxiously waiting for your text. Catch ya later,

MobileMan.”

“Catchyalater,Digits.”

IsmiledasIgotupfromthebedandheadeddowntothekitchen.

ChapterFifteen

Eloise

Aftercleaningupthekitchen,Ilookedatthetimeonmyphoneandsawitwas

seveno’clock.IhadtwohoursbeforemytextdatewithMobileMan,soIdecided

topouraglassofwineandtakearelaxingbubblebath.WhileIwasrunningmy

hands through the bubbly water, a text message came through on my phone from

Natalie.

“I know you’re on your date, but I wanted to tell you I met a guy and he’s

dreamy.”

“Frankcancelled.Somethingcameup.Whoisthisguy?Sendmeapic.”

“Fuck Frank! I’m sorry he cancelled. His name is Nathan and he’s from

LongIsland.Smallworld,eh?”

“Age?”

“He’s thirty-seven and an architect. Believe it or not, he seems to have his

shit together. He’s never been married, owns his own home, and he has a cat

namedLucy.Hetaughtmehowtosurf.”

“Aw,Nat,that’sgreat.Istillwantapic.”

“SowhatareyoudoingtonightsincefuckerFrankcancelled?”

“MobileManandIarehavingatextdate.”

“Huh?Whatdoyoumean?”

“We’rebothstayinghomeandtextingeachother.”

“Okay, seriously, Eloise, you’ve hit rock bottom. Just fucking meet the guy

already.Goonarealdate.”

“Nah, and I haven’t hit rock bottom. I don’t want to ruin our friendship by

meetinghim.Wehaveacoolthinggoingon.”

“Ihavetogo.MymomandIareheadingtolunch,butwe’regoingtohavea

longtalkwhenIgetback.Soprepareyourself.”

“Yes,Ma’am.Enjoyyourday!”

I set my phone down and closed my eyes, taking in the hot bubbly water that

soothedmyskin.AsIwasfeelinglikeIwasdriftingawaytoanotherworld,my

phone dinged. Opening one eye, I glanced over at it and stared at the number

carefully.ItwasLuke.

“Hey,Iknowyoudon’twanttotalktome,butIreallywanttotalktoyou.

I’mnotcomfortablewiththewayweleftthingsinourlasttext.Idolikeyou,

Eloise.It’sjustI’mconfused.”

IletoutalaughasIreadhistext.Washeserious?

“Youhavealotofballstextingme.Toobadyoudidn’thavethoseballswhile

we were seeing each other. Let me un-confuse you. You led me on, made me

think that you were interested in me, we flirted, we kissed, and then poof, you

disappearedandproceededtogivemeaspeechonhowyoufeltweweregetting

toocloseandyouneededtofocusonyouandthekids.Younevershouldhave

pursuedmethewayyoudidknowingyoudidn’twanttodate.Butyoudidand

youhurtme.Icanforgive,butIwillneverforget.You’reabreadcrumberwho

needsanegoboosteveryonceinawhile,andI’mnotthewomantogiveyou

one. You do not deserve my attention or my words. In fact, you don’t even

deservethesewords,butyou’regettingthemsoyou’llleavemethehellalone.

Youhavebeen#deletedandit’sgoingtostaythatway.Youdon’thavetheright

topopinandoutofpeople’sliveswhenitsuitsyou.”

“I’msorryandIunderstand.Itappearsyou’vegivenuponme.”

“Yourtimehasexpired.TakecareandIhopeyougetyourlifestraightened

out.”

Good lord, he was an idiot. For someone his age, it bewildered me how

unintelligent he was. What was with tonight? Return of the exes? I turned my

phone off so I could enjoy the rest of my bath in peace. After changing into my

pajamas,Igrabbedabottleofwinefromthekitchenandtookitovertothecouch.

IhadapproximatelythirtyminutesbeforemytextdatewithMobileManstarted,

so I opened my lap top and read some more emails from women all over the

world with relationship questions. Starting tomorrow, I would make daily blog

posts answering the questions they had. As I was reading over the emails, my

phonedingedwithamessagefromFrank.Withanarchinmybrow,Ireadhistext

message.

“Hey,I’mfreenowifyouwanttostillmeetup.”

“Really?Ithoughtsomethingcameup?”

“Itdid,butIresolvedit,sonowI’mfree.”

“Itakeityourotherdatestoodyouup?”

“What?Umm.No.Ofcoursenot.Whywouldyousaythat?”

“Listen,Frank.I’mnotstupid,sojustcomecleanwithme.Thesooneryou

do,thesoonerwecanwipetheslatecleanandmaybestartover.”

“Fine. I’m sorry, Eloise. I did lie to you. I met this girl this morning at a

coffee shop and I asked her out and the only time she had available was

tonight.”

“Goon…”

“We were supposed to meet at eight o’clock for dinner, but she called and

saidshechangedhermind.Shesaidsomethingaboutshe’snotoverherexyet.”

“Soyoubenchedmetogooutwithher,andifitdidn’tworkout,youfeltyou

couldalwayssetupanotherdatewithme?”

“IguessIdid.I’msorry.Canwestillgoout?Ireallylikeyou.”

“If you did REALLY like me, you wouldn’t have cancelled to go out with

some chick from the coffee shop you just met today. Our time to get to know

each other expired when you cancelled our date and failed to give me an

explanation.Justforfuturereference,Frank,womendon’tlikethe‘something

came up’ excuse. I am now going to delete your number from my phone, so

pleasedon’ttextmeagain.Infact,don’tevenrespondtothistext.I’vesaidmy

peace.”

I threw my phone down on the couch, took a sip of my wine, and continued

lookingovertheemailsIreceived.Itwaseightfifty-fivewhenmyphonedinged

withatextmessagefromMobileMan.

“Hithere.Howareyou?”

“Hi.You’refiveminutesearlyforourdate.”

“Iliketobealittleearlythanlate.Beinglateforsomethingisjustrude.”

Icouldn’thelpbutsmile.

“Yousoundlikeme.Ican’tstandbeinglateforanything.Mygirlfriends,on

theotherhand,areopposite.Mycancelleddateresurrectedandsentmeatext

messagetellingmethathe’sfreenowifIwantedtostillgoout.”

“HisotherplansfellthroughI’massuming.”

“Hemetagirlatacoffeeshopthismorningandbenchedmetogowithher.

SillyboyforthinkingthatI’dstillbewaitingaround.”

“Benchedyou?”

“Whenaguyputsagirlonthebenchtoseeifsomethingbetterisoutthere.

Kind of like keeping her in the wings. It’s comparable to when a basketball

coachbenchesoneofhisnot-so-greatplayerstoplaythereallygoodones.”

“Isee.Ididn’tknowtherewasawordforthat.Heactuallytoldyouthathe

metagirltodayatthecoffeeshop?”

“Yes.Imadehim.”

ItookascreenshotofourconversationandsentittoMobileMan.

“Damn,Digits,youreallytoldhim.I’mimpressed.”

“Thankyou.”Isentthesmileyfaceemoji.

ChapterSixteen

Christian

Digits was fierce and I couldn’t help but be a little turned on by her self-

confidence.Ineededto;no,Iwantedtogettoknowherbetter.

“HaveyoualwayslivedinNewYork?”Iasked.

“Yes.Andyou?”

“Yes.Doyouhaveanyotherfiercesiblingsoutintheworld?”

“No.I’manonlychild.MyparentstriedforyearsafterIwasborn,butmy

momcouldn’tconceive.”

“I’m an only child as well. My parents didn’t even want children to begin

with,butaccidentshappen.Areyourparentsstillmarried?”

“Yes. They have the best relationship ever. My dad is a one-of-a-kind guy,

andsofar,everyguyI’vemetdoesn’tevencomeclosetohim.”

“Soyou’researchingforsomeonelikeyourfather?”

“He’s a good guy who loves my mom very much. He’s never lied to her,

cheatedonher,andtheybarelyargue.Itwouldbenicetohaveaguylikethatin

mylife.”

“Soundsabnormaltome.”

“It’showIwasraised,somystandardsaresetprettyhigh.Whataboutyour

parents?”

“Mydadpassedawayafewyearsagoandmymomhassincegottenmarried

tosomeoneelse.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. It’s nice that your mom moved on. Do you like

him?”

“Thanks.Yes,Ido.He’sagoodguyandtreatsherwell.What’syourfavorite

typeoffood?”

“Italian.Unfortunately,Iloveallthosecarbs.”

“Lol.Metoo.ButIgettheimpressionyoustayfit.”

“Ido.Nowbacktorelationships.Whydon’tyouhaveagirlfriend?Youseem

likeaniceguywithouttoomuchdouchebaggerygoingon.”

“I’vehadacoupleofrelationshipsinmylife,buttheydidn’tseemtowork

out.Iwasbusywithmyworkanditprettymuchconsumedallmytime.Iguess

it’sjusteasiertodateavarietyofwomenwithoutallthedramaandhasslesofa

relationship.”

“Apersonisnevertoobusywhentheyfindtherightperson,MobileMan.”

“ThenmaybeIjusthaven’tfoundtherightwomanyet.”

“Whataboutthatgirlyouweretellingmeabout?Theonewhodoesn’twant

togettoknowyou?”

“She’soneIdefinitelycan’tstopthinkingabout.”

“What’ssospecialabouther?”

“She’sbeautifulandkind.Idon’tknowhowtoexplainit,Digits.There’sjust

somethingabouther.”

“Doesshehaveaboyfriendorsomething?”

“No.Shejustgotoutofarelationshipandisn’treadytodateanyoneyet.”

“Icanrelatetothat.Ifyouwantmyopinion,Ithinkyoushouldchaseher.

Makeherwanttogettoknowyou.”

“Isn’tthatafinelineofstalking?”

“No,lol.Womenlovetobechasedbymen.Justdon’tbecreepyaboutit,and

whateveryoudo,don’tbeadouchebag!Unlessshetotallydespisesyou.Does

shedespiseyou?”

“Idon’tthinkso.Shegetsreallynervousaroundme.Ithinkshewantstogo

outbutisafraid.FromwhatIunderstand,she’sbeenhurtinthepast.”

“Again, I can relate. Everybody’s been hurt by someone. If you really can’t

stopthinkingabouther,thendosomethingdifferenttograbherattention.”

“Likewhat?”

“I don’t know. Try to get to know her better without asking her on a date.

Makeitsomethingtotallycasual.”

“Good idea. I’ll give it some thought. So, what about you? What’s on the

datinghorizonformyfriendDigits?”

“Youalreadyknow,MobileMan.”

“Ah,that’sright.You’rejusttryingtogetinsidetheheadsofmen.Whatdid

yousayyoudoagain?”

“I’minsocialmediarelations.”

“Toovagueforme,darling.Idon’tquiteunderstand.”

“I’mawriterandI’mhelpingwomenwithrelationshipadviceformenwho

behavebadly.”

“Huh?Whatdoyoumean‘menwhobehavebadly’?”

“Guyswhoghost,bench,breadcrumb,zombie,etc.”

“LOL!Comeon!Whatthehelldoesallthatmean?”

“Have you ever disappeared from a woman’s life without any explanation?

Just cut off all contact abruptly because you didn’t feel like seeing her

anymore?Behonest,MobileMan.”

“Well,yes,Ihave.”

“You ghosted that poor girl. You already know what benching is because I

explained what happened to me tonight. Now, have you ever dated someone a

couple of times but aren’t really feeling it but don’t want to cut ties off

completely in case you get bored or lonely? Did you ever just randomly text

that girl, throwing out little nibbles of I’m interested still so please don’t go

anywhere?”

“Maybe.”

“Youareabreadcrumber,MobileMan.”

“You’rebeingridiculous,Digits.”

“Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,lookitupforyourself.”

“Sowhatthefuckisazombie?”

“Afteryoughostedawoman,haveyouevercomeback,likesixmonthslater

andoutofnowheretextherandaskwhat’sup?”

“Jesus,Digits.”

“I’ll take that as a yes. Zombie-ing is when the ghoster returns after a

periodoftime.Theyrisefromthedead,soIliketosay.”

“Ijustwanttosettherecordstraight.OnceI’mdonewithawoman,Idon’t

goback.So,no,Idonotzombie.Maybetheothers,butnotthat.”

“I take great comfort in knowing you’ve done the others but not that one,

lol.”

“Letmegetthisstraight,you’resayingthatonlymendoitandwomendon’t

dothisshit?”

“No. I know women do it, but I’m helping the ones get away from the men

whodoit.”

“Goodluckwiththat.Ithinkeverymandoesit.”

“Onlytheoneswhohaven’tfoundtherightwomantosharetheirlifewith.

Andtheoneswhoareseriouslyfuckedintheheadanddon’tdeserveawomanin

theirlifeperiod.”

“DoyouthinkI’mfuckedinthehead?”

“No,lol.Ijustthinkyouhaven’tfoundtherightwomanyet.Infact,Iwonder

ifthisgirlyoucan’tstopthinkingaboutistheoneforyou.”

“Guessonlytimewilltell.I’mgoingtotakeyouradviceandchaseher.No

matterwhat,Iwillgethertogooutwithme.”

“That’s the spirit, Mobile Man. I’m proud of you. It’s getting late and I’m

tired.Chattomorrow?”

“Ofcourse.Thiswasfun,Digits.”

“Itwas!”

“Istillthinkweshouldmeet?”

“And ruin this fun we have? I like it better this way. Good night, Mobile

Man.”

“Goodnight,Digits.Sleepwell.”

Isetmyphonedownandsighed.Talkingtoherhadbecomethebestpartofmy

day. As weird and strange as it sounded, I felt like she was becoming my best

friend.HowwouldIexplainthattopeople?

ChapterSeventeen

Eloise

It had been a long and exhausting day with back to back photo shoots: A

socialite who held a charity event at her house in the afternoon, and a couple’s

twenty-fifthweddinganniversaryatnight.BythetimeIgothome,itwaslateand

allIwantedtodowascollapseinbedanddriftoffintodreamland.Afterwashing

my face and changing into my pajamas, I picked up my phone from my bed and

sawIhadatextmessagefromRon.

“Heythere,sexygirl.Let’sdodinnertomorrownight.”

“Hi,Ron.Ihaveplanstomorrownight.How’sTuesdaynightlookforyou?”

“I’mleavingforoutoftownonTuesday.Ireallywantedtoseethatbeautiful

smilebeforeIleft.Cancelyourplansandhavedinnerwithme.”

“Ican’t.I’msorry.ButIamfreeforlunchifyouwanttomeetup.”

“Whydoyouhavetobesodifficult?Justcancelyourplans.”

Forfucksakes,wasthisguyserious?#Deleteontheway.

“The answer is no! I do not cancel my plans for anyone. Especially for

someoneI’veonlyhaddrinkswithforacoupleofhours.Ifthisisthewayyou

talktowomenonaregularbasis,it’snowonderwhyyou’resingle.”

“ForgetIevenasked.Youaren’tworthanymoreofmytime.”

Rollingmyeyes,Ideletedhisnumberfrommyphone.Iwaswaytootiredto

dealwiththisbullshitfromanyone.TherewasonethingIneededtodobeforeI

wenttosleep.

“Hi.Sorryittookmesolongtorespondtoyourlasttextmessage.It’sbeena

verylongandexhaustingday.”

“It’sokay.Ifiguredyouwerebusy.Areyouallright?”

“I’mfine.Justtired.Howareyou?”

“I’mgood.Puttingaplanintoactionforameetingtomorrow.”Hesentthe

winky face. “I won’t keep you. Get some rest, Digits, and sleep well. Good

night.Catchyalater!”

“Goodnight,MobileMan.Sweetdreams.Catchyalater!”

IalwaysfeltgoodaftertalkingwithMobileMan.Weweregrowingcloservia

textandasmuchashewantedustomeet,Icouldn’tbringmyselfto.Ilovedwhat

wehadandIwastooafraidthatifwemet,everythingwouldgotoshitandthat

was something I couldn’t risk. I didn’t believe a man and woman could just be

friends.

****

I was doing my last photo shoot for the week, which was good because it

would allow me to finish up previous edits and allow me to dive into my blog

full-time.WhenIfinished,IpulledmyphonefrommypurseandnoticedIhada

missedcallandtextmessagefromClaire.Dialinghernumber,Ibroughtmyphone

uptomyear.

“Hello,”sheanswered.

“Hey,youcalled?”

“Whereareyou?”

“Iwasdoingaphotoshootallmorning.Why?”

“Christianaskedmetocallyou.Hehasafreelancejobofferforyouandwould

likeyoutocomeintotheofficeifyou’reinterested.”

“Doingwhat?”Iasked.

“Photography,I’massuming.Canyoucomeinnow?”

“Idon’tknow,Claire.Idon’tthinkit’sagoodidea.”

“Eloise, it’s a job and I’m sure it pays well. You’d be a fool not to at least

listentohim.”

“Iguess.I’mnottoofar.I’llheadovertherenow.”

“Great.I’lllethimknow.”

I put my phone back in my purse and hailed a cab over to Christian’s

advertisingfirm.Whyonearthwouldheoffermeajob?Washedoingthispurely

forulteriormotives?Butphotographingforanadvertisingfirm,especiallyhisthat

wasontherise,couldmeanbiggerandbetterthingsforme.

WhenIarrivedathisoffice,IfoundClaire,whotookmetoseeChristian.The

moment I stepped through the double glass doors, he stood up from behind his

deskwithapanty-meltingsmileonhisface.

“Thankyouforcoming,Eloise.Please,haveaseat.”

“Hello,Christian.”Ipolitelysmiled.“Nowwhat’sthisaboutthefreelancejob

Claire told me about?” I asked as I took a seat across from his desk and tightly

crossedmylegstotryandstopthevibratingsensationIfeltbelow.

“I need a photographer. Our current photographer, Max, is out sick with

pneumonia and we have a perfume shoot coming up at the end of the week. You

werethefirstpersonIthoughtof.”Hesmirked.

“Whichperfumecompany?”Iasked.

“It’sforChanel.”

“Chanel?Areyoufreakingkiddingme?Howdidyouscorethat?”

Hechuckledandleanedbackinhischair.

“IhaveagoodfriendwhoisoneoftheV.P.’s.Theywerehavingsomeissues

with their other firm, so he called me up and asked if we’d be interested. If the

campaign goes well, he’ll bring us on board for all Chanel campaigns and

advertising.”

“Wow.Talkaboutpressure.”Iinhaledasharpbreath.“Youhaven’tevenseen

anyofmywork.HowdoyouknowI’mChanelworthy?”

Thecornersofhismouthcurvedupintoasweetsmile.

“I have faith in you. But I will need to see some of your work just to make

sure.”Hewinked.

“Ofcourse.Idon’thaveanythingwithmerightnow.”

“That’s okay. I can come with you back to your apartment and I can have a

look.”

“Youmeanrightnow?”

“Yes.Rightnow.”HelookedathisLouisVuittonwatch,whichsatproudlyon

hiswrist.“Infact,it’salmostdinnertime.Wecangrabsomethingontheway.”

Anervousnesssettledinsidemeandmyfootbegantoinvoluntarilytaponthe

floor. Chanel was too good of an opportunity to turn down. Shit. This would be

thebiggestshootofmylife.

“Okay.Idon’thaveanythingelsegoingontonight,”Ilied.

IwassupposedtogotoasinglesmixerintheFashionDistrict,butthatwould

havetowaitforanothertime.

“Excellent. We can leave now if you’re ready,” Christian spoke as he got up

fromhischair.

“Iam.”Ismiled.“CanIuseyourrestroombeforeweheadout?”

“Ofcourse.Letmeshowyouwhereitis.”

Iplacedmyhandonhismuscularchest.

“Just point me in the right direction. Remember what happened last time you

showedmewhereyourrestroomwas?”

“HowcouldIforget?”Heslylysmiled.

Wewalkedoutofhisofficeandhepointeddownthehallway.

“Thankyou.”Inodded.“I’llberightback.”

“You’rewelcome.”Hetuckedhishandsintohispantspockets.

AssoonasIenteredthebathroom,Ipulledmyphonefrommypurseandsenta

textmessagetoClaire.

“I’minthebathroom.Getinherenow!”

“I’monmyway.Whichbathroomareyouin?”

“Idon’tknow.TheonedownthehallfromChristian’soffice.”

“Ohokay.I’llbethereinasec.”

Iplacedmyhandsonthesinkandstaredatmyselfinthemirror.Christianwas

comingovertomyapartment,whichdidn’tsettlerightwithme.Beingalonewith

himshouldn’tbehard,butitwouldbe.Especiallyafterwhathappenedthatnight

athisparty.Thenightthathadbeenplayingoverandoverinmymindsince.The

bathroomdooropenedandClairewalkedin.

“What’sgoingon?”sheasked.

“Christianiscomingovertomyapartmenttolookatmyportfolio.”

“Okay?And?”

Igrabbedherarms.

“Didyounothearmecorrectly?Christianiscomingovertomyplace!”

“Iheardyou.Sowhat?Areyouafraidofhimorsomething?”

Iplacedmyhandsonmyheadandscrunchedmyhair.

“Oh.Iknowwhatthisisabout,”shespoke.“You’reafraidtobealonewithhim

becauseyoumighthavesexwithhimagain.”

“No.”Iwiggledmyfingerinfrontofherface.“Iamnothavingsexwithhim

again.”

“Eloise.” She sighed. “You know why you’re not going to have sex with him

again?”

“BecauseIsaidso?”Iarchedmybrow.

“No. Christian won’t make that mistake again. He already apologized to you

forlasttimeandhe’snotstupidenoughtotryitagain.”

“Iguessyou’reright.”Ileanedagainstthesink.

“I am right. Now go and show Christian your portfolio. This is all strictly

business.”

Isighed.“Okay.Justgivemeaminute.”

As soon as Claire left the bathroom, I pulled out my phone and sent a text

messagetoMobileMan.

“Ijustwantedtosayhi.”

“Hi.”Hesentthesmileyface.“Busydaytoday?”

“Yes.How’syourdaygoing?”

“Icanhonestlysaymydayisfantastic.”

“I’mhappytohearthat.Ihavetogo.I’mstillworking.Catchyalater?”

“Catchyalater,Digits.”

ChapterEighteen

Eloise

When I opened the door to the bathroom, Christian was leaning against the

wall.

“Ithoughtmaybeyoufellin.”Hegrinned.

“Veryfunny.”Iscrunchedupmynoseathimandhechuckled.

“Whatareyouhungryfor?”heasked.

“Pizza?”Ibitdownonmybottomlip.

“Pizzasoundsgoodtome.HowaboutPizzapopulous?Icancallitinnowand

itshouldbereadybytimewegetthere.”

“Ilovethatplace.”

“Metoo.”Hesmiled.“Whatkindofpizzadoyoulike?”

“Any kind really. Hawaiian, barbeque chicken, Mediterranean, or one with

everythingonitexceptanchovies.”

“Ah,you’reaneverythingonitkindofgirl.Ilikethat.”

After picking up the pizza, we headed back to my apartment. My belly was

doing backflips all the way there and it was pissing me off. Once we stepped

inside my apartment, Christian set the pizza box on the kitchen counter and I

grabbedacoupleofpaperplatesandnapkins.

“Ihavebeer,”Ispoke.

“Abeersoundsgood.Howmanypiecesofpizzadoyouwant?”

“Two,”IrepliedasIopenedthefridgeandgrabbedtwobottlesofbeer.

WebothtookaseatatmysmallroundtablefortwoandChristianpoppedthe

capoffhisbeerandtookasipwhileIbitintomypizza.Thesilencebetweenus

waseerie.Itwasalmostasifeitheroneofuswasafraidtosaysomething.

“Assoonaswe’redone,I’llgetmyportfolio.”

“I can’t wait to see your work,” he spoke as his eyes wandered around my

apartment.“Yourapartmentisnice.”

“Thanks.”Igavehimasmallsmile.

“Tellmealittlebitaboutyourfamily,”hespoke.

“Whydoyouwanttoknowaboutmyfamily?”

“Whynot?”Heshrugged.“Wouldyourathertalkaboutsomethingelse?”

“No.It’sjustme,mymomandmydad.”

“You’reanonlychild?”

“Yeah.MyparentstriedforyearsafterIborn,butmymomcouldn’tconceive.”

“Ah,that’stoobad.Areyourparentsstillmarried?”

“Yes.”Ismiled.“Theyhavethebestrelationshipever.Mydadisaone-of-a-

kindguy.”

****

Christian

I sat across from her with a bewildered look on my face. Those words. I’d

heard them before. My mind started racing at such an uncontrollable speed, I

couldn’tkeepup.Nah.Couldn’tbe.Ithadtobeacoincidence.Doesn’teverygirl

thinkherfatherisaone-of-a-kindguy?

“That’sgoodtohearyouthinksohighlyabouthim.Tellmemore.”

“He’s a good guy who loves my mom very much. He’s never lied to her,

cheatedonher,andtheybarelyargue.Icanonlycountmaybetwotimesmyentire

lifewheretheygotintoadisagreement.”Shesmiled.

Mystomachtwistedinatightknot.

“Yourstandardsforaguymustbeprettyhighthen,”Ispoke.

“Theyare.Veryhigh.”Sheheldupherbeerbottlebeforetippingittoherlips.

“What’syourfavoritetypeoffood?”IaskedasInarrowedmyeyeather.

“Italian.Unfortunately,Iloveallthosecarbs.”

Holyshit.Shecan’tbe.Thiswasallacoincidence.Igaveherasmall,nervous

smile.

“Ineedtouseyourbathroom.”

“Ohsure.It’sdownthehall,firstdoorontheright.”Shepointed.

“I’llberightback.”

IhadtoknowforsureandtherewasonlyonewayIcouldbecertain.Istood

aroundthecorner,pulledmyphonefrommypocket,turnedthesoundoff,andsent

atextmessagetoDigits.

“Ihopeyoureveningisgoingwell.”

Iheardherphonedingandshegotupfromthetableandtookitfromthekitchen

counter.

“Itis.How’syours?”

Myphonelitupwithareplyfromherandmyheartstartedracing.

“Good.Reallygood.Areyoustillworking?”Ihitthesendbutton.

Herphonedingedagain.

“Actually,Iam.You?”

“Yeah. I’m working and I better get back to it. Catch ya later?” I peeked

aroundthecornerandwatchedhertypeawayonherphone.

“Catchyalater,MobileMan.Don’tworktoohard.”

She set her phone down and took a seat at the table. I couldn’t believe this.

EloisewasDigits.Placingmyphonebackinmypocket,Itookmyseatandstared

ather.

“What?”Shesmiled.

“Nothing.I’mjustexcitedtoseeyourwork.”

“Okay.GositonthecouchandI’llgrabmyportfolio.Icancleanthisuplater.”

Itookaseatonthecouch,andafewmomentslater,Eloisesatdownnexttome

andopenedherportfolio.

“Wow.Thesearereallygood,”IspokeasIstudiedeachpageandphotograph.

“Thankyou.”

“Youdefinitelyhaveanaturaltalent,andthekindoftalentIneedfortheChanel

shoot.”

“WouldyouliketoseetheweddingphotosItookattheweddingwewereboth

at?”

Ilookedoveratherandcouldseetheexcitementinhereyes.

“OfcourseIwould.”Igrinned.

Shegrabbedherlaptopfromthecoffeetable.Pullingupthefile,sheopenedit

andanarrayofpicturesfilledthescreen.

“Thesearestunning,Eloise.Whatdidthehappycouplehavetosay?”

“Theyhaven’tseenthemyet,sodon’tletonthatyoudid.”

Ichuckled.“Iwon’t.It’llbeourlittlesecret.”Iwinked.

The thought that she was Digits harbored inside me. I wanted to reach out,

placemyhandonherbeautifulcheek,andtellherthatIwasMobileMan.ButI

couldn’t.Notyet.ItwouldmorethanlikelyfreakheroutandIcouldn’thavethat.

“Ishouldgetgoing.It’sgettinglate,”Ispoke.

“Yeah,okay.”

WebothgotupfromthecouchandIstartedtohelphercleanupfromdinner.

“Youdon’thavetodothat,Christian.Igotthis.”Shegrinned.

“Iwanttohelp,”IspokeasIgrabbedtheemptybeerbottlesfromthetable.

Oncewefinishedcleaningup,shewalkedmetothedoor.

“By the way, did I mention that the photo shoot is in Chicago and we leave

Fridaymorning?”

Shecockedherheadandraisedherbrowatme.

“No,youdidnotmentionthat.”

“Ihopeit’snotgoingtobeaproblem.We’llbebackonSunday.”

“You’reluckyIdon’thaveanyphotoshootsthisweekend.”Shesmirked.

“IguessIam.”Ismirkedbackather.

IttookeverybitofstrengthIhadinmenottoleaninandkissher.Thethought

of her soft lips tangled with mine again excited me. I placed my hands in my

pocketstostopanyinvoluntarymovement.

“Good night, Eloise. Oh, by the way, I know you don’t want to give me your

phone number, so just give me your email address and we can communicate

throughthat.”

“Well,sinceI’mdoingafreelancejobforyou,itwouldonlybeprofessionalof

metogiveyoumynumber.HoldonasecondandI’llgograbapieceofpaperand

apen.”

A few moments later, she returned and handed me the small pink post-it note

withherphonenumberonit.

“Thanks.”Ismiled.“Haveagoodnight.”

“Youtoo,Christian.”Thecornersofhermouthslightlycurvedupwardsasshe

closedthedoor.

ChapterNineteen

Eloise

AsmuchasItriedtonotfocusonhowintensetheeveningwaswithChristian,I

couldn’t help it. There was a part of me that had hoped his lips would have

brushed mine. He was a perfect gentleman and didn’t even try to come close to

flirting with me. He was successful, nice, and sexy as hell. He seemed to be

everything I wanted in a man. Well, I couldn’t really say that, could I? I barely

knew him. They all seemed that way at first, and once you invested time and

energyinthemandbecameattached,theypulledsomeshitthatmadeyouwishyou

never would have gotten involved in the first place. I turned off the lights in the

livingareaandretreatedtomybedroomforthenightwithmylaptop.

IsignedintomyblogandbeganwritingapostregardinganemailIreceived

fromawomannamedLina.

DearEloise,

ImetthismanfourmonthsagoandIfellheadoverheelsforhimrightfrom

the start. We connected instantly and have amazing and deep conversations.

He’s the same age as I am and has been married and divorced twice. I was

hesitant to give him my number at first because I felt I wasn’t ready to date,

even though I’d been divorced two years. We started out emailing each other

and then I felt comfortable enough to give him my number. He texted me

instantlyandwesentmessagesbackandfortheveryday.Inthefourmonthswe

kneweachother,weonlywentoutonadateacoupleoftimesanditwasduring

theday.Itseemedasthoughhewasalwaysbusy,evenwhenhedidn’thavehis

kids. Then one day, the texting stopped. I would text him and get a very short

response.Eitheranemojioraone-wordsentence.Hekepttellingmeoverand

over how much he really liked me but wasn’t ready to jump into an official

relationship. It’s been over two weeks and I haven’t heard a single word from

him.IdohavehimasaFacebookfriendandIcanseehe’sonlineallthetime,

especiallylateatnight.Idon’tknowwhattodo.IreallylikehimandIthought

helikedmetoo.I’mhavingahardtimetryingtoforgethimandthefeelingof

beingrejectediskillingme.Anyadvicewouldbegreatlyappreciated.

IfeltforherandIcouldrelatetoeverythingshewasfeelingandgoingthrough

withthisdouchebag.JustasIwasabouttowritemyblogpost,myphonedinged

withatextmessagefromMobileMan.Instantly,asmilecrossedmylips.

“Hithere,beautiful.How’syourevening?”

“Hi!Whyareyoucallingme‘beautiful’?YouhavenocluewhatIlooklike.

Myeveningisgood.Justdoingsomeworknow.”

“Idon’thavetoknowwhatyoulookliketothinkyou’rebeautiful.That’sthe

beautyofourtextrelationship.Wecantellhowtheotherpersonisjustbyour

conversations.”

“Isthatso?ThenwhatelseamI?”

“Ithinkyou’reakindandsweetwomanwhoisstrongandindependent.You

knowwhatyouwantandyou’llstopatnothingtogoafterit.”

“True,lol.Areyoudrunk?”

“Lol.No,I’mnotdrunk.I’mcomplimentingyou.Isn’tthatwhatfriendsdo?”

“Iguessso.Youseemdifferenttonight.What’sgoingon?”

“Itookyouradviceaboutchasingthegirl.”

“Oh?And?”

“ImadeprogresswithherandI’mfeelingreallygood.”

“That’sgreat,MobileMan.I’msohappyforyou!”

“Thanks,Digits.Icouldn’thavedoneitwithoutyou.”

“Didyouaskherout?”

“Notyet,butthetimeiscoming.I’mtakingitslowfornow.Idon’twantto

scareheroff.”

“Idon’tthinkyou’llscareheroff,butifyoudon’tgetanywherewithherina

coupleofweeks’time,youmayhaveto#Deleteher.Orifshestartstodisplay

thewholebench,ghost,orbreadcrumbingbehavior.”

“Idon’tthinkshe’ddothat.”

“Nobodythinkstheotherpersonthey’reinterestedinwoulddothat,butthey

do. Shit, Mobile Man, you’ve done it. It’s too easy nowadays to avoid

confrontation.Justbeonthelookout.Idon’twantyoutogethurt.”

“Youdon’t?Tellmewhy.”

“Becauseyou’remyfriendandallIwantisforyoutobehappy.”

“Youdon’tevenreallyknowme,Digits.”

“Callitmywoman’sintuition.”

“Ifwe’rebeinghonest,allIwantisforyoutobehappytoo.Iwantyouto

findthemanofyourdreams.Amanwhowouldneverdothosethingstoyouand

wouldneverhurtyou.”

“Wow. That’s deep. Thank you. I appreciate it, Mobile Man. But I’m not

lookingforthemanofmydreams.Idon’tbelieveheexists.”

“He does, Digits. I’m sure of it. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Catch ya

later?”

“Youtoo.Catchyalater.”

I smiled as I set my phone down. The things Mobile Man said to me were

sweetanditmademefeelwarminside.Washetryingtomakemefallforhim?

Shit.Myemotionswererunningatanall-timehigh,betweenhimandChristian.

ChapterTwenty

Christian

IwasupallfuckingnightthinkingaboutDigits,AKAEloise.Thedatesshe’d

been on but the fact that she wouldn’t go out with me burned a hole in my soul.

HowwasIgoingtotellherthatthemanshe’dbeentextingallthistimewasme?

The most important question was when was I going to tell her? This was one

secretIhadtokeepalittlewhilelonger,atleastuntilafterourChicagotrip.Iwas

goingtodoeverythingIcouldtomakethattriponeshe’dneverforget.

AsIwasstandinginlineatStarbucks,grabbingacoffeebeforeheadingtothe

office,IpulledmyphonefrommypocketandsentatextmessagetoDigits.

“Goodmorning.Ihopeyousleptwell.”

“Goodmorning.Idid.Howaboutyou?”

“Notbad,”Ilied.“Ihopeyouhaveagreatday.”

“Thanks,MobileMan.Ihopeyouhaveagreatdaytoo.”

“Iwill,Digits.Trustme!Catchyalater.”

“Catchyalater.”

Withasmileonmyface,Iplacedmyphonebackintomypocket,grabbedmy

coffee, and walked the two blocks to the office. Knowing that I was talking to

Eloisemademydayevenbrighter.

“Someone’sinafantasticmood.”ClairesmiledasIwalkedpastherdesk.

“Goodmorning,Claire.Iaminafantasticmood.”

Shegotupfromherchairandfollowedmeintomyoffice.

“Umm.HowdidthingsgowithEloise?”

“Things went well. Her portfolio is outstanding and the two of us leave for

ChicagoFridaymorning.”

“Good.I’mhappysheacceptedthejob.Soit’sjustgoingtobethetwoofyou

inChicagoforacoupleofdays?”

“Yes.Why?Well,thetwoofusandsomeofthepeoplefromChanel.”

“Justwondering.Ididn’tknowifPeterorJimmyweregoing.”

“Nah.Ineedthemhereatthefirm.Isthereanythingelse?”

“No.”Sheshookherhead.“I’mgoingtogetbacktowork.”Sheslowlywalked

outofmyoffice.

“Thanks,Claire.”

****

Eloise

IwasjustheadingoutthedoortodelivertheweddingproofstoKimandGrant

whenmyphonerang.

“Hey, Claire, what’s up?” I asked as I stepped out of my apartment building

andontothestreet.

“DidanythinghappenbetweenyouandChristianlastnight?”

“No.”Ilaughed.Why?”

“Hecameinthismorninginareallygoodmood.Ithoughtmaybehespentthe

night.”

“No,hedidn’t.Wehadpizzaandbeer,talked,Ishowedhimmyportfolio,and

heleft.Hedidn’ttryathing.Itwasstrictlyprofessional.”

“Oh,okay.Maybehewentoutlastnightafterheleftyourplace.”

“Idon’tknow.Maybe.”

After we said our goodbyes, a stinging sensation shot through my heart. The

thoughtofChristiangoingoutlastnightafterleavingmyplacebotheredmeabit.

Maybe that was why he didn’t try to kiss me? Or flirt with me? Maybe he was

already going on a date and that was why he left when he did. Either way, I

neededtostopthinkingaboutitandhim.

Afterdroppingofftheproofs,IheadedtoStarbucksforacupofcoffeeonmy

wayhome.IwaswaitinginlineformydrinktobemadewhenIoverheardtwo

womencomplainingaboutmen.Myearsperkedupinstantly.

“Iced Grande caramel macchiato with nonfat milk for Eloise,” the barista

spoke.

“Thankyou.”Ismiled.

Aftergrabbingmycoffeefromthecounter,Iwalkedovertothetablewherethe

twowomensat.Theywerebothintheirlatetwenties,earlythirtiesatthemost.

“Excuseme,”Ispoke.“Icouldn’thelpoverhearaboutyourmanissues.”

Both women glared at me like I had some nerve intruding on their private

conversation.

“I’m sorry. I’m Eloise.” I held out my hand. “I have a dating blog. The

Chroniclesof#Delete.”

“I’mSaraandthisismyfriend,Tia.”

“Nicetomeetyouboth,”Ispoke.

“Pleasehaveaseat.”Saragestured.

“Yousayyouhaveadatingblog?”Tiaasked.

“Yes.Mygoalistoteachwomenabouttheconceptof#Deletebeforetheyget

tooinvolvedwithaman.Tohelpthemseetheredflagsthatpopupintheearly

stagesofdating.”

“Well, there’s this man I met a couple of months ago,” Sara began to speak.

“Wehititoffinstantlyandexchangednumbers.Thatsamenight,wetalkedonthe

phoneforovertwohours.Afterthat,Ididn’thearfromhimforthreedays.So,I

reachedouttohimandwesetupadate.Hetookmetodinnerandthenwewalked

inCentralParkandtalkedaboutlife.Afterourdate,hetoldmehe’dcallmethe

next day. A week went by and he never called or texted me. I spent that week

replaying our date in my head, trying to see what could have gone wrong. Then,

anotherweekwentby,andjustwhenIwasputtinghimoutofmymind,hesentme

atextmessageandaskedhowIwasdoing.”

“Letmeguess.”Ismiled.“Youinstantlyreplied.”

“Idid.IwasjustsohappythatIfinallyheardfromhim.”

“Whatdidyourespondwith?”Iasked.

“ItoldhimthatIwasdoinggoodandhowhappyIwastohearfromhim.He

saidhe’dbeenthinkingaboutmeandhewassorryhehadn’tbeenintouch,buthe

wasworkingcrazyhoursbecausehe’supforapromotion.Healsosaidthathe’d

beintouchinacoupleofdayswhenhehadabetterhandleonhisscheduleand

he’dtakemeout.”

“Didhegetintouchwithyou?”IarchedmybrowbecauseIalreadyknewthe

answer.

“He did. Exactly nine days later. Once again asking me how I was and if I

missedhim.”

Iplacedmyhandovermyfaceandslowlyshookmyhead.

“Pleasetellmeyoudidn’ttellhimyoudid.”

“Yep.Shetoldhim,”Tiaspoke.

“Didheenduptakingyouout?”Iasked.

“No.” Sara looked down in embarrassment. “It’s become a pattern with him.

He’lltextmeeveryotherweekandhandmesomeexcuseastowhyhehadn’tbeen

intouch.”

“Wait,itgetsbetter.”Tiasmiled.

IlookedatSarawithanarrowedeye.“Whathappened?”

“Ijoinedanewgymandranintohimtherelastweek.Icouldtellbythelook

onhisfacethathewasshockedtoseeme.Iaskedhimhowhewasdoing.Hetold

mehishardworkpaidoffandhegotthepromotionandthathe’dhavesomefree

timenowtogoout.Wemadesmalltalkandheleft.”

“Haveyouheardfromhimsincethegymmeeting?”

“No,andIcan’tstopthinkingabouthim.Ihatethis,andIdon’tknowwhatto

do.”

“I’ll tell you what you’re going to do,” I spoke. “You’re going to delete his

numberfromyourphoneandpretendheneverexisted.”

“Idon’tthinkIcan.Ijustfeelinmyheartthere’sapossibilityhe’sgoingtotake

meout.”

“Listen,Sara.”Ireachedacrossthetableandplacedmyhandonhers.“What

he’sdoingisatermcalledbreadcrumbing.”

“What?”Herbrowsfurrowed.

“It’swhenaguywillreachouttoyouwhenhe’sfeelingboredorlonely.It’san

ego boost for him knowing you’re still out there hanging on. He’s throwing you

littlebreadcrumbstokeepyouinterestedwithoutanyintentionoftakingyououtor

getting serious. I can guarantee he has a lot of women in his life that he’s doing

thisto.”

“Butwealreadywentonadate,”shespoke.“That’swhatIdon’tunderstand.”

“Maybehewasn’tfeelingit,ormaybeheknewifhetookyououtatleastonce,

thatwouldbeenoughtogetyouhooked.”

“ButImisshim.”Shepouted.

“Let me ask you this. What is it that you miss about him? Are you really

attached to him or to the outcome of this relationship? Because sometimes, we

womenaren’treallyintotheguyasmuchaswethinkweare.”

Ireachedintomypurseandtookoutapenandmysmallnotepad.Drawinga

linedownthecenterofthepaper,IlabeledtheleftsidePROS,andtherightside

CONS.Afterplacingitinfrontofher,Ispoke,“Iwantyoutolistalltheprosand

consofthisguy.”

Shepickedupthepenandbeganwriting.Onceshewasfinished,shelookedat

both sides. On the left side that was labeled PROS, she had written down three

thingsabouthim.OntherightsidethatwaslabeledCONS,thecolumnconsisted

ofeightthingsthatshefoundwrongwithhim.

“Hmm,” she spoke as she studied what she wrote down. “The cons outweigh

thepros.”

“Exactly.”Ismiled.“Youareabeautifulwomanwithhighstandardsandself-

worth.Thisloserwhoonlycontactsyouwhenitsuitshimisawasteofyourtime.

Andthelongeryouholdontothehopethathe’llcallandaskyououtagain,the

longeryouareblockingyourdreamguyfromwalkingintoyourlife.”

“OhmyGod,Eloise,you’reright.Idon’tdeservetobetreatedthisway.”

“No,youdon’t.Thismanislowinvestment.Womendon’thavetimetoputup

withlow-investmentmen.Ifheisn’thighinvestment,it’stimeto#Delete.”

“SowhatshouldIdoifbychancehecrawlsoutofthewoodworkandtextsme

again?”

“Yourespondwiththis:‘Yourtimetotalktomehasexpired.Bye.’Thenswipe

anddelete.”

“I love you!” She grinned as she threw her arms around me from across the

table.

“You should really host some dating classes or make videos,” Tia spoke.

“You’reveryinspiring.Iamtotallygoingtofollowyourblog.”

“Me too!” Sara smiled. “Thank you, Eloise. You have no idea how much

you’vehelpedmetoday.”

“You’re welcome.” I got up from my seat. “Let me know what happens. You

canfindallmycontactinformationonmyblog.”

ChapterTwenty-One

Eloise

IleftStarbucksfeelinglikeamillionbucks.KnowingthatIhelpedSararealize

themanshelikedwasatotaldouchebagandthatshewaswastinghertimemade

me feel incredible. I was walking down the street, reveling in my glory, when I

turnedthecornerandliterallyranintoLuke.

“Eloise,”hespokeinshockashelightlytouchedmyarm.

It was inevitable that we’d eventually run into each other. Even though there

areeightmillionpeoplewholiveinNewYorkCity,itwouldbemylucktorun

intothedouchebagswhoquicklyenteredandthenjustasquicklyexitedmylife.

“Sorry.Ididn’tseeyou,”IspokeasItriedtowalkpasthim.

“Wait.Youlookgreat.Howareyou?”

Igavehimacunningsmile.

“I’mfantastic!”

Helookedlikehehadn’tshavenindaysandhishairwasinbadneedofacut.

“Listen,Iknowyousaidsomethingstomeduringourlastconversation,butI

was wondering if maybe you wanted to go get a drink? I don’t have the kids

tonight.”

Therewasalaughterinsidemethatwasdyingtoescape.Butinstead,Istood

theresmilingathim.

“Letmeaskyouaquestion.Canyouseethe‘Fuckyou’inmysmile?”

Hestoodthere,staringatmewithanarrowedeye.

“Fine.Iguessthat’sano.Haveagoodlife,Eloise.Iwon’tbotheryouagain.”

“Thankyou,Luke.Ireallydohopeyougetyourlifetogether.Justdomeone

favor.”

“What’sthat?”heasked.

“Don’ttoywithwomen’semotions.Ifyoudon’twanttodateanyonerightnow,

just stay away from women altogether. Don’t lead them on and make them think

they’re special. And for the love of God, just be honest from the beginning. It’ll

saveyoualotoftrouble.”Ibegantowalkaway.

“Onemorething,Eloise.”

Istopped,rolledmyeyes,andturnedaround.

“Iamsorry.”

I gave him a small smile and headed home. Just as I opened the door to my

apartment,myphonedinged.Pullingitfrommypurse,IsawIhadatextmessage

fromMobileMan.

“How’syourdaygoing?”

“It’sfabulous!”

“That’s what I like to hear. Anything special happen to put you in such a

fabulousmood?”

“Asamatteroffact,IhelpedawomanoutatStarbuckswitharelationship

issue.”

“Ah.Goodforyou.So,Iguessyou’reanexpert.”

“Lol.Notyet,butI’monmyway.Infact,Ihavetogogetreadyforasingles

mixerI’mattendingtonight.”

“Oh.You’regoingtooneofthose?”

“Yes.Catchyalater?”

“Sure.Catchyalater.”

****

Christian

I threw my phone across my desk and leaned back in my chair. The fucking

thoughtofhergoingtoasingle’smixerandpotentiallymeetingsomeoneenraged

me.JealousycoursedthroughmybodythemoreIthoughtaboutit.

“Fuck!”Iyelled.

“Areyouokay,Christian?”Claireaskedasshesteppedintomyoffice.

“NO!”

IstoodupfrommyseatandtuckedmyhandsinmypocketsasIpacedaround

theroom.

“AnythingIcandotohelp?”

“Yeah. You can stop your friend from going to a singles mixer tonight,” I

accidentallyblurtedout.

“What?Who?YoumeanEloise?”

Shit.Shit.Shit.

“Ishouldn’thavesaidthat.I’msorry,”Ispoke.“Justforgetit.”

“Shetoldyoushe’sgoingtoasingle’smixertonight?”

IheavilysighedasIranmyhandthroughmyhair.

“Whywouldshetellyouthat?”sheasked.

“Shedidn’ttellmethat.”

“Thenhowdoyouknow?”sheaskedinconfusion.

I sat down in my chair and placed my face in my hands. How the fuck was I

goingtogetoutofthisone?

“Christian,whatthehellisgoingon?IfEloisedidn’ttellyoushe’sgoing,then

howdidyoufindout?Areyoustalkingherorsomething?Havingherfollowed?

Tappingherphone.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Claire. Do you honestly think I would do any of those

things?”

“Noneofthismakessense.”

Iinhaledadeepbreath.

“Eloisedidn’ttellmedirectly;Digitsdid,”IspokeasIstaredather.

Fuck.Ihadnochoice.

Her brows furrowed and the look on her face told me she was in a state of

confusion.ShewasoneofEloise’sbestfriends,andIwassureshetoldherabout

MobileMan.

“Waitaminute.”Sheputherhandup.“HowdoyouknowaboutDigits?”

Igrabbedmyphonefrommydesk,broughtupourtextmessages,andshowedit

toClaire.Afteramoment,sheplacedherhandoverhermouthandlookedatme

withwideeyes.

“You’reMobileMan?”

“Yes.”

“Holyshit.DoesEloiseknow?”

“No,andyouarenottotellhereither.Doyouunderstandme?Ijustfoundout

whenIwenttoherapartmenttolookatherportfolio.Iaskedheraboutherparents

andshetoldmewordforwordwhatDigitstoldmeinourtextmessages.”

“Ihavenowordsrightnow,Christian.Absolutelynowords.”

“I’mstillinshockmyself.”

“Youhavetotellher.”

“Iwill.Justnotrightnow.I’mplanningonitaftertheChicagotrip.”

“Why?Whyareyouwaiting?”sheasked.

“BecauseIwanttomakeChicagoatripshe’llneverforget,Claire.IfItellher

thatI’mMobileMan,shemaynevertalktomeagain.”

“Butyoudon’tknowthatforsure.ShelikesMobileManalot.Like,everytime

I’mwithherandatextfromyoucomesthrough,shegetsthisbigsmileonherface.

Shealreadyfeelstheconnection,soherknowingwon’tchangethat.”

“It’sachanceI’mnotwillingtotakeyet.Please,don’ttellher.”

Shesatthereinthechairshakingherheadashereyesburnedintomine.

“Iwon’t.Iwantnothingtodowiththis.IfsheeverfoundoutIknew,shewould

probablyendourfriendship.”

“Thenforgetaboutit.Thisconversationneverhappened.”

“You’reright.”Shegotupfromherseat.“Itneverhappened.Asforhergoing

tothesinglesmixertonight,youhavenothingtoworryabout.She’snotouttofind

aman.She’sonlyusingthemfortheirdumbbrains.Nooffense.”

“Nooffensetaken.”Ismiled.

ChapterTwenty-Two

Eloise

IspenttherestofthedaycleaningmyapartmentandgettingitreadysoIcould

filmavideoformyblog.Ghostinghadseemedtobeahugeissuewithguys,soI

wantedtotacklethattopicfirst.AsIwassettingupmycamera,myphonedinged.

WhenIlookedatthenumber,itwasoneI’dneverseenbefore.Openingmytext

messages,IsawitwasfromChristian.MybellydidaflipandIquietlytolditto

stop.

“Hi,Eloise,it’sChristian.Ijustwantedtosendyouaquicktexttoletyou

knowthatourflightforChicagoleavesFridaymorningatsevena.m.I’llswing

byandpickyouuparoundfivea.m.”

“Hi,Christian.Soundsgood.I’llbeready.”

“Inthemeantime,ifyouhaveanyquestions,feelfreetocallme.”

“Thankyou.Iwill.”

Fivea.m.?Ugh.I’dhavetomakesureeverythingwaspackedandsittingbythe

doorthenightbefore.Settingmyphonedown,IlitthecandlesIhadsittingonthe

tableandtookaseatonmywhiteleathercouch.Turningmycameraon,Ibeganto

filmmyvideo.OnceIfinished,itwastimetogetreadyforthesinglesmixerIwas

attendingtonight.

****

Christian

Iturnedoffmycomputer,grabbedmybriefcase,andasIwaswalkingoutofmy

officefortheevening,Clairestoppedme.

“Christian?”

“What’sup,Claire?I’mleavingfortheday.”

Shehandedmeafoldedwhitepieceofpaperandwalkedaway.

SinglesMixer

EmpireHotelRooftopLounge

7:30p.m.

After reading the note, I looked up and Claire was already gone. Folding the

paperandplacingitinmypocket,IheadeddowntoPeter’soffice.

“Hey.”Ilightlytappedonthedoorbeforesteppinginside.

“Hey.You’releavingalready?”heasked.

“Yeah.Whatareyoudoingtonight?”

“Actually,Iwasgoingtoaskyouthesamething.Iwasthinkingsomedrinking

atthebarwasinorder.”

“I’vegotsomethingbetter.”

“What?”

“AsinglesmixerattheEmpireHotelRooftopLoungeat7:30.”

Helaughed.“Sincewhendoyougotoasinglesmixer?”

“Idon’t.I’veneverneededto,butsomeoneisgoingtobetheretonight.”

“Who?”Hecockedhishead.

“Eloise.”

“Shewon’tgooutwithyou,butshe’llgotoasinglesmixer?”Helaughed.

“I guess so. Are you up for going? Maybe you’ll meet the woman of your

dreamsthere.”

“Why not.” He shrugged. “I’m going to stay back and finish up the Levitt’s

Campaign.I’llmeetyouthere.”

“Soundsgood.”

****

Eloise

AsIwasinthebathroomgettingreadytogoout,Iheardaknockatmydoor.I

setdownmymakeupbrush,walkedover,andlookedthroughthepeepholeonlyto

findClairestandingthere.

“Hi.”IsmiledasIopenedthedoor.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”

“I’vedecidedtogotothesinglesmixerwithyou.”

“Are you serious? Come on in. I’m almost ready. Isn’t Kenny going to be

pissedyou’regoing?”

“Kennydoesn’tknow.He’soutwiththeguysplayingcards.Itoldhimmeand

youweregoingtodinnerandthenhangingatyourplaceafter.”

“I’mnotthrilledthatyouliedtohim,butI’mhappyyou’recomingalongwith

me.”

“Meh.”Sheshrugged.“Hetellsmelittlewhiteliesallthetime.”

I put the finishing touches on my makeup, lightly sprayed my hair, and we

headedtotheEmpireHotel.Whenwearrived,wewereescortedtotheRooftop

Lounge where single men and women from New York City gathered. It was a

beautifulfallnightandtheambiancewasperfect.Overtowardsthecornerofthe

rooftop,wefoundanemptycouch,sowerantoitasfastaswecouldandtooka

seat.

“Wow.Thisisgreat.I’veneverbeentooneofthesebefore.”Clairesmiled.

“Meeither.It’sprettycool.”

Menwalkedpastus,smiling,winking,givingusthe“Imaywanttofuckyou”

look.Theyswarmedarounduslikeeaglessearchingfortheirprey.

“Hi there. I’m Jack.” The cute guy who stood approximately five foot eight

smiled.

“Hello.”Ismiledback.“I’mEloise.”

“Whatanunusualandbeautifulname.”

“Thanks, I think. This is my friend, Claire, but she’s not single. She’s just

taggingalong.”

“Friendsupport,Ilikethat.WouldyoumindifItookaseat?”

“No.Notatall.”Ipattedthespotnexttome.

“Iseeyouladiesdon’thavedrinksyet.MayIgetyousomethingfromthebar?”

“I’llhaveacosmopolitan.”Icasuallysmiled.

“AndI’llhaveaglassofPinot,”Clairespoke.

After Jack left to go to the bar, Claire excused herself to the bathroom. I sat

there, watching all the men and women mingle, wondering how many of them

wouldfindsomeonetonightandhowmanyofthemenwouldn’tcallthenextday.

WhileIwaitedformydrinkandClaire,Ipulledoutmyphoneandsentamessage

toMobileMan.

“Hi.I’monthehunt,lol.”

“Hi.Justbecareful.Therearesomerealweirdosoutthere.Ifyouneedme,

textme.”Hesentthewinkyface.

“Thanks.ButIcantakecareofmyself.”

I looked up from my phone and gasped when I saw Christian and his friend

Peterwalkin.Myheartstartedracingandtheairaroundmebecamethick.

“Hereyougo.”Jacksmiledashehandedmemydrink.“Where’syourfriend?”

“Rightbehindyou,”Clairereplied.

“Excuseusforamoment,Jack,butIneedtospeakwithClaire.”

Grabbingholdofherarm,Iledheroverintheoppositecornerbehindaplastic

palmtree.

“What?”sheasked.

“WhythefuckisChristianhere?”Ispokethroughgrittedteeth.

“Huh? Oh my God!” she shrieked. “Christian is here? Where?” She looked

around.

“Overthere!”Ipointed.“Bythebar.”

Hereyesdivertedovertothebar.“He’swithPeter.”

“Yeah.Icanseethat.Wehavetogetoutofhere!”Iexclaimed.

“Why?”

“Becausewhatwillhethink?Iturneddownhisoffertotakemeoutandnow

I’matasinglesmixer?”

“Ohyeah.Iforgotaboutthat.Nottomentionyouhadsexwithhim.”

“Ugh!Let’sgo.”

IdownedmydrinkasfastasIcould.

“Howarewegoingtosneakout?”Claireasked.“He’sgoingtoseeus.”

“Followme.”

Igrabbedherhand,duckeddown,andtriedtoweaveinandoutofthecrowd

ofpeople.

ChapterTwenty-Three

Christian

ThemomentIwalkedin,IspottedEloisesittingonthecouchlookingdownat

herphone.Ineededtoactcasual,soPeterandIhitthebarfirstforadrink.While

we were waiting for our drinks to be made, I saw Eloise and Claire trying to

escape.Shemusthaveseenme,butIwasn’tgoingtolethergetawaythateasily.

“Peter,stopthosetwo.”Ipointed.“I’llgrabourdrinks.Becasual.”

Peter smiled and headed toward Eloise and Claire while I stood there and

watched him stop them dead in their tracks. After grabbing our drinks from the

bar,Iwalkedovertowherethethreeofthemwerestanding.

“Eloise? Claire? What are you doing here?” I asked as I handed Peter his

drink.

“Whywouldn’twebehere?It’sasinglesmixer,”Clairespoke.

“Butyou’renotsingle.”

“She’s here with me,” Eloise spoke as she stood tall. “What are you doing

here?”

“Likeshesaid,it’sasinglesmixerandI’msingle.”Ismirked.

“Youdon’tappeartobethetypetocometothesethings,”shespoke.

“Whattypedoesapersonhavetobetoattend?”Iarchedmybrow.”

“Well,I’mheretakingphotographsforanarticle.”

“Where’syourcamera?”Iaskedwithanarrowedeye.

PetertookClairebythearmandescortedhertothebartogiveEloiseandme

somealonetime.

“I’mtakingpictureswithmyphone.Smile,”shespokeasshesnappedapicture

ofme.

“Ithinkyou’relying.Youwouldn’tdothat.”

“Fine,Christian.It’salongstoryandIreallydon’twanttogetintoit.”

“Ihaveallnight,sweetheart.”Igrinned.

“I’mdoingresearchforablogIrun.It’sforrelationshipadvice.”

Ichuckled.

“You, the woman who won’t go out on a date with me, gives relationship

advice?”

“It’scomplicated.”

“Soyou’renotheretomeetanyonespecial?”Iasked.

“No. It’s purely business/blog related. I told you that I’m not ready to date

anyone.IswearI’mtellingyouthetruth.”

“Okay. Well, I am here to explore my options, so I’ll let you go do your

research.”

“Youare?”Shecockedherhead.

“Ofcourse.WhyelsewouldIbehere?”Ismiled.

PeterandClairewalkedovertousandIheldmyglassuptoPeter’s.

“Let’sgoexploreouroptions.Shallwe?”Igrinned.

“Weshall.”Petersmiledashetippedhisglassagainstmine.

****

Eloise

ChristianandPeterwalkedawayandIstoodtherewithafeelingof—Idon’t

knowwhatthehellitwas.AllIknewwasthatIwasuncomfortablewithChristian

beinghere.

“See.”Clairesmiled.“Nobigdeal.Youwereworriedfornothing.”

IswallowedhardasIwatchedChristianwalkuptosometallbrunettewhohad

moreBotoxandfillersthannaturalbeauty.

“Whatever.”Iscowledatherandwalkedaway.

“There you are, Eloise.” Jack smiled. “Can we get to know each other better

now?”

I glanced over at Christian, who was laughing with the brunette and lightly

touchingherarm.

“Ofcoursewecan.”IhookedmyarmaroundJack’s.

I led him over by the bar and he ordered me another cosmopolitan. After he

handedmemydrink,wetookaseatonanemptycouchandbegantotalk.Myeyes

wouldn’tstopdivertingovertowhereChristianwasflirtingwiththatwoman.A

lumpgrewinthebackofmythroatwitheachfingerstrokedownherarmandher

fingerstrokesdownhischest.

“Eloise?AmIboringyouorsomething?”Jackasked.

“Umm.No,ofcoursenot.Ihavesomequestionsforyouifyoudon’tmind.”

“Goaheadandaskaway.”Hesmiled.

I questioned him, and he willingly answered but with a strange look on his

face.

“Thesearesomereallyweirdquestions.Maybeyou’renotthewomanIthought

youwere.”Hegotupfromthecouch.

“Inallhonesty,Jack,I’mnot.”Ilightlysmiled.

“Wellthen,I’llbemovingon.”

IgavehimanodjustasClairewalkedoverandsatdown.

“Wherewereyou?”Iasked.

“Checking out the crowd, being hit on, and listening in on people’s

conversations.”Shegrinned.

IfinishedmydrinkjustasChristianwalkedovertomeandClaire.

“Anyluck?”Hesmirked.

“Notreally.ButIseeyoufoundsomeone.”Icockedmyhead.

“YoumeanBrio?She’sanicewomanandshewantstogooutwithme.”

“Goodforyou,Christian.”Istoodupandpattedhischest.“Ihopethetwoof

youhavefun.”

Therewasadiscontent,ananger,sotospeak,risinginmychest.Ineededto

getoutofhereandfast.

“Areyouready,Claire?”

“Yeah.Ifyouare.”

“I’mmorethanready.”IlookedatChristian.“Enjoytherestofyourevening,

Mr.Blake.I’llseeyouinacoupleofdays.”

“Youtoo,MissMoore,”hespokewithacockyattitude.

IgrabbedClairebythehandandhigh-taileditofftherooftopasquicklyasI

could.

“Whatiswrongwithyou?Youcan’tseriouslybejealousaboutChristian.You

turnedhimdown,remember?”shespoke.

“IrememberandI’mnotjealous.I’mtiredandIwanttogohome.”

WeclimbedintothebackofacabandsinceClaire’sapartmentwascloser,the

driverdroppedherofffirst.

“YouknowyoucanalwayschangeyourmindaboutgoingoutwithChristian.”

“I’mnotchangingmymind.Idon’tgiveafuckwhohedates.Butitsureashell

isn’tgoingtobeme.”

She sighed as she climbed out of the cab and shut the door. Pulling out my

phone,IsentatextmessagetotheonlypersonwhoIknewwouldmakemefeel

okay.

“Hey.Sortofabadnight.”

“Hey.Yoursinglesmixerdidn’tgotoowell?”

“Notreally.”

“Wanttotalkaboutit?”

“It’s just this guy that wants me to go out with him. He was there and he

endedupmeetingsomeone.”

“Ah.Whywon’tyougooutwiththisguy?You’realwaysgoingondates.”

“Because he’s the type of man I could fall for in a second, and that’s

somethingIdon’twant.”

“Allbecauseofyourpastrelationships?”

“Yeah.Iguess.I’mtakingabreakfromguysandseriousdating.”

“What’s the harm, Digits? Maybe the two of you won’t even hit it off and

thenyoudon’thavetoworryaboutit.”

“Trustme,we’llhititoff.Thephysicalattractionissostrong.Ihavetotell

yousomething.”

“Whatisit?”

“Wehadsexinhisbathroomnottoolongago.ItjusthappenedandIfreaked

out.NowI’mgoingtobedoingafreelancejobforhim.We’regoingtoChicago

onFriday.”

“Soafteryouhadsexandfreakedout,youstilltalktohim?”

“Sort of. I ran into him the next day and he apologized to me for the

bathroomsex.”

“Thatwasniceofhim.Iwouldsayhewasatruegentlemantodothat.”

“Heis.He’sagreatguy.”

“Thenwhat’stheproblem”

“TheproblemisIcan’tgivemyselftoanyoneagain.Atleastnotforalong

time.IhaveotherthingsIneedtofocusonandguysanddatingaren’toneof

them.Ineedtofocussolelyonmyselffornow.”

“Youneverknow,Digits.Hecouldbetheonetochangeyourlife.”

“Orhecouldbetheonetodestroyit.”

“You’rebeingparanoid.”

“Ihavereasontobe,MobileMan.”

“Someofthegreatestgiftsinlifeareontheothersideoffear.Ithinkyou’re

afraidtogethurtagain,soyou’veputupthiswallaroundyourheart.”

“He’saserialdaterandhenevercommits.Foronceinmylife,I’musingmy

head.IjustgothomeandI’mexhausted.Catchyalater?”

“Catchyalater,Digits.Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,MobileMan.”

ChapterTwenty-Four

Christian

Isetmyphonedownandsighed.ShewasdefinitelyjealousaboutBrio,andin

aweirdway,thatmademehappy.Shedidlikeme,andIknewdamnwellshewas

interested,butshewasresisting.Hopefully,afterourtriptoChicago,shewould

feeldifferently.

Pickingupmyphone,IsentatextmessagetoClaire.

“Hi,Claire.Thankyoufortonight.”

“You’re welcome, Christian, but I hated doing that to my best friend. If I

didn’tthinkyouweretherightguyforher,Iwouldn’thavedoneit.”

“Iknowyouwouldn’thaveandIappreciateit.I’llseeyoutomorrowatthe

office.”

“Seeyoutomorrow.”

Thenextmorning,IstoppedatStarbuckstograbacupofcoffeebeforeheading

intotheoffice.AsIsteppedinside,Iturnedaroundtoseeifanyonewasbehind

metoholdthedooropen.ThatwaswhenIsawEloisewalkup.

“Goodmorning.”Ismiled.

“Christian. Good morning,” she spoke as she looked at me with confusion.

“Whatareyoudoinghere?Don’tyouhavecoffeeatyouroffice?”Shesmirked.

“Ido,butsometimesIliketostophereandgrabacupontheway.Whatabout

you?Don’tyouhaveacoffeemakerathome?”

“Ido,butIlikewhatStarbuckshastoofferbetter.”

“Actually,I’mgladIranintoyou.Sincewe’releavingtomorrowmorningfor

Chicago, I thought maybe sometime today or tonight, we could sit down and go

overafewideasfortheshoot.”

“I was wondering about that. I thought maybe you just trusted me enough to

wingit.”Shegrinned.

“I do, but I think it’s in both our best interest to have a meeting first. Just so

neitheroneofuscatchestheotheroffguard.”

“Iagree.I’msuredinnerisoutofthequestionsinceyou’reprobablygoingout

withthatwomanfromlastnight.”

“Actually,Ihaven’tsetanythingupwithheryet,soIamfreetonight.Thatis,if

you’refree.Orareyouplanningonattendinganothersinglesmixer?”

Sheletoutalightlaugh,whichmademysmilegrowwide.

“IthinkI’mdonewiththosesinglesmixers.”

“Thenhowaboutdinner?Strictlyprofessional.”Iputupmyhands.“Allwe’ll

talkaboutisbusiness.”

She glared at me for a moment and then the woman that was standing behind

herspokeup.

“You’d be crazy not to have dinner with him. Even if it is strictly business.”

Shewinked.

Eloiseturnedandlookedatme.

“Dinnerwillbefine,butIcan’tbeoutlatesinceourflightleavesatanungodly

hourinthemorning.”

“Iagree.Icanpickyouuparoundsixo’clock.”

“JusttellmewhichrestaurantandI’llmeetyouthereatsix.”Shesmirked.

“Shit,honey,I’dgiveanythingforhimtocometomyhouseandpickmeup,”

thewomanbehindherspoke.

Igavethewomanasmallsmileandthenitwasmyturntoorder.

“Your coffee is on me today, Eloise. Tell her what you want. And you also,

miss.”Ismiled.

As soon as our coffee was ready, the woman thanked me and began fanning

herselfwhileshelookedatEloiseasshewalkedoutofStarbucks.

“Thatwasniceofyoutobuyhercoffee.Youmadeherday,”Eloisespoke.

“It’stheleastIcoulddosinceshewasrootingforme.”Ismirked.

“How about Tavern on the Green tonight?” she asked as we both walked out

thedoor.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you at six.” I winked as I walked down the street and

hailedacab.

What a way to start off the day. I could spend every morning seeing her first

thingbeforeheadingintotheoffice.Shelookedasbeautifulasever,andnotonly

wasIlookingforwardtoourdinnertonight,Icouldn’twaittospendthenextthree

dayswithherinChicago.

WhenIarrivedattheoffice,myphonedingedwithatextmessagefromDigits.

Asmilecrossedmylips.

“Goodmorning,sunshine!”

“Good morning. You seem to be in a good mood. Feeling better from last

night?”

“Iam.Iwantedtothankyouforlisteningtomelastnight.IknowIkindof

dumpedalotonyou.”

“You’re welcome. That’s what friends are for. Plus, I like being here for

you.”

“Thanks.I’mhereforyoutoo,MobileMan.Don’teverforgetthat.”

“Iwon’t.Iappreciateyou,Digits.”

“Iappreciateyoutoo.Anyprogressonthewomansituation?”

“Alittlebit.”Isentthesmileyemoji.

“Goodtohear.Ijustgothomeandneedtostartdoingsomeworknow.Catch

yalater?”

“Always.Catchyalater,Digits.Haveagreatday.”

“Youtoo,MobileMan.”

“Ialreadyam.”

Afteranawesomeproductivitymeetingwithmystaff,Peterfollowedmeback

tomyoffice.

“Guesswhohasadatetonight?”hespoke.

“I’mgoingtogooutonalimbhereandsayyoudo.”

“That’s right.” He smirked. “I texted Rebecca this morning and we’re having

dinnertonight.”

“Isshetheblondeyouweretalkingtoatthesinglesmixer?”

“Shesureis.”Hegrinned.

“Goodforyou,Peter.I’mhavingdinnertonightwithEloise.We’regoingtogo

oversomeideasfortheChanelshoot.”

“Lookslikewe’rebothscoringtonight.”Hefist-bumpedme.

“Mydinnerisstrictlybusiness.”

“How are things going with that chick you text every day? Any chance of

meetingheryet?”

“Nah.ShelikesthingsthewaytheyareandIrespectthat.”

“Istillthinkshe’sprobablysometwo-hundred-fifty-poundgirlwhositsonthe

couch with a computer in her lap all day. Why else wouldn’t she want to meet

you?She’sprobablyembarrassedbythewayshelooks.”

“Looksaren’teverything.She’sanicegirlandIliketalkingtoher.”

“Suityourself,bro.Istillthinkit’sfuckingweird,andlooksaren’teverything?

Yeah,right.”Helaughed.

“Don’tyouhaveworktodo?”Iaskedwithannoyance.

“Yeah.I’llseeyoulater.”

ChapterTwenty-Five

Eloise

WhenIarrivedbackhome,Isetmycoffeecupdownonthetable,grabbedmy

laptop, and began editing yesterday’s blog video. I was almost finished with the

lasteditwhenmyphonerang.IlookedoverandsawitwasNatalieface-timing

me.

“Hello,”Iansweredwithasmile.

“Hello,darling.WhatisthisIhearaboutyougoingtoChicagowithChristian

Blake?Andwhyhaven’tyoutoldme?”sheaskedwithahintofirritation.

“I’vebeenbusywithwork.I’msorry.Itkindofhappenedsofast.I’mdoinga

ChanelphotoshootforChristian’sadvertisingagency.Isn’tthatexciting?”

“Chanelisexciting,yes.But,mylovelygroundedfriend,I’mnotsosuregoing

withChristianisagoodidea.Youmaygetsweptupinthewindycitywithhim.

Which,ofcourse,isfineifthat’swhatyouwant.”

Irolledmyeyesather.

“Thistripisstrictlybusiness.Besides,hemetsomeoneatthesinglesmixerlast

night.HernameisBrio.Like,seriously,whatkindofnameisthat?”Ifrowned.

“Isenseahintofjealousyinyourtone.”Shesmiled.

“Ha.I’mnotjealousatall.It’sjusthernameisweird.Don’tyouthink?”

Sheshrugged.“Ithinkit’skindofcoolanddifferent.”

“Whatever.Anyway,I’malmostfinishedwiththeeditsformyfirstblogvideo.

AssoonasI’mdone,I’llsenditovertoyou.”

“Sounds good. I can’t wait to see it. By the way, are you still talking to that

MobileManguy?”

“Yes.Everyday.”Igrinned.“I’mactuallygivinghimsomeadviceonawoman

he’sinterestedin.”

“Sohetextsyoueveryday?Andrespondsinatimelymanner?”

“Yes.Heusuallyrespondsrightawayandviceversa.”

“Soundsliketheperfectmantome.Ithinkyoushouldmeethim.”

“I think not.” I arched my brow. “Enough about him. How’s Hawaii and

Nathan?”

“HawaiiisamazingandsoisNathan.Unfortunately,hehadtoflybacktoLong

Islandtoday.ButhesaidassoonasIgetback,he’stakingmeout.”

“Yousleptwithhim,didn’tyou?”Iasked.

“Maybe.”Shesmiled.

“Well,I’mhappyforyou.”

“Thanks, doll. I could be happy for you too if you let your guard down and

meetMobileMan.Hesoundslikeaniceguy.”

“Heisandwe’retextbuddiesandthat’sallwe’lleverbe.”

Shesighedandrolledhereyes.

“Ihavetogo.I’llbehomeinafewdaysandwe’llcatchup.”

“Okay.Enjoytherestofyourtrip.”

“EnjoyChicago,andifanythinghappens,youbettercallmerightaway!Idon’t

wanttobehearingaboutitfromClaireorScarlett.”

“Iwill.”Ilaughed.

IfinishedtheeditsandsentthevideoofftoNatalie,Claire,andScarlett,then

proceeded to upload it to my blog. I also decided to start a YouTube channel.

Whatbetterwaytoreachmillionsofwomenfromallovertheworld.

After I finished recording my second video, it was time for me to freshen up

and get ready for dinner with Christian. I hated the fact that a bit of excitement

flutteredinsideme.IwasputtingmyshoesonwhenIheardmyphoneding.

“Planstonight?”MobileManasked.

“Actually,yes.I’mjustheadingouttodinner.”

“Adate?”

“No.It’sabusinessdinner.You?”

“Havingdinnerwithabeautifulwoman.”

“Ihopeyoumeanthesamewomanyou’rechasingafter.”

“Ofcourse.She’stheonlywomanI’minterestedin.”

“Goodforyou!Howdidyougethertohavedinnerwithyou?”

“Itookyouradvice.Soonceagain,thankyou.”

“You’rewelcome.Ihopeitgoeswellforyou.Don’tbeadouchebag.”

“IpromiseIwon’tbe.Infact,Idon’tthinkIevercouldbewiththiswoman.”

“Soundslikeyoumighthavefoundyoursoulmate,MobileMan.”

“Maybe I have, Digits. We’ll see. Enjoy your business dinner. Catch ya

later?”

“Always.Iwantallthedetails.Catchyalater.”

****

I stepped inside Tavern on the Green and told the hostess I was meeting

someone.

“Hi,I’mmeetingChristianBlake.Ishehereyet?”

“Heis.”Shenodded.“Followme.”

Ifollowedhertoatablethatsatinthemiddleoftherestaurantandtooktheseat

acrossfromChristian.

“Hi.”Hesmiled.

“Hi.”

“I’ve taken the liberty of ordering a bottle of their house wine. I hope that’s

okay.”

“Soundsgood.Thankyou.”Iplacedmynapkininmylap.

SwandiveswerehappeninginthepitofmystomachasIlookedathim.This

feelingwastorturousandIneededittostop.

“AreyouallpackedforChicago?”heaskedaswebothglancedoverthemenu.

“No.”Ilightlylaughed.“I’lldothatwhenIgethome.Areyou?”

“No.” He smirked. “If you have a formal dress, it would be wise to bring it.

WewillbeattendingaChaneldinneronFridaynight.”

“Doyoualwaysdothis?”Icockedmyhead.

“Dowhat?”

“Waituntilthelastminutetospringstuffonpeople?”

Hechuckled.“I’msorry.IjustfoundoutaboutthedinnerrightbeforeIarrived

attherestaurant.”

“Oh. Well, in that case, you’re forgiven. And I do have a formal dress I can

bring.”

“Good.I’msureitlooksbeautifulonyou.”Hewinked.

I could feel the rise of heat in my cheeks. After we placed our dinner order,

Christian and I got down to business. As we were talking about the shoot and

jottingdownsomeideas,awomanstoppedatourtableandglaredatChristian.

“Well.Well.Lookwhoitis.Mr.ChristianBlake,”thewomanspokeinaharsh

tone.

Christianclearedhisthroat.“Hello,Cheyenne.”

“Isthatallyoucansay?”sheaskedwithherhandsplacedfirmlyonherhips.“I

haven’t heard from you since our date. I sent you a few text messages only to

nevergetaresponsefromyou.”

“I’msorry.I’vebeenreallybusy.”

“Too busy to shoot a fucking text back? A text that would literally take thirty

secondsorlessofyourtime?”

“Nowisn’tthetime,Cheyenne,”Christianspokeinirritation.

“Who’sthis?”Shelookedoveratmewithanevileye.“Isthisyourfirstdate?

‘Causeguesswhat,honey,hewon’tbecallingyouaftertonight.”

ItwasapparentChristianhadghostedherandshewasangry.Ididn’tblameher

becauseI’dbeeninhershoesmoretimesthanIcouldcount.

“Heisn’tworthit,Cheyenne,”Ispoke.

“Excuseme?”Shecockedherhead.

“Theanger,theresentment,thehurt.You’reabeautifulwoman.Icantellyou’re

confidentandyou’restrong.Youknowyourself-worth,don’tyou?”

“OfcourseIdo.”Shearchedherbrow.

“Then you know you’re better than him and he doesn’t deserve this attention

you’regivingrightnow.Andyouknowwhy?”

“Why?”sheasked.

“Because you’re giving him power over you. And you don’t strike me as the

type of woman who would let someone have that kind of power. He clearly has

communicationissuesandemotionalimmaturityifhecouldn’textendthecourtesy

oftextingyouback.Isthatthekindofmanyouwanttobewithorevengoona

datewith?”

“No.”Sheshookherhead.

“Ididn’tthinkso.Doyoustillhavehisnumberinyourphone?”

“Yes.Why?”

“Iwantyoutodeletehisnumberrightnow.Youcandoit,Cheyenne.Having

his number in your phone is still giving him power over you. Because I know

there’sthislittlebitofhopethatyou’llstillhearfromhim.AmIright?”

“Maybe.”

“Takebackyourpower.”Ismiled.

“You’re right.” She pulled out her phone, held it up to Christian, and deleted

his number in front of him. “You’re history, Mr. Blake.” Cheyenne turned to me,

andwithasmile,shespoke,“Ihopeyou’lltakeyourownadviceifhedoesthe

sametoyou.”

“He won’t. We aren’t dating. I’m doing some photography work for his

advertisingagency.Thisisnothingbutabusinessdinner.Butifyoushouldneed

anyfurtherassistanceoradviceondating,here’smybusinesscard.”IsmiledasI

handedittoher.

“Thankyou.”Shegrinnedasshetookitfrommeandwalkedaway.

“Really?”Iarchedmybrowathim.

“Reallywhat?”

“Youghostedher?”Icockedmyhead.

Hesighedandrolledhiseyes.

“Yeah.IguessIdid.”

“Andyouthinkthat’sokay?”

“No.Notafterhearingwhatyoujustsaidtoher.Andfortherecord,Iamnot

emotionallyimmature.”Hepointedatme.

“Youareifyoudidthat.Whatisitwithyouguysandconfrontation?”

“Ididn’twanttohurtherfeelingsbytellingherIdidn’twanttoseeheragain.”

Hefinishedoffhiswine.

“Andyoudon’tthinkthatgoingghostishurtingherfeelings?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t look at it that way. I just figured if I didn’t text her back,

she’dgetthehint.”

“Womenneedclosure,Christian.Evenifitwasonlyafteronedate.It’scalled

respect.”

“Okay. I get it. I really do. But it’s done now. So let’s get back to discussing

ideasfortheshoot.”

Ifoldedmyarmsandsatupstraightinmychair.

“Youneedtoapologizetoher.”

ChapterTwenty-Six

Christian

Shit.Iknewthatwascoming.ShemademedoitwithVictoria,orshouldIsay

Digits did. I thought maybe I was off the hook when she didn’t make me do it

while Cheyenne was standing there. I glared at her from across the table, but I

knewhowimportantthiswastoher.Eventhoughsheneverdirectlytoldmeabout

whatshewasdoing,IkneweverythingfromwhatsheasDigitstoldmeviatext.

“Fine. I will apologize to her,” I spoke as I got up from my seat and walked

overtowhereCheyennewassittingandwaitingforsomeonetojoinher.“Excuse

me,Cheyenne.MayIhaveawordwithyou?”

“We’redonespeaking,Christian.”Herbrowarchedatme.

“Thiswillonlytakeaminute.Iwanttoapologizetoyou.I’msorryforignoring

yourtextmessagesandnotcallingyouafterourdate.Itwasrudeanddisrespectful

andIhadnoideathatitwouldupsetyou.Youdidn’tdeservethat.”

“You’reright.Ididn’tdeserveit,butsinceyouweremanenoughtoapologize,

Iaccept.”

“Thankyou.Iappreciateit.”

“Nowmovealong.Mydatewillbehereshortly,”shespokeasshesippedher

drink.

Walkingbacktothetable,ItookmyseatandstaredatEloise,whowassitting

therewithagrinonherface.

“Thankyou.”Sheheldupherglasstome.

“No.Thankyou.”IsmiledasIclinkedmyglassagainsthers.

AfterwefinisheddinnerandtalkedsomemoreabouttheChanelshoot,Ipaid

thebillandwelefttherestaurant.

“Ithinkthatwasaveryproductivebusinessdinner.”Ismiled.

“Ithinksotoo.”

“Youareactuallyonmywayhome.Howaboutsharingacab?”

“Sure.”Thecornersofhermouthcurvedupwards.

Ihailedusacabandclimbedinnexttoher.Sinceourdinnerconsistedmostly

ofbusinesstalk,Ithoughtthiswouldbeagoodopportunitytoaskherabouther

blog,eventhoughIalreadyknewalittleaboutit.

“Whenwewereatthesinglesmixer,youmentionedsomethingaboutyourblog

andaboutrelationshipadvice.Whatexactlydidyoumeanbythat?”Iasked.

“It’sreallynobigdeal.”Shewavedherhandinfrontofherface.

“I’dstillliketohearaboutit.”

Icouldseethehesitationinhereyesasshestaredatmeforamoment.

“I’mdoingapieceon#Delete.It’sforwomenwhoareintheearlystagesofa

relationship.”

“Andwhatdoesthatmean?”Iasked.

“I want to empower women to know their self-worth and standards when

dating a guy. So, if a guy behaves badly, it’s in their best interest to delete them

fromtheirphoneandlifebeforetheygettooinvolved.”

“Andwhatqualifiesasamanbehavingbadly?”Inarrowedmyeyeather.

“Ghosting would be number one.” Her brow arched. “Low investment, lying,

benching,breadcrumbing.Thepointisifaguyisreallyinterestedinawoman,he

woulddowhateverittakestogettoknowher.Textinginatimelymanner,calling

when he says he will, never flaking on a date. That would be considered high

investment.Ifaguyisjuststringingthegirlalongandhasnointentionsofwanting

arelationshipwithher,thenit’stimeforhimtogo.”

“Isee.Andhowdoesagirlknowiftheguyisjuststringingheralong.”

“They never commit to dates. They send text messages sporadically when

they’reboredorlonelywiththehopesthatthewomanisstillwaitingaround,and

whentheygetthatreply,theiregogetsboostedforawhileandthey’resatisfied.

Then they’ll disappear again for a while and suddenly poof, send another text

message.Theproblemiswomenbecomeattachedtooquickly.Theydiveinwith

bothfeetandignoretheredflagsthatpopup.”

“Isthatsomethingyou’vedoneordo?”

“I’vedoneitmanytimesinmylife.Andno,it’ssomethingIdon’tanymore.I’m

happybeingsingleandIbelievethat’swhatwomenneedtolearnfirst.I’dspent

too many years trying to find the perfect man like my dad because I wanted the

kindofrelationshipheandmymomhave.IguessyoucouldsayIwasobsessed.

Andbecauseofthat,Iheldontoguyswhoweren’tgoodformeforfartoolong.I

ignoredtheredflagsand/orthesigns.Igavetheseguyswaytoomuchpowerover

meandnowIwanttohelpwomenwhoareinthesamesituationtaketheirpower

back.Nomorestaringattheirphonewaitingforaguywhosaidhe’dcallortext

and doesn’t. No more giving him multiple chances when he cancels a date more

thanonce.Nomoreputtingtheirlifeonholdbecauseofwhataguysaysbutnever

follows through. Actions speak more truth than words do and women need to

understandthat.”

“Sowhythesinglesmixer?”Iasked.

“Justtryingtogetinsidetheheadsofmenandfindoutthereasonsbehindwhy

theydowhattheydo.”

Thecabpulleduptoherapartmentbuildingandsheclimbedout.

“Thankyoufordinner,”shespoke.

“You’rewelcome.YouhavesomegreatideasandI’mexcitedaboutthisshoot.

I’llbebyatfivea.m.”Iwinked.

“I’llbereadyandwaiting.Haveagoodnight,Mr.Blake.”

“Youtoo,MissMoore.”

Sheshutthedoorandwalkedinsidethebuilding.Therewassomuchmoreto

herthanI’dimaginedandIknewIhadmyworkcutoutformeifIwantedtowin

her over. I wanted to text Digits to see what she had to say about the evening.

However,Idecidedtowaitatleastanhourbeforemessagingher.

ChapterTwenty-Seven

Eloise

Iopenedthedoortomyapartmentwithasmileonmyface.Theeveningwent

wellandIenjoyedspendingitwithChristian.ThemoreIopeneduptohimabout

my life, the more comfortable I felt. He was easy to talk to and I was pretty

excitedabouttheChicagotrip.ButIwasalsonervous.WhatIwasnervousabout,

Iwasn’tsure.Again,hekepttheeveningstrictlyprofessional.Iadmiredhimfor

that because he seemed to respect my boundaries. There was no flirting and no

attemptofakiss.

As I was packing my suitcase, my phone dinged with a text message from

MobileMan.

“Hi.Isyourbusinessdinnerover?”

“Hi.Yes.I’mjustpackingformytriptomorrow.You’rehomefromyourdate

already?”

“Yes.Ihaveanearlymeetingtomorrow.”

“And?Howdiditgo?”

“Itwentgreat.Icouldn’thaveaskedforabetternightorabetterpersonto

spenditwith.Tellmehowyourbusinessdinnerwent.”

“Itwentwell.Ihadagoodtime.”

“This meeting wasn’t with that guy you were telling me about, was it? The

oneyou’redoingsomefreelanceworkfor?”

“Asamatteroffact,itwas.”Isentthesadfaceemoji.

“Whythesadface?”

“Becauseit’sgettinghardernottofallforhim.Iknowwhatyou’regoingto

say,sopleasedon’t.”

“Okay.Iwon’t.Youneedtodowhat’srightforyou,Digits.Butjustletthings

happennaturally.Ifyou’remeanttobewiththisguy,thenyoucan’tfightit.You

can’tfightfate.”

“Youbelieveinfate,MobileMan?”

“Ido.Justlikeitwasfatethatyousentmethatveryfirsttext.Nowlookat

us.Thisguywasputinyourlifeforareason,maybeitwouldn’tbesobadtosee

whatthatreasonis.”

“It’sgettinglateandIhavetofinishpackingandgetsomesleep.Catchya

later?”

“Catchyalater,Digits.Goodnightandhaveasafetrip.”

“Goodnight,MobileMan.Thankyou!”

****

“Firstclass?”IarchedmybrowatChristian.

“It’stheonlywaytofly.”Hesmirked.

Shortly after the plane took off, and while Christian and I were eating our

breakfast,awomanwalkedovertoourseats.

“Excuseme.You’reEloise,aren’tyou?”Shesmiled.

“Iam.”

“OhmyGod.Itoldmyfrienditwasyou.I’mKatherineandI’mahugefan.”

Sheheldoutherhandinexcitement.

“It’snicetomeetyou,Katherine.”

“I just love your blog and that video you posted yesterday on ghosting was

phenomenal.Irecentlywentthroughitanditwasdevastating.Butafterwatching

yourvideo,Ican’teventellyouhowmuchbetterandmoreconfidentIfeel.Thank

you.”Tearssprangtohereyes.

“Katherine,that’ssosweet.Thankyou.”

“Pleasetellmeyou’regoingtodomorevideos.”

“I am. In fact, I’m going to edit one after breakfast and hopefully get it up

today.”

“I’mlookingforwardtoit.”Shegrinned.“Areyouwithhim?”sheaskedasshe

pointedtoChristian.

“Yes.I’mdoingsomefreelanceworkforhisadvertisingagency.”

“Oh.Soyou’renot—”Shewiggledherfingerbackandforth.

“Dating?No.”Ismiled.

“He’ssohot,”shemouthedandgavemeawink.“Ican’twaittotelleveryoneI

met you. I’ll leave you to your breakfast so you can hurry up and get that video

posted.”

Igaveherasmile,andwhenshewalkedaway,Christianglancedoveratme.

“Lookslikeyou’reacelebrity.”

“Pfft.”Iwavedmyhandinfrontofmyface.

Heletoutachuckleandcontinuedeatinghisbreakfast.

We arrived in Chicago, and by time we got to the Sofitel Hotel, it was ten

thirty.

“Why did we get here so early if check-in isn’t until three o’clock and we

aren’tmeetingthepeoplefromChaneluntiltonight?”Iaskedwithcuriosity.

“Whynot?Don’tyouwanttoexploreChicago?”Christiansmiled.

“Ofcourse.”

The man behind the lobby desk clicked away at his computer and looked at

Christian.

“Actually, Mr. Blake. Your rooms are ready now if you’d like to take your

luggageup.You’reinrooms3212and3213.”

“Perfect.”Christiansmiled.

We took the elevator up to the thirty-second floor. Once we arrived at our

rooms,Christianstoppedinfrontofthedoorandlookedatme.

“Whichroomdoyouwant?”

“Idon’tcare.Whichonedoyouwant?”

“Itdoesn’tmattertome.Bothroomsarethesame.”

“Ihaveanidea.”Ismiled.“Holdthekeycardsoutinfrontofyou.”

Iplacedmyhandovermyeyesandtookonefromhishands.

“LookslikeI’minroom3213,”IspokeasIinsertedthecardintothelockand

openedthedoor.“LetmefreshenupandthenwecanhitthestreetsofChicago.”

“Soundsgood.Justknockontheadjoiningdoorwhenyou’reready.”

IenteredmyroomandlookedaroundasIsetmybagsonthekingsizebed.The

décor was very urban chic with a beige and red theme. I stood in front of the

windowandtookintheamazingcityview.Pullingmyphonefrommypurse,Isent

MobileManapicture.

“Roomview.Whatdoyouthink?”

“Ithinkit’sbeautiful.Haveagoodtimewhileyou’rethereanddon’tsweat

thesmallstuff,Digits.”

“Thanks, Mobile Man. I won’t. We’re getting ready to hit the streets and

exploreChicago.Catchyalater?”

“Catchyalater.”

Iunpackedmymakeupbagandtookitintothebathroomtofreshenup.OnceI

wasdone,Iknockedontheadjoiningdoortoourrooms.Christianopeneditwith

asmileonhisfaceandmykneeswentweak.

“Areyouready?”heasked.

“Areyou?”Ismirked.

“I’malwaysready.”Hiscunningsmilesentbutterfliesdownbelow.

WeleftthehotelandstartedalongtheMagnificentMile.Itwasabeautifulfall

day.Nottoowarmandnottoocool.Justaperfectseventy-onedegreeswithouta

cloudinthesky.

“WeneedtostopinBloomingdale’s,”Christianspoke.

“I like Bloomingdale’s.” I smiled. “Is there something specific you need to

get?”

“Somemorecologne.Infact,I’mthinkingyoushouldpicksomeuptoo.”

Shit. His cologne drove me insane as it was. He always smelled like he just

steppedoutofmen’smagazine.

“Idon’tneedanyperfume,”Ispoke.

“Idon’teither,butifwe’redoingashootforChanel,Ithinkitwouldbeagood

ideatopurchasetheircologne/perfumeandwearit.”

“Ah.”Inodded.“Igetwhatyou’resaying.Wearthescentandgetinspired.”

“Yes.”Hegavemeawink.

WesteppedintoBloomingdale’sandheadedtowardstheChanelcounter.

“May I help you?” The older and attractive woman behind the counter asked

withasmileasshelookedatChristian.

“I’m interested in Chanel cologne for men.” He graciously smiled back and I

rolledmyeyes.

Shegrabbedtwodifferentbottlesfromthedisplayandsettheminfrontofus.

“Theseareourmostpopular.”

ChristianpickedupthebottlelabeledAllureHommeSportandIpickedupthe

bottleofBleudeChanel.

“Whatdoyouthink?”heaskedasheheldthebottleofAllureuptomynose.

“Thatoneisnice,butsoisthisone.”

“Hmm.Thatsmellsbold,”hespoke.

“Thequestioniswhichonedoesyourgirlfriendlikebetter?”Thesaleswoman

smiled.

“I’m not his girlfriend. We work together, so it doesn’t matter which one I

like.”

“Ithinkitdoes.”Christiansmirkedatmeinaflirtatiousway.

Itightenedmylegstostopthefierceachethatresidedinsideme.Theachethat

onlyhecouldsatisfy.Shit.IhatedthisandIhatedhimfordoingittome.

“IfIwereyou,IwouldgowithBleudeChanel.Youseemlikeaboldmanand

youshouldbewearingaboldfragrance.”Thesaleswomangrinned.

“Okay.I’lltakeit.”

I sighed as I walked over to the women’s perfume and picked up each bottle

andsmelledthewonderfulfragrancethatcamefromeachofthem.

“Findoneyoulike?”Christianaskedashewalkedovertome.

“IlikeChanelChance.”IsmiledasIheldmywristuptohim.

“Verysexy.AndIdon’tjustmeanthescent.”Hesmirked.

A heat rose in my body. All these perfume smells were creating a sexual

tensionbetweenusthatterrifiedme.IswallowedhardasIstaredintohiseyes.

“Thankyou.”

“NoneedtothankmewhenI’monlytellingthetruth.”Hewinked.

His winks had to stop. My body couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted sex. I

neededsex.IalreadyknewhowsexwithhimwasandIwanteditagain.Damnit!

IwashornyandIknewitwasgoingtogetmeintotrouble.

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Eloise

After browsing around Bloomingdale’s, we stepped out of the store and

continuedourshoppingspree.WeneededtocrossthestreetbecauseIwantedto

go to the American Girl store and look at a doll for Hannah’s birthday that was

coming up. As we approached a crosswalk, we only had five seconds left to

cross.

“Comeon,”Christianspokeashegrabbedmyhand.

“Noway.Wewon’tmakeit.”

“Wewill.”Hesmiledasweranacrossthestreet,myhandinhis.

Wemadeittotheothersidejustasthestopsignalappeared.

“Toldyouwe’dmakeit,”hespoke.“Lifeisallabouttakingchances.”

“Takingachancetogetkilled?”Iarchedmybrowathim.

Hechuckledasmyhandwasstilllockedinhis.Ilookeddownandthenupat

him.Afeelingbetweenuswasfeltashegavemeasmallsmileandletgo.

“SowhyarewegoingintotheAmericanGirlstore?”heasked.

“MyfriendScarletthasalittlegirlnamedHannahandherbirthdayiscoming

up.I’dlovetogetheroneofthosebittybabiestoplaywith.”

WewalkedintothestoreandlookedaroundatalltheAmericanGirlDollsthat

wereondisplay.

“Wow.Thisstoreisvery—girly,”Christianspoke.

“On my eighth birthday, my parents took me to the one in New York on Fifth

Avenue. I thought they brought me there to pick out a doll, but when we walked

intothestore,wewereescortedtotheprivatediningroomwheremyparentshad

arrangedabirthdaypartyformeandeightofmygirlfriends.”

“Youmusthavebeenverysurprised.”

“Iwas.Theytookmeovertothetable,andwhenIsatdowninmychair,my

momhandedmeabigbox.I’llneverforgetthefeelinginsidemewhenIopened

thatboxandinsidewasanAmericanGirldollwholookedjustlikeme.”

“Didshehaveaname?”Christianasked.

“InamedherMaggie.Wecelebratedmybirthdaywithmyfriendsandourdolls

and after, my mom and dad took me around the store and let me pick out two

outfits for her. She was my best friend and I divulged my deepest and darkest

secretstoher.”Ismiled.

“Doyoustillhaveher?”

“No.WhenIwasfourteen,myparentsandIwereouttodinnerwhenwegota

call from our neighbor that our home was on fire. We lost just about everything,

includingMaggie.”

“I’msorry,Eloise.”Helightlytouchedmyarm.

Ilookedoverathimwithasmallsmile.

“Thankyou.Iwasdevastatedandittookmealongtimetogetoverit.Tobe

honest, I’m not sure that I am. This is the first time since losing her that I’ve

steppedinsideanAmericanGirlstore.Iknowitsoundsweird.”

“Justalittle,butIwon’tholditagainstyou.”Hesmiled.

WefoundthesectionwiththeBittyBabiesandIpickedoneout.Glancingover

attheoutfits,IaskedChristiantohelpme.

“Whichonedoyoulike?”Iasked.

“Forthedoll?”

“Ofcourseforthedoll.”Ilaughed.

“Thistwo-piecesetwiththecatonitiscute.Ohlook,itcomeswithmatching

catslippers.”Hesmiledasheheldthemup.

“Thosearepajamas.”

“So? Do you really think a two-year-old will know the difference?” He

smirked.

“Itiscute.”Ipickeduptheoutfitandlookedatit.“Goodchoice,Mr.Blake.”

“Idohavegoodtaste,andnotjustindollclothes.”Hewinked.

Afluttereruptedinmybelly.WewalkeduptothecounterandIsetthedolland

pajamasdown.

“Hello.” The sales girl behind the counter smiled. “Your daughter is going to

lovethis.Howoldisshe?”

“Oh,it’s—”Ibegantospeak.

“She’stwo,”Christianspokeup.“She’sanabsoluteangel.I’llneverforgetthe

dayshewasborn.Itwasthebestdayofmylife.”

“That’ssweet.”ShegrinnedathimasIstaredindisbelief.

“She’stheappleofmyeye.Daddy’slittlegirl,”Christianspoke.

“Issheherewithyou?”thesalesgirlasked.

“No. She’s back home.” Christian put his arm around me. “We’re on a little

romanticgetaway.”

“Aw,that’ssweet.”

I pulled out my credit card and handed it to her. After I signed, she handed

Christianthebag.

“Thankyouandenjoytherestofyourromanticgetaway.”Shesmiled.

“Ohwewill.”

WewalkedoutofthestoreandIstoppedonthesidewalkandgaveChristiana

swiftslaponhischest.

“Whydidyoudothat?”

“Ouch.Whynot?Idon’tunderstandwhypeoplejustassumethings.Sheshould

haveaskedwhothedollwasfor,notjustjumpedtotheconclusionthatitwasfor

ourdaughter.”

“Wedon’thaveadaughter!”

“Exactly! Anyway, you have to admit it was a little fun to play along.” He

smiled.

Ididn’trespondbecauseIdidn’twanthimtoknowthatitkindofturnedmeon.

“I’mhungry.Areyou?”heasked.

“Yeah.Iam.”

“Good.Let’sgogetsomelunch.Iknowthisgreatplace.It’snottoofarfrom

here.”

“Ihopeyou’retalkingabouttheGrandLuxCafé,”Ispoke.

“Iam.Youknowtheplace?”

“OneofmyfavoriteChicagorestaurants.”Ismiled.“ThelasttimeIwasthere

waswiththegirlsabouttwoyearsago.”

“It’soneofmyfavoritestoo.”

Weenjoyedlunch,talked,laughed,andthenheadedbacktothehotel.

“IthinkI’mgoingtotakeanap,”Ispoke.“I’mtiredfrombeingupsoearlyand

Ifeellikewemighthavealatenight.”

“Anapsoundsgood.IthinkI’lltakeonetoo,”Christianspoke.

Asweapproachedourrooms,Christianglancedoveratme.

“Haveanicenap.”Hesmiled.

“Youtoo.”

I opened the door and stepped inside. Setting my bag down on the floor, I

changedoutofmyclothesandintothecomfywhiterobethatwashanginginthe

closet. I was thirsty, so I opened the mini fridge and took out a can of Coke. I

neededice.Icouldn’tdrinkpopwithoutit.Grabbingtheicebucket,Iopenedthe

door and looked down the hallway to make sure nobody was around. The room

where the ice was located was only a few doors down. I filled the bucket and

headedbacktomyroom.Ohshit. I forgot my key. Sighing, I lightly knocked on

Christian’s door. He answered it wearing only a pair of gray sweatpants. My

sensesheightenedasIcouldstillsmellthatdamnChanelcologneonhim.Igulped

morethanonceashestoodthereandsmiledatme.

“MayIaskwhyyou’restandinginthehallwayinarobe?”

“Iwenttogetsomeiceandforgotmykey,soIneedtoentermyroomthrough

yourroom.”

“Oh.Comeonin.”Hewavedhishand.“Whatareyouplanningonusingtheice

for?”Hesmirked.

“Mypop.”Iarchedmybrowathim.“WhatelsewouldIuseitfor?”

“I don’t know. Ice can be used in many different ways for many things.” A

cunningsmilecrossedhislips.

IfeltlikeIwasgoingtohyperventilateasIopenedtheadjoiningdoor.

“Enjoyyourice,MissMoore.”

I glared at him from across the room as he chuckled and shut the door. I put

someiceintomyglass,pouredsomepopintoit,andtookafewsipsbeforelying

down. I made myself comfortable on the bed and closed my eyes. Images of

Christian moved through my head, sending an ache so fierce down below that I

couldn’ttakeitanymore.

“Fuckit,”IsaidasIjumpedoutofbed.

Walking over to the adjoining door, I knocked on it and Christian stood there

andlookedatme.

“Somethingwrong?”heasked.

Ithrewmyselfathimandlockedmylipsonhis.Heplacedhishandsoneach

sideofmyfaceasourkisscontinued.

“Areyousure?”heaskedmeashebrokeourkiss.

“JustshutupbeforeIchangemymind.”

Hishandsuntiedmyrobeandhesliditoffmyshoulderswhileourlipstangled

together.Layingmedownonthebed,hehoveredovermeandbrokeourkissas

hiseyesburnedintomine.

“Thisisjustsex,”Ispoke.“Onlysex.”

“Iagree.Justsex,”hemoanedashislipstraveledtomybreasts.

His tongue slid over my hardened nipples before his lips wrapped tightly

aroundeachone.Mybreathhitchedastinglingsensationssoaredthroughmybody.

The arousal down below was savage and it felt like an orgasm was ready to

explode. Moans escaped me as his mouth slid down my torso and navigated its

way down to my clit. The soft strokes of his tongue against me made my body

trembleandanorgasmtoeruptthatsentmyheadspinningoutofcontrol.

“Thatdidn’ttakelong.”Hesmiledashelookedupatme.

Itdidn’tmattertohimthatIalreadycamebecausehecontinuedtoexploreme,

notonlywithhismouthbutwithhisfingers.Histonguefocusedonmyclitwhile

hedippedafingerinsideme.Ajoltofecstasyopenedthegatestoawholenew

world. A world of sensations that I’d never felt before. How the fuck was this

possible? When he was satisfied and done exploring, he stood up and pulled

down his sweatpants. The sight of his beautiful cock once again elated me. I

quiveredatthesightofit,alreadyknowingthepleasureitgavemeoncebefore.I

laythereinanticipationwhilehetoreopenacondomandrollediton.Heslowly

climbed on top and hovered over me. After gently kissing my lips, he pushed a

strandofmyhairfrommyface,andwithasmile,hespoke,“We’regoingtotakeit

slowthistime.”Itrembledbeneathhimashislipssoftlypressedagainsttheflesh

ofmyneck.Myarmswrappedtightlyaroundhimashepushedhimselfinsideme.

Slow, steady, and rhythmic with each orgasm-inducing thrust. I threw my head

backatthehappinessmybodyfeltwhilehislipscaressedmine.

Softmoanseruptedfromhisthroatashemovedinandoutwhilemynailsdug

intohisback.

“God,youfeelsogood,”hewhisperedinmyear.

“Sodoyou,”Ispokewithbatedbreath.

Hesatback,placedhishandsfirmlyonmyhips,andpickedupthepace,hitting

alltherightspotsasmybodypreparedtodiveintooblivion.Mysensualsounds

heightened,andIplacedmyhandsonhisfirmandmuscularchest.Theinevitable

happenedandasecondorgasmtookovermybody,sendingarushnotonlythrough

me,butalsotoChristian.Hisgriptightenedashehalteddeepinsideme,straining,

moaning,andfullyrevelinginamomentofpurejoy.

Hecollapsedontopofme,hishandsoneachsideofmyhead,softlystroking

myhairwithhisthumbs.Ourbreathingwasoutofcontrolandourrapidheartbeats

struggled to get back to normal. I lay there, underneath him, our sweaty bodies

pressingagainstoneanother,remindingusofthepleasurewehadjustgiveneach

other.

“So much for our naps,” he spoke with a sense of humor as he rolled off me

andremovedthecondom.

“Right?”ItriedtomakelightofthenowawkwardsituationasIsatupholding

thesheetagainstme.

I watched his hot naked body walk across the room and into the bathroom to

dispose of the condom. I climbed off the bed and slipped on my robe while he

stoodinthedoorwayofthebathroomandstaredatmewithasmileonhisface.

“Ishouldgotakeashower,”InervouslyspokeasIpointedtomyroom.

“Yeah.Ishouldtoo.Weneedtobedownstairsintherestaurantatsixo’clock.”

I gave him a small smile and stepped into my room. With my hand on the

handle,gettingreadytopullthedoorshut,Ilookedathim.

“Itwasonlysex,Christian.Nothingelse.”

“Iknow,Eloise.Noworries.”

ChapterTwenty-Nine

Christian

Isteppedintotheshower,thesmellofherallovermybodyandhertasteonmy

lips.IsmiledasIleanedmyheadbackunderthemistofthehotwater,lettingthe

warmthrundownmyface.Sexwithherwasundeniablytheultimateexperienceas

far as I was concerned. She said it was only sex, but I knew damn well it was

morethanthattoher.Ifeltitinthewayherhandsroamedmybody.Ifeltitinthe

wayhernailsdugintomybackandIfeltitwitheachsensualsoundsheletout.

Forme,itwasmorethanjustsex,andasfarasIwasconcerned,Iwasonestep

closertohavingher.

While we were at lunch, she began asking questions about my parents and

childhood.IneededtobecarefulwithwhatIsaidbecauseIhadalreadytoldher,

akaDigits,alot.Icouldn’triskherfindingoutitwasmeshewasactuallytalking

to.Notyet.Butwitheachpassingday,itwasbecomingharderandhardernotto.

Digits and I were growing closer. Maybe I needed to cut it off with her and let

sometimepass.MaybeEloisewouldneverhavetoknow.ThatwassomethingI

neededtocarefullythinkabout.

Aftermyshower,Isatdownonthebedwithmyphoneinmyhandandthought

abouttextingDigits.ThenIdecidednotto.AsIgotuptoputonmyclothes,my

phonedingedwithatextmessagefromher.

“Hi.”

“Hi.How’syourtripgoing?”

“Good.How’syourday?Isworkbusy?”

“Workisalwaysbusy.Otherthanthat,mydayisgreat.”

“Goodtohear.Ijustwantedtosayhi.”

“Everythingokay,Digits?”

“Yeah.Thingsaregood.Ineedtogetreadyfordinner.Catchyalater?”

“Catchyalater.Ifyouwanttotalktonight,textme,nomatterwhattimeit

is.”

“Thanks,MobileMan.Iwill.”

IsighedasIsetmyphonedownandgotreadyfordinner.WhenIknockedon

ouradjoiningdoor,EloiseopeneditandIstoodthereinaweatthesightofher.A

beautiful nude-colored short dress, delicately beaded, sat off her shoulders and

hugged her petite hourglass figure. Her long brown hair was twisted up into an

eleganthair-dowithafewcurlsthathungdown.IletoutanapprovingwhistleasI

triedtocalmdownmymisbehavingcock.

“Youlookstunning.”Ismiled.“Areyouready?”

“Thankyou.Almost.Ijusthavetoputonmyheelsandthenwecango.”She

smiledasshegrabbedhershoesandsatdownontheedgeofthebed.

I couldn’t stop staring at her long, lean legs as she slipped her feet into her

nude-coloredheels.Thewayshehadhadthemwrappedtightlyaroundmywaist

asIfuckedherwasintoxicating.

“NowI’mready,”shespoke.

Iplacedmyhandonthesmallofherbackasshepickedupherpursefromthe

dresserandwewalkedoutoftheroom.AsmilecrossedmylipswhenIfelther

trembleatthesubtletouchofmyhand.

Wetooktheelevatordowntotherestaurantwheremyfriend,Joe,wasstanding

andwaitingforus.

“Christian,goodtoseeyou,myfriend.”Welightlyhugged.

“Good to see you too. Joe, I’d like you to meet Eloise Moore, our

photographer.Eloise,thisisJoe.”

“It’snicetomeetyou.”Shesmiledassheplacedherhandinhis.

“Andyouaswell.”Joenodded.

Heledustoatablewherethreeotherpeople,includingthetwomodels,from

Chanel sat. We ate, drank, and talked mostly about business. After dinner was

finished,westayedforacouplemoredrinksandthenheadeduptoourrooms.

“Goodnight,Eloise,”Ispokebeforewalkingintomyroom.

“Goodnight,Christian.Seeyouinthemorning.”

Iclosedthedoorandsetmykeycardonthenightstand.AsIlookedatmybed,

IwishedIwasseeingherlyinginitnexttome.

****

Eloise

Iopenedmysuitcase,changedintomynightshirt,andtookoutmysmalltravel

bag. Taking it into the bathroom, I took out my toothbrush but noticed my

toothpaste wasn’t there. After looking through my suitcase and realizing I must

haveleftitathome,Iwalkedovertotheadjoiningdoorandknockedonit.

“Everythingokay?”Christianaskedasheopenedthedoorandhishalfnaked

bodyinstantlyarousedme.

“CanIborrowyourtoothpaste?Ileftmineathome.”

“Sure.I’llgogetitforyou.”

HewalkedawayandIstaredatthebedwherewehadsexearlierintheday.

“Hereyougo.”Hesmiledashehandedmethetube.

“Thanks.HoldonasecandI’llbringitrightback.”

“Youknow,wecouldalwaysjustkeepthisdooropenincasethere’sanything

elseyouneed.Thatway,youwouldn’thavetoknock.”

“AndwhatelsewouldIneed?”InarrowedmyeyeathimasIhandedhimback

histoothpaste.

“Oh,Idon’tknow.”Hesmirked.

“Goodnight,Mr.Blake.”Ibegantoshutthedoor.

“Goodnight,MissMoore.Youknowwheretofindmeifyouneedme.”

“Iwon’tneedyou!”Ishoutedfromtheothersideofthedoor.

After brushing my teeth, I climbed into bed and lay there, eyes wide open. I

wasexhaustedsowhycouldn’tIsleep?MaybeitwasbecauseeverytimeIclosed

my damn eyes, all I saw was Christian. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand

andsentatextmessagetoMobileMan.

“WehadsexagainandthistimeIinitiateditfromlackofcontrol.”

“Lol.Goodforyou,Digits!”

“It’snotfunny,MobileMan.”

“I’msorry.Ofcourseit’snotfunny.Doyouregretit?”

“No.Ican’tevenexplaintoyouhowhemakesmefeel.”

“Whydon’tyoutry?”

“Itwasdifferentthistime.”

“How?”

“Idon’tknowhowtoputitintowords.Itfeltlikeoursoulsmerged.Likewe

both connected on a level deeper that I never knew existed or experienced

before.”

“That’s good, right? I think something like that is rare to find or

experience.”

“Idon’tknow.IbasicallyattackedhimandIfeelashamed.”

“Didheenjoyit?”

“Of course he enjoyed it. What man wouldn’t enjoy a woman practically

attackinghimforsex?”

“Lol.True.”

“Whathemustthinkofme.”

“Doyouwantmythoughtsonthat?”

“Yes,please.”

“Hemorethanlikelythinksyou’reabeautifulwomanwhoknowswhatshe

wantsandgoesafterit.That’sahugeturnonformen.”

“Ha.TellthattoallthelosersIdated.Ithinktheyweremoreintimidatedby

methananything.”

“That’s why they’re all losers, Digits. A weak man can’t handle a strong

womanbecausehedoesn’tknowwhattodowithher,butastrongmanlovesthe

challenges of a strong woman. And I do believe this guy you’ve had sex with

twicenowisastrongmanwhoknowswhathewants.Hence,notaloser.Listen,

don’t get all caught up in what he thinks about you because your animal

instinctstookover.I’mprettysureyoursexinesslevelblewoffthechartsinhis

eyes.”

“Thanks,MobileMan.I’mgoingtoheadtobednow.Itwasalongdayand

I’mtired.”

“Sleepwell,Digits.Catchyalater.”

“Youtoo.Catchyalater.”

ChapterThirty

Eloise

My eyes flew open at the sound of my alarm going off, waking me from the

dreamIwasinthemiddleof.AdreamthatconsistedofmeandChristianrolling

around in crisp white sheets as the ocean air blew through the window of our

room,leavingmewithafeelingofanunfinishedorgasm.

“Shit,”IwhisperedtomyselfasIsatupinbed.

IsighedasIhoppedintotheshowerandgotreadyforthephotoshoot,leaving

verylittletimetofinishoffwhathehadstartedinmydream.Iwasn’tgoingtolet

thisaffectme.Iwasn’tgoingtolethimaffectme.Ineededfullconcentrationfor

the shoot and I couldn’t afford any distractions. Just him being there would be

distractionenough.WhileIwasputtingonmymakeup,therewasalightknockon

theadjoiningdoor.Walkingover,IopeneditandtherestoodChristianwithatube

oftoothpasteinonehandandacupofcoffeeintheother.

“Goodmorning.Ifiguredyouneededbothofthese.”Hegrinned.

“Goodmorning.Idefinitelydo.Thankyou.”

Itookthecoffeeandthetoothpastefromhimandwentbackintothebathroom.

“I took the liberty of ordering breakfast for us,” he spoke. “It should be here

shortly.”

“Thank you. I’m starving. Are we going to have time to eat?” I asked as I

lookedatthetimeonmyphone.

“We’llhavetoeatfast,”hereplied.

Helefttheadjoiningdooropenandwentbackintohisroom.Fromwherethe

bathroom was positioned, I could see part of his room in the mirror. I kept

glancing as I twisted strands of my hair around the barrel of my curling iron. I

could see him standing there putting on his watch and then he took a seat on the

edgeofthebedandslippedonhisshoes.Theachedownbelowthatneverfully

wentawaygrewstronger.JustlookingathimremindedmeoftheintensedreamI

had.Itwasoneofthosedreamsthatwouldstaywithmeforawhile.

JustasIfinishedgettingready,therewasknockonthedoor.Christianwalked

overandanswereditwhileIputonmyshoes.

“Breakfast is served,” he spoke as he took the silver tray over to the small

roundtablewithtwochairsthatsatinthecorner.

RightwhenIsatdowntoeat,myphoneranganditwasClairecalling.

“Hello,”Ianswered.

“Have you seen your blog and your YouTube channel since you posted those

videos?”sheasked.

“No.Ihaven’thadachancetolook.”

“TellClaireIsaidhi,”Christianwhisperedfromacrossthetable.

“Well,youneedtolookrightnow!”

“Christiansaidhi,”Ispoke.“Andwhy?What’sgoingon?”

“TellhimIsaidhi.Justlook,Eloise!”shedemanded.

“Okay.Okay.”

I got up from the table and grabbed my laptop from the bed. Logging into my

blog, I sat there and stared at it with my eyes popped out of my head. My

subscribers had reached over a million and my videos had over five hundred

thousandviews.ClickingovertomyYouTubechannel,Ialreadyhadoverseventy

thousandsubscribersandeachvideoIpostedhadoverfiftythousandviewssofar.

“OhmyGod,Claire!”

“Iknow,right?Whenyougetachance,readthecomments!Ithinkyou’reonto

somethingherewith#Delete,Eloise.”

“Thankyouforlettingmeknow.I’msoexcited!”

“You’rewelcome.Goodluckwiththeshoottodayandcallmelater!”

“Iwill.Bye.”

IinhaledadeepbreathandletitoutasIlookedatChristian.

“Congratulations.”Hesmiled.

“Thankyou.Ihonestlycan’tbelieveit.”

“Idobelieveacelebrationisinordertonight.Youin?”Hewinked.

“Sure.I’min.”Ismiled.

The photo shoot took approximately seven hours. Between the street shots,

hotelshots,navypiershots,andnumerousdresschanges,Ididn’texpectittotake

anylesstime.

“Greatjob,Eloise.Howlonguntilwecangettheproofs?”Joeasked.

“Thanks,Joe.IcanhavethemmailedouttoyouasearlyasnextThursday.Will

thatworkforyou?”

“I’m actually going to be in New York on Thursday, so just bring them by

Christian’s office. Let’s say around one o’clock. I’ll have Christian order us in

somelunchandwecanviewthemtogether.”

“Soundsgood.”Ismiled.

“Itwasnicemeetingyou,Eloise.Ilookforwardtoseeingthosepictures.Have

asafetriphome.”

“Thankyou.”

AfterChristiansaidgoodbyetoJoeandtherestoftheChanelstaff,hewalked

overtomeasIwaspackingupmycameraequipment.

“Youwereamazingtoday,”hespoke.

“Thanks. Everyone was super nice and easy to work with. Especially the

models.Sometimestheycanbequitedifficult.”Ismirked.

“Ibettheycanbe.I’msureyouwanttoshowerbeforeheadingtodinner.”

“Ido.Beingaphotographercangetprettydirty.”

“You were on the ground an awful lot.” He laughed. “Reservations are for

eight.”

WetookacabbacktothehotelandChristianfollowedmeintomyroomand

setoneoftheequipmentbagshecarrieddownonthetable.

“I’mgoingtogochange.Justletmeknowwhenyou’reready,”hespoke.

“Iwill.Thiscelebrationwe’redoing,isitfancyorcasual?”

“Casual.” He winked as he started to walk to his room. “By the way.” He

turnedandlookedatme.“Ihopeyou’renotafraidofheights.”

Before I could get any words out, he walked to his room and shut the door.

Whatthehelldidhemeanbythat?Iwasn’tafanofheights.NowIwasworried.I

tookaquickshower,andwhenIgotout,Isatdownonthebedwithmylaptopand

beganlookingthroughthehundredsofemailsfromwomenaroundtheworld.As

muchasIlovedphotography,Ilovedhelpingwomenmore.Itwasatthatmoment

whilereadingtheemailsthatIdecidedtotakeabreakfromphotographyandmake

my blog and YouTube channel a priority. It was a risk. A huge risk. But, like

someonetoldme,“Someofthegreatestgiftsinlifeareontheothersideoffear.”

IpickedupmyphoneandsentatextmessagetoMobileMan.

“Wedidn’ttouchbasetoday.Howareyou?”

“I’mgreat.Howareyou?IwaswonderingifI’dhearfromyou.Ididn’twant

tobotheryoubecauseIknewyouwerebusy.”

“I’m good. I had a really good day and now I need to get ready to go to

dinner.”

“Howarethingsgoingbetweenthetwoofyou?”

“Things are going good. Maybe too good. The part that sucks is that he’s

alwaysonmymindevenwhenwe’renottogether.”

“Whydoesthatsuck?”

“BecauseIdon’twanttothinkabouthim.Idon’tneedthedistraction,butI

can’thelpit.”

“Listentome,Digits.Youcantrytofightyourfeelingsforthisguyallyou

want,butyou’llloseandyouknowit.That’swhyIthinkyou’resoscared.Just

giveintothosefeelings.Obviously,theguyfeelsthesamewayaboutyou.Take

itslow.Onedayatatime.Openyourselfuptothepossibilitythatthisguyis

theexceptionofallothermen.”

“Youthink?”

“Iknow.Ispentthedaywiththewomanofmydreamstoday.Andyouknow

why?BecauseItookyouradvice.Takeyourownadvice,Digits.Ifyoulikehim,

lethimknow.Becauseoneday,you’llwakeupandhewon’tbethereandthen

you’llspendtherestofyourlifewonderingwhatcouldhavebeen.”

“Thank you, Mobile Man. Have I ever told you how much I love our

conversations?”

“I’m sure you have and I love them too. Conversations with you are the

highlightofmyday.”Hesentthewinkyface.

Isenthimthewinkyfacebackandtoldhimtohaveagoodnight.Myfeelings

about him and our text friendship were starting to change. He met the woman of

hisdreamsalready,sohimfallingformewasn’tevenaconsideration.Maybeit

was time me and Mobile Man met. Maybe a man and a woman could just be

friends.

ChapterThirty-One

Christian

Therewasaknockontheadjoiningdoor,andwhenIopenedit,IsmiledasI

sawEloisestandingtherelookingasgorgeousasever.

“Areyouready?”Iasked.

“Iam.Wherearewegoing?”

“You’llseewhenwegetthere.”Ismiled.

IrentedouttheSkydeckChicagoforthetwoofus,aprivatediningexperience

onthe103

floor.I’dhaddinnerthereoncebeforewithmyfamilyanditwasan

amazingexperience.AnexperienceIwantedtosharewithher.Iwantedtomake

thisanightshe’dneverforget,andwithanyluck,she’dbewakingupinmyarms

inthemorning.

When we arrived and stepped into the elevator, I could see the look of

nervousnessacrossherface.

“Areyouokay?”Ilightlygrabbedholdofherhand.

Shelookeddownandthenupatme.

“Iamnow.”Shelightlysmiled.

Afeelingofcontentmentwashedovermehearinghersaythosewords.Iwas

breaking through to her. Maybe my last text message as Mobile Man got her

thinking. When we arrived to the 103

floor, we stepped out and she looked

around,herhandtightlyclenchedinmine.

“Ireallyhopeyou’renotafraidofheightsbecausethisissomethingeveryone

shouldexperienceintheirlifetime,”Ispoke.

Shetookinadeepbreath.

“It’snotthatI’mreallyafraid.I’mjustunsure.Whyarewetheonlytwopeople

uphere?”

“Irentedouttheentireroomforussowecouldhaveaprivatedinnerandenjoy

theviewinpeace.”Ismiled.“Comeoverhereandlookoutatthecity.”

“Umm.I’mnotsureIwanttogettooclosetotheglass.”Shestoppedbehind

me.

“It’sokay,Eloise.IhaveyouandIpromiseIwon’tletgo.”Ismiled.

****

Eloise

Myheartwasbeatingahundredmilesaminute.Nowait,makethatathousand

milesaminute.Notonlybecauseourhandswerelockedtogether,butbecausewe

wereupreallyhighandIwasn’tsurehowtodealwiththeanxietyIfelt.Icouldn’t

believe he rented out the entire Skydeck for the two of us. That had to be the

sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. After taking in a couple of deep

breaths,Ilethimleadmetothewindow.

“What’sthat?”

“That’stheledge.”

“Youmeanpeopleactuallywalkonit?”

“Yes.”Hechuckled.“Wouldyouliketogiveitatry?”

“Nope.I’mgoodrighthere.”

Wetookaseatataroundtablewhereabottleofwinesat.AfterChristiantook

theseatacrossfromme,hepoureduseachaglassofwine.

“Dinner will be served shortly.” He grinned. “Here’s to a successful photo

shootandtoyoursuccessfulblog.”Hehelduphisglass.

“Thankyou.”IsmiledbigasIclankedmyglassagainsthis.“So,tellmeagain

whyyou’resingle?”

“Oh,Idon’tknow.Maybetherightwomanhasn’tpoppedintomylife.Youdo

havetobecarefulwhomyouchoosetowanttospendtherestofyourlifewith.”

Hesmirked.

“True.Soyouwantmarriageandafamily?”

“Onedayinthefuture.That’siftherightwomancomesalongandsweepsme

offmyfeet.”Hewinkedandmyladypartsquivered.

Igavehimasmallsmileasthewaiterwalkedoverandservedusdinner.

“It really is beautiful up here. Thank you,” I spoke as the anxiety seemed to

havedissipated.

“You’rewelcome.”

Weate,talkedaboutthephotoshoot,andwhendinnerwasover,musicfromthe

overheadstartedtoplay.Christiangotupfromhischairandheldouthishandto

me.

“May I have this dance? The night wouldn’t be complete without dancing on

theskydeck.”Hesmiled.

Iplacedmynapkinfrommylapontothetableandputmyhandinhis.

“We’re going to dance on the ledge and I don’t want you to be afraid,” he

spoke.

Anervousnesssettledinthepitofmystomach.

“Do you trust me, Eloise?” he asked with seriousness as his eyes stared into

mine.

“Ithinkso.”

Heletoutachuckle.

“Youthinkso?”

“Yes,ofcourseIdo.”

Withourhandsclaspedtogether,heledmetotheledgeandIgulped.

“It’sokay.I’vegotyou.”

Westeppedontotheledgeandhewrappedhisarmsecurelyaroundmywaist

as I placed my hand in his and my other hand on his shoulder. We swayed back

andforthtothemusicasIlookedoutatthebrightlylitcityfromthe103

floor.

“Areyouokay?”Christianasked.

“Actually,I’mfine.It’sbeautifuluphere.”Ismiled.“Andyou’reright,thisis

somethingeveryoneshouldexperienceintheirlifetime.”

“I’mgladyoulikeit.Isomehowknewyouwould.”Hesmiled.

Heletgoofmyhandandwrappedhisotherarmaroundme.Bringingbotharms

up, I secured them around his neck as the two of us stared at each other, getting

lost in one another’s soul. The corners of his mouth were slightly curved into a

seductivesmilethatsentshiversdownmyspine.Hewantedtokissme.Ifeltit.

Andinamatterofseconds,hislipsgentlypressedagainstmine.Helookedatme

andIsmiled,lettinghimknowthatIwasonboardwithwhateverhewasthinking

about.Heleanedinagain,butthistime,hiskisswasmoresensualandnotjusta

test.Ireturneditandourtonguesmetwithsatisfaction.Hishandsroamedupand

downmysidesasminetangledthroughhishair.Ifwedidn’tleavenow,we’dend

uphavingsexontheledge.Wouldthatreallybesobad?Iwassurethestaffwould

mind.

“Shallwegobacktothehotel?”heaskedashebrokeourkiss.

“Yes.”Iswallowedhard.

With a grin on his face, he took my hand and we left the Skydeck. Our hands

never left each other’s all the way back to the hotel. Once we stepped into the

elevator,andbeingtheonlyonesinthere,hepushedmeupagainstthewalland

savagelykissedmeaswetraveledfromfloortofloor.Thedoorsopenedandhe

grabbedmyhandandledustoourrooms.

“Whichroom?Mineoryours?”heasked.

“Yoursisfine.”Ismiled.

He inserted the cardkey, opened the door, and swept me up in his arms and

overtothebedwherewemadepassionatelove.Ilaythere,wrappedinhisarms,

myheadonhischestandhisfingerstrokingmybareskin.

“I want to see you on a regular basis when we get back to New York,” he

spoke.

Fearandconfusionroseinsideme.IgaveseriousthoughttowhatMobileMan

said about just letting go and spending the rest of my life wondering what could

have been. Christian Blake was everything I was looking for in a man and my

intuitionwastellingmetogoforit.Ifailedatlisteningtomyintuitionbefore,but

thistime,Iknewbetter.

“I’dliketoseeyoutoo.”Iliftedmyheadandlookedathim.

“Really?”Asmilegrewacrosshisface.

“Yes,really.”

Withoneswiftmove,IwasflatonmybackandChristianwashoveringover

me.

ChapterThirty-Two

Christian

I’dwonandIcouldn’thavebeenhappier,butadarknessresideddeepinside

me.Icouldn’tsleepwhenIshouldhavebeensleepinglikeababy.Ihaditall.I

had her. I sat on the edge of the bed with my face buried in my hands thinking

abouthowIwasgoingtotellherthatIwasMobileMan.Ididn’tknowhowshe’d

reactandthatwaswhatscaredmethemost.

“Hey,areyouokay?”sheaskedassheplacedherhandonmyback.

“I’mfine.I’msorryIwokeyou.”

“Youdidn’t.Whyaren’tyouasleep?”

“Idon’tknow.Maybetoomuchexcitementfromtheday.”

I climbed back under the sheets, wrapped her up in my arms, and kissed her

head.

“Gobacktosleep,baby.I’mfine.Ipromise.”

Iawokethenextmorningtothesoundofrainhittingthewindow.

“Ilovethesoundoftherain,”shesoftlyspoke.

“Metoo.Goodmorning.”Ikissedherhead.

“Goodmorning.”Herlipspressedagainstmychest.“Whattimedoesourflight

leave?”

“Not until six o’clock tonight. I didn’t think they were calling for rain today.

ThelasttimeIcheckedtheweather,therewasazeropercentchance.”

“A little bit of rain never hurt anybody.” She smiled as she looked up at me.

“I’llberightback.Don’tgoanywhere.”Shekissedmebeforeclimbingoutofbed

andslippingintoherrobe.

Sheopenedtheadjoiningdoortoherroom,andafterafewseconds,shecame

backwithhercamerainherhand.

“Whatareyoudoing?”Ilaughed.

“I’mgoingtotakesomepicturesofyou.Thatis,ifyoudon’tmind.”

“Inbed?”Icockedmyheadashercamerawentoff.

“Yes.It’ssexyandIlikesexy.”Shegrinned.

Shestoodontopofthebedandbegansnappingpictureswhilelookingdown.

“Get down here.” I grabbed her legs and pulled her on top of me. “No more

pictures.Ifyouwantsexy,I’llgiveyousexy.”Ikissedher.

Slipping her robe off her shoulders, I took her beautiful breasts in my mouth.

My hard cock was pressed against her and waiting to feel the warmth of her

insides.Sheliftedherselfupandslowlypusheddownuntileveryinchofmewas

insideher.Subtlemoansescapedbothourlipsaswetookinthepleasurewegave

eachother.

“We’renotusingacondom?”Iasked.

“I’monbirthcontrol.I’mnotworried.”

Iplacedmyhandsfirmlyonherbreasts,lightlypinchingeachhardenedpeakas

she slowly rode my cock. I threw my head back in satisfaction as the warmth

insideherenvelopedme.

“God,youfeelincredible.”

“Sodoyou,”shesensuallymoaned.

Watchinghermakelovetomewasthebestturnonintheworld.Shewasso

fuckingbeautifulandIcouldn’tgetenoughofher.Herhipsmovedbackandforth

atarapidpaceashermoansheightenedandshecame.Thewetnessthatemerged

fromhersentatremblingsensationthroughme.AsensationIcouldn’tcontrol.A

sensationthatsentmycockintoaspasticfitofanorgasm.Iheldherhipsdown

firmlyasIpushedouteverylastdropIhadinsideher.

Beforeclimbingoffme,herlipspressedagainstmine.

“I’mstarving.”Shesmiled.

“Metoo.Let’sgetdressedandheaddowntobreakfast.”

We kept the adjoining door open and traveled between rooms as we both got

dressed. While Eloise was in her bathroom applying her makeup, I walked up

frombehindandwrappedmyarmsaroundher.

“I’mgoingtoheaddowntothegiftshopandgrabusacoupleumbrellas.”

“Goodidea.We’regoingtoneedthem.”Shesmiled.

I left the room and headed towards the elevator. Pulling my phone from my

pocket,IsentDigitsatextmessage.

“Goodmorning.Howwasyournight?”

“Goodmorning!Mynightwasfabulous.Hetoldmehewantstoseemeona

regularbasiswhenwegetbackhome.”

“That’sgood.Whatdidyousay?”

“ItoldhimthatI’dliketoseehimtoo.”

“I’mproudofyou,Digits.Soyoutookmyadvice?”

“Yes and thank you. I guess I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life

wonderingwhatcouldhavebeen.”

“I’mhappytohearyousaythat.”

“Whataboutyouandthewomanofyourdreams?”

“Ithinkthingsaregoingtoworkoutreallywellwithher.”

“Wow.Lookatus.”Isentthesmileyfaceemoji.

“Ihavetorun,Digits.Haveagreatday.Whenareyouheadingback?”

“Ourflightleavesatsixp.m.”

“Haveasafeflight.Catchyalater?”

“Catchyalater,MobileMan.”

IsighedasIstoodthereandstaredatourtextmessages.Thiscouldn’tgoon.I

eitherhadtotellEloisewhoIwasorIhadtostoptextingDigits.Eitherway,she

wasgoingtobehurtandthelastthingIwantedtodowashurther.

ChapterThirty-Three

Eloise

AfterChristianandIhadbreakfast,weheadedbacktoourroomstopackall

ourthingssowecouldcheckout.Afterleavingourbagswiththehoteluntilwe

werereadytogototheairport,westeppedontotherainystreetsofChicagoand

Christianopenedtheoversizedblackumbrella.

“Ican’tbelievetheyonlyhadoneleft,”Ispoke.

“I’msurealotofpeoplehadthesameideawedidwhentheysawtherain

outside.I’mhappythiswasthelastone.It’llkeepmeclosertoyou.”Hewinked.

Icouldn’thelpbutsmileasIlaidmyheadonhisshoulder.Weshoppedfora

coupleofhours,andeventhoughitwasadrearycooldayout,itturnedouttobe

oneofthebestdaysofmylife.Wetriedonclotheswewouldneverbuyjusttobe

sillyandtookanobscenenumberofselfiestorememberourtimeinChicago.

Becausewehadahugebreakfast,neitheroneofuswasveryhungry,soweended

upgettingacoupleofhotdogsfromastreetvendorandeatingthemunderan

overhangandoutoftherain.

“You’reacheapdate.IthinkIlikeyou.”Christiansmiled.

Inudgedhisshoulderwithmine.“IthinkIlikeyoutoo.Thanksforthehotdog.”

Heleanedoverandkissedmylips.Icouldn’trecallatimeIwasanyhappier.

Oncewefinishedeating,weheadedbacktothehoteltocollectourbagsandthen

itwasofftotheairport.Ontheplaneridehome,Christiandidsomeworkonhis

laptopwhileIplannedthevideosIwasgoingtofilmfortheweek.

“Idecidedtotakeabreakfromphotographyforawhile,”IspokeasIglanced

atChristian.

“Really?Why?”

“Mypassionrightnowiswithmyblogandhelpingwomenwiththeir

relationshipissues.TheonlythingIhavegoingonnextweekaretheeditsforthe

Chanelphotos.I’mnotgoingtoacceptanymoreworkforprobablyabouta

month.”

“Canyouaffordnottotakeonphotographyjobs?”heasked.

“Yes.”Ismiled.“Icanaffordit.”

“Thendowhatmakesyouhappy.”Heplacedhishandonmine.

Assoonaswelanded,myphonedingedwithatextmessagefromNatalie.

“AreyouNewYorkboundyet?I’mbackfromHawaiiandwashopingwe

couldhaveadrinkorthree.Ineedtotalktoyou.”

“Justlanded.Ishouldbehomeinaboutanhour.Everythingokay?”

“Idon’tknow.IneedyouradviceaboutNathan.”

“Okay.I’lltextyouwhenI’mclosetohome.”

“Thanks.I’llbringthewine.”

“Everythingokay?”Christianasked.

“Yeah.ThatwasNatalie.She’scomingoverwhenIgethome.Sheneeds

adviceaboutNathan.”

“Isthatherboyfriendorhusband?”

“SomeguyshejustmetinHawaii.HelivesonLongIsland.”

Christianhadacarwaitingattheairporttotakeushome.Whenthedriver

pulleduptomybuilding,Christiangotoutofthecar,grabbedmyluggage,and

walkedmetomyapartment.Aftersettingmyluggagedowninthefoyer,he

wrappedhisarmsaroundmeandpulledmeintoatightembrace.

“IhadagreattimeinChicagoandIthinkI’mgoingtomissyoutonight.”

“Ihadagreattimetoo.Thankyouforeverything.AndIthinkI’mgoingtomiss

youtoo.”Ismiled.

Hislipstenderlybrushedagainstmineanditwasturningintoapassionatekiss

untiltherewasknockatmydoor.

“I’lltextyoulater.”Heplacedhishandsoneachsideofmyfaceandkissedme

onelasttime.

“Ilookforwardtoit.”

IopenedthedoorandletNataliein.

“Oh.Hi,Christian.”Shesmiled.

“Hello,Natalie.HowwasHawaii?”

“Beautiful.HowwasChicago?”

“Beautiful.”Hewinkedather.

Assoonasheleft,IshutthedoorandtookthebottleofwinefromNatalie’s

hand.

“Sowhatwashedoinguphere?”sheasked.

“Hehelpedmewithmyluggage.”Igrinned.

“You’reglowing.What’sgoingon?”

“We’resortofseeingeachother,”IspokeasItookdowntwowineglasses.

“Asindating?”Herbrowarched.

“Isuppose.”

“Yousleptwithhimagain.”Shesmirked.

“Idid.Afewtimes.”IgrinnedlikealittlegirlonChristmasmorning.

“Andyou’reokaywithdatinghim?Whythesuddenchangeinattitude?”

“He’sagreatguy,Natalie,andeverythingI’mlookingfor.Butenoughaboutme

andChristian.What’sgoingon?”

“Nathanhasn’treturnedanyofmytextmessagessincehe’sbeenhome.”

“Notoneofthem?”Iasked.

“No,”sherepliedasshedownedherglassofwine.“I’mnotusedtothis.I’m

usuallytheonewhodoesn’ttextback.Ireallylikehim,Eloise,andIthoughthe

likedmetoo.Forfucksakes,Isleptwithhim.”

“Whateveryoudo,don’ttexthimagain.WhywasheinHawaii?”

“Businesstrip,”shereplied.

“Andhe’sneverbeenmarried?”

“Hesaidno.”

“Howaboutagirlfriend?”

“Hesaidhehasn’thadoneinalongtime.”

“It’spossiblehedoeshaveagirlfriendhereandshedidn’tgowithhim

becauseitwasabusinesstrip.”

“Thatlittlefucker.Isweartogod,ifthat’strue...”Herbrowsfurrowed.

Shereachedinsideherpurseandpulledoutherphone.

“Oh.Hejustsentmeatextmessage.”Shegrinned.

“Whatdoesitsay?”

“Hesaidhe’ssorryhedidn’trespondbutworkhasbeencrazysincehegot

backandhe’sbeenpracticallyworking24/7.Hewantstotakemeouttomorrow

night.”

“OnaMonday?”Inarrowedmyeyeather.

“Betterthannotatall.”Shesmiled.“I’msurehemissesme.”

“I’msurehedoes,”Ispoketomakeherfeelbetter.

Thetruthwas,somethingwasn’tsittingrightwithmeandthisNathanguy.

Nobodyisthatbusytotaketensecondstoreplytoatextmessage.Ifthingswere

asgreatinHawaiiasshesaidtheywere,hewouldn’thaveignoredher.Redflag

numberone.

Whensheleft,Itookmyluggagetomyroomandsatdownontheedgeofmy

bedandsentatextmessagetoMobileMan.

“Hi.I’mback!”

Aboutanhourlater,hereplied,whichwasunusualforhim.

“Hi.Welcomehome.I’mheadingtobed.Catchyalater?”

“Sure.Catchyalater.”

Isatthereandstaredatthetextmessage,thinkingtomyselfthatheseemedoff.

JustasIwasabouttotexthimandaskifeverythingwasokay,Ireceivedatext

fromChristian.

“Hi.IsitbadtosaythatImissyoualready?”

“Hi.Imissyoutoo.”

“Lookoutyourwindow.”

Igavehistextmessageaconfusedlook,gotupfrommybed,andlookedoutmy

bedroomwindow,onlytofindChristianstandingonthesidewalkinfrontofmy

buildingwithasmallbaginhishand.Openingthewindowwithasmile,Iyelled,

“Whatareyoudoing?”

“Comingbacktoseeyou.That’sifyoudon’tmind.”

“Ofcoursenot.Comeonup.”

ExcitementbarreledthroughmeasIrantothedoorandopenedit,waitingfor

himtostepofftheelevator.Thiswascrazy.Myfeelingswerecrazy.Iwassointo

himthatIcouldn’tseestraight,andthefactthathecamebackonlyafterjust

leavingacoupleofhoursagomeantthathewasreallyintometoo.

Theelevatordinged,andassoonashesteppedoff,Irantohimandwrapped

myarmsaroundhim.

“Whoa.”Hechuckled.“I’mhappyIcameover.”

“Metoo.”Ikissedhislips.

WewalkedbacktomyapartmentandIimmediatelyofferedhimaglassof

wine.

“Soyou’respendingthenight?”Ibitdownonmybottomlipandthecornersof

mymouthslightlycurvedupwardsintoabashfulsmile.

“Ifyou’llhaveme,yes.”

“Iwilldefinitelyhaveyou.”Iwrappedmyarmsaroundhisneck.

ChapterThirty-Four

Eloise

He set down his glass of wine on the counter and brought his hand up to my

cheekashislipssoftlybrushedagainstmine.Mybodyscreamedwithexcitement

for it knew what was to come. He slid my leggings off my hips and pulled my

sweaterovermyhead,leavingmeinonlymybraandpanties.Heinhaledasharp

breathasheranhisfingerdownmycleavage.Ourmouthssmashedtogetherwhile

Iundidhisbelt,tookdownhispants,andbrushedmyhandagainsthishardcock.

Hebrokeourkiss,liftedhisshirt,andtosseditonthefloor.Standinginfrontof

me,hiseyesstudiedmefromheadtotoe.

“Youarethemostbeautifulwomanintheworld,”hesoftlyspokeasheleaned

inandswepthislipsacrossmyneck.

Hishandtraveleddownthefrontofmypanties,gentlystrokingmyclitbefore

plunging a finger deep inside me. I was already wet. How could I not be? This

manturnedmeonmorethananyothermaneverhad.Iwasinaconstantstateof

wetnesswhenhewasaround.

Hemoanedwithpleasureasmyfingerswrappedthemselvesaroundhisrock-

hardcockandmyhandmovedupanddownhisshaft.Heexploredme,notonly

withhisfingers,butwithhiswarmtongueasheslidacrossmyneckanddownto

my cleavage. Bringing his free hand around me, he unclasped my bra with ease

andletitfallandthentookmyhardenednipplesinhismouth.Thesensationthat

flowedthroughmewaseuphoricasIletoutseveralmoansofpassion.Hepicked

meupandsetmeontheedgeoftheisland.

“Ican’twaitanymore,”hewhisperedashethrustintome.

Igaspedforair,wrappingmylegsaroundhiswaistandleaningbackasfarasI

could so he had access to my breasts. His mouth explored me as his thrusts

becamerapid,hittingalltherightspotsthatonlyhiscockcouldhit.Afterafew

moreintensethrusts,hepickedmeup,myarmswrappedtightlyaroundhisneck,

andheldmeashemovedinandoutofme.Hisstrengthwascaptivatingandmade

mefeelcompletelysafe.Hecarriedmetothebedroomandlaidmedownonthe

bed,hoveringovermeandstaringintomyeyesasheperformedlikeabeast.My

heart was pounding as I moaned out in contentment at the orgasm that shook my

world.

“That’s it. Fuck, yes,” he yelled out as he halted deep inside and a rush of

warmthfilledwithinme.

Christian collapsed and our bodies meshed together as we both lay there

waitingforourbreathtoreturntoanormalpattern.Herolledoffmeandlayon

hisbackwithhishandsonhischest.

“Areyouokay?”IlaughedasIranmyfingeracrosshisshoulder.

“I’mmorethanokay.”Hegrinnedashelookedatme.

I kissed his lips and climbed off the bed, strutting my naked body into the

bathroom.

“Wouldyoucaretojoinmeforabath?”Iturnedandgavehimasultrylook.

“Iwouldloveto.”

We lay together in the bubbly warm water. My back was pressed against his

muscular chest and his arms were wrapped securely around me. We talked a lot

aboutmyparentsandtheirrelationship.Onethingthathadmeconcernedwashe

didn’t want to talk about his family. I noticed every time I asked him, he was

vagueandtriedtochangethesubject.

“Istheresomethingyou’renottellingmeaboutyourfamily?”Iasked.

“No.Why?”

“BecauseeverytimeIaskyouaboutthem,youchangethesubject.”

Hesighed.“Idon’treallywanttotalkaboutthemrightnow.Wewillanother

time.Okay?”

“Okay.”Itiltedmyheadbackandlookedupathimashekissedmyforehead.

Afterourbath,weclimbedintomybedandIsnuggledagainstChristianastight

as I could. I fit perfectly against his body and laid my head upon his chest,

listening to the subtle beat of his heart and the soft whispers of his breath. This

hadbecomemyhappyplace.

Thenextmorning,Icouldn’tsleep,soIgotupearlyandmadeChristiansome

waffles.

“Whatisthatdelicioussmell?”Hesmiledashekissedmylips.

“Goodmorning.Imadeyousomehomemadewaffles.”Igrinned.

“Ilovewaffles.”Hepattedmyass.

Ipouredhimacupofcoffeeandtoldhimtositdown.

“CanIseeyoutonight?”heasked.

Iplacedtwowafflesonaplateandsetitdowninfrontofhim.Climbingonhis

lap,Ispoke,“Youcanseemeeverynight.”

“Mhm.Ilikethesoundofthat.I’llpickyouuponmywayhomefromworkand

wecanhavedinneratmyplace.”

“Ilikeyourplace.”Ismiled.“Especiallyyourbathroom.”

“If you like my bathroom, then you’ll love my bedroom even more.” His lips

brushedagainstmine.

He finished his breakfast, gave me a kiss goodbye, and headed to the office.

Afterheleft,IgottoworkoneditingtheChanelphotos.Icouldn’tstopthinking

aboutMobileManandIwassurprisedIhadn’theardfromhimtoday.Thiswasn’t

likehimnottotextme.

“Topofthedaytoyou!Howareyou?”

I set my phone down and continued editing my photos. About an hour had

passedandIstillhadn’theardfromhim,soIsenthimanothertextmessage.

“Hey,Ihopeeverythingisokay.”

****

Christian

IsatbehindmydeskandsighedasIstaredathertextmessage.Thiswaskilling

mebecauseIknewshewashurtingthatMobileManhadn’trespondedtohertext

messages. Finally, I said fuck it, and against my better judgment, I sent her a

messageback.

“Hey.I’msorryforthelateresponse.Iwastiedupinanimportantmeeting.

I’mgoodandeverything’sfine.Howareyou?”

“I’mgreat!Iwasworriedaboutyoulastnight.Yousoundedkindofoff.Are

thingsgoingwellwiththatgirl?”

“Things couldn’t be better with her and I’m really happy. Actually, I’m the

happiestI’veeverbeeninmylife.”

“Aw,that’ssogoodtohear.Iwantedtothankyouagainforyouradvice.Like

you,I’mthehappiestI’veeverbeen.He’ssuchanamazingman.Herentedout

theSkydeckChicagoforthetwoofusandwehadabeautifuldinnertogether.

Noonehadeverdoneanythinglikethatformebefore.”

“Wow.Hewentalloutforyou,Digits.Andyouknowwhyhedidit?Because

heknowsyoudeservenothingless.”

“Thankyou,MobileMan.Thatwassweetofyoutosay.”

“Ionlytypethetruth.Ihaveanothermeetingtogetto.Catchyalater?”

“Catchyalater.”

JustasIsetmyphonedown,Clairewalkedintomyoffice.

“Hi,Ihaven’tseenyouallmorning.HowwasChicago?”

“Chicagowasfantastic.Thephotoshootwentreallywell,”Ispoke.

“Ihaven’theardfromEloiseyet.Didthetwoofyougetalongokay?”

Agrincrossedmyface.“Yes.Wegotalongjustfine.”

Hereyenarrowedatmeinasuspiciousway.

“AnythingIshouldknow?”Shecockedherhead.

“Maybeyoushouldwaitandtalktoher.”Ismirked.

“No.It’sokay.Youcantellme.”

“We’reseeingeachother.”Iplacedmyhandsbehindmyheadandleanedback

inmychair.

“That’sgreat.”Shesmiled.“Finally.Sohowdiditgowhenyoutoldherthat

youwereMobileMan?”

Istaredblanklyatherforamoment.

“Ohmygod,Christian.Youhaven’ttoldheryet?”Shetookaseatacrossfrom

me.

“It’scomplicated,Claire.”

“Oh, I know how complicated it is. You cannot keep that from her. Do you

knowwhatshe’sgoingtodotoyouwhenshefindsoutyouknew?”

“IthinkthebestwaytoavoidthatisformetostoptextingherasMobileMan.

Justletitgoandbedonewithit.”

“That will hurt her. She really likes Mobile Man. You need to come clean to

her,Christian.It’snotevenanoption.”

“Isn’tisbetterforhertobehurtbysomeoneshe’sneverevenmet?She’llget

overitalotfaster.”

Shesatthere,slowlyshakingherheadatme.

“It’snotright.Youcan’tstartarelationshipbasedonalie.Anddon’tgiveme

that‘Whatshedoesn’tknowwon’thurther’spieleither.Onceyoutellher,she’ll

probably be pissed as hell, but Natalie, Scarlett, and I will be there for her and

talk to her. We’ll have your back because I believe the two of you belong

together.”

IsighedasIplacedmyhandsonmydesk.

“I’lltellherbytheendoftheweek,”Ispokewithdismay.“ButI’mnottexting

herasMobileMananymore.Maybethatway,itwon’tbesohardonherwhenshe

findsoutwhy.”

“That’suptoyou.Butit’salsouptoyoutomakethingsright.Ifyoulikeheras

muchasyousayyoudo,thenyouknowtellingheristherightdecision.”

“IthinkI’mfallinginlovewithher,”Isoftlyspoke.

“Thentellher.”

Claire walked out of my office and I took my stress ball from my desk and

threwitacrosstheroom.

ChapterThirty-Five

Eloise

TheweekwasflyingbyandIcouldn’tbelieveitwasalreadyThursday.Since

Monday,Ihadfilmedandeditedfivevideos,threeofwhichwerealreadyposted

andtwomorescheduledforthenexttwodays.IfinishedtheeditsfortheChanel

Campaign and had them packaged nicely to take to Christian’s office. Christian

andIsaweachothereverynightsincewewe’dbeenbackfromChicago,andlast

night,hesurprisedmewithadozenpinkandwhiteroses.Iaskedhimwhatthey

wereforandhisanswer:“Justbecause.”IwasoncloudnineandthehappiestI’d

ever been. My parents invited us over to dinner on Saturday and I was beyond

excited for them to meet him. I knew they were going to love him. As for his

textinghabits,hewasrightonpoint.Alwaysrespondedwithintenminutesorless,

and most of the time, he initiated the text messages. Our nightly routine was

adorable as far as I was concerned. We’d have sex, he’d kiss me and say good

night,andthenhewouldpickuphisphonefromthenightstandandsendmeagood

nighttext.I’dlookatmyphoneandthenathimandhe’dgivemethatsexywink

thatmeltedmyheart.

The text messages between me and Mobile Man started to fade, and not

becauseofme.Hewouldgohourswithoutresponding,andwhenhedid,itwas

usuallywithoneortwowords.Ourlongconversationsweusedtohavesuddenly

stopped. I spoke to Natalie, Scarlett, and Claire about it, and they said he was

probablyheartbrokenthatI’dfoundsomeone.Itoldthemtostopbeingridiculous

becausehehadagirlofhisown,theonehecalledtheloveofhislife.Soithadto

besomethingelse.IwasreallybotheredbyitbecauseIconsideredhimoneofmy

best friends. I told him things I couldn’t tell my girls. He pulled away and I

wanted answers. Normally, I would #Delete him, but we’d never met, went out,

nothing. We only talked every day via texting, so to me, #Delete didn’t apply in

this situation. We weren’t dating and we weren’t interested in each other

romantically.

IgrabbedtheChanelphotosandheadedtoChristian’soffice.WhenIstepped

offtheelevator,ClairewasstandingtherewithKenny.

“Hey,youtwo.”Ismiled.

“Hi,Eloise.”Kennykissedmycheek.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”

“DroppingthesephotosofftoChristian.”

“Ah. Can I talk to you for a second?” he asked as he lightly grabbed my arm

andwalkedmeawayfromClaire.

“What’sup?”

“I’mhappyyouandChristianaredating.Iwasworriedthereforawhilethat

hewouldtryandmakeamoveonClaire.”

Irolledmyeyesathim.

“CanIgiveyouapieceofadvice,Kenny?”

“Sure.”

“Stopthisjealousythingyouhavegoingon.ClairelovesyoutodeathandI’ve

never seen her happier. But everyone has their limits, and if you keep this up,

you’regoingtopushherawayandintothearmsofanotherman.Iknowyourlast

girlfriend screwed you over, but don’t let your past define who you are in the

present. Trust is very important in a relationship and if you keep giving out that

vibeofmistrusttoher,you’regoingtoloseher.”

“Idotrusther.It’stheothermenIdon’ttrust.”

“Come on, Kenny, we both know the truth. Because of what happened with

yourex,youprojectallthewomenyoudatetobelikethat.AmIright?”

“Idon’tknow.”Helookeddown.

“JustthinkaboutwhatIsaid.Idon’twanttoseethetwoofyousplitupover

somethingthatcouldhavebeenprevented.”

Hegavemeasmallsmileasheplacedhishandonmyarm.

“Thanks,Eloise.”

“Excuseme?”Claireyelled.“Ifthetwoofyouarefinished,Iwouldliketogo

eat.I’mstarving!”

I glanced over at Claire and gave her a smile before heading to Christian’s

office.WhenIarrived,hewasonthephonebutmotionedformetocomein.Iset

thephotosonthetableinhisofficeandhehungupfromhiscallandwalkedover

tome.

“God,Imissedyou.”Hekissedmylips.

“Ijustsawyoufivehoursago.”Ilaughed.

“Fivehoursisalongtime,babe.”

“You’reright.Itis.”Ikissedhim.

JoeclearedhisthroatashestoodinthedoorwayofChristian’soffice.

“IfyoutwoarefinishedwithyourPDA,Iwouldliketoseethephotographs.”

He smiled. “I brought lunch for all of us. I had your secretary take it into the

conferenceroom.”

I grabbed the photos from the table and the three of us walked down to the

conferenceroom.Christiangavemethehonorofstandingattheheadofthetable

andpullingthephotographsoutoftheenvelopeonebyone.Joelovedthem,and

when I pulled out the black and white photo of the model naked in bed with the

sheetbarelycoveringher,hegasped.

“Iwouldrememberthatshot,”hespoke.

“Itookitafteryouleft.IhadanideaandIwentwithit.”

Hegotupfromhisseat,tookthephotofrommyhand,andstudiedit.

“Thisisbrilliant,Eloise.Doyouhaveanyotherslikethis?”

“Afew.”

“SendthemtoChristianassoonasyoucan.IthinkIknowwhatwecandowith

them.MyGod,you’reagenius.”Hekissedmycheek.“I’vebeenwantingtodoa

specialtestcampaignforalongtimebutwasafraidtoputitinmotionbecauseof

theotherVP’s.Butthis,thisphoto,herlook,theexpressiononherface,itscreams

sensuality!”heexclaimed.“ThisisthevisionIhad.”

“Thankyou.I’mhappyyoulikeit.”

“No,darling.Iloveit.Christian,Iwanttomeetwithyouandyourdesignteam.

Ouronecampaignjustturnedintotwo.”Hesmiled.“Ihaveafewerrandstorun.

I’llbebackaroundfiveo’clockforthatmeeting.Isthatokay?”

“Fiveisfine,”Christianreplied.

“Great. Excellent work, Eloise. I will definitely be keeping your number

handy.”Hewinked.

Christianwalkedoverandwrappedhisarmsaroundme.

“Thankyou.”Hekissedthesideofmyhead.“IknewImadetherightdecision

hiringyouforthisjob.”

“Wasmyworktheonlyreason?”Iarchedmybrowathim.

“I’mnotgoingtoanswerthatquestion.”Hesmirked.

I hooked my arm around his and we walked back to his office. He took his

phonefromhispocketandsetitdownonhisdesk.

“Dinner tonight at your place after my meeting with Ron?” He grinned as he

placedhishandsoneachsideofmyface.

“Dinnerorsex?”Iaskedwitharaisedbrow.

“Both. You can’t have one without the other.” His lips softly brushed against

mine.

“I agree. If you were only going to say ‘dinner,’ I would have declined, Mr.

Blake.”

“Isthatso?”Hislipstouchedmineonceagain.

“Uhhuh.”Ismiledandourkissdeepened.

“Sorry to interrupt, Christian, but Jimmy asked if you could go look at

somethinginthedraftroomrealquick,”hissecretaryspokefromthedoorway.

“TellhimI’llbethereinaminute.”

“Jimmyinterruptedourkiss,”Ispoke.

“I’llonlybeafewminutes.Ifyouwaitforme,wecancontinuewhereweleft

off.”

I gave him a smile as he walked out of his office. Sitting down in the chair

across from his desk, I pulled my phone from my purse to see if I had any

messages. I didn’t. The last time I heard from Mobile Man was yesterday

afternoon.Thiswholesituationwasbotheringmeanditneededtobeaddressed.

“Hi. I don’t know what’s going on and why you’ve practically stopped

textingme.Ifyou’rebusy,pleasejusttellme.Don’tstartpullingthisshit.Not

withmeofallpeople.”

IhitthesendbuttonandChristian’sphonedinged.Ididn’tthinkanythingofit.I

staredatmyphoneandwaitedforareply.Afterfiveminutespassed,Isenthim

anothertext.

“Ithoughtwewerefriends,MobileMan.You’redoingtomewhatatypical

douchebagguywoulddoandIwanttoknowwhatIdidwrong.”

IhitthesendbuttonandChristian’sphonedingedagain.Ifurrowedmybrows

as a sick feeling washed over me. “My god, Eloise, don’t be stupid,” I said to

myself.

“MobileMan?”

IhitthesendbuttonandChristian’sphonedinged.

“Hello?”

Anotherding.

“Hello?”

Anotherding.

MyheartstartedracingasIslowlygotupfrommychairandwalkedoverto

where his phone was sitting on his desk. With shaking hands, I picked it up and

sawthenameDigitsappearonhislockscreen.Aviolentwaveofnauseaovertook

meandmylegsbegantoshake.Thiscouldn’tbehappening.ChristianwasMobile

Man?Hewalkedintohisofficeandstoppedwhenhesawhisphoneinmyhand.

“Eloise?”

“Idon’tknowwhattosay,Christian,”Ispokeinshock.

“I’msosorry.Iwantedtotellyou,butIdidn’tknowhow.”

I stared blankly at him for a moment as silence overtook me. It took a few

secondsformybraintoprocesswhathe’djustsaid.

“What?”Icockedmyheadastearsinstantlyfilledmyeyes.“YouknewIwas

Digitsandyoudidn’ttellme?”

“Baby.”Hewalkedovertome.

“STOP!”Iputmyhanduptopreventhimfromcominganycloser.“ANSWER

MYQUESTION!”Ishouted.

“Yes.Iknew.”Heloweredhishead.

Theairaroundmeconstrictedmylungssotightly,IfeltasifIcouldn’tbreathe.

“Howlonghaveyouknown?”Iaskedinashakyvoice.

“IfoundoutthatnightIcametoyourapartmenttolookatyourwork.”

“Andyoukeptitfromme?Whythefuckwouldyoukeepthatfromme?!”

“I wanted to tell you. I really did, and you have to believe me. I just didn’t

knowhow.”

Iswallowedhardasthetearsflowedfreelydownmyface.

“All this time. All those text messages. Text messages spilling my guts about

you,tellingyouhowIfeltandyouencouragingmetoletmyguarddownandgo

forit!Howcouldyoudothattome?HOW!”Islammedmyfistdownonhisdesk.

“Idon’tknow.Ididn’twanttohurtyou.Andyouneedtorememberthatinall

thosetextmessages,you,Eloise,YOUwerethewomanIwastalkingabout.”He

pointedhisfingeratme.

“Oh my god, you used what I said to your advantage. Was this all a game to

you?”Iscowledathim.

“No.Ofcoursenot!Howcouldyoueventhinkthat?!”hegrowled.

“Whatwereyougoingtodo,Christian?DisappearasMobileManandprayI

neverfoundout?!Wasthatyourplan?!”

“No.”

“Really?Becauseyouhaven’ttextedmesinceyesterdayafternoon!”

“Iwaspullingback.”Heshookhishead.“Fuck,Eloise.I’msorry.Youhaveto

believethat.”

“Well,Idon’t!”Iscreamed.

“Everything I said to you in those text messages was the goddamn truth!” he

shouted.“Everysingleword!”

“Wow.” I shook my head. “I just realized something. You didn’t want to talk

about your family because you already told me, and if you told me again, then I

would know who Mobile Man was. Is that how you found out that night I was

Digits?BecauseItoldyouaboutmyparents?”

“Yes,”hesoftlyspoke.“ThenwhenItoldyouIhadtousethebathroom,Istood

aroundthecornerandtextedyoutoconfirmmysuspicions.”

Iplacedmyhandsonmyheadandpacedaroundhisoffice,tearsstillstreaming

downmyface.

“Fuck!”Iyelled.

“Eloise,please.”

“Don’t.”Ipointedmyfingerathiminanger.“Don’tyousayawordtome.You

don’t get to say anything! You betrayed me, Christian. You knew who I was and

youdidn’ttellme.”

“You’re right, I didn’t. Maybe if you weren’t so fucking hell bent on not

meetingMobileMan,thisneverwouldhavehappened!”

“Soit’smyfault?”Iyelled.

“Whatisgoingon?”Claireaskedasshestoodinthedoorway.“Ijustgotback

fromlunchandeveryonecanhearyou!”

“We’re done, Christian. Don’t ever call or talk to me again.” I grabbed my

purseandbegantoheadtowardsthedoor.ThensuddenlyIstoppedandturnedto

him.“Waitaminute.Youhavetwophonenumbers?Becausethenumberyougave

me isn’t the same as Mobile Man’s. Wait. Don’t answer that. If you would have

given me your number, I would have known. So you got a second number so I

wouldn’tfindout?”

Hestaredatmefromacrosstheroomanddidn’tsayaword.Hissilencetold

meeverything.

“Ohmygod.Idon’teverwanttoseeyouagain.”Istormedoutofhisoffice,

practicallyknockingClairedownonmywayout.

ChapterThirty-Six

Christian

“Eloise,wait!”IshoutedasIbegantogoafterher.

“No,Christian.Lethergo,”Clairefirmlyspokeasshestoppedme.“She’sin

shock.Lethergo.”

I walked over to my desk, and in a fit of rage, I swiped my hand across it,

knockingeverythingexceptmycomputeroff.

“Whydidyoupickhereintheofficetotellher?”Claireasked.

“Ididn’t.Apparently,shewastextingMobileManandmyphonewassittingon

thedesk.IwaswithJimmylookingoversomeprints.”

“Waitaminute.Thentherewasnowaysheknewyouknew.”

“Noshit.I’mthinkingthatnow.ButatthetimewhenIwalkedinandsawher

standing there with my phone in her hand, the only thing I could say was that I

wantedtotellher.”

“YOUIDIOT!Youcouldhaveactedlikeyoudidn’tknowandyoubothfound

outtogetheratthesametime!”

“I realized that after I told her I was sorry. I’m so stupid.” I sat down in my

chairandplacedmyfaceinmyhands.

“We’lltalkaboutthislater.Ineedtogoafterher.”

Ineededtogetoutofhere.Grabbingmybriefcase,Ileftmyofficeandtoldmy

secretarythatIwouldn’tbebackfortherestoftheday.FUCK!Iforgotaboutmy

meeting with Ron. After hailing a cab back to my apartment, I sent a group text

message to my design team and told them to be at my house promptly at five

o’clockforameeting.Then,IsentatextmessagetoRon.

“We’ll need to meet at my apartment for the meeting if that’s okay?

Something’scomeupandIhadtoleavetheoffice.”

“Sure,Christian.Yourplaceisfine.Textmetheaddress.”

****

Eloise

“Eloise,wait,”ClaireshoutedasIwalkeddownthestreet.

“Claire, please leave me alone. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.

Please.”

Shecaughtupwithmeandlightlygrabbedholdofmyarm.

“WhathappenedbetweenyouandChristian?”

“I can’t talk about it. Not now. Please, just give me some time.” The tears

continuedtofall.

“Okay.Butpleasecallmelater.”

Igaveheraslightnodandcontinuedwalkingdownthestreetandaroundthe

block.WherewasIgoing?Ithoughthome,buthomewastoofartowalk.SoIwas

just walking to nowhere. After wandering around the streets of New York with

tearsstreamingdownmyfaceandthesympatheticlooksfromstrangers,Ihaileda

cabbacktomyapartment.

I needed to calm down. My mind was racing a mile a minute and I couldn’t

keepupwithit.Iwasdrained,bothmentallyandphysically.Itookaglassdown

andpouredsomewineintoit.Bringingtheredliquiduptomylips,Igulpeditas

ifitwerewater.Icouldfeelthealcoholsoothingmynervesasitflowedthrough

mybody.Pickingupthebottle,Ipouredanotherglass,tookitovertothecouch,

and wrapped myself in my soft gray blanket. I could hear the annoying dings of

textmessagescomingthroughtomyphone,butIdidn’tcare.Iwasn’tabouttoget

upandseewhomtheywerefrom.IslowlysippedonmywineasIthoughtabout

Christian.Howcouldhedothistome?Ofallmen,Ithoughthewasdifferent.He

was the rare find I’d been searching for my entire life. All those text messages

fromhimencouragingmetogooutwithhim.Allthosethingshesaidaboutwaking

uponedayandwonderingwhatcouldhavebeen.IfeltsicktomystomachandI

jumpedoffthecouchandrantothebathroom,whereIvomitedinthetoilet.When

Iwasdone,Istartedthewaterforabath.Aftergrabbingabathbombandputting

itinthewater,Iclimbedinandlaidback,closingmyeyesandtryingtoescapethe

shitshowoftoday.

Myheartwascompletelyshattered.I’dhadmanybrokenheartsinmylifetime,

but never shattered. I couldn’t comprehend his reasoning for not telling me. Or

maybeIcould.Itwasallagametohim.HewantedtotakemeoutandIrejected

him.HeknewIdidn’twanttodate,andwhenhefoundoutIwasDigits,thegirl

who sent him that nasty text message by mistake, he took advantage of it for his

ownsakeandtogetwhathewanted.Tearsstartedtofalldownmyfaceagainand

Ilayinthetubandcriedmyshatteredheartout.

****

Christian

Isatthere,staringintospaceasRonsharedhisvisionwithmydesignteam.I

hurtsobad.AhurtI’dneverfeltbefore.Notevenwithmyex-girlfriends.Mylife

fell apart in a matter of seconds, and over what? Some fucking text messages. I

knewwhatIdidwaswrongandI’dstruggledwiththedecisionoftellinghersince

I’d found out. I could sit here all fucking night and analyze the what if’s. But it

wouldn’tchangeanything.Thedamagewasdone.Iwasdone.Eloisemadeitvery

clearsheneverwantedtoseeortalktomeagain.Icouldn’tacceptthat.Ineeded

herinmylife.Iwantedherinmylife.

“EarthtoChristian,”Ronspoke.

Snappingbackintothedarkreality,Ilookedoverathim.

“Sorry.Ihavealotonmymind.”

“Ithinkwe’refinishedhere.”Hesmiled.

“SorryIhadtohavethemeetinghere.SomethingcameupandIwouldn’thave

gottenbacktotheofficeontime.”

“It’snotaproblem.Everythingokay?”heasked.“You’renothavingproblems

withEloise,areyou?”

“Wegotintoahugefightearlier.”

Hepattedmeonthebackashewalkedtothedoor.

“Couplesfightallthetime.Youtwowillfigureitout,”hespoke.

“Thanks,Ron.I’llgiveyouacallwhenthecampaignisready.”

“Soundsgood.Takecare,Christian.”

“Youtoo.”

Ishutthedoorandpouredmyselfawhisky,somethingIrarelydrank,buttoday

it was warranted. I did a couple shots, poured a full glass, and sat down on the

couchtodrinkmytroublesaway.HowwasIgoingtofixthis?Iguessmeetingher

parentsonSaturdaywasoutofthequestion,nottomentiontheBroadwaytickets

I’dboughtforSundayevening.

“FUCK!”IyelledasIthrewmyglassatthewall.

ChapterThirty-Seven

Eloise

ThemomentIsteppedoutofthetubandchangedintomypajamas,therewasa

knockatthedoor.

“Eloise,it’sus.Openup!”Natalieshouted.

Rolling my eyes and mad as hell that they couldn’t respect my wishes, I

reluctantlyopenedthedoorandallthreeofthemstoodtherewithpoutsontheir

faces.

“We’reyourbestfriendsandwe’rehereforyou,”Nataliespokeasshepushed

measideandwalkedin.

“Webroughtpizza,”Clairespoke.

“Andicecream.”Scarlettsmiled.

“Iappreciateit,youguys,but—”

“Nobuts,”Nataliespoke.“Whenyou’rehurting,we’rehurting.That’showit’s

alwaysbeen.”

Scarlettplacedherarmaroundmyshouldersandledmeovertothecouch.

“Yougositdownandgetcomfortable.We’llbringthefoodover.”

“And then you’re going to tell us what the fuck happened with Christian,”

Nataliespoke.

Clairebroughtthepaperplates,napkins,andtheboxofpizzaovertothecoffee

table.Afterplacingapieceonaplate,shehandedittome.

“I’mnothungry.”

“Wedon’tcare,”shespoke.“Youknowthetradition.Whenoneofusisupset,

wealleatcomfortfoodtogether.”

“Telluswhathappened,”Scarlettspoke.

“You’re never going to believe it. So brace yourselves. Christian Blake is

MobileMan.”

“Shutthefuckup!”Natalieexclaimed.

“Ohmygod,Eloise,”Clairespoke.

“I’msorry.What?”Scarlettasked.

Iexplainedtothemthewholestoryandtheysatthereincompleteshock.

“Ihavenowordsforwhatyoujusttoldus,”Scarlettspoke.

“I’msorry,Eloise.”Nataliehookedherarmaroundmeandpulledmeintoher,

whichmademecryevenharder.

“I’msorry,”Clairespoke.“Ican’tbelieveChristianwoulddosomethinglike

that.”

“Well,believeit,”Ispokewithahintofanger.“He’sanassholeliketherestof

them.”

“Eloise,Iknowyou’reinshockoverthis,butjusttrytothinkrationallyfora

minute.Yes,heknewyouwereDigitsandhedidn’ttellyou.ButyouknewMobile

Manbeforehimandyouconnectedwithhiminstantly.ThenyoumetChristianand

you connected with him almost instantly. The same person. Doesn’t that say

something?”Claireasked.

“HeusedknowingthatIwasDigitstohisadvantage!Hepushedmetogoout

withhim.Togivehimachance.Iwillneverforgivehimforthat.Hedeceivedme

andthatissomethingIwillnotputupwith.”

Wetalkeduntilaboutonea.m.andthegirlsdecideditwastimetoleave.

“Tryandgetsomesleep.We’llcallyoutomorrow,”Clairespoke.

“Thanksforbeingpushy.”Imanagedasmile.

“That’swhatsisterfriendsarefor,baby.”Nataliehuggedmetight.

AftertheyleftandIlockedup,Iclimbedintobedandtriedtogetcomfortable.

Ilaythereandstaredatthesidethatwasstillmadeupwherehe’dlaywithmeat

night. Even though we hadn’t spent many nights together, it felt like it had been

years.IfellforhimandIfellfast.JustlikeIknewIwouldthemomentImethim.I

closedmyeyesandfinallydriftedoffintoadeepsleep.

Istruggledtoopenmyswolleneyes,andwhenIdid,itwasdaylight.WhenI

rolledoverandlookedatmyclockonthenightstand,itreadtwothirty.Myhead

waspoundingandmyeyeshurttoomuchtokeepthemopen,soinstead,Igavein

andwentbacktosleep.Ididn’tcarewhatwasgoingonintheoutsideworld.AllI

wantedtodowassleepandforgetabouteverythingandeveryone.

****

Christian

Istumbledintotheofficearoundtwelvethirty,andwhenIwalkedpastClaire’s

cubicle,shelookedatme.

“Youlooklikeshit,”shespoke.

“Ifeellikeshit,anddon’tforgetI’mstillyourboss.”

Iwalkedintomyofficeandshefollowedbehindmewithacupofcoffee.

“Here,”shespoke.

“Thanks.”

Isatdownatmydeskandimmediatelytookoutthebottleofaspirinfromthe

topdrawer.

“Howisshe?”Iasked.

“Howdoyouthink,Christian?She’sbroken,devastated,andamess.Wewere

atherapartmentlastnightuntilonea.m.tryingtocomfortherbecauseshecouldn’t

stopcrying.”

Isighed.

“Isentheracoupleoftextmessages,butshedidn’trespond,”Ispoke.

“Youreallythoughtshe’drespondtoyou?Sheprobablyalready#Deletedyour

dumb ass. And she probably blocked your number as well. I’ve been with her

throughmanyheartbreaksandI’veneverseenherlikeshewaslastnight.”

“I’msorry,Claire.Ireallyam.I’minlovewithherandIwon’tacceptnever

seeingheragain.”

“Well,Idon’tknowwhatyou’regoingtodo.Allshekeptsayinglastnightwas

how you betrayed and deceived her. You’re just going to have to give her some

timetocalmdown.Maybeonceshedoesandsheclearsherhead,she’llbeable

tothinkmoreclearlyandbeopentotalkingtoyouaboutit.”

“Thanks,Claire.I’msureyourotherfriendshateme.”

“Theydo.”Shesmiled.“Isortofstuckupforyou,butEloisewasn’thavingit.”

“Iappreciateit.ButIdon’twantyoutogetinvolved.ThelastthingIneedis

forhergettingmadatyou.”

“I’vegottogetbacktowork.”

“Thankyouforthecoffeeandthechat.”

“You’rewelcome.”Shesmiledasshewalkedoutofmyoffice.

ChapterThirty-Eight

Eloise

It was six o’clock p.m. when I finally climbed out of bed. Walking into the

bathroom,Isplashedmyfacewithsomecoldwaterandlookedatmydreadedself

inthemirror.MyeyeswerestillpuffyandredandIhadblotchesallovermyface.

Mybodyachedanditwasastruggletoevenwalktothekitchentomakeacupof

coffee.Whilethecoffeewasbrewing,IpulledmyphonefrommypurseandsawI

hadtwomissedcallsfromNatalie,threemissedcallsfromScarlett,onemissed

callfromClaire,adozentextmessagesfromallthreeofthem,andtwomessages

fromChristian.Likeanidiot,IopenedthemessagesfromChristianfirst.

“Eloise,pleasetalktome.I’msosorryforeverything.Weneedtotalkthis

out.”

“I know I’ve hurt you and I can’t say sorry enough. I’m begging you to

pleasetalktome.Thelastweekwespenttogetherwasthebestweekofmylife.

You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Please, baby. Please just

talktome.”

IsenttextmessagesbacktothegirlstellingthemthatIwasokayandthatIwas

goingtoshutmyphoneofffortherestofthenightanddosomework.Ineededto

keepmyselfoccupied,butIdidn’twanttogoout.Openingmyemails,Isatthere

sipping my coffee and reading the compliments I had received from women all

overtheworldwhowereusingthe#Deletemethod.Icouldsensetheexcitement

in their words and how my videos and blog posts had helped them so much. I

started reading over some of my older blog posts and came across one I had

forgotten about. It was a post about not allowing yourself to wallow in self-pity

andhurtformorethantwenty-fourhoursafterabreakup.Ireaditasifsomeone

elsehadwrittenit.

WhowasI?WhothehellwasItogiveoutthisadviceifIwasn’tgoingtotake

it myself? I felt like a fraud as I sat there feeling sorry for myself in such a

devastatedstate.Thepainhadn’tlessened,butIknewIhadtogetmyselfbackon

track, no matter how hard it would be. So I put on some makeup, fixed my hair,

andfilmedavideoonhowtodealwithabreakupandwhatyoushoulddotohelp

yourselfheal.

After I was done filming, I decided to wait and edit the video tomorrow

morning. I thought about cancelling dinner with my parents because I dreaded

telling them what happened between me and Christian. But staying home and

feelingsorryformyselfwasn’tanoption.Plus,Ihadn’tseentheminawhile,and

right now, I needed my mom. Looking over Christian’s text messages again, I

decided to respond. Not for him, but for my peace of mind. It felt weird texting

himasChristianatthenumberI’donlyknownasMobileMan’s.

“You’resorry.Igetthat.ButIcan’tbeinarelationshipwithsomeonewho

deceived me. Even after what transpired yesterday, I still like you, but I don’t

need you. I was fine before you walked into my life and I’ll be fine now that

you’regoneandnolongerinit.”

Ihitthesendbuttonandthrewmyphonedown.IexpectedaresponseASAP,

butasthenightwenton,aresponsenevercame.I’dsaidmypeaceinaniceway.I

couldhavegoneoffonhimandcalledhimeverynameinthebookbecauseGod

knows he deserved it, but I couldn’t. The intense pain I felt inside was

disappointment.DisappointmentinthefactthatChristiandidn’tturnouttobewho

IthoughthewasorwhoIwantedhimtobe.

****

Christian

Hertextmessagetomewasbrutallyheartbreaking.Tobehonest,Iexpecteda

lotworse.Atleastshedidn’ttellmethatshehatedme.Shestilllikedme,butshe

didn’tneedmeandthosewordsrighttherecausedalumpinmythroatthatnearly

suffocatedme.Ineededtorespond,butIdidn’tknowwhattosay.SoIdidn’t.I

saidwhatIneededtoinmylasttwotextmessagesandshesaidwhatsheneeded

toinhers.Butjustbecauseshedidn’tneedmedidn’tmeanthatIwasgoingtostop

trying. Eloise and I belonged together. I made one stupid mistake and I would

spend the rest of my life figuring out how to make it up to her. She may have

thoughtshedidn’tneedme,butshedid.Sheneededmetoloveher,tobetherefor

herwhenshewashavingabadday,andtosupportherineverythingshedid.

****

Eloise

The next morning, I climbed out of bed at six a.m. and headed to the gym. It

wasn’taplaceIwenttoeveryday,butonoccasionwhenIfeltlikeIneededtoget

backintomyself-lovepractices,Iwouldgo.Thepaininmyheartwasstillheavy,

butIwasgoingtopracticewhatIpreached.Iallowedmyselftwenty-fourhoursof

depressionandwallowinginself-pityandthatwaslongenough.Ineededtoget

back to my life before Christian stepped into it, and I was determined to get

throughthis,nomatterwhatittook.

I put my headphones on and climbed on the treadmill. As I was running and

looking out the window at the people passing by on the street, I saw Christian

walk in. What the fuck? Was he stalking me or something? An unsettling

nervousness took over me. There was no way he could see me. I was at the

opposite end of the door, second row, sandwiched between two other people. I

watched as he checked in and stared straight ahead as he walked to the locker

room. I let out the deep breath I was holding and continued to run. He lifted

weights, so I was positive he would go to the weight area and then I wouldn’t

have to see him. The girl that was next to me climbed off and it was the only

treadmill open. My heart started rapidly pounding as thoughts of him getting on

nextmeinfiltratedmyhead.Istaredstraightahead,andasIlistenedtomymusic,I

silentlyprayed.

Crisisaverted.Iranonthetreadmillforforty-fiveminutesandthenIneededto

gethomeandeditmyvideosoIcoulduploadit.Iturnedoffmymusic,tookmy

headphonesoff,andheadedtothelockerroom,prayingallthewayhewouldn’t

seeme.

“Hey,Eloise,waitup!”Iheardaman’svoicespeak.

I turned around and it was Curtis, one of the models I shot for a magazine

spread.

“Curtis, hey. How are you?” I nervously spoke because I didn’t want to stop

andtalk.ButIcouldn’tberude.

“I’mgood.Howareyou?You’reanearlybirdthismorning.”Hegrinned.

“Yeah.ThoughtI’dcomeinanddosomecardiobeforestartingtheday.”

“Itwasgoodtoseeyou.Haveagreatday!”

“Youtoo,Curtis.”

JustasIturnedaroundtogotothelockerroom,IranrightintoChristian.Our

eyeslockedandthetensionbetweenuswasnoticeable.

“Eloise,”hesoftlyspoke.

“Ididn’tknowyoucametothisgym,”Ispoke.

“Iusuallygototheotheronebymyapartment,buttheydidn’thaveanypower

thismorning,soIcamehere.Ididn’tknowyoucamehere.”

“I do sometimes.” I swallowed hard as he stood before me, a sweaty, sexy

mess.

“Weirdhowwebothseemtobeherethismorning,”hespoke.

“Ineedtogo.Ihavethingstodo.”Ibegantowalkaway,whenhecalledout

myname.

“Eloise?”

Istoppedbutdidn’tturnaround.

“I’msorryforeverything.ThelastthingIeverwantedtodowashurtyou.”

Icontinuedwalkingtothelockerroom,andwhenIreachedit,Isatdownon

the bench and tried to hold back the tears that were forcing their way out. I

grabbed my stuff and got out of there as fast as I could, went home, edited my

video,anduploadedit.

ChapterThirty-Nine

TwoWeeksLater

Eloise

Ikeptmyselfbusybymakingvideos,pickingupacoupleofphotographyjobs,

and going out with my girls. Today was Hannah’s birthday party and I couldn’t

waittogiveherthedollI’dboughtherinChicago.Itookthelidofftheboxtoput

thepajamasetI’dboughtinside.Ipickeditupandasmallsmilecrossedmylips

asIrememberedChristianwastheonewhopickeditout.Itwasasmilewitha

tinge of sadness mixed in. One day I was completely fine, and the next, sadness

creptinwhenIsawthingsthatremindedmeofhim.

MyfathersatdownandhadatalkwithmethatdayIwenttomyparents’house.

HeaskedmeifImadealistofprosandcons,andtobehonest,Ididn’t.Ihadin

the past with other guys, but for some reason, it didn’t cross my mind with

Christian.HehandedmeapieceofpaperandapenandImadethelistinfrontof

him. The results didn’t surprise me. On the con side, there was only one thing

listed;whathedidtome,orshouldIsay,whathekeptfromme.Myfatherlooked

atmewithasmallsmileandtoldmetothinkaboutthatlistbecauseeverybodyis

entitledtomakeamistakeatleastonceintheirlife.

IwrappedupthedollandheadedovertoScarlettandJeff’sapartment.Iwas

thefirsttoarrive,whichwasnosurprisetoanyonesinceIalwayslikedtobea

littleearly.

“I’msohappyyou’rehere.”Scarlettsmiledasshehuggedme.

“Good to see you, Eloise. How are you?” Jeff asked as he lightly kissed my

cheek.

“I’mokay.”

“IhavetotellyouthatI’vebeenwatchingyourYouTubechannel.IfIwerea

woman,Iwouldtotallybeinspiredbyyou.”Hesmirked.

“Thanks,Jeff.”Ilaughed.

“Listen,there’ssomethingIwanttotalktoyouabout.”

“Sure,whatisit?”

“A friend of mine is hosting a woman’s personal growth seminar at the

PlayStation Theater next weekend and she’s trying to fill two spots where

speakershavehadtocancel.Iwastellingheraboutyouandshewatchedoneof

yourvideosandshe’shighlyimpressed.Shesaidshewouldlovetohaveyouasa

guest speaker if you’re interested. There will be approximately fifteen hundred

womenattending.”

“Areyouserious?”Iaskedinshock.

“Yes.”Hereachedintohiswalletandhandedmeherbusinesscard.“Hername

isTaliaSpringwater.Giveheracall.Ithinkyou’dbegreat.”

“Idon’tknow,Jeff.I’veneverspokeninfrontofaliveaudiencebefore.”

“You speak to millions of people all over the world every day!” Scarlett

chimedin.

“That’sdifferent.I’mbehindacamera.Idon’tactuallyseethepeople.”

“Ithinkyoushoulddoit.It’llbegoodforyou.”Shesmiled.

IthankedJeffandputTalia’sbusinesscardinmypurse.Everyonehadstarted

to trickle in and the party began. I sat with Claire and Natalie, and as we ate, I

askedtheirthoughtsaboutparticipatinginTalia’sseminar.

“Ithinkit’sagreatidea.You’dbeafooltoturnitdown,”Clairespoke.

“Thisiswhatyou’repassionateabout.Plus,youneverknowwhatotherdoors

thisopportunitycouldopen.”Nataliesmiled.

“Bytheway,where’sNathan?Ithoughthewascoming.”

“So did I, but something came up and he had to cancel.” Natalie frowned. “I

thinkthetimehascometo#Deletehim.I’mnotplayingthiscatandmousegame

with him. Me being the cat and chasing him. Like you say, he’s giving low

investment.Doyouknowthathedidn’ttextorcallmefortwodays?”

“Whatwashisexcuse?”Iasked.

“Hewasoverwhelmedwithwork.”Sherolledhereyes.

“Istillthinkhehasagirlfriend,”Clairespoke.

“I’msorry,Natalie,butIhavetoagree.”

“Yeah.Mygutistellingmethesamething.Ididn’twanttobelieveitatfirst,

butthingsarestartingtopointinthatdirection.”

ScarletthelpedHannahopenhergiftsandwhenshegottomine,Hannahripped

thebabyfromtheboxandhuggedhertight.

“Ohmygod,Eloise,Ilovethis,”Scarlettspokeassheheldupthepajamas.

Tearsstartedtofillmyeyes.Damnit!

“What’swrong?”Natalieaskedassheputherarmaroundme.

“Nothing.It’sjustlookathowmuchHannahlovesherdoll,”IspokeasIlightly

wipedmyeye.“ItkindofremindsmeofwhenIgotmyfirstAmericanGirldoll,

Maggie.”

That wasn’t the reason at all. The reason was those damn pajamas reminded

meofChristianandthetimewespenttogetherinChicago.

“YouboughtthatdollinChicago.Areyousurethereisn’tanotherreasonwhy

you’realltearyeyed?”Natalieasked.

“No.Thereisn’t,”Ilied.

“Comehere,youlittleliar.”Shepulledmeintoher.“Ithoughtyouweredoing

better.”

“Iam.Atleastninetypercentofthetime.Chicagowasoneofthebesttimesof

my life and the memory will always be there. So it’s okay to get a little sad

thinking about it every once in a while knowing that I won’t experience that

again.”

“Youcouldalwaysgiveacallorshoothimatext,”Clairespoke.

“Why would I do that? Anyway, I #Deleted him. So I don’t even have his

numberornumbersanymore.Remember,hegotasecondonesoIwouldn’tknow

he was Mobile Man.” I narrowed my eye. “I don’t want to talk about Christian

anymore.Let’sgohavesomecake.”Ismiled.

ChapterForty

Eloise

The next morning, after being up all night thinking, I pulled Talia’s business

cardfrommypurseandgaveheracall.

“TaliaSpringwater,”sheanswered.

“Hi, Talia. My name is Eloise Moore and a mutual friend of ours, Jeff

Woodsbury, said that you were interested in me being a guest speaker for your

seminarnextweekend.”

“Ah,yes.Eloise.I’msohappyyoucalled.Iwouldlovetohaveyouasaguest

speaker. I’ve researched your blog and I’ve watched your YouTube channel. I

mustsay,youreallycaughtmyattentionwithyour#Deleteconcept.Myseminaris

aboutempoweringwomenineveryaspectoftheirlifeandpersonalgrowth,andI

think your talk about #Delete and guys behaving badly would fit in perfectly. I

thinktoomanywomensitaroundandwastetheirtimewithaguywhoisn’tserious

aboutthem.LordknowsI’vedoneitmanytimes.”

“Thankyou,Talia.Aftergivingitsomethought,I’dlovetobeaguestspeaker.”

“Excellent! Are you available for lunch tomorrow afternoon at Bryant Park

Grill,sayaroundtwelvethirty?”I’dlovetomeetyoufirstandtellyoualittlebit

aboutmyseminars.”

“Twelvethirtywouldbegreat.I’llseeyouthere.”

“Thankyou,Eloise,forgettingintouch.Ilookforwardtomeetingyou.”

I ended the call and sat there for a moment while I sipped my coffee. I was

startledbyaknockonmydoor.Gettingupfromthetable,Ilookedoutthepeep

holeandaskedwhoitwas.

“IhaveadeliveryforMissEloiseMoore,”theyoungmanspoke.

Iopenedthedoorandhehandedmealargeenvelopemarked“fragile.”

“Thankyou.”IsmiledasIshutthedoor.

InoticedthereturnaddresswasfromChristian’sfirm,BlakeGroup.Opening

the envelope, I pulled out three large Chanel campaign photos with a note from

Christian.

HerearethefinalphotosfortheChanelcampaign.Ithoughtyou’dliketo

haveacopyofeachforyourportfolio.ThepeopleoveratChanellovedthem

andareverypleased.Thankyouagainforbeingapartofthecampaign.This

wouldn’thavebeenpossiblewithoutyou.

ChristianBlake

Istaredathisnameforamomentuntilthesuddenringofmyphonestartledme.

Pickingitup,IsawitwasNataliecalling.

“Hello,”Ianswered.

“IjustfoundoutNathanhasagirlfriendthathe’sbeenlivingwithforaboutsix

months.”

“Howdidyoufindout?”

“Acouplecameinandwantedtohiremefortheirson’sbirthdayparty.Wegot

to talking and she mentioned her brother was an architect. I asked her his name

andshesaidNathan.”

“DoyouknowhowmanypeopleinNewYorkhavesiblingsnamedNathan?”

“WholivesonLongIslandandjustwentonabusinesstriptoHawaiithathe

can’tstoptalkingabout?”

“Oh.I’msorry,Natalie.”

“Me too. But you said right from the start something was off. I should have

listenedtoyouafterhecancelledoursecondandthirddateatthelastminute.”

“Youknowwhattodo,right?”Iasked.

“Alreadydone,sista!”

“Doyouneedsomefriendtime?”

“Nah.I’mokay.Justanotherdouchebagtotossintothesea.”

Iletoutalightlaugh.“Theseaisgoingtobeoverfilledwiththemshortly.”

“I’lltalktoyoulater,Eloise.Ihaveaclientmeetinginten.”

“Okay.Bye.”

IcontinuedlookingatthephotosandthoughtthatmaybeIshouldsendChristian

a text message thanking him for sending them over. He could have brought them

himself, but he didn’t because he knew I wouldn’t want to see him. I respected

himforthat.Itwasobvioustomethathewasalreadyoverourbreakup.Itdidn’t

surpriseme,though;menusuallyrecoveredquickerthanwomendid.

Itwasthemiddleoftheafternoon,andafterIfinishedfilminganothervideo,I

decidedtotakemylaptoptoStarbucks,orderacoffee,andeditmyvideothere.I

neededtogetoutofthisapartment.AsIwasediting,Ihappenedtolookupand

see Christian standing in line. Instantly, my heart started racing. What was he

doing here in the middle of the afternoon? He didn’t see me, but then again, he

wasn’tlookingaround.Heorderedhisdrinkandstoodinthepickuplinewhileit

was being made. This was my opportunity to thank him for the photos since I

couldn’t text him. But did I want to? Texting him was one thing, but doing it in

person was another. He grabbed his coffee from the counter and started heading

towardsthedoor.IwrestledwiththedoIordon’tI.ThedoIwon.

“Christian,”Iyelled.

He turned his head and looked at me. He stood still for a moment and then

madehiswayovertomytable.

“Hello,Eloise.”

“Hi. I’m happy I saw you here. I got the photos you sent over this morning.

Thankyou.”

“You’rewelcome.Ithoughtitwouldbeaniceadditiontoyourportfolio.”He

lightlysmiled.

Nowtheawkwardnesssetin.Neitheroneofusknewwhattosaytoeachother.

“Sowhatareyoudoinghereinthemiddleoftheafternoon?”Iasked.

“Ihadameetingnottoofarfromhere.I’mheadingbacktotheofficenow.Are

youworking?”Hepointedtomylaptop.

“Yeah.I’meditingavideo.”

“Cool.Well,itwasgoodtoseeyou.Enjoytherestofyourday.”

“Thanks.Youtoo.Hey,Christian?”Ispokeashebegantowalkaway.

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to be a guest speaker for Talia Springwater’s seminar at the

PlayStationTheaternextweekend.”

“Really? I’ve heard of her. Wow. That’s great, Eloise. Congratulations.” He

smiled.

“Thank you. I’m really nervous. I’ve never spoken in front of a large crowd

likethatbefore.”

“You’lldofine.”Hewinked.“Ihavetogetgoing.”

“Okay. Catch ya later?” Those damn words just fell out of my mouth and I

wantedtodieathousandtimesover.Whatthefuck?

Hestaredatmeforamomentandhiseyesburnedintomine.

“Catchyalater.”Hesmirked.

Afterheleft,Ibroughtmyhandtomyforeheadandpoundedonit.

“Youidiot!”Iwhisperedtomyself.“Whatthehellwereyouthinking?”

ChapterForty-One

Christian

IwalkedoutofStarbuckswithasmileonmyface.Iwassurprisedshecalled

meover,which,tome,wasagoodstart.IhadbeenwatchingherYouTubevideos

andmissinghermoreandmoreeveryday.Ineededtoprovetoherthatwewere

meant to be together and that I could be the man she’d been searching for her

entirelife.

WhenIarrivedbacktothefirm,IcalledClaireintomyoffice.

“What’sup,Christian?”sheaskedasshetookaseatacrossfromme.

“IjustranintoEloiseoveratStarbucks.”

“Oh?Andhowdidthatgo?Ordon’tIwanttoknow?”

“Shewassittingatatableandcalledmeover.”

“What?Seriously?”

“ShethankedmefortheChanelphotosIsentherthismorning.”

“Ohyeah.Sheprobablywouldhavesentyouatextmessage,butyou’vebeen

#Deleted.”

“I figured as much.” I sighed. “Anyway, she told me she was going to be a

guestspeakernextweekendforTaliaSpringwater.”

“Ohgood,sheisdoingit.NatalieandItoldhershe’dbecrazynotto.So,she

wasciviltoyou?”

“Yes.Verymuchso.I’veorderedhersomethinganditshouldbearrivingtoher

apartmentinacoupleofdays.”

“Whatdidyouorderher?”Shesmiled.

“I’mnotgoingtosay.You’lljusthavetowaitandsee.”

“Oh,comeon,Christian.”

“I’msureshe’llbecallingyouonceshegetsit.”

“Fine.”Shehuffed.“Butwhydidyouorderhersomething?”

“BecauseIknowshe’llloveitandIwanttomakehersmileagain.”

ChapterForty-Two

Eloise

AcoupleofdayshadpassedandmylunchwithTaliawentwell.Iexpressedto

her my anxiety and nervousness about speaking in front of a large group. She

laughedandtoldmeeveryonegetslikethattheirfirsttimeonstage.Shegaveme

sometipsandtoldmejusttogowiththeflowandletthelecturehappennaturally.

IwassittingonthecouchwithmylaptopmakingacoupleofPowerPointsfor

theweekend,whentherewasaknockatmydoor.Ilookedthroughthepeephole

andsawitwastheUPSguyholdingalargeboxinhishands.WhenIopenedthe

door,helookedatthepackageandthenatme.

“AreyouEloiseMoore?”heasked.

“Yes,Iam.”

“ThisisforyouandI’llneedasignature.”

HehandedmetheboxandIsignedforit.

“Thankyou.”Ismiled.

“Haveaniceday.”Hetippedhishat.

IhadnoideawhatthiscouldbebecauseIhadn’torderedanythinginawhile.I

took the scissors from the kitchen drawer and slid it down the box. Lifting the

flaps,IstaredatthelargeredboxthathadAmericanGirlwrittenacrossitandthe

white envelope that contained a card inside taped to it. After removing the

envelope,ItookthecardoutthatsaidAmericanGirlingoldacrossitandopened

it.

Eloise,

ThetimewespenttogetherwasmagicalandatimeIwillneverforget.Ihurt

youinabadwayandI’mtrulysorry.IknowhowmuchMaggiemeanttoyou

andhowthelossofherwasdevastating.Iwantedyoutohavesomeoneyoucan

tellyourdeepestsecretstowhenyoufeellikeyoucan’ttellanyoneelse.Ihope

thisdoesn’tupsetyou.Thatisn’tmyintention.Iknowyou’lltakegoodcareof

herandgiveherthehomeshedeserves.Shewasmadespecialforyou.

Love,Christian

A single tear fell from my eye as I read his note. Removing the lid from the

box,IcuppedmymouthinmyhandandbegantocryasIlookedattheAmerican

Girl doll that looked just like me; long brown hair with curls at the end and

emeraldgreeneyes.Ididn’tknowwhattothinkbecauseIcouldn’t.Myheadwas

inatizzyandmillionsofthoughtswererunningthroughmyheadatthesametime.

I removed the doll from the box and held her tight. Wiping my eyes, I took her

overtothecouchandsatdown.Sheworeawhitedresswithsmallpinkrosesall

overit,aplumsasharoundthewaist,andalightbluedenimjacket.Ismiledwhen

Ilookeddownatherplum-coloredMaryJanestyleshoes.Buttheonethingthat

reallychokedmeupwasthelittlecamerasheheldinherhand.OnceIcomposed

myself,Isentagroupmessagetothegirls.

“Ireallyneedyoualltocomeovertonightfordinner.Sixo’clock.Scarlett,

bringHannahifJeffwon’tbehome.”

A few moments later, all three of them replied that they would be here. As I

staredatthedoll,IknewIneededtonameher.ShelookedjustlikeMaggieandI

didn’t see any harm in naming her that. After all, some people named their new

catsanddogsaftertheoneswhopassedaway.

“Welcomehome,Maggie.”Ismiled.

IfinishedmyPowerPointwithMaggiebymysideandplacedadeliveryorder

for Chinese, ordering everyone’s favorite dish. When six o’clock rolled around,

therewasaknockatmydoorandNatalie,Scarlett,andClairestoodontheother

side.

“Iseverythingokay?”Natalieaskedasshehuggedme.

“Ithinkso.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”Scarlettasked.

“Where’sHannah?”

“Mymomcameoverandtookherforthenight.”

“Isthereareasonforthislast-minutedinnergettogether?”Claireaskedasall

threeofthemfollowedmeintothekitchen.

“What the fuck is that?” Natalie asked as she looked at Maggie. “That doll

looksjustlikeyou.”

“Oh my God. You bought an American Girl doll!” Scarlett exclaimed as she

pickedherup.

“Ididn’tbuyher,”Ispoke.“Shearrivedtoday.”

IpickedupChristian’snoteandhandedittoherwhileNatalieandClaireread

itoverhershoulder.AtearfellfromScarlett’seyeastheothertwotriedtohold

theirsback.

“Thismanisnot#Deleteworthy,”Nataliespokeasshewipedhereye.

“Ican’tevenbelievehedidthat,”Clairespoke.

“If you don’t marry him, I will!” Scarlett said. “That has to be the sweetest

thingintheworld.”

Icouldn’thelpbutletoutalightlaugh.“You’remarried.”

“I’lldivorceJeff.”Shesmiled.

Nataliewalkedovertomeandhuggedmetight.Thentheothertwojoinedus.

“Youneedtorethinkeverything,Eloise,”Clairespoke.

“Iagree.He’snotatypicaldouchebagguy.HemadeamistakeandIthinkhe’s

morethanenoughmadeituptoyou.”

“Whatdidhesaywhenyouthankedhim?”Claireasked.

“Ihaven’tyet.Idon’thavehisnumber,remember?”

“ThenIthinkyoushoulddoitinperson.”Shesmiled.

“She’sright,Eloise,”Scarlettspoke.

“Yeah.Thisisathankyouthatisinpersonworthy,”Nataliespoke.

“Okay.I’llstopbytheofficetomorrow.”

“He’ll be there all day. He doesn’t have any meetings scheduled,” Claire

spoke.“Plus,I’llbethereifyouneedsupport.”

After we ate, talked, and drank a bottle of wine between the four of us, I

changedintomypajamas,satMaggieonmydresser,andclimbedintobed.Ilay

therethinkingabouttomorrowandwhatIwantedtosaytohim.Mydadwasright,

everyoneisentitledtomakeamistakeintheirlife.It’showwelearnandgrowas

humanbeings.Myfatheralsopointedoutthathewasn’ttheperfectmanIsawhim

as,andifwetrulycaredforsomeone,we’daccepttheirflaws.Christianwasn’ta

manwhoconsistentlybehavedbadly.Hedidwhathedidbecausehewasafraidof

whatmyreactionwouldbeandlosingme.I’ddonethingsbeforeIwasn’tproud

ofoutoffear.ItoldhimthatIlikedhim,butIdidn’tneedhim.Thatstillrangtrue.

Ididn’tneedhimtobeinmylife,Iwantedhimtobe.

ChapterForty-Three

Eloise

ItookinadeepbreathasIsteppedintotheelevatorandtookituptotheBlake

Group.WhenIsteppedout,IwenttoChristian’sofficeandhewasn’tinthere.

“CanIhelpyou?”hissecretaryasked.

“I’mlookingforChristian.Ishearound?”

“Hejuststeppedout.Heshouldbebackshortly.”

“Thankyou.IsitokayifIwaitinhisoffice?”

“Ofcourse.”Shesmiled.

Itooktheseatacrossfromhisdesk,andafewmomentslater,hewalkedin.

“Eloise?”

“Hi,Christian.”Igotupfrommyseat.

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”

MynervesweregettingthebetterpartofmeandIfounditdifficulttospeak.

“Ijustwantedtocomeandthankyouinpersonforthedoll.Shearrived

yesterday.”

“You’rewelcome.”Hesmiledashestoodinfrontofme.“Ihopeyoulikeher.”

“Ido.Iloveher.”Ismiled.

“What’shername?”Hesmirked.

“InamedherMaggie.”

“Ifiguredyouwould.”Hegrinned.

“Listen,Christian.IjustwantyoutoknowthatIforgiveyou,andmaybe—”

“Iknowyoudo,Eloise,andIthinkIknowwhatyou’regoingtosay.Ididn’t

sendyouthedollwiththehopesofgettingbacktogether.Itwasasmallgestureto

helphealthewoundthatIcaused.Ithinkmaybewe’rebetteroffwiththeway

thingsare.”

Istoodthereinshockasmypartiallyhealedheartbrokeonceagain.

“Yeah.Maybeyou’reright.”Ilookeddown.“Thankyouagain,”IspokeasI

couldn’tgetoutoftherefastenoughbeforethetearsstartedtofall.

“You’rewelcome.I’llseeyouaround.”

“Sure.”IgaveasmallsmiletodeflectthehurtIwasfeelinginside.

****

Natalie,Scarlett,andClairedraggedmeouttoHellcatAnnie’s.Ididn’twant

togo.AllIwantedtodowascurlupinbedandsleeptherestofthedayandnight

away. But they weren’t having it. As soon as we were seated, I ordered a

cosmopolitan while we looked over the menu. I wasn’t hungry because my

stomachwasnothingbutatightlytwistedknotofsorrowanddespair.Thethreeof

themtalkedwhileIpretendedtolisten.

“Cheerup,buttercup,”Nataliespokeassheplacedherhandonmine.

“Yeah.We’reheretohavefuntonightwithlotsofalcoholandcomfortfood,”

Scarlettspoke.

AsIfinishedoffmydrink,Iheldmyfingeruptogetourwaiter’sattention.I

neededanotherdrinkASAP.

“Excuseme.I’mheadedovertothebar.WhatcanIgetyou?”Christianasked

ashepointedtomyemptyglass.

Istaredathimasasmilecrossedhisface.

“Acosmopolitan.”

“Onecosmopolitancomingrightup.”Hewinked.

Ilookedoveratthegirlsandtheysattheresmilingatme.Ididn’tknowwhat

thehellwasgoingon,andbetweenseeingChristianandthealcohol,myheartwas

beatingatarapidpace.

“Wehavetousethebathroom,”Clairespokeasallthreeofthemgotupfrom

theirseats.

A few moments later, Christian walked over and set my drink down on the

table.

“Thankyou,”Ispoke.

“You’rewelcome.I’mChristianBlake.”Heextendedhishand.

Istaredathimforamomentwithanarrowedeye.

“EloiseMoore.”Iplacedmyhandinhis.

“It’snicetomeetyou,Eloise.WouldyoumindifItookaseat?”

“No.Iwouldn’tmindatall.”

“Haveyoueatenyet?”heasked.

“Icouldn’tdecidewhattoget,”Inervouslyspoke.

“Theirpulledporkslidersarethebest.Haveyoutriedthem?”

“No.Ihaven’t.ButIthinkIwouldliketo.”Asmallsmilecrossedmylips.

Ourwaiterwalkedoverandaskedifwewerereadytoorder.

“We’llbothhavethepulledporksliderswithfries,”Christianspoke.

“Wehavethreeotherpeoplesittingwithus.Theyjustwenttotherestroom,”I

spoketothewaiter.

“Actually,”Nataliespoke,“weneedtogetgoing.Soyoutwoenjoytherestof

yourevening.”Shesmiled.

Ilookedatthemsuspiciouslyastheysaidgoodbyeandlefttherestaurant.

****

Christian

With Claire’s help, I had this all planned. I wanted to start over from the

beginning.Justthetwoofus,ChristianandEloise.NoMobileManandnoDigits.

I asked her about her career, she asked about mine, and we talked about our

families.Itoldhereverythingaboutmyparentsandmychildhood.Wesatforfour

hours and just got to know each other again. It was after midnight when we

finishedoffdessertandourlastdrink.

Welefttherestaurantandstoodonthebrightlylitstreetof10

AvenuewhereI

hailedheracabhome.

“Ihadanicetime,Eloise.Iwouldlovetoseeyouagain.”Ismiled.

“Iwouldlovetoseeyoutoo.”Shesmiledbrightlybackatme.

“CanIgetyourphonenumber?”

“Ofcourse.I’dloveforyouhaveit.”

She rattled off her number and I pretended to put it in my phone because I

alreadyhadit.Iquicklysentheratextmessage.

“I’vesentyouatextmessagesoyouhaveminenow.”Ismirked.

Iopenedthedoortothecabandsheclimbedin.

“Catchyalater?”Iaskedwithagrin.

“Catchyalater.”Thecornersofhermouthcurvedupintoaflirtysmile.

Forthenextfewdays,weflirtedviatextandthenwestartedseeingeachother

almosteverynight.Ididn’tdaremakeamoveonher,eventhoughitkilledmenot

to. I wanted her in my bed more than anything in the world, but all good things

come in time. I remembered her telling me that she never slept with a guy until

after the fifth date, and I wanted to respect that, even though I knew she was

gettingrestless.AllwasgoodandIwouldmakesureitwasworththewait.

ChapterForty-Four

Eloise

Iwassexuallyfrustratedandhewasn’tmakingamove,butIknewexactlywhy

hewaswaiting.IhadmentionedafterwehadsexthefirsttimeathispartythatI

didn’tsleepwithguysbeforethefifthdate,andIwasprettysurehewaswaiting

until then. I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about it. He was the perfect

gentleman,eventhoughIdidn’twanthimtobeasfarassexwasconcerned.As

fordatenights,wetookturnsplanningthedate.

Our fifth date would be tomorrow night, Saturday night, after my speaking

engagement,andIthoughtmoreaboutthatthanthelectureIwasgiving.Itwasmy

turntoplanthedateandIhadnothingbutsexplanned.Theoverwhelmingfeeling

ofhappinesswasbackandmyheartwaswholeonceagain.

Once word got out that I was going to be a guest speaker at the PlayStation

Theater,sixhundredmoreticketsweresold,placingthetheateratfullcapacity.I

couldn’twrapmyheadaroundeverythingthathadhappenedsofast.Itwasasif

#Delete made me an overnight sensation. Between the emails and messages, I

foundithardtokeepup,soIaskedScarlettifshewouldbemypart-timeassistant

andshecouldworkfromhome.Shejumpedatthechanceinasecond.

AsIwasgoingovermyPowerPointonelasttime,atextmessagecamethrough

fromChristian.

“Hello,gorgeous.I’llbebytopickyouupatsixo’clockfordinner.”

“Hello,handsome.I’llbereadyandwaiting.Maybewecancomebacktomy

placeafterforadrink.”Isentthewinkyface.

“Iactuallymadeotherplansforusforafterdinner.”Hesentthesmileyface.

“Oh?Whatarewedoing?”

“You’llhavetowaitandfindout.”

“Areyoubeingsecretive?”

“Yes,Iam.It’sasurprise.”

“Ilovesurprises.

“Iknowyoudo.I’mheadingtoameeting.Catchyalater,baby?”

“Catchyalater.”

IsmiledasIclosedoutofhismessage,gavemyPowerPointanotherlookover,

andthengotreadyforourdate.Christian’splanneddateconsistedofdinneratThe

ToddEnglishFoodHallatthePlazaHotelandthenwewereofftoIdidn’tknow

wheresincehewaskeepingitasecret.Afterwefinishedeating,wewalkedoutof

thehotel,andsittingatthecurbwasahorseandcarriage.

“Yourrideawaits,Madame.”Christiansmiledasheheldmyhand.

“We’regoingonahorseandcarriageride?”Iaskedwithexcitement.

“Yes,throughCentralPark.”

WithChristian’shelp,Iclimbedintothecarriageandheclimbedinnexttome.

Thedriverhandedusablanketsincethechillyairhadsettledintothefallnights.

ChristianputhisarmaroundmeandassoonasIsnuggledintohim,hecoveredus

withthewarmblanket.

“Thisisbeautiful.Thankyou,”Ispoke.

“You’rewelcome.”Hekissedthetopofmyhead.

It was a beautiful ride through Central Park, and when it was over, Christian

tookmehome.

“Ithinkyoushouldcomeupstairsforadrink.”IsmiledasItookthelapelsof

hiscoatinmyhands.

“WebothknowwhatwillhappenifIdo.”Hesmirked.

“And?”Iraisedmybrow.

“Youhaveabigdaytomorrowandyouneedalltherestyoucanget.”

Isighed.

“Hey.” He placed his finger under my chin. “Tomorrow night is your turn to

plan date night and we can do anything you want, and I mean anything.” He

winked.

Asmilecrossedmylips.

“Trustme.Wewillbe.”

Heleanedinandbrushedhislipsagainstmine.

“Goodnight,Eloise.”Hestrokedmycheek.

“Goodnight,Christian.”

****

Christian

Sayinggoodnighttoheronthedoorstepofherbuildingwashard.Iwantedto

comeuptoherapartmentforadrink,butwebothknewhavingadrinkwasn’ton

eitheroneofourminds.Thepastfewnightsbeingwithherweredifficultbecause

allIwantedtodowastakehertobedandneverlethergo.Icouldtellshewas

gettingfrustratedwithme,butthiswaswhatneededtohappen.

Tomorrowwasabigdayforher,andwhatshedidn’tknowwasthatI’dbought

aticket,notonlyformyself,butforherfriendsaswell.Ididn’twanttotellher

because she’d be even more nervous than she already was. So, we’d just sit

quietlyinthewaybackandwatchfromafar.

ChapterForty-Five

Eloise

Istoodbehindthecurtain,waitingformyturn.Iwasscheduledtogoonstage

in approximately five minutes. Was I ready? Fuck if I knew. The more I thought

about it, the more anxiety set in. I’d made note cards like a school kid giving a

presentation in front of the class. I stood there and studied them. Christian and I

met for breakfast this morning and he gave me a pep talk. It helped. He always

helpedme.EvenwhenhewasMobileMan,Iinstantlyfeltbetteraftertalkingto

him.

“You’reon,Eloise!”Taliasmiled.“Goodluck.”

“Thankyou.”Igaveheranervoussmile.

MynamewasannouncedandIsteppedonstage.Iintroducedmyself,lookedat

my cards, and froze. Suddenly, my mind went blank and I couldn’t comprehend

whatIhadwrittendown.

“Getholdofyourself!”Isilentlyyelledinmyhead.“Allthesepeoplewantto

hearwhatyouhavetosay!Don’tletthemdown!”

Istaredatthemassivecrowdofwomenwhosatproudlyintheirseats.Women

whohave,atleastonceintheirlifetime,dealtwithmenbehavingbadly.Isetmy

cards down on the chair at the end of the stage and then I took center and

welcomedeveryoneinthetheaterasIstartedover.

“MynameisEloiseMooreandI’mheretotalktoyouaboutaconceptcalled

#Delete. This concept applies to girls/women who are single and a part of the

dating scene. I’m going to show you what to be on the lookout for when newly

dating a guy. I’m going to teach you about the red flags, ghosting, benching,

zombie-ing,breadcrumbing,andalltheothersignsofmenbehavingbadlyearlyon

indating.Weaswomenspendfartoomuchtimeandenergywaitingfortheguys

we’reinterestedintotextorcallus,andthenwhentheydon’t,wefreakout,cry,

wonder what’s wrong with us, what did we do wrong, why don’t they want us,

howcanIfixthem,etc.Thetruthbehindthatis,itisn’tus.Wedidnothingwrong.

Itcouldbeassimpleastheguywasn’tfeelingit,whichisokay.You’renotgoing

tomeshwitheveryoneyoumeet.

But when a guy shows interest and behaves badly, then it’s up to us to take

action.That’swhere#Deletecomesin.Themomenthestartsshowingsignsofall

themillennialdatingtermsIpreviouslyspokeof,it’stimetogetridofhimandnot

playhisgames.Womentodayaretoobusyforgamesandwedon’tdeservetobe

treatedlikethat.ThemostimportantthingIcan’tstressenoughisforawomanto

havestandards.Onceyouknowexactlywhatyourstandardsare,you’llbeableto

spot the red flags instantly. For example, you meet a man and you both show

interest in each other. You go on a couple of dates and then suddenly the text

messages and the calls stop. No warning and no explanation. Two weeks go by

sinceyourlastdateandstillnothing.Thatguyghostedyou,disappearedwithouta

trace.You’vebeengluedtoyourphone24/7,staringatablackscreen,hopingand

prayinghe’llcall.Yourstomachisanervouswreckandyoukeepreplayingyour

last date over and over again, wondering what went wrong. You finally break

down and send him a message. He doesn’t respond. Your self-esteem is broken.

Thenaweeklater,hesendsyouatext,andyoubeamwithexcitement.Thenyou

don’thearfromhimagain.Youtrytopickyourselfup,butyoucan’tgethimoutof

your mind, and why? The question you need to ask yourself is this: Am I really

intohimorisittherejectionthathurtsmethemost?Reallystopandthinkabout

that. You’d only gone out with the guy a couple of times, sent a few dozen text

messages,andmaybehadaphonecallortwo.Icanguaranteeyouthatthroughall

the nonsense you put yourself through over this one guy you barely knew, it was

therejectionaspectofit.

It’sveryimportantthatyou,asahighvaluedwomanwhoknowsherself-worth

andstandards,givethesameinvestmentasthemanyou’retryingtodatedoes.If

he’s giving low investment into getting to know you better, you give low

investmentback.Nobodyisevertoobusy,andifaguyreallylikesyouorwantsto

gettoknowyouonadeeperlevel,hewillmaketimetodoit.Idon’tcareifhe’s

heldupinmeetingsfromninetofive.Ittakesaslittleasthirtysecondstotypea

messageandhitsend.Doeshenotgotothebathroomallday?Doeshenotgeta

lunchbreak?Whataboutwhenhegetshomefromwork?Ifamancan’ttakethirty

secondsoutofhisbusydaytosayhiorthathe’sjustthinkingaboutyou,thenhe’s

notthinkingaboutyouatallandit’stimeto#Deleteandstopwastingyourtime.

Samegoesforaguywhotakesthreedaystorespondtoyourlasttextmessage.Is

thatreallythekindofpersonyouwanttodate?NowI’mnotsayingto#Deletehim

ifhehasanexcuseandletsyouknowaheadoftime,suchashe’sgoingcamping

andwon’thavereceptionorsomething.Theimportantthingtorememberis,ifhe

ghostedyouonce,he’lldoitagain.

Now, let’s talk about the guy who shows he is interested in you via text

messagingbutneveractuallytakesyououtorhasanyintentionofactuallygetting

serious. Let’s say you’ve been talking to this guy for a week. You’re getting to

knoweachotherandyou’rewonderingwhyhehasn’taskedyououtyet.Afterall,

heseemsreallyintoyou.Youmaketheboldmoveandaskhimoutforcoffeeor

maybe for dinner. He makes an excuse as to why that weekend won’t work for

him.Anotherweekgoesby,andsuddenly,thetextmessagesbecomescarce.He’s

not texting you as much anymore. Your mind starts to go crazy. You talk about it

withyourfriends.Yourphoneneverleavesyoursightjustincase.Anotherweek

goesby,andoutoftheclearblue,hesendsyouatextsaying‘Hey,what’sup?’or

‘Hey,howareyou?’Instantly,youperkupandrespondbacktohimimmediately,

which by the way, is one of the worst things you could do. You tell him how

you’redoingandhowgooditistohearfromhim.Yousitthereandwait,watching

your phone for a reply because he had just texted you a minute ago. But a reply

doesn’t come. You’re devastated and the cycle starts all over again. He’s doing

what we like to call breadcrumbing. He may have been bored, feeling a little

lonely or down and needed an ego boost. There are guys out there who like to

keep a woman they’ve previously been talking to on the backburner for those

instances,andbygivinghimaninstantreply,youjustshowedhimthatnomatter

howsporadicor dick-likehismessages are,you’restill interested.Whichleads

meintotheterm‘benching.’He’snotsureaboutyouyetorsomeoneelsegrabbed

hisattentionwhilethetwoofyouwerestilltalkingeverydaywhohethoughtmay

be more interesting or a better fit for him. But instead of cutting you off

completely, he sat you on the bench just in case he needs to come back to you

sometimeinthefuture.He’llthrowatextoutthereormaybeaphonecall,justto

makesureyou’restillinterested.Iliketocallthisemotionalmanipulationandit’s

notokay.

So what happens after you’ve been ghosted and then all of a sudden, a few

months later, you get a text message from the guy asking what’s up? Now, he’s

Zombie-ing you, or haunting you. Maybe the relationship he got into with the

womanheghostedyouforwasn’tworkingout,sohecameacrossyournumberin

hisphoneandthoughthe’dreachoutbecausemaybeyouwerestillthinkingabout

him. My advice, do not reply to the zombie at all! If he did it once, he’ll do it

again.Obviously,therewasnothingthereforhimafewmonthsagowhenthetwo

ofyouweretalking,sowhywouldtherebenow?

Whendoyou#Deleteaguyoutofyourlife?

Hedoesn’trespondtoyourtextmessagesinatimelymanner.

Ifhewaitsfiveorsixhours,that’snotagoodsign.LikeIstatedbefore,

it only takes thirty seconds to type a text message and hit send. If you

aren’tworththirtysecondsofhistimeinaday,#Delete.

Heaskedyouout,youwentonadate,hadagreattime,and

thenhedisappears.#Deleteanddon’tgivehimanotherthought.

He’s cancelled dates on you two or more times in a row.

#Delete.

Histextmessagesbecomescarceandyoustartreceivingone

here and there over a two- to three-week period. #Delete, especially

whenhedoesn’tofferanexplanationforhislackofmessaging.

He ghosted you, you #Delete him and then he returns a few

months later as if nothing happened. Do not respond and #Delete

again.”

Theguyswhodothesetypesofthingsaren’ttheguysforyouandit’snotthe

endoftheworld.

Byacceptingtheirbehaviorandstressingoverwhyhehasn’tcalledortexted,

you’re blocking the right person who was meant for you from coming into your

life.Ibelievethereisaspecialmanoutthereforeachandeveryoneofus,and

sometimes, we have to go through many douchebags in order to find our Prince

Charming.

So, ladies, know your self-worth, set your standards, love yourself first,

#Deletewhennecessary,andwatchyourlifechange.Ipromiseyou,itwill.”

Thecrowdapplaudedandstoodfromtheirseats.TearsfilledmyeyesasItook

abowandexitedthestage.

“OH MY GOD! You were amazing!” Talia hugged me. “They loved you,

Eloise.”

“Thankyou.”

“You’reanaturalatthis.Ibelievethisisyourcalling.”

“Idon’tknowaboutthat.”Iblushed.

“Ithinkthestandingovationspokeforitself.”Shesmiled.

ChapterForty-Six

Eloise

I walked to the lobby of the theater and was instantly greeted and

congratulated by many women. The ones that bought tickets just to see me

swarmedaround,tellingmehowthey’veincorporated#Deleteintotheirdating

lifeandhowmuchithadchangedthem.Ifeltlikesomesortofsuperstar,when

really, I was just a girl who had gone through a lot of shit in her dating life.

ManyaskedforpictureswithmeandIsmiledwithjoy.

AsImademywaythroughthecrowd,IsawChristian,Natalie,Claire,and

Scarlettstandingbythedoors.

“Whatareyouguysdoinghere?”Iaskedastearsfilledmyeyes.

“Did you really think we’d miss this? Your debut stage appearance?”

Nataliehuggedme.

“You were amazing!” Claire excitedly spoke as she grabbed me from

Natalie’sarmsandhuggedme.

“I’msoproudofyou,boss!”Scarlettsmiled.

“Thankyou.”

“We’regoingtoleavethetwoofyoualone.”Nataliegrinnedasshelooked

atChristian.“I’llcallyoutomorrow.”

Christianwrappedhisarmsaroundmeandkissedmylips.

“Youwerespectacular,baby.Iamsodamnproudofyou.”

“Ididn’tknowyouwerehere.”

“I didn’t want you to be any more nervous than you already were.” He

smirked.“Maybethisisn’ttheplacetotellyou,butIdon’tcarebecauseIneed

tosayitrightnow,inthismoment.”

“Saywhat?”Icockedmyhead.

“Iloveyou,Eloise.IaminlovewithyouandI’mnotgoingtostoploving

you.”

Awidegrincrossedmyfaceasmyheartrapidlybeat.

“Iloveyoutoo,Christian.”

Hislipsbrushedagainstmineandthenhelookedatme.

“Didn’tyousaysomethingaboutourdatetonightbeingbackatyourplace?”

“Isuredid.”Ismiled.“Ithinkweneedtogetbacktherenow!”

“Icouldn’tagreemore.”Hekissedmyhead.

Themomentweenteredmyapartment,Christianscoopedmeupinhisarms

andcarriedmetothebedroomwherewemadelovethreetimesthatnight.And

eachtimewasjustasmagicalasthefirst.

****

SixMonthsLater

HisfingerdippedinsidemeandIgasped.Ourmouthstangledwithpassionand

Itrembledatthetouchofhishandonmybreasts.Itookdownhispantswithease

andreleasedhisthrobbinghardcockinmyhand.Afterafewstrokes,hepushed

everythingonmyoverlyclutteredtabletothesideandsetmeonit.Hepositioned

hisheadinbetweenmylegsandexploredeveryinchofmyachingareawithhis

tongue. I orgasmed and he smiled as he stood up and thrust inside me, my body

takingineveryinchofhim.Hemovedinandoutofmerapidlybringingmetothe

brink of another mind blowing orgasm. I yelled out his name as he halted deep

insideandmoanedwhilehereleasedhisexcitementinme.

HislipspressedagainstmineandIsmiled.

“I’moutgrowingthisplace.”

Hechuckledashelookedaroundthetableatthemessthatconsumedit.

“Yes,youare.Youneedaplacewithanoffice.”

“Iknow.I’vebeenthinkingaboutfindinganewapartment.”

“I’llhelpyoulook.”Hekissedmyforeheadandpulledoutofme.

“I’dappreciatethat.”Igrinned.

“Ihavearealestateguy.I’llgivehimacalltomorrow.”Christianspokeashe

handedmemyclothes.“Weneedtobeatmyparents’houseinfifteenminutes.I

thinkwe’regoingtobelate.”

Ilaughed.“Yeah.Wecan’tgetacrosstowninfifteenminutes.Youmightwant

tocallthem.”

“Andtellthemwhat?We’regoingtobelatebecausewejusthadsexonyour

diningroomtable?”

“Justtellthemwe’restuckintraffic.”Ismirked.

I loved Christian’s parents and they loved me. My parents felt the same way

about Christian and he and my dad started going on golf outings together. Even

though photography was my first passion, I put my business on hold due to the

success of my blog and YouTube channel. Things were moving in the right

directioneversinceIspokeatthePlayStationTheater.Iendedupguestspeakinga

couple of more times for Talia and then I began booking seminars on my own,

withthehelpofScarlett,whowasnowmyfull-timeassistant.Acoupleofmonths

ago,Ibeganwritingabookandcalledit#Delete,whichwascontractedbyGrand

CentralPublishing.

Christian’sadvertisingagencywasgrowingbiggerbytheday.Hehadsecured

afewmajoraccountsincludingChanel.ButthestipulationwasthatIhadtodothe

photography part of the campaign, which I pleasantly accepted. After all, I

couldn’tverywellturndownChristianorChanel.

AfewdayshadpassedandIspentsomefreetimelookingatnewapartments

online.IaskedChristianifhisrealtorhadfoundanythingandhetoldmethathe

waslooking.AsIfinishedthelasteditsonanewvideoformyblogandYouTube

channel,myphonerangandChristianwascalling.

“Hello,handsome.”

“Hello,mybeautifulgirl.Whatareyoudoingrightnow?”

“Nothing.Ijustfinishedediting.Why?”

“Canyoumeetmesomewhere?Iwanttoshowyousomething.”

“Sure.Wheredoyouwanttomeet?”

“113East61

Street.”

“Okay.I’llleavenow.”

I ended the call, put on my shoes, and hailed a cab to 113 East 61

Street.

When the driver pulled up to the curb, I saw Christian standing there on the

sidewalkwaitingforme.

“Hello,gorgeous.”Hesmiledashekissedmylips.

“Hithere.”Igrinned.“Sowhatdidyouwanttoshowme?”

Hetookholdofmyhand,ledmeupfivestepstoawhitebuilding,openedthe

gorgeousFrenchglassdoor,andledmeinside.

“Wow.Thisisbeautiful.Whosehouseisthis?”Iasked.

“I’mhopingit’soursifyoulikeit.”Hesmiled.

“What?”Ilaughed.“Whatdoyoumean‘ours’?”

“Ithinkweshouldmoveintogetherandthiswouldbetheperfecthousetodo

thatin.”

“Areyouserious,Christian?”

“I’m very serious, Eloise. I love you and I want to live with you. We

practicallylivetogetheranyway,sowemightaswelljustdoitinonehouse.No

morebackandforthbetweenourapartments.”

“Ohmygod.I—yes!Iwouldlovetomoveintogether.”

“Here?”Hisbrowraised.

“Possibly.Showmetherestofit.”Igrinned.

Hesmiledashetookmyhandandledmethroughthesix-storytownhome.

“Ithasfivebedroomsandfivebathrooms,”hespoke.

“Doweneedthatmanyrooms?”Iasked.

“Ofcoursewedo.Abedroomforus,twoofficesandtwochildren.”

Istoppeddeadinmytracksandstaredathim,myheartracingwithexcitement.

“What?”Hecockedhishead.

“WhatifIwantedthreechildren?”Ismirked.

“Thenwe’dhavetomove.Nobigdeal.”Heshrugged.

Iwrappedmyarmsaroundhisneckandbrushedmylipsagainsthis.

“IlovethisplaceandIloveyou.”

“Good,becauseIlovebothofyoutoo.”

Atthatmoment,itwasadonedeal.ChristianandIwouldmoveintogetherand

startbuildingalifeinournewhome.

ChapterForty-Seven

TwoMonthsLater

Christian

Now that Eloise and I were living together in our own home, it was time to

takethenextstep.Herbirthdaywasapproaching,soIdecidedtowhiskheraway

toChicagoforherbirthdayweekend.Whatshedidn’tknowwasthetwosurprises

Ihadforher.

“Wherearewegoing?”sheaskedaswewalkeddownN.MichiganAve.

“You’llsee.”IwinkedasIheldontoherhand.

WereachedtheAmericanGirlstoreandIopenedthedoorforher.

“Whyarewegoinginhere?”Shelaughed.

“IthoughtmaybeyouwantedtobuyMaggieanewoutfit.”

“Really?”Shegavemeastrangelook.

“Yes.Really.Tobehonest,I’msickofseeingheralwaysdressedinthesame

clothes.Brightenherupalittle.”

WelookedattheclothesandEloisepickedoutanoutfitsheliked.

“I’mhungry.Let’sgoseeifwecangetsomelunchhere,”Ispoke.

“Wedon’thavetoeathere.Wecangosomewhereelse.Ireallydon’tthinkthis

isyourthing,Mr.Blake.”

“Nobigdeal.Let’sjustgoseeiftheyhaveanytablesavailable.”

I walked her to the Grand Dining Room, where the doors were shut and the

hostesswasstandingoutside.

“Iwaswonderingifyouhadatablefortwoavailable?”Iasked.

“Ofcoursewedo.Followme.”

Themomentthedoorsopened,everyoneyelledhappybirthday.Eloisecupped

herhandoverhermouthinshockandthenlookedatme.

“Christian,whatthe—”

“Happybirthday,baby.”Ikissedthesideofherhead.

****

Eloise

Istoodthereinshock.Icouldn’tbelievewhatIsaw.Mymom,dad,Scarlett,

Jeff,Hannah,Claire,Kenny,andChristian’smotherandstepfather.Tearsfilledmy

eyesasIlookedatChristian.

“YouthrewmeanAmericanGirlbirthdayparty?”

“Idid.”Hesmiled.

I walked over to the center of the dining room where my family and friends

werestanding.Allmygirls,includingmymomandChristian’smom,wereholding

AmericanGirldolls.Wehuggedandsometearswereshed,mostlybyme.

“Someoneelseisheretocelebratewithyou,”Christianspoke.

IturnedaroundandhewasholdingMaggie.

“Howdidyougetherhere?”

“I snuck her into my carry-on as you were walking out the front door.” He

grinned.

Itookherfromhishandsandthenhuggedhimtight.

“Thankyouforthis.Iloveyousomuch.”

“You’rewelcome,baby.Iloveyoutoo.”

Weallgatheredaroundthetable,ateadeliciouslunch,hadcakeandicecream,

talked,andlaugheduntilwecouldn’tanymore.Ourtimewasupandweneededto

leavetheroomsotheycouldsetupforthenextparty.

“He’sperfect,Eloise.”Mymomsmiled.

“Iknowheis,Mom.”

“Heremindsmeofyourfather.”Shewinked.

Igaveherasmileandahug.

“Areyouready,baby?”Christianaskedasheplacedhishandonthesmallof

myback.

“Yeah.I’mready.Whatarewedoingnext?Iseveryonecoming?”

“We’re going to go explore Chicago and leave the two of you alone,” Claire

spoke.

“Yeah. I’m sure you have some private celebrating to do after this.” Natalie

smiled.

“I’ve booked a dinner reservation for all us at the Skydeck Chicago at eight

o’clock.So,we’llseethemthere,”Christianspoke.

Weheadedbacktothehotel,andoncewegotinsidetheroom,Iwastednotime

thankinghimforeverythinghe’ddoneforme.

“Ican’tmove.”Christiansmiledashelookedoveratme.

“Meeither.”IgiggledasIsnuggledagainsthim.

After a short nap, we showered and dressed for dinner with our family and

friends. When we reached the Skydeck, everyone was already there, and I was

surprisedtoseeweweretheonlypeopleintheplace.

“YourentedouttheentireSkydeckagain?”Ismiled.

“OfcourseIdid.Thisisaprivateoccasion.”

Christianheldmyhandaswewalkedovertojoinourguests.

“I’mnotreallycomfortableuphere,”Nataliespoke.

“Iwasn’tatfirsteither,butit’ssobeautiful.”

“Iguess.”Shesighed.

“Ican’tbelieveChristiandidallthisformeandhadyouallcomeouthere.”

“I can.” She smiled as she hooked her arm around me. “He’s the Prince

Charmingyou’vebeensearchingforyourwholelife.”

“IknowandIalmostblewit.”

“Noyoudidn’t.Hewouldhavenevergivenuponyou,andhewouldhavekept

onfightingnomatterhowlongittook.”

“Youthink?”Iaskedwithasmile.

“Iknow.”

“Eloise,let’sgooutontheledgebeforedinner,”Christianspokeashewalked

upbehindme.

Ihookedmyarminhisasheledmetotheledgeandweonceagainstaredout

atthebeautifullylitChicagocity.

“Iloveyou,Eloise,”hespoke.

“Iloveyoutoo,Christian.”Ismiledathim.

Heplacedhishandinhispocketandsuddenlyhegotdownononeknee.

“Christian,whatareyoudoing?”Ibegantoshake.

“Ithinkyouknow.”Hewinked.“Ihaveneverinmylifelovedanyoneasmuch

asIloveyou.Youcompleteme,Eloise.FromthemomentIsawyou,IknewIhad

tomakeyoumine.”

“Oh,Christian.”Thetearsstartedtorise.

“You are the epitome of love and you make my days and my life so much

brighter.Youaremybestfriendandmylover,andnow,Iwouldloveforyoutobe

mywifeandspendtherestofyourlifewithme.Eloise,willyoumarryme?”

“Yes, Christian! Yes, I will marry you!” I exclaimed as the tears streamed

downmyface.

Hetookthetwo-caratprincesscutwhitegoldringfromtheboxandslippedit

on my finger. Then he brought the ring to his lips. Everyone clapped with

excitementashestoodupandswungmearound.

“Ican’tbelievethis!”Icried.

“Believeit,baby,‘causeithappened.We’regettingmarried.”Hebrushedhis

lipsagainstmine.

“Ican’twaittoplanthiswedding!”Nataliescreeched.

Wecelebratedintotheweehoursoftheeveningandthenwentbacktothehotel

and celebrated alone. I couldn’t stop staring at the beautiful ring that sat on my

fingerasmyheadlaidagainsthischest.

Mylifewasperfect.Iwasmarryingthemanofmydreams,mybookhadhit#1

ontheNewYorkTimesBestsellersList,myYouTubechannelgrewtoovertwo

million subscribers, I started doing seminars around the world, Ted Talk, and I

was offered my own radio show for an hour three times a week called “Ask

Eloise.” Now I would move on to the next phase of my life and become Mrs.

ChristianBlake.

Rememberladies,yourPrinceCharmingisoutthere,andyou’llknowitwhen

youfirstmeethim.Ifyoudon’thaveto#Deletehim,he’sakeeper.

BooksbySandiLynn

Ifyouhaven’talreadydoneso,pleasecheckoutmyotherbooks.Escapefrom

realityandintotheworldofromance.I’lltakeyouonajourneyoflove,pain,

heartacheandhappilyeverafters.

Millionaires:

TheForeverSeries(ForeverBlack,ForeverYou,ForeverUs,BeingJulia,

Collin,AForeverChristmas,AForeverFamily)

Love,Lust&AMillionaire(WyattBrothers,Book1)

Love,Lust&Liam(WyattBrothers,Book2)

LieNextToMe(AMillionaire’sLove,Book1)

WhenILiewithYou(AMillionaire’sLove,Book2)

ThenYouHappened(HappenedSeries,Book1)

ThenWeHappened(HappenedSeries,Book2)

HisProposedDeal

ALoveCalledSimon

TheSeductionofAlexParker

SomethingAboutLorelei

OneNightInLondon

TheException

CorporateA$$

ABeautifulSight

TheNegotiation

Defense

PlayingTheMillionaire

SecondChanceLove:

RememberingYou

SheWritesLove

LoveInBetween(LoveSeries,Book1)

TheUpsideofLove(LoveSeries,Book2)

Sports:

Lightning

AbouttheAuthor

SandiLynnisaNewYorkTimes,USATodayandWall

StreetJournalbestsellingauthorwhospendsallherdays
writing.Shepublishedherfirstnovel,ForeverBlack,in
February2013andhasn’tstoppedwritingsince.Her
addictionsareshopping,goingtothegym,romance
novels,coffee,chocolate,margaritas,andgivingreadersan
escapetoanotherworld.

Pleasecomeconnectwithherat:

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/Sandi.Lynn.Author

Twitter:

www.twitter.com/SandilynnWriter

Website:

www.authorsandilynn.com

Pinterest:

www.pinterest.com/sandilynnWriter

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/sandilynnauthor

Goodreads:

http://bit.ly/2w6tN25

Document Outline

#Delete
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Eloise
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Christian
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Eloise
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Eloise
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Christian
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Eloise
Chapter Twenty-One
Christian
Chapter Twenty-Two
Christian
Eloise
Chapter Twenty-Three
Eloise
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Eloise
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Eloise
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Christian
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Eloise
Christian
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Christian
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Christian
Eloise
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Christian
Chapter Forty-Four
Christian
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Six Months Later
Chapter Forty-Seven
Eloise
Books by Sandi Lynn
About the Author
Please come connect with her at:

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