Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Chandler might eventually lend an ear, but his self-centered nature often meant he was only interested if it affected him directly. Since he’d been overlooked for the mock team, he didn’t care.
Moreover, my devotion to the silent man on the other end of my cell phone was the real cause of my solitude. My loyalty to Beau created a divide between me and those rare few people who knew my reality. No one, whether friend, family, or foe, understood what motivated me.
I slipped my hand into the inner pocket of my bespoke suit jacket, made for this day. I retrieved my cell phone to report my big news to Beau. Absently, I extended an elbow to push open the building’s main door and trotted down the perron.
“Dash! Be at Parliament by seven.” Joshua, a teammate, called from the front doors. I didn’t break stride until the final step, then pivoted around to shout back, “I’ll change then head that way.”
“Don’t bail,” he instructed, leveling a warning finger my way.
My thumbs-up flew high as I started for my car. My complete concentration was back on the screen in my hand, tracing a familiar path to Beau’s contact information.
I refused to give up on him even if the situation appeared hopeless. I’d resolved that if I hadn’t heard from Beau by summer break, I was going to find him. If I had to abandon my dreams, it was probably better to know sooner rather than later.
My pace slowed, my thumb hitting all the wrong letters until I finally had to stop. I set the briefcase between my feet in order to use both hands to craft a readable message. After reading and rereading the words, making alterations here or there, I pushed the send button. Good. He’d know before anyone else. I slipped my phone back into my breast pocket, close to my heart.
Before my briefcase was back in my hand, a series of dings had me looking around the tree-lined sidewalks, leading to the maze of buildings on campus. The short hairs on the back of my neck stood on end at the uncanny timing. A shiver slithered down my spine.
My heart thumped wildly. I spun around, scanning the kept lawns and stately buildings of the school. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Still, I couldn’t let it go.
The parking lot, a short distance away, drew me like a bullseye. In the distance, I saw a man getting into an older pickup truck. The slanted angle of the winter’s sun hit just right to make it difficult to see well.
The creepy crawly sensation intensified as the rumble of the engine came to life. Another shiver quivered over me. The building’s front doors burst open. Students and teammates spilled out loud, with excitement. The eerie notion released its hold as suddenly as it had gripped me.
I started for my car again, parked not too far away from where the pickup truck had been. A few weeks ago, I woke to a new Audi R8 in my driveway, technically not available until later this year. My father didn’t appreciate its handling and passed it on to me. It drew gawkers everywhere I went. Maybe that was it.
My vigilance became razor-sharp until I slid into the driver’s seat and locked the doors the second they shut. If my possible stalker allowed me to survive the night, I’d take action on these eerie feelings tomorrow.
Right now, I had a celebration to attend.
Maybe I’d been wrong about Parliament, a favorite watering hole for many local attorneys. The place reminded me of my dad. Stately and sophisticated with a constant humming vibration of deals being made while others were dissolved. I guessed most patrons, with the exception of the law students, didn’t allow themselves to become too mentally impaired. Deals needed a finesse to be negotiated properly. Vodka probably didn’t help as well as some may think.
The interior walls, bar top, and tables were steeped in deep reds and polished mahogany. Designed to appear sophisticated and exclusive. Very masculine. A prestigious and expensive networking hub.
I’d never been here before. My future path was set, no need for networking in bars like these quite yet.
“Everybody thinks you’re at Dedman because of your family’s influence, but you proved them wrong today,” Joshua stated boldly, his courage fueled by his alcohol consumption.
I appreciated the straightforwardness and believed most of my peers still shared his opinion—the latter one, not the new one. But nevertheless, I’d showed my worth today.
“We all thought that way,” Alexis seconded, noticeably tipsy, raising her glass in salute. “But you set us straight today. Cheers.”
With that, a chorus rang out in unison. The roughly fifteen attendees, half my teammates, half their guests, lifted their glasses to the heart of the table before downing what was left of their drinks.