Take Me Back

Chapter 2

Two months later

“Gus!”

I jumped, the empty coffee cup near my right hand tumbling to the floor. Good thing it wasn’t breakable. With a sigh, I turned to see the store manager staring at me in exasperation from where she stood at the door to my tiny, stuffy office. I guess she’d been trying to get my attention for a while.

“What’s up, Nance?”

She frowned. “I called your name three times, hon. Snap out of it, all right? We need your help on the floor.” That meant it was really busy today. It was a Saturday, after all.

“Sorry, I’ll be right out.”

She nodded, opened her mouth as if to say something, then shook her head, and scurried away.

I saved my work on the computer and hurried out on the floor. The Bed Boutique franchise had been around for about ten years, of which I’d worked five at this location. I was the assistant manager and enjoyed my job, usually. I just…lately it had been difficult to be enthusiastic about anything, and I laid the blame at Seb’s door, the bastard.

I approached a couple who looked anything but friendly. “How may I help you?” I asked, preparing for tons of attitude. Which I got.

“Is this how you people do service? It’s ridiculous,” the woman said, and I noticed the man next to her wince at the strident tone. He seemed resigned to fate.

“My apologies, ma’am. What do you need?” I asked, keeping my voice friendly and soothing, though I wanted to slap the b***h.

In clipped tones, I was told that she required a king-sized bed, duvet, high thread count sheets, the works. It took me an hour to satisfy the woman’s specific, ultra-refined tastes, and the man, whom I assumed was her husband from the matching rings on their fingers, hadn’t said a word the entire time. She was grudgingly thankful for my assistance in the end, and I was finally able to leave them to make their purchases, relieved that was over.

I hung around for another hour until I was no longer needed. After I went back to the office, I slumped in my chair and massaged my throbbing temples. My head was pounding today, and I was miserable. Stress headaches were the worst. I drank some water from my bottle and went back to the work schedule.

Anytime a thought of Seb Paddington strayed into my consciousness, I shoved it down and squashed it beneath my metaphorical heel. When I’d returned from a long walk and solitary dinner the day we’d broken up, Seb had been nowhere to be found. Nothing of him had been left behind. The place had looked quite forlorn.

His scent wasn’t even in my sheets because he’d been working longer hours more and more, and rarely made it to bed long enough to do more than cuddle, if he allowed that. For a while, I’d thought he was cheating on me, and in a way, he had been. With work. With his ambitions. Maybe it was my fault. Maybe I’d thought there was more than there actually was. The s*x had been hot, always, and perhaps I’d mistaken that compatibility for love. For the ability to make everything else work. Still, it hurt.

I worked on my computer for a few more hours, fielding questions from time to time from staff when they’d stick their heads into my office. Other than that, they’d left me alone.

Right before it was time to call it a night, I checked my email one last time. There was a new message, and it was from…No way! This was the first time he’d contacted me since he’d left, the cretin.

I refused to be curious. I deleted it and shut down my computer before heading out.

When I stepped into the house I was now renting—I’d broken the lease on my apartment and had moved out—my cell phone buzzed, announcing I had a text. I set my keys and wallet on the dining room table before taking took the phone out of my pocket.

I didn’t recognize the number. The text said, Back in town.

Frowning, I sent back, Don’t know you. Wrong number.

I set the phone on the table and washed my hands at the sink before checking the cabinets for pasta. I decided on a quick meal of macaroni and cheese, with bacon bits. I was in the mood for a beer, and forget the salad.

While I got the ingredients together, my phone buzzed again. I let it sit there for a few minutes until my meal was ready. As I chewed my first bite of gooey goodness, I checked the phone again. The message was from the same number.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Not likely. I decided to ignore the message and finish my food before a quick shower and TV in bed.