18. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter eighteen
B rennan
“I should be back by Tuesday, at the latest,” Keegan said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
“Yeah, I’m sure, but you have a good time.
” I appreciated Keegan asking, but the idea of spending the weekend camping with him and three of his friends in July did not sound like fun.
I wasn’t a big camping fan, even when it wasn’t going to be hot as Hades outside.
Add in the bugs, the lack of electricity, and the sleeping on the ground, and I was out.
Helping him load up his gear was about as close to the great outdoors as I wanted to come, I thought as I tossed his sleeping bag in the back.
“Well, what are you going to do then? Other than sit around the house.”
“I don’t know. I’ll find something to do. Maybe I’ll dig out my camera and go take some pictures.”
“Just so you do something to get out of the house.” He climbed into his car to leave, but before he drove off, he rolled down the window. “Hey. Maybe we’ll spring another plumbing leak, and you can find another hot plumber to fix your pipes,” he teased, waggling his eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes at him and watched him drive away laughing.
Truth was, I wasn’t interested in finding another hot plumber to fix my pipes. Only one certain construction worker, and unfortunately, while I’d caught him watching me when he thought I wasn’t looking, he hadn’t shown any interest in a repeat of our one time together.
But Keegan had been right about one thing.
I needed to get out of the house. When he told me that he was going camping with his friends and the first thing I felt was jealousy, I knew it was time for me to start putting myself out there because I wasn’t jealous that he was going to be hanging out with someone other than me.
I was jealous because he had people to go hang out with.
I figured the best way was for me to think about things I liked to do and find people doing the same things. Of course, that would be easier to do if I had any hobbies or interests.
I’d gone on a meet-up app and found three different book clubs that were inclusive, and I’d already decided that I was going to try one of them. I’d picked the one that had the book I found most interesting and ordered a copy online, but obviously, I had to read it first.
One of the people I met at Keegan’s friend’s house a couple of weeks ago had mentioned a pottery class that they were taking, and that kind of interested me, but I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to try that or not.
I honestly had no idea. What I did know was that Keegan being gone gave me the perfect opportunity to try out a few of the clubs here in town.
Not that I couldn’t go when he was around.
I could. I just always felt bad because Keegan insisted on going with me, and I knew it wasn’t his thing.
He’d much rather go hang out at a sports bar than go to a gay club.
Not that gay clubs were really my thing either, but it wasn’t like some big strong bear of a man was going to show up at my door asking to fuck me.
If I wanted it, I had to go out and find it, and that was what I was going to do.
I dug around in my drawers looking for something to wear out that I thought would make me feel at least somewhat fuckable.
I didn’t have much to choose from since Patrick had never liked to go to clubs either, and he was very particular about the way I dressed, but I had a few outfits from before we were together when going out to clubs was something I did on the regular.
I found a pair of white shorts that had little blue anchors on them, and a dark blue mesh cropped top. It all fit a little tighter than it had back then, but it actually looked better that way.
I slipped on a pair of boat shoes and then took forever trying to tame my unruly blond curls. I need to add finding a stylist who would know what to do with my hair to my list.
Once I decided I’d done the best I was going to do with it, I headed to the first club I wanted to try. It was one that Keegan had offered to bring me to right after I arrived, so I figured it probably wasn’t too crazy.
I paid my cover charge and went inside, and while it wasn’t as much fun to go out like this alone as it was to go with friends, it still felt really good to be out and about.
I got a drink and turned around to watch the people on the dance floor.
I’d barely even had time to take a drink when a good-looking guy about my age sidled up next to me.
“Hey,” he said, eyeing me up and down.
“Hey,” I said, returning the greeting and the look. He was taller than I was, with dark brown hair, and nice brown eyes. They weren’t as dark as Ryders, but they were still pretty.
“I haven’t seen you in here before, and that wasn’t a line. I come here a lot, and I’m sure I’d have noticed you.”
“Still sounds like a line,” I teased.
“It did, didn’t it. Want to dance?”
I thought about it for a second, but I realized that as handsome as he was, I really didn’t.
I was looking for something else tonight.
Someone older and a little more rugged. Someone like Ryder, I thought.
Not that I thought finding a substitute for him would help me stop thinking about our night together.
That just seemed to be what I was into right now, I assured myself.
“Thanks, but I just got here. I want to finish this drink, and maybe one more before I’m ready to hit the floor,” I told him.
“Okay, I’ll be here for a while, so if you change your mind, just find me.”
I leaned back against the bar and watched him as he wove his way into the crowd.
He might not have been what I was looking for, but he’d been hot, and it had been nice that he’d asked.
I finished that drink and turned to order another one when another man slid in next to me and leaned close.
“Let me get this one,” he said, his deep voice rumbling in my ear.
I looked him over, and he was much more what I was looking for.
He was a little over six feet tall, with dark black hair and hazel eyes.
If I had to guess, he was probably in his mid-thirties.
He gave me a look that said he was interested and that he expected me to be as well.
I found his confidence attractive and agreed to the drink.
“My name is Clay, and yours is?”
“Brennan.”
“Well, Brennan, it’s nice to meet you. How would you like to dance?”
I downed the drink he’d just purchased for me and smiled. “Sure, why not.”
I let him lead me out to the dance floor, and we joined the others moving to the beat of the music.
I’d never been a big dancer, but I did enjoy it.
It didn’t take long for him to pull my body against his so that we were moving together to the music.
I didn’t mind it, but his touch did nothing for me.
He spun me around so that my back was pressed against him.
I could feel how hard he was as he ground against me, and when he started to nibble on my ear, I knew we had different thoughts on where this was headed, so I decided to cut our dance short.
I tried to think of some excuse to leave him.
Coming here alone was probably not the best idea.
I couldn’t even say I needed to get back to my friends.
I thought about saying I needed to go to the bathroom but was afraid he would take that as an invitation.
I moved to step out of his hold, but he tightened his grip and slid his hand down, cupping my cock through my pants.
“Where do you think you’re going, pretty boy?” he growled in my ear. That was when I knew it was time for me to go home.
I danced with him for a minute longer, even grinding back against him so he would think I was staying, just until he relaxed his grip on me enough so I was able to slip out of his hold and take a quick step back. “Thanks for the dance and for the drink, but it’s time for me to get going.”
He reached out to grab me, but I stepped back into the crowd of dancers and quickly headed for the front door. I watched behind me to make sure he wasn’t following, but I couldn’t see him through the crowd of people. Which was good because that meant he probably couldn’t see me either.
My heart was pounding, which was ridiculous.
He’d bought me a drink, and we’d danced; he hadn’t done anything to indicate that he was dangerous.
But still, all my instincts were telling me to get out of there.
At the front door, there was a bunch of people coming in, so I wove my way through them and made for my car.
I was relieved to see it there, and I pushed the button on the key fob unlocking the door.
I got inside the car, locking the doors.
If this was one of those stupid horror movies Keegan loved so much, when I put the key in, the car wouldn’t start, I thought, laughing at my ridiculousness.
Yet, I held my breath when I inserted the key and turned—not exhaling until the car started right away.
I backed out of the parking spot and started to drive forward, but something felt off.
It’s fine, Brennan . There’s nothing wrong with the car.
You just have yourself freaked out. The parking lot was large, and to exit, I had to go all the way down the row I was on and back up the next one, but by the time I made the U-turn at the end, I knew it wasn’t my imagination.
Something was wrong. I pulled into an empty spot and got out to look.
And sure enough. The front passenger’s tire was flat. Because, of course, it was.
I couldn’t even call Keegan because he was out of town.
I’d never changed a flat myself, but I was sure I could figure it out.
I knew how, and I’d seen it done. It couldn’t be that hard.
From where I was sitting, I could see the entrance to the club, which meant anyone coming in or out could see me or hear me if I called out for help. So I could do this. I could.
I started to get out when I saw two men standing out front of the club, and one of them looked a lot like the guy I’d been dancing with.
But from here, I couldn’t tell. I watched for a minute, waiting for them to move on, but they weren’t going anywhere.
It looked like they were waiting for someone, and they kept looking over this way.
I debated my options. I could get out and try to figure out the jack and change the tire.
I could call an U ber to take me home and leave my car here.
I could go back inside and see if I could find someone to help me.
Or I could just do the smart thing and call the one friend I had here who I knew would know what I should do.