by Amy Hale
CATCHING WHITNEY
Amy Hale
Copyright © 2015 Amy Hale
E-BOOK EDITION
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and events are the product of the author’s imagination. And resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
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Cover Designed by: Kris at C & K Creations
Editor and Formatter: Wendi Temporado with Ready, Set, Edit.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Other Books By Amy Hale
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Books By Amy Hale
Ulterior Motives
Shadows of Jane, The Shadows Trilogy, Book One
Coming Soon
Shadows of Deception, The Shadows Trilogy, Book Two
To my hilariously wonderful Matt and Rachel.
Never settle for less than you deserve.
I sit at the table, stirring my almost empty gin and tonic with a straw, and survey the room. A heavy sigh escapes my lips as I admit to myself that a loud, smoky bar is the last place I want to be. After an especially rough month, my friend Lindsey had insisted on a girls’ night out, but I’m simply not feeling it. Andy, my latest ex-boyfriend, had dumped me for a busty brunette that could barely spell her own name. Rumor had it that Cinny, if that was even her real name, was adventurous in the bedroom. I’m far less experienced, so I can’t really compete with that. My guess is Cinny is really a stripper name, and with any luck Andy will get a raging case of herpes within a few weeks. Granted, I know it isn’t a nice thought to have, but I am beyond being nice. Nice is why I’m sitting here alone, sipping my drink and watching my friend Lindsey have fun.
She has repeatedly pulled me with her to the dance floor, only for me to sneak away moments later and sit back down. I just can’t muster the enthusiasm needed to enjoy myself. Lindsey bounces over to the table, moving in time to the upbeat music.
“All right, Whitney, you sad sack, get off your ass and join me at the bar.”
I shake my head. “Really, Lindsey, I’m fine where I am. You go on without me.”
She gives me a scowl. “Seriously? I drag your skinny ass out for a fun weekend, and you refuse to party? That is unacceptable, sister. Bar. Now.”
Lindsey grabs my arm, pulling me out of my seat and across the room, shoving dancers out of her way as we go. When she’s determined, she’s a force to be reckoned with. I envision the dancers parting like the Red Sea at the flick of her wrist and smile to myself.
Lindsey has been my best friend since junior high, and we’ve been almost inseparable ever since. But we are two very different people. I’m somewhat shy and introverted, at least where adults are concerned. I adore kids, which makes my profession of teaching ideal. I have auburn hair and stand a grand total of five foot five. And while I’m slim, I’ve always felt that I’m filled out in all the right places. At least I used to feel that way. Meeting Cinny had since crushed that belief under a 4-inch, sparkled, spike heel. Stripper heels—I’m almost sure of it.
Lindsey is the polar opposite. She is only a couple of inches taller than me, but she has emerald green eyes and almost black hair that seems to glow with a mesmerizing blue tint when the lights hit it just right. She carries a little more weight than I do, but she’s curvaceous, and it looks fantastic on her regardless of her complaints that she’d love to be thinner. She is also extremely outgoing and confident, which I find intimidating and wonderful at the same time.
Lindsey shoves me onto a bar stool and takes a seat next to me. “Okay, lady, what’s your poison?”
I shake my head. “I should probably stick to soda or tea; I don’t need to get wasted.” She rolls her eyes and sighs dramatically. Then I add, “Besides, you should be out there dancing with that guy.”
Lindsey turns her head to see a tall, muscular, red-haired guy watching her with visible interest. This always happens when we go out—Lindsey turns heads everywhere she goes.
Smiling, she turns back to me. “Oh, he looks like he should have a Scottish accent. I bet he looks amazing in a kilt... or out of one.”
I throw back my head and release a real laugh for the first time all evening. Leave it to Lindsey to look a guy over, make snap assumptions, and then mentally undress him. He makes his way down the bar and stops in front of Lindsey. She smiles at him, and he leans down to whisper in her ear. I pretend to be interested in anything but them and decide a drink might be nice after all.
I flag down the cute bartender. “Excuse me! I’d like a margarita, please.”
The bartender nods and steps away to make my drink. I frown. He didn’t even seem to notice me. Not that I honestly want to be noticed, but dammit, can’t one cute guy show an interest tonight so that I’ll feel less inadequate? I hear Lindsey laugh and turn to see her and her newest eye-candy looking at me.
“What?”
Lindsey’s smile turns mischievous. “Nothing much. My new friend Blaine here was just saying that he and his friend Aidan have an empty table toward the back that’s a little more… quiet.”
“And?” I inquire.
“And,” Lindsey continues. “Aidan hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you all night.”
I feel my eyes widen as I look at Blaine. He nods. “Yes, ma’am. And it’s not easy to grab his attention.”
I feel a slight blush creeping into my cheeks. “Blaine, would you mind if my friend and I had a private moment?”
He nods again. “We’ll be at the table. We’d love it if you both join us.” He grabs two beers off of the bar and walks back to his table.
I turn on Lindsey. “Are you nuts? We don’t know these guys!”
Lindsey sighs. “Isn’t that the whole point of driving two hours away from home for our weekend away? So we can debase ourselves where no one knows us?”
“Wait a minute. I agreed that drinking in another town was a good idea since I can’t have my reputation as a teacher smeared, but I’m not debasing myself this weekend.” I take a sip of my margarita that was just placed on the bar. “I’m simply having a few drinks and trying to relax.”
Lindsey shakes her head. “C’mon, live a little!” She places an arm around my shoulder and leans in close. “You’ve got a sexy man all hot and bothered over there; at least go see if he’s worth a closer look.”
I have to admit my interest is at least a little piqued. Wasn’t I just complaining that no one was noticing me? “Sexy? Can you really even see him from here?”
Lindsey laughs. “No, but I saw him earlier when I went to the bathroom. He’s been beating the ladies off with a stick just waiting for you to notice him.”
I’m not sure about this whole situation, but after a moment of thought I decide it can’t hurt to meet him. I grab my margarita and Lindsey grabs my free hand, hauling me behind her to be sure I don’t chicken out. As we approach the table, I u
nintentionally slow my steps. Lindsey is not exaggerating; Aidan is classically handsome. His dark brown hair is slightly long and has a bit of curl, giving it that sexy, just out of bed look. His eyes are a soft brown, and he has a chiseled, very masculine jawline, with just a touch of 5 o’clock shadow. From a few feet away I can tell he’s likely an athlete of some sort; that kind of hard body doesn’t come from sitting at a desk for eight hours a day. He sees me and smiles with perfect white teeth. I feel a little off balance and grip Lindsey for support.
Blaine and Aidan stand and pull out chairs for us. Lindsey smiles brightly at Blaine and gives him a wink as he pushes her chair in like the gentleman he is. I attempt to smile at Aidan, but suddenly my shyness kicks in, and I worry I look more like a cornered animal than a woman trying to flirt. I suck at flirting. I mean, Hoover vacuum level of suck. Thankfully, Aidan doesn’t. He pushes my chair in and seats himself across from me. His smile looks natural, and it somehow makes me feel less nervous. I relax a little and take a sip of my drink.
Lindsey reaches across the table. “Hi, Aidan, I’m Lindsey and this is my best friend, Whitney.” He shakes her hand and then turns to me expectantly. I suddenly realize I’m actually expected to speak to him. My introvert sirens start blaring in my head, and I abruptly become a mute. Speak, Whitney. It’s not difficult. Say hello. Say hi. Say something, damn you, before he decides you make your living as a mime!
I manage to clear my throat and place my hand into his to shake. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s very nice to meet you too, Whitney.” His voice is deep and smooth and makes me think of velvet. Why velvet? I have no idea. That’s just the wayward thought that pops in my head. I often try not to giggle outwardly at my own inner, unpredictable hilarity. Others probably wouldn’t understand the cacophony of randomness in my head, but I tend to catch myself off-guard and laugh at the most unsuitable times due to inappropriate thoughts that should most certainly stay muzzled.
I pull my attention back to Aidan as I place my hand in my lap, noticing that Blaine and Lindsey are already immersed in their own little world. “So, Aidan, what do you do for a living?” Wow. Way to be original, Whitney. Could you possibly ask a more boring question?
Aidan takes a swig of his beer and swallows. I watch his Adam’s apple bob as he does so, and it’s oddly the most fascinating thing I’ve ever seen. He smiles at me again. “I’m a retired baseball player. I was starting to make a name for myself and go Major League when an injury put me out of the game for good, so now I’m looking at possibly coaching or something along those lines.”
I do mental fist pumps as I congratulate myself for being right about his athletic abilities. “I don’t know very much about baseball, but I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. Were you on a local team?” I hope I’m not embarrassing myself too much since I don’t even know if there is a baseball team in the area.
“No, I’m from Missouri. I’m just here visiting Blaine.”
I sneak a glance at Blaine, who has since scooted his chair next to Lindsey’s and has an arm draped around her shoulders.
Aidan takes another drink. “Tell me more about you.”
I smile shyly. “I’m not sure there is much to tell. I’m a school teacher, I love to read, and, to be completely honest, this whole bar scene is not really my thing. I’m a closet introvert with a penchant for yoga pants and sappy movies at home.” Nice going, Whitney. Could you be more average?
Aidan chuckles. “It’s refreshing to see a beautiful woman admit she’s not into partying. I’ll admit I appreciate a quite night at home myself.”
I smile at his admission and go to take another sip of margarita only to find I’ve hit bottom. Damn. When did I empty that? I must be emotionally drinking. Is that a thing? Like emotional eating, but with alcohol?
Aidan reaches across the table and takes my hand in his once more, this time rubbing his thumb over the back of my knuckles. “Do you want to get out of here?” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He blinks for a moment, then laughs. “No, I don’t mean like that. I mean, do you want to go somewhere quiet? Maybe get something to eat? Somewhere that’s a little more our speed?”
Honestly, the idea of food and less noise sounds amazing. “I’d love to. Where did you have in mind?”
“There’s a little cafe just down the street. I saw it as we drove in. I think it’s open twenty-four hours. Blaine would know.” He turns his attention to his friend. “Blaine, is that little diner down the street still open?”
Blaine nods his head. “Sure is. They have amazing pancakes. You guys gonna go eat?”
Aidan looks at me, and I nod. He smiles and says, “Yeah, we’re hungry and would prefer someplace a little less busy.”
Lindsey looks at me, then at Aidan. “Hold up, I’ll walk you guys out.” She stands and grabs my arm, locking it with hers as we head for the door. Aidan and Blaine are right behind us; Blaine is talking about the variety of pancakes that can be had at Eliza’s Cafe. He’s obviously a pancake connoisseur. Once we step outside into the warm summer air, Aidan takes the lead and heads toward his car. When we get there, Lindsey puts a hand on Aidan’s chest. “Hold please.” She pulls out her cell phone and snaps a picture of his face, then walks around him and takes a picture of his car and his license plate. She smiles sweetly at the three of us. “Insurance. If you don’t bring her back to me in once piece, I have these to give to the police.”
Lindsey always seems like a wild child, but she’s not completely without common sense. Hugging her, I say, “My cell is on, so feel free to call and check in.”
“Ditto,” she says.
Aidan opens the passenger door for me, and I climb inside. His black Lexus has a soft leather interior that I immediately melt into. It feels like Heaven, especially compared to those wooden bar chairs. He speaks to Blaine and Lindsey for a moment before sitting in the driver’s seat. “Ready?” he asks. I nod my head as I buckle in.
We are only about a block away when my cell beeps telling me I have a text from Lindsey. It’s a selfie of her and Blaine with the words “Just in case.” I smile and push the phone back into my purse.
Aidan gives me a sidelong glance. “Everything cool?”
“Yeah.” I’m nervous. I remind myself once again that I don’t really know this guy, but we’re going to a very public place, so I should just relax. I let out a breathy sigh, frustrated that I can’t seem to lighten up for once.
He looks at me again but doesn’t say a word. Is he regretting this already? Now I’m not only nervous but self-conscious too. It takes a few minutes more before we pull into the small parking lot next to Eliza’s Cafe. He moves swiftly as he gets out of the car and opens the passenger door for me. Taking his hand, I step out of the car, and he shuts the door behind me. He pushes the lock button on his key fob and leads me to the entrance - his hand is still warmly clasped around mine. I try to ignore the shivers traveling up my arm, into my shoulders, and back down my spine. I’m a dork. A huge, first-class, grade-A dork. He’s only holding my hand. It’s not like he’s making love to me, for crying out loud. That thought decides to travel to regions recently unexplored, and I feel a blush rush to my cheeks.
A sweet looking elderly woman waved us in and smiled. “Take a seat anywhere, folks. I’ll be right with you.”
Aidan turns to me. “Any place particular you’d like to...” He stopped before finishing his sentence and stared at me. Oh no. Is my mascara running down my face like a deranged clown? Do I have something in my hair? Is it sticking up all crazy and wild looking? He continues to stare, but I realize he’s specifically looking at my cheeks, and then my eyes. I stifle a huge groan. I must still be blushing from my sex thoughts, and now that I’m thinking of them again I can feel my face heat more. With any luck, my head will explode, and we can call it a night.
Aidan squeezes my hand and smiles in a seductive way that only fans the flames of my lonely libido. I’m pretty sure if my face gets any re
dder, that waitress will grab the fire extinguisher and ruin my new blouse.
“Where would you like to sit?” he asks as he continues to stare into my eyes. Oh... the places I’d like to sit. No, stop that, Whitney! None of that. You’re having dinner, or whatever this late night meal is considered, and talking. That’s all there is to this. Just a friendly chat with food. With a ridiculously sexy man.
I point to a booth in the corner, afraid if I actually try to pronounce words they will resemble things I should never say in public. Walking to the booth—my hand still firmly clasped in his—he motions for me to sit, and I let go of his hand as I scoot in on one side. He sits down on the opposite side, and I once again find him staring at me. It’s sexy, the way he’s looking at me, and I can’t seem to help but stare back.
The waitress, with the name tag of “Mabel”, clears her throat and we both jump a little. She smiles down at us. “It’s so wonderful to see a young couple in love. How long have you been together?” I open my mouth and can’t think of how to respond. To keep from looking like a trout, I snap my lips shut quickly and look at Aidan.
He smiles at me, then aims that deadly charm at Mabel. “We’ve been together for about a year. It was love at first sight. I met her in a bar and couldn’t take my eyes off of her.” She sighs in this fluttery, “how romantic” kind of way. I revert to looking like a trout.
Mabel hands us both menus. “Take your time looking over the menu. Just give me a wave when you’re ready to order.” She walks away with a little more spring in her step as if the idea of young love has made her night. I can’t seem to close my mouth.
“Why did you tell her that?” I squeak out.
He laughs. “It made her happy, and I didn’t want to embarrass her by telling her she was wrong.” I think I just fell a little bit in love with him. He continues. “Besides, no one knows us here. We can be anyone we want to be tonight. Think about it. If you could be anyone, or do anything, what would you be?”