Dan: "Unable to make it tonight, darling. Work responsibilities arose. I will contact you when I can. Xoxox."
"What's that expression?" Mark asked, pulling my eyes from the text.
The disappointment must have been showing on my face.
Maybe a night alone wasn't so bad.
I could go to that charming lingerie place in town and get a few things.
I owned, like, two cute pairs of underwear, and I'd already worn them both twice. I wanted something different and fun.
"Dan just canceled on me." I tried to make my voice flat, like it was no big deal, but Mark put his arm around me.
"Come have a few beers with Dr. Davies Miller and me."
It was better than sitting at home. "Sure. I just need to run home and change before I make a quick stop. Meet you guys there?"
"Sounds good. You can help me pester the boss about the blonde he was infatuated with today."
I snorted, remembering how Dr. Davies Miller looked when the woman walked into the hospital back then.
I thought he might trip over his own feet to get to her.
It was worse when she seemed to give him the slip.
Now he's been back in his office pouting about it for the last twenty minutes. I didn't even know Dr. Davies Miller could pout.
"See you guys there." I headed to my locker, grabbed my belongings, and went home.
I rushed through a shower, and it only took me thirty minutes to be back in town.
I threw on some jeans and a simple black tee with my boots.
It's not like I'm trying to impress tonight.
I have a man.
The simple thought made me blush and giddy with excitement.
I have a man.
I said it over and over again in my head, loving it more every time.
Deciding to drop my car in the bar parking lot, I walked towards Main Street in the direction of the lingerie shop.
It's a small town, and if you park anywhere by the main road, you can pretty much walk anywhere. Walking by the different shops and stores, I stopped suddenly when a familiar face caught my attention.
The sudden glance made my stomach drop.
There, in the little Italian restaurant, I saw the Hospital owner and his wife, with Dan, and a leggy blonde who I'd never seen before.
They're all sitting at a table together, and Dan was holding the blonde's hand.
Like he felt my eyes on him, he turned to look at me, but I sidestepped the glass window and leaned against the brick building, trying to get my pounding heart under control.
Freaking "work" excuse, my foot.
Goodness, could Mark have been more accurate? Suddenly, I felt like his dirty little secret.
Dan never took me out to dinner, nor did he even talk about his family.
If it wasn't for the fact that it's common knowledge that he's the Hospital owner's son, I would've never known.
It burned.
Holy cow, did it freaking burn.
I pushed the tears back and shook off the hurt, going with anger instead.
I was about to go get lingerie for his sake and set up something sexy.
I was going to call him out on taking stuff from my house and putting it in his.
Tell him he didn't have to play games, that I wanted to be there.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
I should've known better.
I saw how my brothers went through beautiful women. Heck, I lived with Mark, and I saw how he went through them.
I'm a tomboy and a plain Jane at best.
How did I expect to keep someone like Dan?
My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I saw I had two texts. One from Mark and one from Dan. Was he texting me while he's on a date?
A date he took to meet his father?
I gritted my teeth and clicked on Mark's text.
Mark: "See your car in the bar parking lot. Where are you?"
Me: "Will be there in five."
I crossed the street, not wanting to walk right in front of the restaurant again, then headed towards the bar.
I couldn't stop myself from clicking to see what Dan said.
Dan: "Miss you, darling."
I clutched the phone to keep myself from throwing it.
Darling.
I loved that name.
How he always said I smell so sweet, taste so sweet, am so sweet.
No one had ever called me sweet before him, and I was eating it up.
It was like he saw the real me.
Yeah, I like to work at a hospital and watch football and dress down a lot, but I'm a woman, and when he called me sweet, it made me feel like one.
Stupid, I snapped at myself again.
He played you.
Got what he wanted.
Sex.
Some casual encounter on the side to do it with when he wanted, and no one had to know about it.
"You look extremely agitated." I looked up to see Mark and Dr. Davies Miller waiting for me outside the bar.
"Do not wish to freaking discuss it." My voice was firm but held a little more emotion in it than I liked, but they both just nodded, understanding. That's the great thing about having male friends. They don't make you talk things to death.
You say, "Conversation over," and it wraps up pretty quickly.
Mark and I followed Dr. Davies Miller in, and I could tell Dr. Davies Miller was in just as much of a bad mood as I was.
The only one who looked like someone hadn't kicked their puppy was Mark, but he's always got a ridiculously easy smile on his face.
Without asking, Jake the bartender slid us our drinks, and I quickly grabbed my beer, thinking I was going to need something stronger tonight.
"There is a bachelorette party occurring here tonight if you gentlemen are seeking some excitement," Jake said, making me roll my eyes as I took my seat next to Dr. Davies Miller.
Not being able to help myself, I followed Jake's finger to see who Mark's prey for the night would be.
Suddenly, Mark was laughing and looking back, and I saw why when I caught the blonde hair of the woman who ran out of the shop today with Dr. Davies Miller hot on her heels.