Chapter 4: He Wasn't Lying. He's a Good Listener.

Chloe

"I've had a really shitty day." That's putting it mildly.

"Yeah? Want to talk about it?"

"Why am I in here? Was I bothering the other guests? I'm sorry if I was, I really didn't mean to."

"You weren't bothering anyone," he says, leaning a smidge closer.

"Then why?"

"I can't tell you that."

I scrunch my eyebrows together and rub my bottom lip with the tip of my finger. His eyes follow the movement and I drop my hand.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know," he admits. "I just know that I saw you out there crying and couldn't just stand there."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't," he snaps. He shakes his head and softens his tone when he continues. "Don't apologize for allowing yourself to feel the effects of whatever is going on in your life. If you need to cry, let it out."

"Okay?" The entire conversation is confusing me and I don't know what I'm supposed to say to him. "If I wasn't making a scene, then why did you haul me back here? Am I in trouble for something? I paid for my drinks and I promise I'm twenty-one. Well over that, actually."

He pinches the bridge of his nose as if he's frustrated with me. "No, no. You're not in trouble. I just, I don't know," he exhales loudly and leans back in his seat, threading his fingers through his dark hair. He removes the dark rimmed glasses, scrubs over his face, and replaces them. I take a second to take him in, noticing a hint of dark tattoos peeking out from under his rolled-up sleeves of his dark gray shirt tucked into a pair of dark skinny jeans. Jeans that hug his thighs showing off some serious muscle. While I was following him back to this office, I was too distracted about what was going on in my life and the fact that he was taking me back here for reasons still unknown to check out his ass, but I bet it's incredible.

Luckily when I make my way back up to his face, he's not watching me, rather he's staring out the office window.

"I don't know why you're back here, Chloe." He finally returns his gaze to me and I notice his deep green eyes almost the color of emeralds. I've wondered many times if my father had eyes much the same. "I saw you then noticed you were crying and there was something about seeing your sadness that I couldn't walk away from. If you feel comfortable, you can tell me what happened." He pauses and for how gentle his voice was, when he speaks again it's more demanding. "Please, tell me what happened."

"Like I said, it's been a shitty day."

"I'm told that I'm a good listener."

"Really?"

"Well, no. I'm actually told that I can be annoying with how well I can read people, but I assume that's just their jealousy talking."

A smile splits my lips. "Jealousy, huh?"

One shoulder lifts. "Pretty sure. Yes."

Groaning, I decide to just lay it all out there for him. "Fine. I found out this morning, before I'd even had my morning coffee, mind you, that I didn't get the loan to start up my own salon, which wasn't necessarily a surprise but still sucked. I started working at a salon here about two years ago and I like where I'm at but, yeah, I really wanted to be on my own. Kind of a dream of mine, I guess."

"I'm sorry, Chloe."

"It's not your fault. Anyway, that was first thing this morning and as I was pulling out of the coffee shop parking lot I was sitting in when I got the news, I hit someone with my car. I was on the phone, crying to my friend about not getting the loan, not paying attention and BAM! I just whacked right into this total douche of a guy. He was a dick about it and wouldn't even accept my apology. I wasn't denying that it was completely my fault, which really sucks even more because now my insurance will skyrocket and I have to figure out a car situation in the meantime because I think I totaled my piece of crap and using the rental I already have is so not going to work. But it was my piece of crap, you know? Like, I had that tiny little bug paid off and now it's just squashed." His lips twitch but I keep on talking because unfortunately this isn't even all that had happened.

"Then! Oh then I got home, completely exhausted and my hot water heater tanked. No pun intended is that even a pun?" I wave a hand in the air and laugh at myself. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, my hot water heater is broken. It's sad and done just like my squashed bug. And I'm not one of those adults who has their life together, okay? I just don't. I wish I did, but I don't have a lot in my savings for things like this. Which is probably why I was denied a loan," I giggle almost hysterically.

He opens his mouth to speak but I stop him with a hand on his knee. "Oh no. That's not all."

His eyes widen and dart to my hand on his knee then back up again. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. That was, well, I shouldn't have touched you."

"Chloe, it's okay," he says, patting my hand like I'm a child. "Now, what else happened?"

"Where was I?"

"Water heater."

A bubble of wild laughter escapes my throat and I know I sound and look like a crazy person when I spring out of my seat and start pacing around the small room. "So I called Ari again and asked her to meet up for drinks tonight and after hearing about the rest of my day, she agreed. Obviously, since she's here. Duh." I smack my forehead and he chuckles. "I decided I would wear my favorite jeans because they always make me feel better but when I put them on and my ass looks freaking amazing in them but, well, they didn't fit. I haven't worn real pants in a while and, apparently, leggings have a little extra give than jeans do. Since I'm a masochist, I decided I'd step on the scale and well, let's just say that wasn't a pleasant experience." I huff, dropping back down into my seat. But, as luck would have it, my big ass doesn't have very good aim and I hit the edge of the seat then bounce off it and plop onto the floor.

Rex doesn't laugh at me, even though he absolutely should. Because I guarantee that looked hilarious. Although, the fact that his lips are pressed together tightly tells me he's working pretty hard at holding back that laughter. "If it makes you feel any better, when I first saw you, I stopped in my tracks at your beauty, and that includes your body."

I glare at him from my place on the floor. I'm sure he's lying but rather than sound like one of those girls who can't take a compliment, I stand up, turn around, point to my butt, and look over my shoulder as I say, "Really? Thank you. That means a lot," then I can't stop embarrassing myself when I add with a finger point, "you, too. your body. And face. And all that. You're not exactly hard on the eyes."

He raises a thick eyebrow over the rim of his glasses and damn if it doesn't make him even sexier. "You okay?" he asks, gesturing to the fact that I'm still not sitting where I intended to.

I heave out a sigh, stand up from the floor as gracefully as I can without looking like a complete bafoon and gingerly sit in the chair. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking. And for not laughing at me."

"I'll wait until I watch it again on the cameras."

"That's very kind of you to wait," I nod. "Anyway, I eventually found something I could fit into, came here, barely got a few sips of that really good drink with the peach whiskey in it and received a text." I give him a look. "Oh, Rex, let this settle in for a bit, a text okay?"

"Wait a minute. Was it a text or a phone call?" he asks like a true smart ass.

I try not to smirk, but can't help myself. "A text. From the guy I'd broken up with a few months ago telling me that his wife is four months pregnant so we needed to make sure all ties were cut. Which, believe me, already were."

"You were dating a married guy?"

My eyes widen and I tip my palms up. "I guess! That was his way of telling me! Can you freaking believe it?"

"Um, wow. He's a," I don't let him finish what she was going to call him because I do it for her.

"He's a fucking idiot? I know!" I stand up again, throw my arms in the air and then place them on my hips. "Who the fuck does that? I mean, honestly! I had no clue that he was married. Never had an inkling that he had a family at home! By the way, what the hell is with him telling me now? It's been two months since he and I broke up and I haven't given him a second thought but now he wants me to know that his wife is pregnant? And that she was pregnant while he and I were dating! What a dick! And let me tell you, his dick wasn't even that great to begin with."

"Is that why you were crying? Because you still, uh, have feelings for him? Want him?" he asks, practically on the edge of his seat waiting for me to answer him. His eyes go wide when I fall silent.