Kyler gently took my hand and led me back to the bathrooms. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a line for the ladies room and without a second thought Ky marched me inside and locked the door. I walked straight over to the sink and braced my hands on the counter with two hands and looked at myself in the mirror. I was pale and my eyes were huge like a scared animal. I wasn’t sure how long I watched myself taking deep breaths, but I know it was long enough to forget Kyler was in the room with me. I glanced over my shoulder through the mirror and saw he was leaning up against the door, watching me. He face held a look of concern and curiosity.

“What’s going on Emilyn?”

I shook my head and looked down in an attempt to avoid eye contact. I began washing my hands, since that’s what one did in the bathroom besides going pee, right? “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just started to feel a little woozy from all the alcohol. I don’t drink much and I think it just hit me all of a sudden.”

“Right. You always were a shit liar. Now tell me what’s really going on.” He wasn’t going to back down.

“I told you. I was just overwhelmed, and it’s seriously hot out there.” How could I tell Finn’s best friend that I might not actually be over him after ten years? That sounded crazy. Especially since I was married! Jesus Emilyn, get it together. You’re fucking married!

“So the fact that Finn is out there and you’re in here having a ‘moment’ is completely coincidental?”

Damn. I started to get mad. Mad that I was that easy to read, and mad that after ten years he still knew me so well. Being that they were best friends, Kyler was around a lot when Finn and I were dating and we became pretty close. He was my male version of Harper. Only difference being that when Finn left, I stopped talking to Ky.

“You know what? I don’t owe you any explanations, so back the fuck off! Finn left me high and dry ten years ago when he took off. I haven’t heard from or seen him since then. I couldn’t care less if he is out there or back in California shacking up with some fake bimbo. I’m married now and I’ve moved on.” Jesus, why was I yelling at Kyler? That was it. I was never drinking again.

Ky held his hands up, palms outwards in surrender. “Okay honey. If that look on your face when his name is mentioned is you ‘moved on’ then fine. I believe you.” He studied me a few more long seconds and changed the subject. “It’s been a long time. You’re looking hot Shorty!” That was Kyler’s nickname for me from the time I met him my junior year in high school until… well, that awful day I didn’t want to remember right then.

I knew he was full of crap on both accounts, but it was just like Ky to change the subject to try and make me feel better. “It’s good to see you Ky. Looks like California is treating you well.” I smiled and reached up to give him a hug. He held me in a tight embrace—picking me off the floor and setting me back down. Stepping back, I got a good look at my surroundings. A bathroom in a bar wasn’t the best place to catch up on old times, so I decided I needed to get out of there. “Hey I think I need a drink. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head back to the bar. Can you let Harper know where I’m at?” He agreed. I side stepped him, unlocked the door and headed down the hall through the crowd. As I waited for the bartender’s attention, I noticed a good looking man standing next to me, quite clearly giving me the eye. I glanced up at him, and he smiled back at me. He held his hand out for me to shake, and so I placed my hand in his. He leant in towards me, “Hi, I’m Vance. You would be…?”

I leaned back and smiled at him and said “Emilyn. Nice to meet you Vance. Are you from around here?”

“No, I’m actually just here doing some business in Boise. I’m from Portland but staying with some friends here in town.”

“What kind of business are you in, Vance?”

Showing me a fantastic smile he said “Marketing. I’m working on some new ad slogans.”

“That sounds…” I waved my hand in the air making small circles with it while I looked for the right words, “…boring.”

He tipped his head back and let out a deep throaty laugh. “Yes, I suppose it can be boring but I honestly love it. I get to be creative and it’s quite the feeling when you see a commercial on TV that you had a hand in.”

I knew I’d blame it on the alcohol later, but I was feeling feisty and Vance was a very good looking man that was showing an interest in me—interest that I hadn’t felt from a man in a long time. I reached out and took hold of his hand and said with a devilish smile, “Want to dance with me?”

He returned my smile with one of his own, and winked at me before he led me out on the dance floor. As Vance brought me in close to his body, I didn’t want to think about my troubles with Weston. I didn’t want to look around for Harper, Kyler, or him. I just wanted to be lost in the moment and forget that the love of my life was here in this bar. Wait… what the hell? Love of my life? I must’ve been drunker than I thought.

Some sort of upbeat song was on and I put my hands up around Vance’s shoulders and brought my body close to his. He smelled good, like some sort of expensive cologne and good clean man. Vance slid his hands from my shoulder blades down low to rest on my hips. He pulled me closer; wedging our bodies so there was no space between them. He had his right leg in between mine and we rocked back and forth to the beat. I could feel his growing arousal against my hip, and I had to admit that it’d been a while since I had been this close to a man and felt somewhat desirable. Blend that with my inebriated state and it was a heady mix. As one song blended into the next, I was lost. It was exactly what I wanted. They all seem to leave me, it was just a matter of time. So for right now I just wanted to feel this; a hard bodied man holding me close; the smell, the sensation, the need.

Just as I let the last of my reservations go I felt those familiar eyes on me. I didn’t need to turn around to know those piercing blue eyes were staring at me. My stomach bottomed out, and my heart rate spiked into overdrive. I shifted around in Vance’s arms and put my back to his front, reaching my arms up around his neck as his hands moved up to hold on to my stomach. I wasn’t feeling brave enough to open my eyes and see him yet so I continued to sway my hips against Vance. I felt his left hand move from my stomach and slide down my hip to my thigh and back up to my hip. Jesus, was it hot in here? I felt my body flash with heat, and I was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the temperature.

I heard someone clear their throat and I felt Vance stiffen at my back.

Fuck.

I felt like I was about to throw up. Opening my eyes, I was met with a wide muscular chest, wearing a grey button down shirt with a white undershirt. The button down was unbuttoned and sexy as hell. The sleeves were rolled up to the elbows so I could see strong, muscular forearms and the few tattoos that snaked down to the wrist. Still not able to make eye contact, I let my eyes roam further, down to a pair of khaki cargo shorts and naked feet in a pair of dark brown flip flops. He cleared his throat again, and that’s when my eyes came back up his body and finally rested on his face. Holy shit. He was exactly the same, and yet so very different. He’d clearly grown since high school. He was around six feet when I was dating him, but now looked to be around six foot four. He was huge! He’d let his hair grow out to a sexy dark brown mess that was swept to the side. His jaw was strong and square with perfectly full lips. But his eyes…

Oh my god his eyes.

I couldn’t tear myself away from them. He’d always had the most hypnotic pair of eyes I’d ever seen. They were a dark blue that appeared lighter because of how dark his hair was. His perfect full lips tipped up a little bit before becoming a full blown smile. His teeth were super white and perfectly straight. The man was just… beautiful.