Page 21 of The Best Thing He Never Wanted

“I didn’t have any plans.” It was the truth. And as much as he’d enjoyed the little bit of time he’d had with her, that was all it was.

“So, you’ll check in with them before and after tonight?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Blane hesitated. “And you’ll get me out of here tomorrow, right?” He didn’t like the silence on the other end. “Right?”

“I’ll get you out of there soon. How about that?”

Blane heaved a sigh. “For fuck’s sake, Cash. Don’t strand me here for too long.”

Cash chuckled. “You know I only ever do what I think’s best for you, bud. See ya.”

~ ~ ~

When Bea arrived back at the arena for the final night of music, most of the seats were already filled. The atmosphere had been fantastic every night she’d been here, but tonight felt different somehow. Special. The crowd buzzed with anticipation. Of course, the biggest acts were playing tonight.

She looked at the two empty seats as she approached and told herself she shouldn’t feel deflated. There was no reason for it, none whatsoever. She needed to pull herself together and enjoy this last night, the grand finale. She’d had a wonderful afternoon after all. She’d visited the museum she’d been looking forward to seeing, and Blane’s company had only made it more enjoyable.

The fact that he’d vanished the moment they got back to the hotel didn’t mean anything. He’d enjoyed himself; he’d liked the little gift. That was easy to tell. And it wasn’t as though he’d fled from her—he’d excused himself, being considerate, because she’d taken a phone call.

Her shoulders sagged a little. She should have let it ring. She could have called Meg back as soon as she got to her room. But what was done was done; it couldn’t be helped now.

At her seat, she peeked over at his dark corner. She shouldn’t be surprised he wasn’t there yet—it was early, and she had no idea what time he’d come. Or whether he would at all. Her heart sank a little.

She shrugged out of her jacket and draped it over the empty seat beside her one last time. Even if she didn’t see him again, she’d had a wonderful weekend. And Blane had brightened it considerably. Hopefully, he’d appear at some point tonight. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy herself. That was what she’d come for, after all.

The waitress from the little bar behind her appeared at her elbow, smiling. “Can I get you your usual glass of wine, Bea?”

“Please, Tina.” Bea opened her purse and took out another small bag she’d picked up that afternoon. “Here you go. This is for you.”

Tina stared at it before taking it from her. “Oh my goodness, Bea. That’s so kind of you. Thank you.”

“You mentioned the other night that you liked them, and I happened to see them this afternoon.”

Tina looked inside the bag, and her smile widened. “You’re such a sweetheart.”

“You’re most welcome. But you’d probably better get back there. I mustn’t hold you up.”

There were already a couple of people waiting at the bar.

Tina gave her arm a squeeze. “You’re right. I’ll check in with you again later.”

After she’d gone, Bea checked her phone. She’d been half expecting Meg to call her back. Their earlier conversation had been a little stilted. She’d been glad to hear from her friend, and they’d chatted for a few minutes, but the way Blane had just disappeared had thrown her. She’d told Meg a little about him, then ended the call before she had to go into too much detail.

As if Meg had read her mind, the phone vibrated in her hand and her friend’s name appeared on the screen. Bea looked around. The first act hadn’t come out yet. She could probably have a quick chat and at least apologize for being so short earlier.

“Hi, Meg.”

“Hey. I wanted to check in with you again.”

Bea let out a short laugh. “I know. I’m sorry about before.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You just have to tell me what’s really going on. Did you need to get off the phone because he was there? This man of yours?”

“No. Just the opposite, actually. We’d arrived back at the hotel, and as soon as my phone rang, he made himself scarce. Disappeared into the lifts, and I haven’t seen him since.”

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry. I scared him off.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course you didn’t. I’m sure I’ll see him again later.”