Castled Prologue: Duke Society Series by Gina Robinson

Author:Gina Robinson [Robinson, Gina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Three Jays Press LLC

Chapter 5

Twenty-six

I slumped in the dark corner booth of the local brewpub, drinking away my sorrows, waiting for Gray. We both worked in downtown Seattle now. She at her dream job, working for a hard cider brewery, learning to be a brew master and manage the business side, too. Me at one of Seattle's many tech startups. We met for drinks after work every couple of weeks to catch up and let off steam. Usually at this place. Sometimes we got more adventurous. Tonight wasn't one of those nights.

Gray appeared at the doorway and scanned the crowd, looking for me. I wasn't usually this inconspicuous.

I waved and caught her attention.

I watched the guys watching her as she made her way to my booth and slid in across from me. She was still gorgeous—slender and put together in a sleek wool coat, tightfitting professional dress, and pumps. Her blonde hair fell down her back in soft curls. Sometimes when I first caught a glimpse of her, I had flashes of two-year-old Gray and the way two-year-old me felt about her. They were more pronounced when I was drunk. I was probably imagining them anyway. They had to be false memories. Probably implanted by Mom years ago.

Gray's features were sharper than they'd been in college. She wore more makeup and played up the planes of her face. She was thinner and more determined. It only made her more beautiful. I still ached for her.

"Crap, Noah. You really did it." She frowned. Worry lines creased her forehead. She shoved a glass of water toward me.

"I had to, Gray," I said morosely.

"You're the one who broke up with her." She reached across the table and grabbed my hands. "You're almost always the one who does the breaking up. Should you be this upset? You did the right thing."

"Hurting someone else feels shitty, Gray. You know that, you heartbreaker."

She smiled softly. "Oh, Noah. You were always a sensitive guy."

I snorted and pulled my hands away. Sensitive. What an insult. "What could I do? She was getting too serious. Too clingy. I'm not a dick. I couldn't string her along any more. It wasn't going to end well."

Gray slid her coat off her shoulders, folded it, and set it on the seat next to her. "I don't know what your problem is, Noah. Look at you. You're one of the few straight guys who knows how to dress. You look like you have your shit together. Women love you. You attract them like flies. You're always dating someone. Why don't any of them ever measure up to your expectations?"

I don't know, Grace. Maybe because they're not you? At some point I realize that and end things.

When I didn't reply, she sighed. "Have you ever thought that maybe you're not dating the right type of woman?"

"I'm dating the right type of woman." I was defensive. "I just haven't found the right one of the right type yet. Unlike you, who always happens to find Prince Charming."

Her face lit up, breaking my already shattered heart.

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