Oh my God, she sounded like some financial planning guru on a late-night show.
But whatever it took to keep Phil from doing something incredibly stupid, Lynn had to take the chance. Somewhere at their destination she would find a phone and get ahold of Parker. There had to be a way out of this.
She just didn’t know how.
Chapter Fifteen
“Where is she?”
Parker’s head jerked up as Suz burst into the office without warning. He set his beer bottle on the desktop and shot from his chair as Lynn’s best friend advanced on him like a lioness.
“What are you talking about?” he said gruffly.
“Lynn.” Suz crossed her arms. “I went to pick her up for our dinner date and she wasn’t at her apartment, so I went to the restaurant and she wasn’t there either. I was just leaving when she sent me a text about going away for the weekend, but it sounds like pure and total bullshit.”
Parker frowned.
Suz’s desperation grew clearer. “I even stopped by your place after the restaurant—I thought she might have stood me up in order to screw around with her man. But you weren’t home.”
A thread of worry wound around his chest. “I’ve been here all evening. I didn’t feel like…”
Like going home and moping, he didn’t finish. But it was true—the thought of being alone in his apartment without Lynn had been pure torture. He supposed he could have gone to the banquet hall where Didi and the boys were overseeing an engagement party the company had planned, but he hadn’t wanted to bum out the guests. He’d been wandering around like a dead man ever since Lynn had left his office earlier. It had taken all his willpower not to call or text her, but he’d promised to give her space, and he was forcing himself to respect that.
Now, with Lynn’s best friend alternating between glaring and biting her lip in concern, he found himself reaching for his phone.
“If you’re calling her, I already tried,” Suz told him. “She didn’t answer.”
Parker went ahead and dialed anyway, but Lynn’s phone kicked over to voice mail after the first ring, doing it again when he called two more times. He shot over a quick text asking where she was, then glanced at Suz.
Her golden blonde hair was arranged in a messy twist held in place by two ornamental chopsticks, and her wraparound sweater dress molded to her curves like a second skin. “You were supposed to have dinner with her tonight?”
Suz nodded. Her teeth sank into her lower lip again. “This isn’t like her, Parker.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Suddenly those eyes sharpened again, her tone of voice becoming hard. “What the hell did you do?”
He swallowed. “She didn’t tell you?”
“She didn’t sound too happy with you when we spoke at work, but she didn’t dish out any details. We were going to talk about it tonight.” Her jaw tensed. “How about you fill me in now?”
Parker hesitated, gulping again as a lump of shame filled his throat. After a beat, he opened his mouth and told Suz everything. When he finished, her expression had gone from vaguely angry to downright livid.
“Fucking hell! How could you be so stupid?” Hands balled into fists, Suz took a menacing step forward. “I should kick your ass, Parker!”
He stifled a sigh. “And I deserve it, but can we save the ass-kicking until after we find Lynn?”
His worry was growing swiftly, forming a tight knot in his gut. Lynn was the most responsible person he’d ever met. No way would she cancel a dinner appointment without giving a good reason. And to not answer her phone or text back? She might avoid him, but she wouldn’t shut out her best friend.
“Can I see the text she sent you?” he asked.
Without a word, Suz reached into her purse and grabbed her phone.
He studied the screen, the knot in his stomach turning into a massive ball of alarm.
I need some space so I am going on a weekend retreat. Do not contact me—I really want some time to myself. I will see you on Monday.
Parker’s brows dipped in bewilderment. Lynn wasn’t one to fill her texts with LOLs or short-forms, but she at least used contractions.
I am. Do not. I will.
The whole message sounded forced, as if a robot had written it.
Panic crawled up his spine. “She didn’t send this. Or if she did, someone was telling her what to say.”
Suz’s breath hitched. “You’re right.”
It was hard to stay focused when his heart was pounding up a storm, but he forced his brain into operative mode. “Was her car at her apartment?”