I left the hotel in a cold sweat. I drove into Boulder, watching my rearview mirror carefully and sticking under the speed limit. I held the manila envelope on my lap.
Please, please, please be there tonight. Time was running out. I could feel it.
I drove right into one of Colorado's capricious summer storms. Perfect. The wind pushed at my car and the rain pelted against my windows so that I couldn't hear myself think. Fuck, at least it wasn't hail.
I parked on Pearl Street and tucked the envelope under my hoodie. Memories washed over me as I jogged to the alley where the DYNAMITE sign shone like a beacon. I laughed and paced the narrow backstreet.
God, I wanted to pat myself on the back. I had a good plan here. My brainstorming paid off. Chrissy was the key. Chrissy liked me. She would take my envelope to Hannah, I knew it.
The rain stopped and the night air cooled sharply. I hovered around the entrance to the club. I checked my watch. 11:00 p.m. Chrissy was probably inside.
A beefy looking bouncer emerged.
"No loitering pal."
"I'm waiting for a friend."
"Oh yeah, you got a friend in here? Get in or get lost."
I had planned to catch Chrissy going into work or leaving, but maybe the bouncer had a point. I could find her inside. Fuck though, I didn't want to see Hannah's sister topless.
"Okay," I mumbled, patting my pocket.
Shit. I left my wallet at the hotel. The bouncer glowered at me.
"Get lost ya bum," he said, advancing.
I darted up the alley and pressed myself against the brick wall out front. No way, I didn't need another round of assault charges, and I didn't need to be filing them either.
Hours passed as I waited out front. I jogged sporadically to keep warm. I shivered and sagged against the damp bricks.
Fucking Colorado with a cold night in August.
Around 3:00 a.m., a familiar voice jolted me from my stupor.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Chrissy called, her voice echoing down the alley. "Ha! Pretty sure I won, try harder girl."
I would have recognized her voice anywhere. It was Hannah's voice, just a touch huskier. Relief rushed through me. Fuck, I wanted to cry. This was it.
Chrissy stalked out of the alley. She made a beeline for a street lamp.
"Chrissy!" I shouted. I pulled out the manila envelope and hurried toward her. She turned. A huge grin split my face. "Hey, it's me! Matt!"
Chrissy was rummaging in her purse. I pushed back my hood. A plume of pepper spray erupted in my face.
"Fuck!" I cried, twisting away. I clutched my face. The envelope flew from my hands.
"Fuck you, you douchebag!"
I heard Chrissy's heels clacking away from me. I gasped for air. My skin was on fire. My nose and eyes and throat burned. When I opened my eyes, the world blurred around me.
"My envelope," I wheezed.
I got on my hands and knees and began to feel around on the sidewalk.
"In the puddle, bro," someone said. I looked toward the voice. I made out a lanky figure holding a phone. Was he filming this?
My hand splashed onto the sodden envelope.
CHAPTER 22
Hannah
_____
I STOPPED READING the news about Matt after the pepper spray video went viral.
It was pulled from YouTube the same weekend it appeared, but by then it was everywhere. One site posted it under the title M. PIERCE TRIES TO SUBMIT MANUSCRIPT TO STRIPPER. Even Fit to Print linked to the video.
I didn't talk to Chrissy about it. Really, there was nothing to say.
With July behind me, I knew I had to focus on making some sort of life without Matt. Until then, I half hoped and half feared he would force himself back into my life, but that was a dream. He could never make it right.
I scrolled through my pictures of Matt and wondered who the hell he was. A beautiful man. A stranger. A liar. A global bestseller. An author I had admired for years.
Had I ever really held him in my arms? Did I dream our time together? Like a ghost, he slipped away from me.
With a new phone number, I only got calls from my family.
My new inbox was empty except for emails from Pam.