The woman tensed and stared at him as if he’d pulled a gun on her. A guest checking in a few feet away looked over at him. A man who carried himself with the authority of a manager talked to another guest off to the side. He broke away from the conversation and came over.
“Is everything okay here? Can I help you?”
“I need her to check the system one more time. That’s all,” Ryan explained. Did he look as desperate as he felt? The hand he used to gesture toward the woman behind the desk shook slightly. He spoke slowly to curtail the panic from taking over his central nervous system. It was imperative that he maintain control before they dragged him out of there kicking and screaming like a lunatic. “She said Shawna Ferguson has checked out, but that can’t be right. Sh-she’s supposed to leave tomorrow, not today.”
The manager nodded at the woman behind the counter, and she proceeded to review the system again. Her fingers tapped the keyboard. “It says here she checked out at six o’clock this evening.” She looked up at him with pity in her eyes. “I’m sorry, sir. She’s gone.”
Chapter Eleven
Present day, Atlanta
“You never answered my question,” Shawna said. “How is Holly nowadays?”
“I haven’t seen her in a long time. We broke up.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sorry for Holly mostly because she’d seemed to love Ryan.
“Don’t be. It was for the best. She found the right man for her and got married. He’s a dentist and they have two kids.” The waitress came by to check on them, and when they told her they didn’t need anything, she moved on to another table in her station. “How about you? Are you seeing anyone seriously?”
“My sister wouldn’t have set us up if I had a boyfriend. Are you dating anyone seriously? Please answer honestly this time.”
A rueful smile twisted the corner of his lips. “No, I’m not because no one compares to you.”
“Stop it. Stop making everything about me.”
“Everything is about you.”
“I said stop it, Ryan, or I’ll leave.” She wouldn’t fall prey to his charms again. After what he’d done, she shouldn’t even be seated at a table with him.
Silence extended between them, and in want of something to do, Shawna sipped her water. Her gaze arced over the rest of the diners. Some engaged in animated conversations. Others—mainly the pairs of people eating together—appeared more intimate. She easily discerned which ones were lovers. It was obvious in the little acts of affection, such as the man stroking the woman’s hand on the table near them. Or the couple seated in the booth in the corner, sharing a dessert with the same fork.
By contrast, she and Ryan made it obvious they were not lovers. They sat across the table from each other and hadn’t touched since they’d been seated. If she could move farther away from him, she would.
So different from how they’d been together before the reality of Holly intruded. Memories flooded her mind—memories of flirtatious laughter, play-fighting, and making love beneath white sheets until every muscle felt drained of energy because she’d been thoroughly satisfied.
Dragging her thoughts from the past, Shawna drained her glass of water and signaled a passing waiter for a refill. She needed to cool down from the titillating thoughts. She also needed to do a better job of regulating which paths her mind chose to wander down so she could maintain the wall of animosity necessary to remain unaffected by Ryan.
“I wish you hadn’t left the hotel that evening,” he said.
Her gaze swung back to him. “You mean after I saw you and your girlfriend? There was no reason for me to stick around. I certainly wouldn’t allow you back into my bed, and I’m sure Holly wouldn’t have approved of us spending any time together.”
“Don’t be too sure.”