Mind the Gap

Chapter 6

Overflowing with righteous indignation, I quickly walk out the door of the restaurant and lose myself in the crowds on New Bond Street. This is probably one of the only times I will thank God for the London crowds because I know it will make it impossible for Marcus to find me and follow me.

I let my anger carry me up New Bond Street to Oxford Street. Once on Oxford Street I slowed down and browsed the shop windows. Eventually, I gave into my hunger, which I’d been trying to hang onto because hunger equated to being pissed at Marcus. Cafe Nero and a scone won.

Finding a table outside, I sit down, and people watch for a bit while I have my coffee and scone. I let the sounds of Oxford Street numb me to any thoughts of the asshole dark lord who likes to hire private investigators to look into people’s backgrounds.

“Amelia?”

Staring at me with a scary military air is one of the guys that had been with Marcus the day of the soccer ball incident. He was the American everyone was making fun of. And if he’s here, then someone else couldn’t be too far behind.

He didn’t wait for me to speak or even put my coffee down before he helped himself to the other chair at my table. “I know you don’t know me. And I know you’re pissed at Marcus for being a dipshit and doing something behind your back.”

I put my hand up and stopped him. I really didn’t feel like listening to all the reasons why Marcus isn’t the asshole that I think he is. “Listen, uh…”

“Chris,” he says leaning forward putting his hand out to me. “Chris Stevens”

“Nice to meet you, Chris. But I’m not really in the right frame of mind to listen to you extol the reasons why Marcus isn’t an asshole to me.”

“Hey,” he says putting his hands up in front of him, “I get it. In your position, I’d probably be pretty pissed to find out some guy is running background checks on me. “

I snort as I take another sip of my coffee.

“He comes off like an asshole, but he really is trying to do the right thing.”

“Be that as it may, he’s not really good about not being an asshole. And I don’t do assholes, no matter how good he looks in that freaking suit.”

Chris sits back in his seat and laughs. Loudly. “Oh God,” he says wiping under his eye. “Finally, a woman that doesn’t fall at his feet.”

“What?”

“Let’s just say I’m going to enjoy this chase,” Chris says as he stands up, pulls his cell phone out of his pocket, and smiles. “I’m going to enjoy this a f*****g lot.”

Shaking my head, I gather up my things and wonder how my life has taken this weird turn.