Distraction (Club Destiny #8)(56)

“Good. Now go find your damn ball and let’s get this show on the road.”

That’s exactly why Dylan liked Chris. The man didn’t harp on the emotional bullshit, but he made it clear that he was there for Dylan if he needed him.

Funny thing … if things went well, Dylan knew he’d be needing him in the near future.



“YOU LOOK BETTER THAN THE last time I saw you,” Elaine said as Sarah took a seat on the couch after they’d shared the normal pleasantries.

Sarah smiled. “I feel better, too.”

“Did something happen?” Elaine picked up her notebook and set it on her lap.

The instant Sarah got back from her weekend with Dylan, she had called Elaine and left a message, asking if she could get in to talk to her. She had specifically told her it wasn’t an emergency, so Elaine had penciled her in for today. Of course, that had left Sarah with plenty of time to go over the events of the past weekend and all that had happened.

“I guess you could say that,” Sarah informed her, leaning back and getting comfortable.

Elaine smiled. “Do tell.”

Sarah went on to tell her therapist about Bill and their awkward date. She told her how it started at a hotel and ended up at a fetish club.

“A fetish club?” Elaine asked, clearly wanting to make sure she heard right.

“Yes. You know, sex club.”

Elaine’s expression didn’t change.

“Well, needless to say, I didn’t take the surprise all that well. We got into an argument and suddenly I find myself looking up at Dylan.”

Elaine’s thin eyebrows lowered. “He was there? At the fetish club?”

Thankfully, there was no judgment in Elaine’s tone.

“Yes.”

“And I assume this was a surprise to you as well?”

“It was. Turns out, one of his friends owns the club. We ended up staying for a little while, but then he took me back to the hotel.”

“The hotel you were staying at with Bill?”

Sarah nodded. “I insisted on having my own room. I also paid for it myself. I felt guilty because I don’t like Bill that way. I never have.”

“And what happened after Dylan dropped you off at the hotel?”

Sarah felt her cheeks heat. “He didn’t drop me off. I…” Sarah forced her eyes to Elaine’s. “I asked him to stay.”

Elaine nodded. “Did you get a chance to talk to him?”

Taking a deep breath, Sarah launched into the story of how they’d gone to get coffee and then the awkward confrontation.

“It sounds to me like Dylan cares for you, Sarah.”

“Because he doesn’t want me to be with Bill?”

Elaine set her pen down. “Because he clearly wanted to know that you were no longer in a relationship with Bill.”

Sarah hadn’t considered that. She hadn’t really considered anything. Although their conversation had replayed in her mind a million times, she never could understand what had prompted his anger in the first place.

“And how did you feel when you got back home?”

This was the hard part. “Good.”

Elaine quirked an eyebrow, clearly wanting Sarah to explain.

“I enjoyed my time with Dylan. It seems as though he’s interested in seeing me again. He called me last night. We talked for a little while.”

Elaine smiled. “No feelings of guilt? Or self-doubt?”

Sarah shook her head. “No. Not yet.”

Elaine leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Sarah, it’s perfectly okay for you to enjoy spending time with Dylan.”

“I know that.”

“So you plan to spend time with him?”

“Yes. I do.”

“And why did you need to talk to me about it?” Again, there was no judgment from Elaine, just genuine curiosity.

“I don’t know.”

“Were you seeking my permission?”

“No.”

“Good.” Elaine sat up straight. “Because you don’t need it. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Sarah. You’re inclined to make good decisions, but sometimes you think too much. I’d like to see you take this one day at a time, but give it a chance.”

Sarah nodded. “That’s my plan.”

As long as she could convince her heart to do the same thing, Sarah knew she’d be fine.





chapter FIFTEEN

Wednesday, January 18

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, DYLAN FOUND himself sitting in a restaurant waiting for Trent Ramsey to show up for their impromptu meeting. He’d finally forced himself to call the man back, ready to talk about opportunities for a new club. As he’d promised, Luke had already informed Trent of Dylan’s interest, so the call had been expected.

Dylan had chatted with Trent very briefly, but he’d confirmed his desire to talk in depth about the opportunity. He had anticipated them getting together at some point, but what hadn’t been expected was how quickly Trent wanted to make this all happen. Surprisingly, the man had suggested a quick meeting to go over the details. From the impression Dylan got, this was a done deal despite the fact that Dylan was pretty much out of the loop.

“Sorry I kept you waiting, Dylan.”