Mr. Big(47)

“Logan,” she said with a small smile, “would you please excuse me? I’m going to the ladies room.”

He nodded and stood up, helping her with her chair as she left, and then he sat back down and she hurried away from the table, trying to still the storm that was becoming a raging tempest inside of her.

She pushed the door open to the ladies room and rushed inside, bending over and trying to catch her breath as emotion cascaded through her like a massive tidal wave. She wasn’t able to push any of it away. She had actually begun to believe that she was going to be able to get over him, particularly by being with Logan, but as the night had worn on, she realized with increasing dismay and worry that she was not going to be able to do any such thing, and that trying to use Logan to get over Alexander was unfair of her. Logan genuinely liked her, and she knew it, and she didn’t feel the same about him and she knew she never would.

Mia admitted to herself that she was going to have to stop her plan to date Logan. It wasn’t going to go anywhere and he deserved to be with a woman who wanted him for himself, rather than as an escape mechanism. She took one of the face cloths from the basket by the sink, ran it under cool water and then pressed it to her face for a moment, trying to calm herself.

Alexander had moved on. She needed to do the same, but by letting him go, rather than trying to replace him. He was obviously not interested in knowing what had happened, or in knowing what had changed between them. It was something he just didn’t care about and she told herself that she was just going to have to accept that and move on, leaving that conversation behind her. It just wasn’t important to him and he was never going to let her have the moments she so desperately wanted with him to explain everything. He was never going to listen, and it didn’t matter to him. He knew what he knew, and he was not interested whatsoever in anything else. It was hard for her to accept, because it meant so much to her to try to explain it all, but it was never going to happen with him.

She shed a few hot tears, releasing some of the stress in her, and then she wiped them off of her face with the cloth and touched up her hair and makeup. Taking a deep breath she told herself to finish her date with Logan and then tell him that it was best if they only had a business relationship. Then she would never go to Hastings again, because she knew she couldn’t bear to see Alexander with anyone else. It had been a mistake to even go there to begin with, and she was paying dearly for it.

Mia took a deep breath and walked out of the restroom and straight into Alexander’s chest and arms. He reached around her as she walked into him, only to stop her and steady her. She gasped and stared up at him with wide eyes. The feel of his strong arms around her made her heart race so fast she wasn’t sure she could stand it.

He frowned and moved his hands to her shoulders, pushing her back a little from his body. “I was just about to go in after you! You’ve been in there forever!” he scowled at her.

She blinked in consternation and shook her head. “What are you doing waiting out here for me?” she asked in confusion.

He narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing here in this restaurant?” he asked in an accusatory tone.

Mia furrowed her brows. “I happen to be on a date! I didn’t know you were going to be here!”

“You know this is my favorite restaurant!” he snapped back at her. “And who is this guy Logan, anyway? Are you sleeping with him for measurement purposes as well?” he shot at her with a nasty tone.

It hit her hard. She bit her lip and looked down and Alexander’s angry face softened and looked away from her for a moment.

“I’m just having dinner with him, that’s all, and I didn’t know you were going to be here,” she said quietly, looking up at him with anger and sadness in her. “Look, I know I made a mistake with you, but you don’t have to throw it back in my face like that. I told you I was sorry and I wanted to explain what happened, but you just aren’t going to let me, so let it go, okay?” she said shortly.

His eyes were locked on her, and his hands closed tighter around her shoulders as he looked at her. “Why did you come here with him? You could have gone anywhere in the city!” he said angrily.

She lifted her chin and looked up at him defiantly. “It just kind of happened! Besides, what do you care where we are or what we are doing? You’re here on your own date! You don’t see me asking you all about Emily!”

Alexander’s frustration was crystal clear. “What I’m doing here with Emily is my business!”

Mia kept her chin pointed out at him. “Well, what I’m doing here with Logan is my business and it doesn’t concern you at all!” she threw back at him.