Entangled Ménage (Ménage Series, Book 2 of 6)

Chapter 11: Now is the Time - Cal

Cal

Great, this dorm is huge. How the hell am I going to find her in there?

Reaching the door, carrying the dozen long-stemmed red roses that I bought on the way to the campus, and it's locked. The building is inaccessible unless you have a key.

Shit, of course. The doors are locked. Well, I guess I'll have to wait for someone to come home and keep asking people until someone knows her or lets me inside.

After an hour, I get nervous that I will not find Amelia. Only 2 people have walked by, but neither one of them lived here or knew her.

Shit, this will never work and I'm out of options.

When I see a guy walking out the door, I ask, "Hey bud, do you live here?"

He looks me up and down, then says in an annoyed tone, "Yeah, why?"

"I was wondering if you knew Amelia Murray?" I ask, and he looks at me for a minute through his sunglasses.

"Yeah, I know her. What do you want with Amy?" He questions.

He knows her, that's great, except now the guy has a scowl on his face.

Quickly I reply, "Well, I'm a friend of hers. I wanted to congratulate her and say hello."

"A friend... Well, I'm her fiancée, I don't know you, so how do you know my soon-to-be wife?" He asks angrily.

I'm stunned by his statement, and my stomach flips.

Christ, she's engaged. I never... I didn't think she would... Son of a bitch.

Taking a second to regroup, my mind races. Breathe... She is engaged to him? He is not her type. Long hair smells like a cigarette, baggy pants, and it looks like the guy hasn't shaved in a month, let alone bathed. What the hell? Shit!

I reply, "Hey bud, congrats. She is an amazing girl and you are one lucky guy. These are for her, and I just wanted to say hello and to wish her well."

This is so painful, but I add, "Also, if you don't mind, could you tell her Calvin Roth, from the Roth Corporation, stopped by and that we are recruiting right now. Here's my card and please tell her congratulations to me." I say, knowing he will never tell her a single word I am saying.

My God, I never thought she would be engaged. Possibly dating someone, but not getting married.

"Yup, sure. I'll tell her you stopped by." He says unconvincingly while lighting a cigarette.

As I turn to walk back to the car, I'm kicking myself the entire way.

What a stupid son of a bitch I am to think she would pine away for me. Why wouldn't someone want to marry her, I do?

Walking down the sidewalk, looking at my shadow, and I'm at a loss for what to do now. It's like my world just fell apart and I'm not sure which end is up.

Reaching the car, I'm so upset and angry that I'm ready to punch the damn thing, but I don't. Unlocking the door, I climb in and try to focus on where to go.

Should I head back home or go to the Nittany Lion? Then again, I do not feel like explaining my love life to a hotel manager. Son of a bitch, I guess I'll head home and call the hotel on the way to cancel everything. What a fucking mess. I'm an idiot and she must not have loved me after all.