RankNovelChapter 0228
Noah
Tossing and turning on the lumpy office couch, Noah checked his phone for what felt like the hundredth tthat
night. The screen remained stubbornly blank, no new messages from Hannah.
He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration mounting.
“Damn it, Hannah,” he muttered under his breath. “One simple thing. That's all | asked.”
He had been clear about the conditions of her trip. If she didn’t want to bring a bodyguard, fine-well, not fine, but
he couldn't really argue with her-but she was supposed to text him each night to let him know she was safe. It
wasn’t such an unreasonable thing for a husband to request of his wife, was it?
Rising from the sofa, Noah paced the length of his office, unable to shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. He knew
Hannah could take care of herself, but still... couldn't she see that he just wanted to make sure she was okay?
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAfter another hour of restless pacing and compulsive phone-checking only to find that Hannah wasn’t texting
him, Noah gave up on the idea of sleep. He grabbed his keys and headed out, figuring that a drink might help
calm his nerves.
The bar was relatively quiet despite being a Friday night, not that Noah was complaining; he needed the
solitude. Sighing, he slid onto a stool and ordered a whiskey, neat-his usual drink when he just needed
something to calm his frayed nerves.
As he nursed his drink, his mind wandered back to Hannah. Things had been so strained between them lately.
But then again, when had things not been strained between them? He couldn’t help but wonder if she was
avoiding texting him on purpose, out of spite. That would be just like her.
Noah was so lost in thought that he barely registered the tap on his shoulder until he heard someone clearing
their throat behind him. He turned, surprised to see Zoe standing there in a stunning sparkling red dress.
“Noah?” Zoe said, her eyes wide with surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you here at this late hour.”
Noah blinked, taking in her appearance. The sparkling red dress she wore hung all the way to the floor, hugging
her curves at every point. Her blonde hair was perfectly curled, her eyes smoky and her lips red to match her
dress.
“Zoe,” Noah said, turning. “You look... good.”
Zoe smiled coyly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks. I, uh, actually work here now. I'm the
lounge singer.”
“Really?” Noah said, genuinely impressed. “That's great. You always had an amazing voice.”
“You're too sweet,” Zoe said with a chuckle, touching his arm lightly as she did so. “I'm actually on break right
now. Mind if | join you? Or are you with someone?”
Noah hesitated for a moment, then nodded toward the empty seat next to him. “Please, sit. I'm not with
anyone.”
As Zoe settled onto the stool next to him, Noah couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked tonight.
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He hated that he noticed, but it was impossible not to; the dress clung to her waist perfectly, and her eyes
almost seemed to sparkle in the low light of the bar. He figured that it was all intentional: late-night lounge
singers were always dressed to shine, to catch the eyes of lonely men drinking at the bar and get them to spend
more money on expensive alcohol.
“So,” Zoe said, leaning in slightly as she waited for her glass of red wine. “What brings you out tonight? Trouble
sleeping?”
Noah sighed and shrugged as he ran a finger around the rim of his glass. “Something like that. Hannah's out of
town, and she didn’t want to bring a bodyguard. She promised she would textbefore bed so | know she’s
safe, but...”
As Noah spoke, Zoe's hand found its way to his arm again. “I'm sorry to hear that,” she said in a low voice. “Do
you want to talk about it?”
Noah recoiled slightly at her touch. But there was no denying the fact that for a moment, just a moment, he
was... tempted. It would be so easy to open up to Zoe, to let out all his frustrations and doubts. (1)
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