Tracy

The first sign something was amiss was when I pulled my luggage to a stop just outside the entrance of the country club and my brother wasn't waiting for me. I checked my watch to make sure I was on time and I was on time. That was strange.

A car pulled up and Mark got out the drivers side. It was some fancy car but I couldn't tell you what make or model it was but you could tell it was sleek and expensive. I sometimes wondered how lucrative his career choice was.

"I'll be taking you home," he said taking my luggage before I even realise what he was doing.

I shook my head and tried to reach for my bag to stop him but he already had to safely tucked into the trunk of his car.

"But Matthew was supposed to give me a ride back home," I said, refusing to get into his car as he held the passenger door open for me.

"He had to leave earlier than expected. I told him I would make sure you got home." He inclined his head to the empty passenger seat.

Was that true? I studied him trying to figure out if he was lying. He had been trying to corner me for most of the weekend and I had up to this point been able to side step him. It was too convenient that I would have to spend the next couple of hours cooped up in car with him. I began to suspect he had orchestrated this.

I hesitated, knowing being in his company for any amount of time would be dangerous but I had no choice. It was too far to get a taxi and I hadn't brought my car. My stubborn streak surfaced and I contemplated checking with my parents or Sophie if they were still here but I knew it would look weird if I refused to take a lift from Mark.

He watched me patiently as I battled internally.

I sighed when I gave in and got into the passenger seat. The door closed and I busied myself with putting my seatbelt on but my hands fumbled nervously. Get it together. I hated that the entire car smelled just like him so I tried to concentrate on anything but the man who seated himself in the seat beside me.

The car purred as he started it up and I held my bag on my lap unable to feel comfortable in his company. My heart was beating erratically and I chewed my lip while I looked straight ahead refusing to look in his direction.

"Your parents really enjoyed this weekend," he said, making an attempt at a conversation a few minutes after we started the long journey back to the city.

"They did." I kept my answer short without much encouragement. I didn't have much choice about taking the ride from him but I wasn't going to pulled into talking to him.

He had an ulterior motive and I wasn't going to play along with whatever he was trying to do. Out of the corner of my eye I could see glance in my direction but I continued to watch as his car ate up the miles to our destination.

"You're not very talkative today, are you?" He posed the next question and I frowned.

"I don't take well to being manipulated." I was too irritated to play nice and I wasn't going to pretend I was oblivious to what he was doing.

I snuck a look in his direction. His mouth tightened.

"That's not what I was doing," he stated.

I crossed my arms and turned to glare at him.

"Yes it is."

He sighed. "I'm just concerned."

I rolled my eyes, feeling more irritated. "Like I told you before, there is nothing to be concerned about."

When he looked at me again briefly it was difficult to stop how my stomach tumbled at the directness of his gaze.

"My gut tells me otherwise."

"Well I can't help it's wrong," I said, brushing off his concern.

"It's never wrong."

It was like I was arguing with a brick wall. I was wasting my time so I shifted in my seat making a point of putting my back to him so I could stare out of the window and watch the scenery pass by.

Why couldn't he just leave it alone? I would get back and get my keys from Jack. There would be no drama and things could go back to normal. No one in my family needed to find out anymore than I had already told them. If only Mark would stop digging but I knew if I didn't appease him in some way he would continue to dig until he discovered something.

Halfway through the journey, I decided to make an attempt to ease his concern. It was the only way to get him to stop.

"Haven't you ever been through a breakup?" I asked.

I didn't know if he dated or not but I had never seen him with a girl and it would only have raised questions if I had asked my brother about it. There would be only one reason I would want to know that type of information. It had left me with my own imagination about his private life and trust me it was so private I had no idea what he got up to between assignments.

I know he liked to work out but I had no idea if he had hobbies or anything like that.

"No."

I felt an unexpected relief at his answer. I always wondered why he was the way he was. I bet it had something to do with his upbringing.

"Then you have no idea what I'm going through." I twisted my hands. The agitated movement did not escape his attention. "Honestly there's nothing more to it."

"You were never that into him. It was never going to work out."

My mouth fell open as I stared at him. How did he know that? Had my brother mentioned his opinion on Jack?

"Did my brother say something to you about Jack?" I asked, trying to figure out how he had come to that conclusion.

"No. I have eyes."

I faltered, never expecting he had noticed but then again it was his part of his job to notice things most people didn't.

"Just because I wasn't head over heels for him doesn't mean I won't still miss having someone around." I sighed.

"Why would you waste time on someone it wouldn't work out with?"

I didn't know how to respond to his question. I couldn't reveal to him I had been trying to find someone I could feel the same way I did for him.

"I don't want to end up alone." My honesty surprised me and I didn't like how revealing I was with him.

"You won't." He didn't look in my direction.

"You're just saying that so I don't feel like some kind of failure." I stared down unable to stop myself from letting him in.

He remained silent while I continued to study my fingernails.

"You are not a failure, just a little scatter brained."

I glared at him. It reminded me of why it was so important to keep him and my family from discovering more about my breakup with Jack.

"Thanks," I responded sarcastically.

"It's the truth." He shrugged, like it was more fact than opinion.

I sometimes wondered if that was what attracted me to him, he was the complete opposite to me. He was well organised where I was always misplacing things and forgetful. I bet he never lost anything. I had often wondered what his place would look like. Looking around his car I bet his apartment wasn't cluttered, where everything had a place.

There were times I wished I was the same but there always seemed to be more important things to do than tidy up. Maybe I just had to accept my shortcomings and make peace with who I was instead of trying to change.

Even with that new outlook I still wasn't going to tell anyone anything further about Jack. Besides I later today I would get the keys and I would never have to see Jack again.

The next time I met someone I was definitely going to take things slower, I had learnt my lesson and would ensure I didn't make the same mistake again.It was difficult to think about the possibility of meeting someone when the guy I wanted sat beside me oblivious to how I felt about him.