lookalike

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, floating through the florescent streets of Las Vegas. The lights blurred into streaks in my peripherals, and I glanced at the rearview mirror and checked my appearance for the tenth time since I'd left my house. My eyes were a little red, betraying how tired I really was, but that couldn't be helped.

It was already 9PM when he had called, the end of a really long day. I was beyond ready to slip into bed until Spencer's contact flashed on my phone like it had so many times before. It was like a shot of adrenaline. I heard my friends' voices in my head, teasing me for being so dickwhipped over a guy, especially one almost twice my age. He's old enough to be your dad! Maddie had said, but they didn't understand he wasn't just some guy. He was kind, sweet, and funny. He was a genius with three PhDs who could still listen to you like you were the most interesting person in the room.

I stopped my train of thoughts in its tracks. Wow. No way I was turning into this over a guy. My face screwed up into something between disgust and disbelief. Especially one that I wasn't even dating. That was enough to shame me into at least letting the call ring before I answered. I sat at my bed holding my breath, watching the call run it's course. One, two, three cycles of the twinkling ringtone and then silence. He called again not a second later, like I knew he would.

"Hello?" I said, already smiling. In the background of the call I could hear busy streets and the chatter of the city. I pictured him standing on the Strip in the grey suit and purple button-up I loved so much, face illuminated by the neon Vegas lights.

"Hey, little girl." The nickname gave me butterflies. His words were slightly slurred, missing the exact, matter-of-fact way he talked. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." I glanced at my closet from my bed and mentally picked out an outfit to wear to meet him. "What do you have in mind?" I said, as if I didn't already know.

"I, uh. I'm at the Vesper right now, and—" he hiccuped. "I don't think I should drive." Oh. I guess I didn't know. My smile faltered and I couldn't help but be disappointed. "It's okay if you're busy." He added quickly, sensing the change in my mood. I hate profilers.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I came around. Sure, it wasn't the evening rendezvous I was hoping for, but out of everyone he could have called, he chose me. He'd never called me for anything other than sex before; I hadn't even known he was in town until now. He spent most of his time on the other side of the country for work, and even though he called me every time he was in the city, I didn't know how long it would be until the next time he was here, so I agreed.