I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 310

Arianna had just slipped her phone back into her bag when she looked up and spotted Samuel Thompson. For a moment, she just stared, caught off guard. Then she managed a polite smile. “Mr. Thompson, fancy meeting you here.”

Samuel turned at the sound of her voice, giving her a small nod. “Just finished work?”

“Yeah. You too?”

The air between them felt heavy, almost awkward. Arianna tried to think of something to say but came up empty.

Samuel offered a faint smile, his tone even. “I was about to head home.”

The conversation dwindled, leaving a stretch of silence that seemed to fill the whole parking garage. Arianna was just about to break it when Samuel beat her to it. “How’s everything at work? Going alright? Any trouble?”

Arianna smiled back. “It’s good. Nothing major going on.”

Quiet settled over them again. Arianna caught herself nervously twisting the edge of her shirt.

“Do you maybe want to…”

Suddenly, her phone started to ring, cutting Samuel off. She glanced at the screen. Bruce Ward. She gave Samuel an apologetic look and answered the call. Bruce’s voice came through clearly in the stillness of the underground garage. “Arianna, are you almost here? I’m waiting at the entrance.”

Arianna thought about telling him she wasn’t coming, but she knew Bruce would just push for a reason. Samuel was still standing by his car, and she had the sense he’d wanted to say something else.

She covered the phone’s mic and looked up. “Mr. Thompson, what were you about to say?”

Samuel’s eyes flicked to her phone. Whatever he’d been about to ask—maybe inviting her to dinner—he let it go. He shook his head, his voice turning distant. “It’s nothing. I have something to take care of. I’ll be off.”

He slid into his car, started the engine, and drove away. The parking garage felt even quieter after he’d gone.

Bruce stepped aside, letting Natalie in.

She looked at Alexander’s back, took a steadying breath, and walked over. “Mr. Ramirez, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Alexander paused for just a split second at the sound of her voice, then continued lining up his shot. He didn’t turn around. “I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

“Just a few minutes. I’ll leave as soon as I’m done,” Natalie said quickly.

He still didn’t look at her. With a smooth motion, he sent a ball rolling into the pocket. Then he straightened, finally turning toward her. His eyes were cool but there was a hint of a challenge there.

“Play a round with me,” Alexander said, almost teasing. “If you win, I’ll listen.”