Searching For Jenna novel Chapter 32

It was the end of the second week in August and hot as Hades every day. The business had continued to be busy at the restaurant because people were going to the lake every day of the week just to get a little reprieve from the heat.

Cara, Megan, and Sarah were going to be leaving in a few days to go back to school, so Sandy was going to start hiring and training new people next week. Elliot was not looking forward to working with new people. More importantly, he was not ready for Cara to leave. Every day they grew a little closer. He could feel her attraction growing, and her determination to not be interested in a man was falling away. Elliot wanted so much to move past this deceit and tell Cara who he was, but it was not the right time.

The FBI was close to capturing several people in the Cobra Cartel. Elliot had seen some of the guys his father used to hunt with in the restaurant and around Morehead recently. He was sure it was a sign that the Cobra meeting was getting close to happening. He just had to keep his cool and help the FBI catch these guys.

The fact that he'd seen these guys also made him super aware that his father could be on his way to town. Elliot was constantly watching for signs of Michael Matthews. Every truck that looked like his father's, Elliot would study the driver to see if it was Matthews. Every man he saw that looked even remotely like his father, he would watch until he was certain it was not him. All of this was taking its toll, which was another reason Elliot needed a night away.

When Elliot arrived in Lexington, he secured a hotel room for the night not far from the bar. He planned on partying late and then crashing until tomorrow.

Elliot drove to the venue. He could hear the band playing as soon as he pulled into the parking lot. He parked in one of the few spaces left in the back of the lot and went into the bar. A Brooks and Dunn song was playing and several people were dancing. Elliot bought a beer and moved to a spot where he could watch the band.

A few women turned his way and gave him a curious glance. He smiled and walked on. One of the things Elliot had learned from Dana and Mark was to find all the exits and the best vantage point to watch your back. As long as there were people looking for his alter ego, Jenna, he would always be in danger. The possibility of his father figuring out that he was living as a man was pretty slim, but even the slimmest of chances was still a potential reality.

The band went through a few Keith Urban songs and Hank Williams Jr. There were a lot of people dancing, and Elliot was itching to get out there. He loved to dance, but was always a little scared of letting his guard down. When the band started playing "Play Something Country" by Brooks and Dunn, Elliot found himself caught up with a group line dancing.

The band played a few more good line dancing songs before switching to something slow. Elliot had no more than got back to his beer when one of the girls who'd been checking him out when he came in took him by the hand and pulled him out on the dance floor.

In the time Elliot had spent living as a man, he'd only let himself think about holding a woman a few times but had never acted on it. This hot woman with long dark hair and dark blue eyes was pressing herself against him, making him wish he were just a regular guy who could take this woman back to his hotel for a night of wild sex. That just wasn't an option he felt he could take a chance on, but he let himself enjoy holding her through the slow dance.

"You are super cute," the young woman said close to his ear.

"Thank you," Elliot replied with a blush.

"I'm Beth. Do you come here often?" she asked.

Elliot handed his beer to Steven. "Hold that for me would ya," he said and let the girl pull him out onto the dance floor.

Following into line with the girls, Elliot started dancing in between Beth and one of her friends. They kept him out on the floor for two more songs before he insisted he needed to get his beer before his friend drank it. Elliot was surprised to see Steven standing by the bar still holding his beer. "Thanks, man," Elliot said grabbing the beer and taking a long pull on it.

"I'm quite impressed," Steven said. "Looks like you got you a little hottie interested in you."

Elliot raised his beer to Beth, who smiled and waved at him.

"You might just get you some tonight," Steven observed and took a drink of his beer.

"Hey, dude," Chase said coming up and clapping Steven on the shoulder. He stopped short when he saw Elliot. "What's up?" Chase asked Elliot offering him a fist bump.