Second Chances by Dale Mayer Read Free Book Online

that his attitude was surly enough that they'd keep an eye on him." His voice held some concern. "I'll let our security team know that someone is behaving oddly and for them to keep an eye out."
    Â 
    Brian nodded, satisfied. "Exactly the right steps to take. See if you can try to relax, Karina. With Mark, the hotel staff and security now watching, you can let them take care of it." Brian motioned to the food. "Let's eat now, before I have to go."
    Â 
    Too busy eating to talk much, Karina's group tucked away the excellent food. The men went back for more, but the women opted for coffee as the second round.
    Â 
    Brian checked his watch. "Only ten minutes to go. I'm going to head up to my room for a minute. I'll see you all in a bit."
    Â 
    Susan turned to Mark. "So. You're a warm, wonderful guy. Why aren't you married?"
    Â 
    "There was someone once. We were very close," he admitted, a sad smile on his face. "But she died years ago. Since then, I haven't found anyone else who made me feel the same way." Both women gasped sympathetically.
    Â 
    "Don't feel bad. She's been gone a long time now. We were high school and college sweethearts. We'd planned to marry when college was over. But she died in a car accident during her last year." Mark was silent for a moment. "Since then I haven't found anyone else quite so special."
    Â 
    Karina squeezed his hand gently. "You will, Mark. You're an exceptional man."
    Â 
    Mark just laughed. "You're a fine one to talk. You've never been married."
    Â 
    Karina smiled wryly. "Touche. But never say never, right?"
    Â 
    Still smiling, the trio trooped back into the seminar just as Brian opened up the next lecture.
    Â 
    "We teach others how to treat us. Therefore, in the scope of a relationship, we could teach our partners how to treat us the way we wanted to be treated."
    Â 
    This was a new, fascinating concept for Karina. She could see in theory what he meant, but she needed him to go even more in-depth.
    Â 
    She was concentrating so hard on his words, jotting quick notes on in the margins of her handouts, that it took a moment to realize something had changed. And not in a good way.
    Â 
    "You don't have any right to tell these people how to change their lives," the angry voice exclaimed. "You're just going to mess them up. You poisoned my wife with all that bullshit. She sucked all this garbage in and believed it. Figured it would change her life for the better. Only she decided she didn't want me in her better life. Says I didn't treat her properly. What a load of rubbish. I treated her just fine. And now, she wants a separation. Well, she isn't getting it. I told her that and now I am telling you! You shouldn't have messed with her. You messed with her, which means you messed with me and I'm going to make you pay for that."
    Â 
    Oh God. She knew that voice. Then she recognized the face. Ian. The creepy guy from university who hadn't left her alone. The one she'd brushed off that same night she'd spent with Brian.
    Â 
    Ian's voice rose to an angry howl as he stormed to the front of the room. The edges of his trench coat flapped sharply with each step. With his hair standing on end and red-faced temper, he was an uncontrollable force that wouldn't quit. "You and your high-and-mighty, 'knows best' attitude. You don't know anything about us. We've been married for almost seven years. Now she says she's not happy. Rot! She just doesn't know what's good for her. And neither do you!"
    Â 
    Arms waving angrily in the air, punctuating his sentences, Ian wound more and more tightly into his rage. "I've been listening to you here today. You're not helping anybody! You're just going to hurt someone else!" He turned to face the horrified audience. "Don't listen to him! Everyone go home and get back to your families. He's a—"
    Â 
    Security burst through the closed doors even as Mark reached the man. Mark grabbed at Ian's wildly moving arms and tugged them backwards. They