Chapter 3 #2
I got home and went straight to bed to try to rest a bit. The night before, with everything that had happened with Henry, I hadn't slept a wink, and if I was going to stay up late, I needed to try to sleep. Besides, my head hurt a little and I knew it was from lack of sleep.
I woke up at five in the afternoon and was amazed at how long I'd slept, but I was glad to notice that my headache had disappeared.
I made myself a coffee and drank it leisurely on the balcony.
At six, I went to the hotel's hair salon and asked them to fix my hair a bit.
They gave me some natural waves that gave me a casual look, and I took the opportunity to have them do my makeup.
The girls went crazy because they loved my eyes and highlighted them with a beautiful smoky effect, and they enhanced my lips with a natural color.
When I got back to the suite, I went straight to the closet to choose what to wear and, after much deliberation and trying things on, I decided on a black leather skirt and a tank top also in that color.
Even though I was going out at night and the place would surely be dark, I was convinced that black was always an option.
To contrast it, I paired it with black and silver strappy sandals.
I looked at myself in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.
It was almost eight when I checked the clock again.
At that moment, I remembered Henry's call, but I assumed that with what I had told him, he would have dismissed the invitation.
Once again, I assumed wrong.
At eight o'clock sharp, there was a knock at my door. I headed there convinced that this man always did whatever he pleased.
“Who is it?”
“Henry Woollardy.”
I rolled my eyes and opened the door determined to tell him what he deserved, but when I saw him, the words got stuck in my throat.
His cologne reached my nostrils and my body shuddered.
He was dressed casually in black jeans and a white shirt, and he was quite a sight to behold.
He observed me without blinking and didn't say anything that would help my intellect wake up.
When our eyes met, I felt that connection I always felt with him again; I don't know what it was, but it was palpable.
“Henry, what are you doing here? I told you I wasn't going out with you. I have other plans,” I said, feigning a calmness I didn't feel.
Before answering me, he looked me over again.
“You look beautiful.”
“That's not the answer to my question.”
“I came for you. I told you I don't take 'no' for an answer. May I come in?”
“No.”
“Don't be funny.”
“I'm not being funny at all, and I don't have time because I need to finish getting ready to leave.”
“It seems to me you don't need anything else, except my hand or my arm to take and go to dinner, unless you want to have dinner here, which is fine by me.”
“Henry, I don't want to keep arguing, really. I also don't want to go out with you.”
“I'm going to stay right here until you let me in, and I assure you I will. We need to talk.”
“Ok, come in,” I said, defeated, and moved aside to let him enter.
When I turned to look at him, he was standing in the middle of the living room, observing everything very carefully.
“I always thought this hotel was spectacular, what I didn't know was that you lived in it, my sister told me. I congratulate you because this place is also impressive. Do you like living here?” he asked, and looked into my eyes with that gaze that managed to make me tremble.
“I wouldn't change it. Have a seat,” I indicated, pointing to the long sofa.
“Do your brothers live here too?” he asked, as he sat down.
“No; they don't like the bustle of the hotel, each one has their own apartment.”
“So, you live alone,” he stated.
“I live alone, although saying that when you live in a hotel isn't very accurate.”
He smiled and I can assure you that the room lit up with his smile.
“Dalina, I was very wrong about you and I won't get tired of apologizing.”
“We agree that you've said many things out of line, but we've already discussed that, let's leave it at that.”
“Then why won't you accept my dinner invitation? Are you seeing someone?” he asked, paying close attention to my response.
For a few moments we just stared into each other's eyes. Me not knowing whether to answer his question and him with visible anxiety to know my response.
“Not at the moment,” I finally said. “Why do you want to invite me to dinner? If it's to apologize, I already told you it's forgotten,” I pointed out, because I was clear that he was a man who could have any woman and I imagined him dating women with more age and experience than me.
“Because I want to get to know you,” he stated with confidence.
“Let's speak clearly, what are you looking for?” I asked, without beating around the bush, wanting to know once and for all what this man intended.
“Do you want me to be direct?”
“I want you to be honest.”
“It's clear that there's a strong attraction between us,” he stated, and observed me, but I remained still without moving a muscle, neither denying nor confirming.
“I'm also aware that I'm quite a bit older than you, I'm thirteen years older and the most sensible thing would be for me to stay away from you, but that's the problem, I can't do it.
I assure you I've tried, but you have me thinking about you all day and thinking about how good we would be together. Since I met you, all I think about is having you,” he finished, and looked at me with something like apprehension, I assumed out of fear that his words might have offended me.
I looked at him not knowing what to say. Did this man really not stop thinking about me? The problem was that he probably couldn't imagine that I had no experience with sex and, most likely, when he found out, he would run away terrified because he would be looking for the exact opposite.
“You told me to be honest,” he clarified, seeing that I remained silent. “Can you say something?”
“I'm going to be honest and direct too.”
“Please,” he said, encouraging me to speak.
“What you want is to sleep with me,” I stated.
“Among other things, but what's wrong with that?”
“It depends on what you're proposing. I don't usually have partners just for sex,” I said with great conviction, omitting to say that I hadn't actually had sex at all.
“And I don't usually have girlfriends, but we can make an agreement.”
“Make an agreement?” I asked, astonished. “Would you have me sign an agreement?”
Henry smiled and, once again I was dazzled by his beauty. It was clear that he had me hypnotized and I desired him very much, but could I risk it?
“No; not at all. It's enough that we agree and have things clear between us.
I've always been a very independent man.
I love going about without having to account to anyone.
Having to explain what I do or don't do seems suffocating to me.
For that reason I haven't had girlfriends nor do I want them, but if you accept my proposition I'm willing to date only you.
I have a feeling we'll give each other so much pleasure that we won't need to be with other people.”
And with what he had said I wasn't “in agreement.” With the experience that man would have, I wouldn't be up to his level by any means.
He would have to initiate me, teach me, and I didn't think that was what he was looking for.
From what he had said, he wasn't even content with dating just one woman, so he would be even less content being with a girl with no experience.
While my head was racing, he watched me expectantly.
“I think I'll pass, champion,” I finally said, preferring to miss out on that experience rather than feeling rejected and humiliated.
“What? Why?” he asked, confused, it was clear that he was never rejected and I think he had taken it as an insult.
“I can't tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I already told you, I can't tell you.”
“Are you in love with someone? Are you gay?”
“No and no. Can't you just accept what I say? Don't you know how to take rejection?”
He observed me carefully. It seemed like his brain was racing at full speed thinking about something, and this time I wasn't wrong because his new proposal came immediately.
“Let's do something, let's see if we have a good time and then you can decide whatever you want.”
And that was the problem. Would we have a good time? I surely would because he had a lot of experience, but... what about him?
“Henry, I’m not going to change my answer.”
Without getting up from the couch, he moved closer to me and took my chin.
“Tell me your reasons, please. I’m dying to kiss you and you can’t imagine what I would give to…”
“I have no experience!” I shouted, jumping up from the couch and turning my back to him.
“What?! What does that mean?” he asked, immediately approaching and positioning himself in front of me.
I didn’t want to look at him, but he gently took my chin and lifted my face so he could look into my eyes.
“Dalina, are you a virgin?” he asked cautiously, and I could see his astonishment.
I nodded.
“How is it possible that you’re a virgin? Are all men idiots? You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life, not to mention being sexy as hell and having an extraordinarily sculpted body. I can’t believe that…”
As he spoke, he shook his head in disbelief while I blushed more and more. He still held my chin and looked at me as if I were the most precious thing in the world.
“May I ask if there’s a reason why you haven’t had sex?”
“It’s not because I don’t want to experience it or because I want to stay this way until marriage, but whenever I’ve had the opportunity, I’ve felt that I didn’t connect, that I wasn’t close enough to anyone to go further. I don’t know, I felt that I couldn’t. I don’t take sex lightly.”
“So you never found that person who makes you feel eager to take that step,” he stated.