Chapter 19
LARK
The morning light creeps across my bedroom ceiling in slow golden strips, and I can’t stop smiling.
My comforter is pulled up to my chin even though it’s definitely not cold.
More like I’m trying to hold onto the warmth of last night, the feeling of Jack’s arms around me, his weight pressing me into the mattress.
The ceiling fan above me clicks with every rotation, a rhythmic sound that normally lulls me to sleep but right now just reminds me that I’m alone in this bed when I’d much rather be tangled up with him.
We got back to Dark River late last night, but Jack had to turn around and go back to Seattle this morning.
He has an early meeting with Robert about contract stuff, then a full day of sponsor obligations and media appearances before he can finally drive back tonight.
Which means I’m here, in my apartment, alone, and already missing him bad.
I turn over and bury my face in my pillow, groaning. One night together and now I’m completely ruined for anyone else. Completely gone for Jack Midnight in a way that should probably terrify me but instead just makes me grin into my pillow like a maniac.
The physical part was mind-blowing. Like, I-didn’t-know-my-body-could-do-that levels of incredible. Six orgasms. Six. But it was everything else too. The way it felt to be with him. Safe and free, like I could just be myself without constantly editing.
And now we’re actually together. My phone buzzes on my nightstand and I grab it immediately.
Maren: Incoming with caffeine. You up?
I grin, typing back quickly.
Me: Yes I’m up and oh my god you are not going to believe the updates I have for you
Maren: !!!!!!
Maren: Screaming. I am racing there right now
Me: Good because the tea is piping hot
Maren: Be there in 5 minutes!
I laugh, tossing my phone aside and snuggling back into the pillows. Five minutes later I hear my front door open and close, then Maren’s quick footsteps practically running down the hallway.
“Lark!” she calls out, breathless.
“In here!” I call back, already grinning.
She bursts through my bedroom door holding two to-go cups from Bean There, one of our favorite coffee shops, wearing black leggings and an oversized cream sweater, her blonde hair in a ponytail. She has this huge grin on her face, cheeks flushed.
I laugh. “Did you actually run here?”
“Of course! You teased gossip like dangling a carrot and I am starving for details,” she says, slightly out of breath.
“And for some reason everyone is home today and parked in your apartment complex so I had a hell of a time finding a spot.” She climbs onto the bed immediately, settling cross-legged facing me.
“Okay, you’re grinning like a lunatic. Start talking right now. ”
I accept the latte she hands me, wrapping both hands around the warm cup. The vanilla smell hits me and I take a sip. “So, Miami was incredible.”
“Yes, yes, I figured that much by the cryptic texting.” She waves her hand impatiently, leaning forward. “But come on now, don’t hold back! Details. All of them. What happened?”
I take another sip of coffee, my face already heating up. “Jack and I slept together.”
Maren squeals so loud I’m pretty sure my upstairs neighbor heard, her hand flying to her mouth. “I knew it! After that hallway kiss, I knew there was no way you two weren’t going to end up together. The tension was going to combust!”
“You were right,” I admit, laughing. “We couldn’t even wait for the heart-shaped bed. I mean, we did eventually use the heart-shaped bed, but first we had sex in a storage closet at this club.”
“Wait, WHAT?” Maren’s eyes go huge. “Back up. Storage closet? Lark, who are you?”
“I know!” I’m laughing now, half embarrassed and half still kind of amazed I did it.
“I don’t know what came over me. We were at La Casa de la Música, this club in Little Havana, which was incredible by the way, but more on that later, and so we were dancing.
But not just like casual dancing. It was intense. ”
Maren is grinning, completely invested. “Like how intense are we talking?”
“Like Dirty Dancing intense,” I tell her, feeling my face get even hotter. “You know that scene where Baby first dances with Johnny and it’s all this tension and heat and you can just feel it building between them? Or later when they’re practicing and you know they’re about to kiss?”
“Yes! Sexy lift scene energy!” Maren looks delighted.
“Exactly that energy,” I confirm. “So we were dancing and it was so hot, Mare. And he can dance.”
She lights up, eyes going wide with excitement. “Really? I love when a guy can actually dance!” She’s practically bouncing now. “When Calvin and I danced at the wedding I think I literally swooned.”
“Yes, exactly! So rare for a man to be a good dancer,” I say, grinning. “And I would have never danced but he could move.”
“My god!” She says, taking a sip of her coffee. “So come on, how did it happen? Give me the play-by-play.”
“It just was building up all day, hell for weeks really. And then the club was so incredible, so much ambiance. And the dancing turned from like fun and free to slow and sultry. And then suddenly we’re kissing and I can’t think straight and the next thing I know we’re in this storage room with mops and cleaning supplies and no lock on the door. ”
“And people were right outside?” Maren asks, her voice rising with excitement.
“Literally right outside,” I say. “Dancing and drinking and having no idea what we were doing in there. And I’ve never done anything like that in my entire life. Never even thought about it. But with Jack it was like if I didn’t have him right that second I was going to lose my mind.”
“This is the best story I’ve ever heard,” Maren says, practically bouncing now. “Okay so storage room sex, which is already wild. Then what happened?”
“Then we went back to the hotel,” I continue, my grin widening. “And we basically didn’t leave the room until we had to pack for the airport. We ordered room service and stayed in bed and just… kept going.”
“How many times are we talking?” Maren asks, leaning in conspiratorially.
“Six orgasms in one night,” I tell her, and watch her jaw drop.
“Six? In one night?”
“Yep. Six.” I confirm, making a little popping sound on the ‘p’ for emphasis. “I mean I know you’re used to crazy good sex now, but I’m pretty sure my vagina had cobwebs before last night. Like actual cobwebs.”
She laughs, blushing and nearly choking on her coffee.
“And you know my entire sexual history before this was just depressingly bad,” I continue. “Brandon of course was criminally selfish in bed. Like should-be-investigated-by-authorities levels of selfish.”
Maren snorts into her coffee. “He really was the worst in every possible way.”
“Agreed. And even the guys before him.” I shake my head.
“They couldn’t have found my clit if I’d given them a map, a flashlight, and written instructions.
Remember those few dates I went on after the divorce?
Those men didn’t even know what foreplay was.
One guy literally went from ‘hey, we should do this again sometime’ to trying to get my pants off with zero buildup. ”
“I remember that.” Maren looks appropriately horrified. “Bob something.”
“Bob something,” I agree. “Total loser behavior. So I decided I was done with terrible sex. If a man didn’t know what he was doing, he wasn’t getting anywhere near me. I’m not going to train someone. But with Jack it was just… effortless. Revolutionary.”
“That’s how it should be,” Maren says, smiling.
“I know! But I’d never experienced it before.
Not like that.” I take another sip of coffee.
“And Mare, it wasn’t just the physical stuff, though that was incredible.
We talked for hours. About everything. His childhood and the adoption and his relationship with his brothers.
My music and what I want for my future. It felt so natural, like I could tell him anything. ”
“That sounds perfect,” Maren says softly. “So what’s happening now? Are you guys together? Like actually together?”
“Yes!” The word bursts out of me, too loud and too excited, but I don’t care. “We talked about it and we both want this. We’re going to figure out the long distance situation and just make it work.”
“Lark!” Maren grabs my hands, squeezing them. “This is amazing! I’m so happy for you!”
“I know!” I’m laughing now. “Jack Midnight is my actual boyfriend.”
We sit there for a moment, both grinning like idiots, and I feel this bubble of energy building in my chest. “Okay, I have way too much energy to burn off right now. Gym before work?”
“Deal!” Maren’s already standing, pulling me up with her. “Let’s go. I want to hear more Miami stories while we’re on the elliptical.”
I laugh, following her to grab my workout clothes. Tonight feels impossibly far away, but at least I have Maren and endorphins to keep me busy until Jack gets back to Dark River. Until I can see him again and kiss him and remember that this is real now, not just some perfect weekend I dreamed up.
The Black Lantern is slowing down after a busy dinner rush, mercifully easing into that comfortable lull between chaos and closing time.
A few regulars are playing Settlers of Catan in the corner with occasional shouts of “I need wheat!” and “Stop blocking my longest road!” Some folks up from Seattle are huddled at a table going over hiking maps while nursing IPAs.
And me behind the bar doing the closing side work I should’ve started an hour ago.