2. Gianna
I’m nursingmy third water, and I’m coming up to another exciting part in my book. All the while wondering if I might actually see Henry again tonight.
At this point, if I keep reading, I’m going to finish the book. And I could just do that in bed. It’s been over two hours since my interaction with Henry, and I don’t even know if I’d be up for…anything with him. I’ve never been with anyone in a casual capacity, not really. And I’ve never been with a complete stranger. The idea of it is equally thrilling and nerve-racking.
The crowd in the bar has thinned considerably as the night has worn on, and I’ve already settled up with Betty. I stop myself from taking a cursory look around to see if Henry’s even still here. There’s no reason to. We had such a brief exchange that he probably got preoccupied with his going away party and totally forgot about me.
Without another thought, I stand, slip my phone into my pocket, and grab my North Face jacket. Slipping it on, I turn toward the exit and find Henry”s group congregating at the door.
I try to work out quickly if there’s a possible back exit or some other way to avoid them completely. Faced with him again, nerves start fluttering low in my stomach, and I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. Before I can slink away, Henry spots me and walks right up to me.
“Hey, sorry. It got late, everyone got lost in the sauce, and I’m the DD.” He smiles, and I watch his cheeks pink slightly.
If I didn’t know he was sober, I’d easily blame it on alcohol. But maybe he’s just a little bit embarrassed? Nervous?
I’m not quite sure, but it’s sweet.
It’s probably for the best that the stars didn’t align tonight.
“No worries. I’m actually just heading back to my room. It was nice meeting you. I hope you had a good night.”
He looks at me for what feels like an eternity, pinning me with those hypnotic hazel eyes of his. “Listen, I live just down the block from the bed and breakfast. If you’re still interested in continuing our night, I can shoot you a text once I’m done dropping off these clowns?”
“Hey, Hammer, let’s go!” one of the guys in his group calls out with a laugh. We both look over. The guy with the dark curly hair has his arms around the short blonde and a goofy smile on his face. He’s clearly a few drinks deep.
Henry slips his phone into my hands before I can even think about what a bad idea this is. My fingers fly as I add my name and number so quickly I have to double check I’m not giving him the wrong one.
Should I give him a fake number? I’m probably not coming back to this little town, so maybe this is a good opportunity to try something new. But am I really the kind of person who does this?
I dispel those thoughts and try to hold on to the boldness I had earlier. I force myself to hand the phone back, correct number and all.
“Awesome, I’ll shoot you a text in a bit. No pressure if you end up going to bed or just decide you’re not interested.” He flashes me that showstopper grin, and the corners of his eyes crinkle in the most endearing way.
Before he turns to leave, I decide to lean into this adventurously bold energy that’s flowing through me. “I stopped drinking a couple of hours ago. Just FYI.” I imitate the way he told me he wasn’t drinking earlier. “I’ll keep my phone ringer on.” I flick the ring on my thumb, making it spin, and I can’t help giving him a small smile when his grin turns just a little lascivious.
Without another word, he nods and rejoins his group, and I watch as they all walk out of the bar. The gust of cool air that blows in shocks my system.
What the hell am I doing?
It took no time and one panty-melting smile to make me forget that I’ve decided to take a long, long break from men. Oh, and I don’t do random hookups.
Okay, but this man doesn’t have to love you. He just has to make you come. Maybe more than once.
The voice in my head sounds dangerously like Simone.
Head spinning, I follow them out into the cold and start the short walk to my final destination for the night.
As I get closer, I wonder if I’ll actually see Henry later tonight. Or if he’ll decide to cut his losses and just head to bed.
Maybe I will.
I’m not sure which outcome I actually want.
When I get back to my room, I decide to shower and freshen up. I brush my teeth and everything.
Everythingmeaning I even shaved.
It makes me feel a little ridiculous, but I don’t know the protocol here. I’ve had exactly one one-night stand in my life, and I was so drunk that I didn’t even have to think about it.
It was not the best experience. That guy definitely didn’t get me anywhere close to an orgasm. He talked a big game but couldn’t even stay hard because he had drank so much. That was way back in college, and I’ve been a relationship girl ever since.
So yeah, I’m a bit out of my depth here.
I’m sitting in the middle of my bed while a rerun marathon of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives plays on the TV and trying not to stare at my phone. It’s only been an hour since I left the bar, and I have no way of knowing where Henry had to drive to drop the rest of his group off.
I’d better check to make sure my sound is on anyway. Just in case.
The anxiety isn’t foreign, per se, but I’ve never dealt with it in relation to a situation like this. I shouldn’t even care if he ends up texting and coming over or not. I don’t need to get laid that badly. But I am starting to think that maybe I should just try out casual sex instead of falling into relationships over and over again. When I think back on the four relationships I’ve had since college, every single one of them was with someone I met through my family in some capacity. Whether that was a friend of a cousin, or a coworker, or just someone they knew in passing. Something about hooking up with a guy way out here in Colorado, someone I”ve never met, is tempting.
That’s exactly where my head is at while Guy Fieri’s jovial voice raves about some kick-ass enchiladas in the background.
I should just let Guy lull me to sleep. I still can. As I reach toward my phone again, determined to flick the volume setting to vibrate this time, it finally chirps.
I almost jump out of my skin, dropping my phone and knocking my head against the wooden bed frame. The screen lights up with a text from an unknown number, and I stare at it for much longer than I should before picking it up.
Unknown Number: Hey, Gianna, I just got home. I’m still up for a nightcap if you are. :)
I type out my answer so quickly that I have to double check it for spelling errors and just to make sure it makes sense before hitting send.
Me: I’m up for it. My room is one of the Garden suites, so there’s a private entrance out front. It’s the one to the left of the main entrance. Just knock. :)
I don’t usually use cutesy smiley faces or emojis, so I’m not sure why I add the smiley face at the end this time. Maybe to add some levity to the situation. Maybe just because he did. All I know is that the moment the message goes through, I’m up off of the bed and pacing.
When I booked this room, I loved the idea of having direct access to Main Street, and I liked that this room was special. It’s larger than a normal room with a small kitchenette and a large bathroom.
The idea that it would be convenient for a late-night hookup didn’t even cross my mind.
Two quick knocks sound at the door, and my feet freeze to the floor. Taking a deep breath, I try to convince myself that I can do this. It’s not that I don’t want to, I do. Plenty of people have no-strings-attached sex on a work trip. It’s totally normal.
Just…not for me.
Until tonight.
I deserve a good time, and somehow, I’m certain Henry can deliver. Back at the bar, he definitely gave off the impression that he’s a flirt, and if his smooth offer to continue our night is any indication, he’s probably well versed in the art of the casual hookup.
With a new resolve, I head to the door. My head buzzes, and nerves make my stomach churn with every step I take. Once I’m in front of the door, I reach out to turn the doorknob and pause.
The moment the door opens, there’s no going back.
The overly dramatic thought crosses my mind and gives me pause. Just for a heartbeat.
I’m being silly. This isn’t some life-altering situation.
It’s not that serious. This is a one night only situation, then I’ll head home, and we’ll forget all about each other.
I’m more than positive that I’ll just be a tiny blip on his radar when it comes to hookups. And that’s fine.
Still, when I turn the knob, my nerves feel frayed. Only when the door opens do my thoughts quiet.
Henry shifts from one foot to the other. His hands are buried in the pockets of the black hoodie he’s wearing, his cheeks are pink, and his hair appears to be damp. The curls look darker and slightly more defined than they were at the bar. The effect is far more attractive than it has any right to be.
And now I’m thinking about the shower he must’ve taken before coming over, and my body starts to warm significantly.
The look on his face is almost contemplative before he sees me, but once he does, that grin of his slides right back into place. Oh, God. That dimple really is too much.
Ugh.
“Hey.” He doesn’t just come in, even though I can see his breath in the cold.
“Hi.” I pull the door wider, a shiver rolling down my back. When he still doesn’t move, I frown. “That was fast.”
“Oh, I kind of hedged my bets. I was almost here when I texted you.”
“Oh.” Surprised, I laugh. I don’t know this man, but somehow, I know that must be a very him kind of thing to do. “Are you going to come in?”
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry.” He shuffles into the room quickly so I can shut the cold out behind him.
The moment the door shuts, I have to stop myself from inhaling the clean, spicy scent that trails in behind him. It’s stronger than it was at the bar with so many people around. He’s not even standing particularly close to me, but that scent is suddenly everywhere at once. My body hums, and I barely stop myself from shoving my face into the crook of his neck to get a good whiff.
A good whiff? Who am I?
I’m almost positive at this moment that I’ve never been so attracted to a man in my life. And it’s making me want to act like…I don’t know what.
It’s making me want to act up.