“You haven’t said anything,” I reminded her.
“I don’t know what to say.” She gulped down half her glass of wine. “You don’t need to woo me. I fucked you last night. I’ll fuck you again tonight. You didn’t need to bring me to dinner. You don’t need to tell me that I’m different—that you don’t normally sleep over, but you made an exception for me; that you don’t normally take women to dinner, but you made an exception for me. I told you last night. I don’t want the bullshit. I can take it if it’s only sex. That’s all I want. I just want the truth.”
She took her napkin off her lap and pushed it onto the table and stood up.
“Let’s go,” she said. “Let’s get to the bit where we’re fucking. That’s what we’re here for. The rest of this is just bullshit.”
I reached across to her and circled my hand just above the wrist. “Sit down. Please.” She looked beautiful. Unguarded.
It hadn’t occurred to me that she’d think it was a line. But I guess she didn’t know that I didn’t do that. I didn’t need to do that. She didn’t know that I had a no-bullshit policy. Why would she? She’d been fucked over by a series of douchebags full of lines like that. Why would I be any different?
She hesitated, but she sat down, her eyes fixed on the wine glass in front of her. I grabbed the bottle from the bucket beside the table and shooed away the waiter who came to assist. I topped up her glass.
“Thank you,” she said.
“I’m going to promise you something.”
She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable.
“I know you don’t want me to, but I’m going to do it, anyway. I’m going to promise you that I’m not going to bullshit you. You can choose to believe me or not. I’m not going to tell you that I’m going to tell you everything, but everything I do say to you will be true. I like you. You’re funny and sexy and amazing in bed. You’re here for a week. Then you’re gone. You’ve said you need a little fun in your life and I’m happy to oblige. Why don’t we just hang out for the week? We can have some fun and then say goodbye. No bullshit. No promises. Just great sex and a few laughs.”
She looked at me for the first time since she sat down. I could tell she was trying to think of a funny response. I grinned at her and she took a sip of wine rather than grin back, although I could see the twitch at the corner of her mouth. Wow, she was stubborn.
“Is that such a bad offer?”
“No bullshit,” she repeated.
“I promise. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to pay you a compliment.”
“You can only do that if it’s not bullshit. Not because you think it’s what I want to hear, or what you think you need to say to get me into bed.”
“Agreed.” I nodded. “You look beautiful tonight.”
“Fuck off,” she grinned.
“You do. Suck it up, buttercup.”
Chapter Six
Anna
Once we’d established our no-bullshit rule, I allowed myself to relax. We’d laid it out there. I was here for a week. And I wanted some fun and some good sex. No complications, no promises, no bullshit. He was easy company. And easy on the eye, that was for sure. Was it possible to be as handsome as he was without being a total douche? Well, he put on a good act, because he seemed funny and charming and nice to the obviously very nervous waiter, despite the fact he wouldn’t let him pour our wine. I was determined to just let myself enjoy the here and now.
Dating back in London was never about the here and now. I was always skipping ahead, fast forwarding the relationship in my head. Would my friends like him? Would my parents like him? Could I live with his quirks? Would he be a good father? It didn’t have to be like that with Ethan. It was only ever going to be for a week, so I was forced to live in the moment.
“Shall we go and find a cocktail bar and an after dinner drink?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“No?”
I shook my head again. “I want to see you naked again.”
“Well that’s a coincidence. Because I want to see you naked again, too.”
He grinned and asked for the check.
Unlike the night before, our car journey this evening was full of chatter. He seemed to know every building in New York City and pointed his favorites out as we drove along. A couple times he pulled me toward him so I could see better.
It seemed we were headed back to Daniel’s apartment. “Where are we going?”
“The hotel. Is that ok?”
I nodded. Had I hoped we would go back to his place? Maybe a little. But it didn’t matter where we were going, because wherever it was I was going to have the best—or the second best, after last night—sex of my life. He stroked my cheek with his thumb and leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. It seemed, romantic almost. He pulled away and put his hand around my shoulders and pulled me closer.