Nope, it’s best to just leave things on a high note: a fantastic, amazing one night stand that’s opened my eyes to a new way of living. End of story.
“Oh Em,” Renee says. “Don’t give up so quickly! I mean, I just met Sebastian, and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I have a feeling it could be amazing. So I’m just going to see where it leads. Maybe you should do the same.”
“We’ll see. I didn’t give him my number or anything, so it’s not like I’d be able to find him again.”
She falls back on the couch, but there’s a smile tugging her lips.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to leave it up to fate huh?” she says. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. I’m sure of it.”
“I guess we will,” I tell her. “Anyways, let’s not worry about this right now. It’s already eleven and we have to checkout soon.”
“Good point,” she says, hopping off the sofa. “I better get in the shower quick. Can’t be looking like this to see my dad.”
I get up too. I definitely want to blow dry my hair at least, and tidy up a little. I’ve gone to sleepovers when I was little, but this is the first time I’ve really stayed at someone’s place for any length of time. And according to Renee, her father’s side of the family is wealthy and upper class. I definitely want to make a good impression.
Once I’m back in my room, I shake out my dark curls. I dry my hair, and it’s got a soft wave to it from my braid, just enough to keep myself from looking plain. I pull on a dark green sweater, one that brings out the flecks of gold in my own eyes, and slip on a pair of dark pants. It looks nice to me, and I hope it’ll be good enough. Because of my curves, I have to work extra hard to look put together instead of provocative and clothes have a tendency to tighten around my breasts and butt. Finally, I fold up the robe, pack up all my stuff into my bag again, and check out with Renee.
She tells me that her dad’s place isn’t that far away, and we start driving down the streets. There’s a bit of traffic, but that doesn’t matter. I’m really enjoying people watching. It’s surprising, actually, how much I’m drawn to the city. It feels so vibrant, just like I’m feeling this morning. I even wonder if maybe I should come here for med school. I had always thought that New York City would be intimidating, an idea that comes from my parents, both of whom have never left our small town. Now, I’m not so sure.
My eyes catch on a bright flash of green and I sit up and crane my head back. Was that the dinosaur I saw earlier? It totally was. And then suddenly, there’s the sign from earlier for that robot store. My heart beats faster, my body suddenly on high alert. We were heading back towards Nate, I realize. I pull out my phone and check. Yep, it’s definitely the way. I’m irrationally pleased at the thought. If Renee lives close, then maybe I’d bump into him grabbing coffee in the morning? My mind plays over the scenario, thinking about how we’d go from the cafe to the bed. Would I want it? The burning heat from my core tells me yes! Yes I would!
“Here we are,” Renee says as she steers around the corner and Nate’s building comes into sight. “The garage entrance is just over here.”
My heart is beating double time now.
“Wait. Here?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she replies. “Why?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly. “I just thought it’d take longer.”
“Me too. It usually does. I don’t know why it’s not all backed up today.” She shrugs as she drives to her spot in the underground parking. “Lucky us though huh?”
“Lucky us,” I say faintly.
Suddenly my fantasy of bumping into Nate jumped from impossible to likely, and while my body’s cheering over that fact, my brain’s a bit more hesitant. I have no clue what I’m going to do if I do see him. What if we don’t have that same chemistry again? What if Renee sees us and disapproves? More importantly, how am I going to finesse another night with the man when I’ve flirted maybe a handful of times in my life? I’d probably just make things incredibly awkward. Suddenly, studying in my room became a lot more appealing.
We pull out our stuff, and I have to help Renee with one of her suitcases. The parking garage has two elevators, and she goes straight to the one on the left.
“This is for the penthouse,” she explains.
Did she say penthouses? I head is spinning. I mean, it can’t be right? It can’t be. Surely there’s more than one of those in a building. I try and think back, and I definitely remember going straight down to the lobby when I left.