Carrying my new black dress in a garment bag, I hesitantly opened the door. I felt too self-conscious in my thirty-eight year old body to think about being stuffed into a sexy, little black dress heading off to NYC with a much hotter, younger man.
Pete said with a grin, “Ready to go?”
“Yes, I think so,” I muttered, worriedly grabbing my suitcase.
But Pete stepped in. “I’ll get it.”
I walked ahead of him, toward the waiting car, glancing back once to the window of my bedroom, my safe place. For a moment I considered ditching Pete and crawling into bed with my e-reader to forget this whole thing.
Chuckling, he said, “I see you washed the paint out of your hair from earlier.”
The smile in his tone calmed my nerves. “Yeah, it took some time, but I finally got it out.” I self-consciously patted my newly washed hair.
Pete held the car door open for me and I slipped inside. The fresh smell of new leather invaded my nostrils. There was nothing like the scent of a new vehicle.
As I relaxed into the luxury, I suddenly wondered how many women had been whisked away for a weekend getaway with Chris.
“Just so you know,” Pete said as if he could read my mind, “Chris has never done this before.” When I cocked my head with an expression of confusion, he added, “You know, bought a plane ticket to spend a whole weekend with a girl…”
I kept a straight face, though I was dancing inside. “Really? Never?” I barely refrained from adding, Never ever?
He nodded, giving me a once over. “You must be special.”
I didn’t respond because, honestly, I didn’t know what I was, and I didn’t want to open up to Pete about it. I barely knew him. Smiling to myself, I stared out the window as the trees and buildings blurred by.
The flight was pleasant—no real turbulence and no screaming babies. I relished the quiet hum of the plane as we sliced through the clouds. I didn’t really think my nerves were getting the best of me until we touched down at LaGuardia. Suddenly, I felt my stomach clench into a ball of nerves. I took some deep breaths, trying to relax. After all, it was just Chris—same old Chris—but different in so many ways.
When I got off the plane, I quickly found a bathroom to try to work a miracle after being stuck on that stuffy airplane. I hastily brushed my hair, applied fresh makeup, and slipped into the beautiful dress that Chris had given me. Standing in front of the mirror, I stared at my reflection, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. It’s just Chris, I reminded myself again. Giving my reflection a final glance, I crammed all of my belongings into the bag, and headed off to find Chris.
At baggage claim, I saw him before he saw me. In any other airport he would’ve been mobbed with fans, but in New York City celebrities were a dime a dozen. Onlookers passed by him without a second glance.
He was leaning against a concrete pillar, scrolling through his phone. His biceps bulged in his taut, black oxford shirt that was partially unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A chained necklace hung around his neck, and a silver link watch wrapped around his right wrist. His hair was spiked and gelled in that same hot, sexy mess I remembered from last time while he sported a pair of slim-fit, flat front, gray dress pants that accentuated all the right assets. I was ogling his amazing physique when he looked up and caught me. For a brief moment he was mesmerized then he leaned his head against the concrete pillar and closed his eyes as if he were taking a moment to gather his thoughts. Reopening them, he studied me, and I suddenly felt hyper aware of every flaw, wondering if there was any lipstick on my teeth or if I’d missed a patch of hair on my legs when I’d shaved. No time to feel them now. I nervously smoothed the wrinkles on my dress and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Wow, Salem.” He shook his head with admiration and pulled himself away from the column, meeting me in two long strides. He reached out and grabbed my hands, stepping back to look me up and down. “You look amazing.”
I blushed. It felt good to be complimented after being ignored for so many years. “Thank you, and thank you for the dress. It’s beautiful.”
“A beautiful dress for a beautiful girl. I’m so glad you came to visit me.” He gave me a quick hug, and I let the warmth swallow me. “I wasn’t sure you would come.”
“A wonderful gift, a hot rock star, the Big Apple… How could I say no?” I tried to make it sound like a joke, but I was sure he could see the eagerness in my eyes.
He smiled a mischievous grin, cocking his head to the side. “You think I’m hot?”
I grinned back. Something about him just put me at ease. “You’re not too shabby,” I replied with a wink.