Trusting Jay(8)
“No,” he said laughing, “It’s okay.”
“It’s a good company. It relocated here from Lexington, Kentucky about five years ago.”
Jay nodded but said nothing, so I dropped the point. I took a sip of my after dinner coffee. How did he know I work at Force McAllister? I don’t remember telling him which company I work for, but the moments right after my coffee shop tumble were hazy.
True to his word, Jay picked up the check, though I felt guilty for not contributing. We sat, finished, staring at the paid bill. With my heart in my throat, I waited for him to make a move.
“Shall we?” he asked, already walking away from the table.
He held the restaurant door open for me. As I stepped outside, his arm came to a rest across my shoulders. We walked a little ways, in the opposite direction to my apartment. Neither of us said anything. I wasn’t sure where we were going. Quite frankly, I didn’t care where we were going. I was too busy enjoying the sensation of having a man holding me.
Jay let out a big sigh, and I worried something was wrong.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Did you drive?”
“No, I live nearby. Did you?”
“I got the bus.”
“Sorry, living right in the city means I don’t have a car.”
“I don’t have one either. But I’ll walk you home first. I’d like to make sure you get home safely.”
His words woke my inner animal and I felt a little heat grow between my legs. One-night stand, ready or not here I come.
“Well, here it is,” I said as we arrived at my building.
Jay smiled and wrapped his other arm around me, embracing me in his strong arms. He looked down at me, and I thought he was going to kiss me but then he turned his head away.
“Would you like to come up for a coffee?”
“I’d better not, I have to catch the last bus.” My face must have looked horrified because he added, “I had a fantastic time tonight, let's do it again.”
“Sure, that sounds great. Text me.” I wasn’t convinced he would.
“Absolutely, see you soon.” He gripped my shoulders and kissed me on the lips. A long, lingering kiss that set my body on fire. I pushed myself into him, inviting him closer, further, for more. But he released his embrace and stepped back from me. He turned and walked away, leaving me standing at my door gasping for breath. I rummaged for my keys and entered the building, then skipped the embarrassment of waiting alone for the elevator and rushed up the three flights of stairs to my condo.
7
“What did I do wrong? Was it the dress? I looked too slutty, didn’t I?” I whined into the cellphone the following morning.
“No you didn’t look slutty, you looked hot,” Jenny said.
“But why didn’t he come up even when I asked him?”
“He probably just had to get the last bus, like he said.”
“He could’ve gotten the first bus in the morning!”
“Did you tell him that?”
“No.”
“Well then.”
“Well then what, I couldn’t get a man that paid for my dinner into my bed. I’m that Pathetic.”
“Don’t be silly. Maybe he’s just not the type of guy who puts out on the first date.”
“Those men exist?”
“Absolutely, the second date will be different.”
Her words calmed my emotional state. “Promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“I only did this for a one-night stand you know, I didn’t go looking for a second date.”
When I hung up my phone, it beeped.
You have one new voicemail
I punched my voicemail and listened to the message.
“Abbie, I just called to say I had a fantastic time last night. Are you doing anything today? Call and let me know.”
I listened to it two more times, then stood paralyzed, what do I do? I phoned Jenny back.
“It said what?”
“That he wants to see me today.”
“So then why are you phoning me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Hang up and phone him!”
I pushed end and scrolled through my contacts until I found his name. My thumb hovered over the little green phone symbol. I wanted to phone him, didn’t I? My heart said no, it still wasn’t ready for a relationship. But my loins were screaming a different answer. This is fine, it’s not a relationship, it’s just sex. I hit call.
“Abbie,” Jay said.
“Hi.”
“Thanks for calling back. After I left I worried you’d got the wrong impression. I'm interested in you, it was just bus schedules.”
“You could have gotten the morning bus, you know.”