Her Time, page 3
I can’t say I was entirely disappointed or anything. I had fun. It was certainly a better night than I would have had drinking on my own at an empty bar top. Still, this was out of character for me. I hadn’t hooked up with a girl like this since college. Frankly, I never had the time.
Well, I guess that’s one side effect of unemployment… Free time to having mind blowing, meaningless sex with a hot stranger.
She was still sleeping and I tried very hard not to wake her as I inched out of bed and slowly got dressed.
As nice as last night had been, I had no desire to talk to her again. I knew I was going to be awkward. All the bravery I’d had while drunk was long gone. And, let’s be honest, I was even awkward then!
No, I’d just leave her a note thanking her for last night and then I’d leave. Maybe it was a little rude, but I wasn’t sure what else to do.
Besides, it wasn’t like we’d gone on a date or anything. It was just a hookup. It’d never lead anywhere. There was no reason to talk when we’d probably never see each other again, right?
Maybe this was even what she’d prefer, me being out of her house before she woke up. What else were we going to do? Sit down for a phenomenally awkward breakfast together?
As I finished slipping my shoes back on, my phone began to vibrate in my jeans pocket. My heartbeat began to quicken as I shuffled around to silence it. The last thing I wanted right now was for this stranger to wake up as I was sneaking out.
I looked down at my phone and recognized the number immediately. Shit, it was from a news agency where I’d had an interview last week. But it was too late to answer; the phone had stopped ringing. My best bet was to get out of here quickly and call back as soon as I was out the door.
I grabbed a crinkled piece of paper and pen from my coat pocket. I jotted down my note to her. Wait, what was her name? Did she tell me? Did I forget? I couldn’t be sure. Oh well, I’d just skip that part.
“Thanks for having me over last night. It was fun. Sorry I had to run off, important plans this morning. Have a good day!”
Okay, that was stupid. ‘Thanks for having me over last night’? I made it sound like we had tea time or something, when in reality she had fucked the shit out of me. Whatever, it was polite and I’d never have to see this girl again so who cares how dumb my note sounded.
I placed it on the bedside table and slowly exited the room.
I made my way through her living room and toward the door. I had noticed last night that this was a nice apartment, but wow, in the daylight it was even more gorgeous. I couldn’t even imagine what a penthouse of this size must have cost her.
What was it she said she did for a living? No, wait, I don’t think she told me. It must have paid damn well though. I had never even been in a place this nice before, and a few of my friends were pretty well-off.
The second I was out of the apartment and in the elevator, I called back the news agency.
“Hello?” I heard the familiar voice of the hiring manager who had interviewed me.
“Hi, Saul, it’s Candace. Sorry I just missed your call.”
“No problem, Candace, I’m happy to hear from you. Look, I’m going to cut right to the chase… we already filled the position you were looking for.”
“Oh,” I said, in a tone that sounded dejected despite my best efforts.
Well, this was new. I didn’t usually get a formal rejection call.
“But we had a last-minute opening in another department. Now, I’m not sure if you’ll be interested because it’s pretty far off from your area of expertise, but we need the position filled quickly, so I thought I’d ask.”
I quickly perked up. “Oh, well, that’s good news. What department?”
“Sports. We need another sports journalist.”
I had to admit, my disappointment was palpable. I had no interest in sports journalism. It was far out of my comfort zone. But I wasn’t going to turn it down, of course. I needed the job.
“Is that something you’d be interested in?” Saul continued. “We’d need you to start right away.”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Fantastic! Could you come in tomorrow at nine? We’re going to get you trained right away so you can do an interview on Thursday.”
“Absolutely. I’ll see you then.”
“Fantastic! Have a great day, Candace.”
“You too!” I said cheerfully before hanging up.
Okay, so this wasn’t what I wanted, and that kind of sucked. But it was also a lot better than not having a job at all. Sports journalism may not have been my area of interest, but I was sure I knew enough about sports to be able to handle it.
I mean, growing up we always had some kind of game on the television. Football in the fall, basketball in the summer, it depended on the season.
It annoyed me when I was younger, always having the TV tied up with some sports event. But now I was grateful I had been exposed to it because I’d actually be able to put that knowledge into good use now.
And at least I get to go out on an interview immediately. I wasn’t going to be stuck in the office doing copyediting, which is usually what is required when starting at a new agency. Like anything else, you worked your way up if you weren’t a veteran in the field which, obviously, I wasn’t.
But this way, I’d be in on the action from the get-go. And, more importantly than anything, I actually had a job now. That alone was reason enough to celebrate.
All in all, this wasn’t a bad morning for me. I woke up from some mind blowing sex and got a new job.
4
Brynne
When I rolled over I was expecting the girl from last night to still be by my side. But to my surprise, I was alone in my bed in the morning.
I noticed a note on the bedside table closest to where she had been sleeping. It thanked me for last night, but she hadn’t left a phone number, which was disappointing.
It was weird, this was usually the most ideal situation for me. I didn’t like when someone stayed over all night and then lingered in the morning. I had no interest in pursuing anything with them, and it was an awkward effort to get them out of my home.
But for some reason, I was hoping this girl would linger. She caught my attention in a way that other people in this city hadn’t. I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly, what it was that interested me. I had slept with so many people before and none of them had me actually catching feelings after only one night together.
Something about her seemed so genuine. She came off as awkward in this adorable way. I could tell that what she wasn’t playing any games. She wasn’t trying overly hard to flirt with me. I knew whatever she said came straight from her head, that there was no barrier between what she thought and what she said.
And, of course, she was very attractive. Beautiful in a way that none of the other girls I’d dated were. Her face was as unique and as real as her personality appeared to be.
But, then again, maybe it was just the alcohol. We were both wasted. That makes people more apt to speak their mind.
I guess there was no point in overanalyzing it. I likely was never going to see her again. I told myself that I shouldn’t continue to think about it.
I got up and got myself some coffee, and then I ordered in some breakfast from my favorite place down the street. But even after it arrived and I was sitting in front of my big screen TV and eating, I couldn’t get my mind off of her.
It had been so long since anyone had caught my attention like this. Maybe I’d be able to find her online. That was a little stalker-ish, but I couldn’t help myself.
And then I realized… I never even got her name last night. Shit, seriously? I slept with her without so much as asking her name?
Oh well, it was probably for the better. As soon as I added her on social media, she’d realize who I was. That would likely completely change her attitude toward me.
It’s hard for people to stay genuine when people realize you’re rich and famous. Maybe that was why this girl interested me so much. Pretty much every other person I’d ever slept with knew who I was, and it was clear they tried overly hard to please me because of it.
And the girl from last night would likely act the same once she found out. Or would she? Maybe she was different. She seemed different, at least.
Alright, no, this was crazy. I was projecting onto this girl. I wanted so badly to imagine I’d find a girl who actually gave a shit about me for the person I was and not the money I had. And I didn’t really know her. We’d only spent one night together.
Still, just the possibility that she was different kept her on my mind. I did my best to go about my day normally, but she’d invaded every thought.
Her sweet smile, her dark curly hair, the clumsy gait that kept her tripping over me on the way up to my penthouse… The events from last night kept replaying in my head, no matter how hard I tried to distract myself.
At the end of the day, I ended up deciding to go back to the bar. I was hoping she would just happen to be there again tonight. I knew it was unlikely; she didn’t seem like the kind of girl that spent every night at the bar. But it was my only hope.
When I arrived, I saw that there was a different security guard at the door. I was relieved, knowing that there was a chance the other guard would remember me and not let me in.
But my relief quickly washed away when I entered and didn’t see the girl. There were only a few other people here tonight, which wasn’t surprising since it was Sunday night and all.
I decided to sit and have a drink anyway. It would’ve been too awkward to walk out right after I’d walked in. I ordered a beer and sat at a booth, sipping my drink. I’d probably just have one more and then make my way back home.
Toward the end of my first beer, I was reaming myself out for coming here in the first place. What was I thinking? Was I seriously just searching the bar for a girl that I had only spent one night with? It was weird. And it was probably even more stalker-ish then finding her online.
I wasn’t going to keep looking for her, that was for sure. I’d let it go after tonight. I wasn’t going to keep being a weirdo. If our paths crossed again, great. If they didn’t, that was fine too.
It wasn’t like I believed in soulmates or anything. I don’t believe that there’s only one person out there for everyone. I was sure there were plenty of people I’d be compatible with out in the world. And, even if she was one of them, she surely wasn’t the only one.
I heard the door chime behind me, signaling that someone had just entered the bar. I had to admit, my mind immediately went to the girl from last night. But I couldn’t look to see who it was. I was faced away from the door, and it was awkward to look over my shoulder. I’d just wait until whoever it was walked by me to look.
But I didn’t get the chance, because the person stopped directly behind me.
“Hey, stranger.” A woman’s voice giggled.
So it wasn’t her… it was Courtney. My ex-girlfriend. Well, sort of, she was an ex hookup more than anything else. But there was no doubt, an emotional connection had formed between us. The first one I’d had since high school.
“What are you doing here?” I said coldly.
“Just getting a drink,” she said casually.
“You can’t sit there.”
“Please?” she pleaded while giving me puppy dog eyes. “I just… I was hoping I’d see you. I wanted to talk to you.”
“Well, I have no desire to talk to you.” I was about to stand up when she grabbed my hand from across the table.
“Brynne, please!”
I groaned and stayed seated. “Make it fucking quick.”
She sighed. “Okay. I’m not sure where to start except maybe with… well, an apology. I’m so sorry for what happened between us.”
“What happened between us? You mean what you did?”
“Yes… That. I just… I did think it was a possibility, for a little while.”
“But not when you told me, right? You had found out by then.”
“Well… yes. I had.”
When Courtney and I had first met, I admit I had no interest in making her a girlfriend of mine. She was hot, I’ll admit that. She had short blonde hair, tan skin, and long legs which I fucking loved. I mean, she looked fake, that was for sure. She was attractive in the way most girls here were.
But still, that was good enough for me on the night I met her. We hooked up after a long night of drinking. At this bar, actually. But unlike the girl from last night, she recognized who I was immediately. And I think from the beginning, she was always planning on capitalizing on that.
She was one of the girls who lingered the next morning despite my obvious lack of interest in her. She actually got up before me and cooked breakfast. Which, maybe most girls would think was sweet, but I didn’t. All I could think about was the fact that this total stranger thought it was cool to rummage through my kitchen without so much as asking me.
From that very first night, she made her intentions clear. She was looking for a girlfriend, and she wanted to go on a second date. I set her straight immediately though. I didn’t want that and she wasn’t going to get that from me.
She wasn’t very gracious in rejection, but she did leave after that and for a few weeks I went on with my life.
And then I got a phone call. Surprise, surprise, it was Courtney. She was asking to meet me and I almost turned her down, thinking it was another attempt at a relationship, but she sounded desperate so I indulged the idea.
Come to find, she was very ill and had just found out. She said she didn’t know who else to call, she had no friends and she just needed some support. It was cancer and she was terminal.
I was heartbroken for her. I’d never known anyone with cancer let alone someone our age. Of course I tried to support her and we began to hang out more and more. I got to know her better and, eventually, we began to enter a serious relationship.
I had feelings for her, though I’ll admit I wasn’t madly in love with her. But I did care for her and love her and she didn’t have that much time, so I figured it was my responsibility to make her as happy as I could for as long as I could.
And I was making her happy. She seemed positively thrilled to be with me. And I was helping her heal.
Or so I thought.
“Look, I’m so sorry and I never should have lied. When I first called you, I was waiting on test results, but when I found out they were benign… Well, I knew you’d never want to see me again otherwise. I know that’s awful, I do, but I also know that we started to get feelings for each other while we were together.”
“So?” I asked.
“So, I don’t know, maybe if we could acknowledge those feelings that could open things back up for us?”
I literally laughed out loud.
“Are you kidding me?”
“No!” she said quickly. “Brynne, you are the best relationship I ever had. I love you. Don’t you remember how happy we were?”
“How happy we were when you were lying to me every single day?” I asked. “Vaguely.”
“I was only lying because I didn’t want to lose you,” she defended.
“Lose me? You barely knew me, Courtney! How could you be so afraid to lose me?” I paused. “Just leave.”
“Please, I’ve never dated anyone like you!” she begged.
“You mean, you’ve never dated anyone rich and famous who could pay for anything you wanted in life?”
“It’s not like that!” she screeched. “Okay, yes, I admit, I was initially attracted to how famous you were. Of course that had appeal for me. Wouldn’t it for anyone? But that’s not what I really loved about you. I ended up really falling for you.”
“Courtney, you lied to me. For months I thought you were dying and you just carried on. That’s not love. You don’t know what love is.” I grabbed my wallet, threw down the cash for my drink with some extra for the tip, and stood up.
“Where are you going?” she asked anxiously.
“Home. There will never be anything between us, Courtney. Not ever. Let it go. Go chase another sports star. Someone stupider than me, who won’t be privy to the mind games you like to play. Don’t worry, there are a lot of dumb jocks out there.”
As I started to walk away, I heard her pound her first down on the table. Here we go, now the crazy comes out. And I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Ever since I met her, she had shown plenty of signs of being bat shit crazy.
“I will get you back for this, Brynne! You will regret everything you said here tonight, I can promise you that.”
“Trust me, of all the things I regret with you, tonight will be the least of my concerns.”
I didn’t give her time to respond. I just hurried out the door without looking back.
I was relieved to see she wasn’t following me, which was something I wouldn’t have put past her.
Courtney had done at least one good thing for me tonight, though. She got my mind off of the girl from last night.
Seeing Courtney always left a bitter taste in my mouth, for obvious reasons. I had never met a woman as manipulative as her before. I mean, who can lie about being sick for just the possibility of nabbing themselves a rich wife? It was disgusting. And I wasn’t proud of it, but it did somewhat color my view of all people.
Not that all women are crazy like that, of course not. Not even close. But you never knew exactly who would be. Any woman I met could be, or man for that matter.
Or, even worse, I could meet normal people who are driven crazy by the fame and money. Maybe like the stranger from last night. Maybe after everything I’d built up in my head, she’d be one and the same with everyone else once she learned the truth about me.
And suddenly, I didn’t have as much interest in meeting her again.
Or, at least, that was what I told myself.
5
Candace
“And here is your desk!” Saul said cheerfully after showing me around the sports department.
