Read Online His Five Night Stand by Emma Thorne - Free Book Online

perfect in the gaze of the other. I wished I had their courage. I felt beautiful when I crafted my look for hours. I felt a little embarrassed at how long it had taken me to get ready tonight. I wanted to look perfect and what did it get me? Nothing but anxiety. I had never danced with a man or woman the way these people moved together in public. Shea had turned from Troy and now pressed herself against a beautiful Asian woman. They slow danced while Troy watched until Shea turned back to him, her mouth opening to his kiss. She boldly ran her hand down his body lingering on his crotch.
    “It’s so different than my life,” I whispered.
    “Different from what?” Theo asked.
    “I just broke up with someone,” I said, horrified I was bringing Henry into this room, the blue liquid loosening my tongue, stripping away my costume. They say alcohol gives you courage, I think for me it removed my defenses. It was like my red dress and shoes melted with every sip. Watching these beautiful sexy people make out and pass masks around the room I felt like a frumpy girl wearing a sweater set. “I dated him for years, we were engaged well kind of engaged, there was no ring, or a date, but it was understood and then poof! We weren’t and here I am. I have spent a lot of time at parties with men in suits and women in little black dresses.”
    “I like little black dresses.” Theo shrugged.
    “They didn’t look like these black dresses,” I said, as a leggy African American woman in a tight black dress with a thigh high slit walked by. “Is she a model?” I said, turning my head to watch her move across the room. “I think I’ve seen her in magazines.”
    “Maybe. Her name is Veronica; she stays with Odessa when she’s in town. She models. She travels. I think she may be a spy, some sort of a government insider if you want to know the truth. It’s hard to keep track.”
    “Are you serious?”
    “Deadly.”
    I could not tell if he was kidding or not. “Well, you see what I mean? Everyone here is interesting and mysterious, you can tell just by looking at them.”
    “And you aren’t?”
    He caught me as I took another swig of my drink, I almost spit it out. “Me?”
    “Everyone has a story if you take the time to listen.” He had such a sweet smile and the way his blue eyes focused on me I suddenly felt like the only girl in the room. I also felt like an idiotic romantic, fresh off a heartbreak that I wanted to pretend didn’t matter.
    “Oh, I’m fine. I mean I have a story. I have a job. I work as a designer, an assistant designer, and I’ve done some interesting things, but I’m not interesting. I mean I don’t have a self-esteem problem or anything, I’m just not flying in from France . . .”
    “Flying in from France just means you spent a shit ton of time on an airplane. It doesn’t mean you’re interesting.” I loved the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, it was so joyful, so much sweetness wrapped in a package of total sex. He made me want to do a whole lot more than smile back. I seriously needed to pull myself together. This was another woman’s boyfriend.
    I took another swig of my drink trying to make more small talk. “So do you and Odessa throw parties like this all the time?” I said, louder than I intended, my words coming out faster without a filter. “Beautiful people making out, everyone looks like they are about to have sex.” A couple stepped out of the bathroom together. “Like them, I think they just did, they just had sex. In a bathroom,” I whispered.
    “You are probably right,” he said whispering back and then laughing. “I think a lot of people are going to have sex tonight.”
    “Well, I’m not,” I said, taking another swig of my drink.
    “Are you sure?” His smile was so playful, so flirtatious. It made me feel unsteady like the ground had tilted and slid my body a bit closer to him.
    “Well, yeah,” I said. “I don’t know anyone. I mean everyone here