for
thirty-five people,” he said, showing me the floor plan that I’d created.
“Can we talk
about this next week?”
“Why, do you
have somewhere better to be?”
“She sure does!”
Jenna said, perkier than normal. “She’s got a super hot date tonight!”
“Oh really?”
Ryan shifted his stare from Jenna to me. The three of us were squished into the
tiny manager’s office.
“Yes, really,” I
said, blushing.
“Well,” Ryan
said, taking a step backward, “please don’t let me keep you from him.” I
thought I detected a hint of bitterness in his tone.
“Have fun, send
pics!” Jenna said.
“Yeah, right.” I
quickly escaped before anyone else could ask me any questions.
As I was
leaving, I heard Ryan whisper to Jenna, “She’s got a date?”
Jenna replied,
“Yeah, a guy she’s seeing from New York.” More whispers followed, but by then
they were beyond my range of hearing.
The dog sitter
had Luna until later in the evening, so I had a full two hours to primp myself
into perfection for Jay. After showering and blowing out my hair, I lounged
around in a silky bathrobe, which I always did before a date to feel feminine.
I was on edge but excited at the same time. I played some soft music to soothe
my nerves and sipped on half a glass of white wine to loosen up. I couldn’t
believe how anxious I was. It felt that so much was riding on how Jay felt
about me that night.
The wine and the
music soothed my nerves, so I selected my attire. I chose a Banana Republic
shift dress for its exquisite fit. It was cobalt blue, long-sleeved, and very
short—hitting my leg well above the knee. I went barelegged, donning a
pair of nude Via Spiga platform pumps that I’d purchased from Nordstrom for
Jay’s viewing pleasure. Determined to look better than he’d remembered, I’d
gone spray tanning the day before and looked like a giant brunette latte,
precisely as I’d intended.
I accessorized,
doused myself in perfume, and did a triple take in the full-length mirror. I
left my apartment sufficiently wound up and feeling good about myself. As a
rule, I used driving time to psych myself up before I went on any date. But
Jay’s hotel was less than five minutes from my apartment, so I didn’t have much
time. To make up for it, I played some Kanye, which always made me feel like a
badass, and was on my way.
I sent a text
telling Jay that I’d be there in five, and instructing him to come down and
look for a white Volvo. I did my best to drive slowly, trying to quell my
overzealousness enough to avoid a speeding ticket. When I arrived at the Hyatt,
I saw the revolving door rotate and several people dressed up for the night
exited the lobby onto the street and hopped into taxis. No sign of Jay. I did a
quick circle around the block and pulled through again. He finally emerged.
He looked
exactly how I remembered, only better. He was unaware that I was watching, but
the sight of him was just what the doctor ordered. He was the kind of guy who
stopped traffic and turned heads everywhere. Even other men seemed aware of his
charisma. I noticed him spot my car and walk toward me. My heart rate
increased. My palms were clammy, my body was overheated, and my cheeks were flushed.
There was no turning back. Jay opened the car door, smiling, and I instantly
detected his signature aroma of cologne and cigarettes.
“Hey, hot stuff.”
he said. “We meet again.” Calm, cool, and collected; he was everything I wasn’t
but everything I knew he would be.
“Hey. Nice to
see you.” I said.
He
hugged me awkwardly in the front seat of my car. My small coupe and fitted
white coat restricted us from really locking into a full-fledged embrace. He
wore a pair of slender dark jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black fitted sport
coat with a white pocket square. The whole thing wasvery Tom Ford, my sartorial weakness when it came to men's
fashion. His shoes looked new, and his tan was still visible.
“How was
thirty-five people,” he said, showing me the floor plan that I’d created.
“Can we talk
about this next week?”
“Why, do you
have somewhere better to be?”
“She sure does!”
Jenna said, perkier than normal. “She’s got a super hot date tonight!”
“Oh really?”
Ryan shifted his stare from Jenna to me. The three of us were squished into the
tiny manager’s office.
“Yes, really,” I
said, blushing.
“Well,” Ryan
said, taking a step backward, “please don’t let me keep you from him.” I
thought I detected a hint of bitterness in his tone.
“Have fun, send
pics!” Jenna said.
“Yeah, right.” I
quickly escaped before anyone else could ask me any questions.
As I was
leaving, I heard Ryan whisper to Jenna, “She’s got a date?”
Jenna replied,
“Yeah, a guy she’s seeing from New York.” More whispers followed, but by then
they were beyond my range of hearing.
The dog sitter
had Luna until later in the evening, so I had a full two hours to primp myself
into perfection for Jay. After showering and blowing out my hair, I lounged
around in a silky bathrobe, which I always did before a date to feel feminine.
I was on edge but excited at the same time. I played some soft music to soothe
my nerves and sipped on half a glass of white wine to loosen up. I couldn’t
believe how anxious I was. It felt that so much was riding on how Jay felt
about me that night.
The wine and the
music soothed my nerves, so I selected my attire. I chose a Banana Republic
shift dress for its exquisite fit. It was cobalt blue, long-sleeved, and very
short—hitting my leg well above the knee. I went barelegged, donning a
pair of nude Via Spiga platform pumps that I’d purchased from Nordstrom for
Jay’s viewing pleasure. Determined to look better than he’d remembered, I’d
gone spray tanning the day before and looked like a giant brunette latte,
precisely as I’d intended.
I accessorized,
doused myself in perfume, and did a triple take in the full-length mirror. I
left my apartment sufficiently wound up and feeling good about myself. As a
rule, I used driving time to psych myself up before I went on any date. But
Jay’s hotel was less than five minutes from my apartment, so I didn’t have much
time. To make up for it, I played some Kanye, which always made me feel like a
badass, and was on my way.
I sent a text
telling Jay that I’d be there in five, and instructing him to come down and
look for a white Volvo. I did my best to drive slowly, trying to quell my
overzealousness enough to avoid a speeding ticket. When I arrived at the Hyatt,
I saw the revolving door rotate and several people dressed up for the night
exited the lobby onto the street and hopped into taxis. No sign of Jay. I did a
quick circle around the block and pulled through again. He finally emerged.
He looked
exactly how I remembered, only better. He was unaware that I was watching, but
the sight of him was just what the doctor ordered. He was the kind of guy who
stopped traffic and turned heads everywhere. Even other men seemed aware of his
charisma. I noticed him spot my car and walk toward me. My heart rate
increased. My palms were clammy, my body was overheated, and my cheeks were flushed.
There was no turning back. Jay opened the car door, smiling, and I instantly
detected his signature aroma of cologne and cigarettes.
“Hey, hot stuff.”
he said. “We meet again.” Calm, cool, and collected; he was everything I wasn’t
but everything I knew he would be.
“Hey. Nice to
see you.” I said.
He
hugged me awkwardly in the front seat of my car. My small coupe and fitted
white coat restricted us from really locking into a full-fledged embrace. He
wore a pair of slender dark jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black fitted sport
coat with a white pocket square. The whole thing wasvery Tom Ford, my sartorial weakness when it came to men's
fashion. His shoes looked new, and his tan was still visible.
“How was
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