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Chapter Eight
Iwoke up quite alone. Pins of light shone through my blinds, which were now partially opened. Mark’s side of the bed was cold, so he must have left before dawn as he’d promised.
Moving my legs, I felt the delicious reminder of last night. We might have only had sex the one time, but it was enough to ensure I’d be walking funny today.
I threw on a robe and went into the bathroom. Catching my reflection, I was immediately grateful he hadn’t seen me in the light this morning. My hair looked like a family of rats had taken up residence while my makeup was smeared where it hadn’t disappeared completely. And when I opened my robe to study my once perky breasts, I had to fight my worry over what Mark had thought last night.
Given the way his body had felt, I didn’t need to see it to know it was flawless. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to relax. This type of neurosis would eventually drive both of us insane. We were no-strings, friends, buddies—although if that limitation were true and we were truly only ‘hooking up,’ why had it been years since either of us had had sex, four for him and two for me?
After Tristan woke up and we had breakfast, I would need to run to the pharmacy. But since nothing said mother-of-the-year like dragging your toddler to the pharmacy for condoms, I immediately talked myself out of the trip. Wouldn’t they be something the guy would take care of? I wasn’t sure of condom protocol, but he’d been willing to go get them last night so I assumed he still felt that responsibility. If he was coming back, that was.
Good grief. I needed a break from my own thoughts.
After checking the monitor to ensure Tristan was still sleeping, I took a quick shower and dressed. When I went out into the kitchen, I found a few things lined up on my countertop. Starting at the post-it marked with a number one and a white bag next to it, I read: “Breakfast”
Inside the bag were fresh croissants and muffins.
The second note had my heart beating faster: “Put me in your nightstand”
I dug in the bag to find a box of condoms, mega size. Clearly, the darkness and the beer hadn’t made up the size illusion.
I couldn’t believe he’d been so thoughtful and quickly typed out a text.
“The bags were very thoughtful. Thank you.”
“I don’t know about condoms being thoughtful, but you’re welcome.”
Biting my lip, I typed out the next sentence before I could overthink it.
“Will I see you tonight?”
“I thought your mom was coming in from out of town?”
Cluck. She was. And I’d totally forgot about it.
“She is, but evidently I have sex brain and forgot.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I smiled at his response even though it didn’t hint at when I’d see him again.
The rest of my Friday was a blur. Tristan and I went grocery shopping and then, during nap time, I did housework in preparation for my mother’s visit. There was something cathartic about the cleaning process. It cleared my mind so I only thought about last night twice a minute instead of ten times.
My mother was so excited about my invitation to New York City for Catherine’s party that she tried to convince me to stay the night there on Saturday. It was tempting, but I wasn’t about to shell out three hundred dollars for a hotel room I couldn’t afford. And I certainly wouldn’t rely on the generosity of my friends. It was bad enough Haylee had already bought my train ticket and refused reimbursement for it.
At the local trunk-or-treat, Tristan was thrilled to fill his little bucket with candy. Following that and getting him settled in with Grandma for the evening, I traveled into New York with Josh, Haylee and their daughter, Abby. I kept myself from asking where Mark was, but wondered if I would, in fact, see him at the party.
Catherine had rented out a beautiful restaurant in an area called Tribeca and hired a DJ. Everyone was dressed in costume and the drinks were flowing.
I found my gaze scanning the room for a familiar face. Finally finding my target, I smiled. Of course, he was dressed as Superman. And he looked gorgeous.
I’d donned a snow fairy costume with wings and had my long hair down in curls. It wasn’t as elaborate as some of the other getups, but it was safe and easy to pull off.
I’d wondered if it would be awkward to see him again, considering the whole sex thing two nights ago, but it turned out much worse than awkward. He was avoiding me. I tried to make eye contact, stealing glances his way, but he chose to keep his distance, even excusing himself from a group once I walked up. I contemplated confronting him, but ultimately chickened out. I could take a hint, especially one spelled out in neon lights. He wasn’t interested in seeking me out this evening. At least not in front of others.
If I hadn’t already decided to go home early in order to kiss Tristan good night, Mark ignoring me at the party made it an even easier decision. After changing into jeans and a T-shirt, I found a cab right outside the building and headed for the train station about ten o’clock.
I didn’t know what I’d anticipated, but Mark’s behavior hurt. Of course, having expectations that he might treat me differently after one night of sex was unfair. But I couldn’t help remembering how my ex used to be embarrassed to be seen with me. The old insecurity crept up. I shouldn’t be surprised Mark wouldn’t want his friends to know about the two of us. They were all sophisticated, worldly, and enjoyed a lifestyle where traveling to New York for a party was no big deal. I was just a small-town girl gawking at the lights and bustle of Times Square through the cab window.
