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“No, I just got back to my place,” I tell her.
“Perfect timing. Mind if I come up?”
I’m not proud of how long it takes for me to make sense of what she said. “Wait… Aren’t you in Vegas?”
“No,” she answers. “Can I come up?”
Hell yes.
“Sure. The code for the elevator is… um…”Shit!
I can’t remember the damn code.
I usually just use my keycard for access.
Thankfully, the six-digit number sequence comes to me, and I share it with her. After saying she’ll be up in a minute, she hangs up, and I rush into the bathroom to check my appearance.
The mirror confirms my hair is a mess. Luckily, I’m a guy. Messy hair isn’t a dealbreaker. I wet my hands and run my fingers through the brown strands quickly, then grab my toothbrush from my duffle bag and brush my teeth in record time.
I hear the elevator ding with the car’s arrival as I spit into the sink. I wipe my mouth, straighten my wrinkled t-shirt, then walk back out into the living room.
Carlee stands in the foyer, looking around the penthouse with wide eyes, carrying a weekender bag that I suspect she used for the trip to Vegas. Seeing me, she says, “Wow, Corey. This place is amazing.” She places the bag on the ground.
“Thanks.” I close the distance between us and don’t second guess my instinct to cup the sides of her face and greet her with a kiss. Her hands rest on my chest as she returns the kiss.
Seconds pass. Then, I pull back and look down to gaze into her lovely eyes. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she returns with a soft smile. “Surprised to see me?”
“Very.” I lower my arms but grab her hand to lead her into the apartment. “I thought you and Morgan were staying the night in Vegas.”
“We planned to, but I wanted to see you.” She tugs my hand, forcing me to face her. Her eyes shine with excitement. “You threw a freaking no-hitter, Corey!”
I chuckle. “I did.”
“I’m so happy for you!”
I catch her as she launches herself at me. I pick her up and return the embrace. “Thank you.” I hold her for longer than necessary, but she doesn’t seem to mind. She buries her face in the crook of my neck, and the feel of her breath against my skin sends blood to a particularly sensitive part of my body.
I clear my throat and put her down before she feels the evidence of my arousal. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Water would be great.”
I retake her hand and lead us to the kitchen. I let go to open the fridge. I take out a bottle of water and turn to hand it to her, but she’s busy staring over the kitchen island, taking in the apartment.
“This place is huge.” She whistles low. “Look at that view!” She walks towards the far wall that’s actually a massive window and stares out at the lights shining from Midtown below. “It’s beautiful.”
I follow her into the living room. “Yes, you are.”
Carlee turns and smiles, taking the water bottle from my hands. “How was your flight?”
“Fine. Quick. How about yours? I’m surprised you found a flight back so quickly.”
“The flight was good. And Morgan has a friend who’s a flight attendant. She was able to get us on some jump seats last minute.”
“Is that allowed?”
“No idea.” Carlee laughs. “But Morgan is good at convincing people to do things they otherwise might not do.”
