I didn’t respond, just bent down and kissed him. My tongue slid into his mouth, and I could taste myself there, mingling with the champagne and Milo. A crazy thought went through my head at that moment. I imagined myself doing this forever. Kissing this mouth, holding this body against mine, and it felt like everything I wanted.
I tried to chase away my ridiculous fantasies and focused on kissing Milo, on feeling him. He responded in kind, getting closer to me and wrapping his arms around my neck as our tongues tangled together. Things were about to get heated again when someone knocked on the door.
We both startled and quickly separated. Milo started putting his clothes back in order, and I did the same. I looked up at him as he tucked in his shirt. His lips were red and his eyes a bit glassy. His hair was a mess. He looked freshly fucked, and it took all I had in me not to put him on his knees again.
I sighed with frustration about getting this moment cut short. I focused on smoothing out my clothes. Just to findsomething to do—now that it seemed like the moment with Milo had passed—I peered in the mirror to inspect how evident what we’d just done would be when I walked out of this room. I looked flushed and probably smelled like sex, but we’d been gone long enough that the ceremony had to be almost done. Hopefully I could make a quick escape.
Milo’s voice in the quiet room brought me back to the moment and him. “Why don’t you stay here, and I’ll walk out first,” he said as he straightened his jacket.
My chest tightened when he said it, which was ridiculous, because what would we do? We couldn’t stay in here all night.
“Okay,” I whispered, feeling a little out of my depth. I went to wash my hands, giving myself time to get my bearings. When I turned around, intending to ask him for his number, I saw him quietly slipping out of the room.
I was such an idiot.
Why did I have to make a big thing out of this? Okay, so I’d just gotten the best blow job of my life. That didn’t mean the guy would want to see me again. It was just a little fun at a dull dinner.
I waited another minute and walked out of the room into an empty hallway. Apparently the asshole who’d knocked before found another place to sit.
I walked back into the ballroom and went straight to my table. I tried not to look to where I’d seen Milo sitting earlier and sank down next to Priya, who gave me a suspicious look and sniffed the air.
“Pregnant women have an elevated sense of smell, Thomas. What exactly took you so long?”
I tried not to smile at her undisguised curiosity. “I’m not going to answer that. Is this thing any closer to ending? Next year, I’m just going to send a check,” I said, making a show of straightening out my collar and tie.
Priya shook her head and gave me some serious side-eye. “Surely you know I’m going to need details. Was it the guy from the bar? Because I’d do him, too.” She looked over at Sanjay who had the amused expression he usually sported whenever his wife was around.
He grinned and gave me an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “He was pretty hot, Tom.”
“Shut up. I don’t kiss and tell.”
Priya’s mouth twisted to the side as she assessed my demeanor. She wouldn’t have to look very closely; I’d seen my face on the mirror before I left that sitting room.
“Uh you were doing alotmore than kissing if the scent I’m detecting is any indication. Did you get his number? Because any guy who makes you throw caution to the wind like that deserves a call back.”
I cleared my throat trying to keep my tone light when I spoke. “He left before I could ask.”
Priya narrowed her eyes at me like she was trying to figure out if that was a good or bad thing. “Maybe you’ll see each other again?”
“I don’t think so.”
Despite my best effort, my tone was a bit regretful. I couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something important had just slipped through my fingers.
Camilo
“Damn friend, you weren’t joking when you said you were taking your gala enjoyment up a notch. Is that a post-coital glow I’m detecting?”
I didn’t even try to deny it. From what I saw in the hallway mirror, I looked pretty fucked out.
I took a sip from my glass of water and answered Ayako while avoiding direct eye contact. “I might have gotten a bit up close and personal with Thomas in one of the sitting rooms outside.”
Ayako widened her eyes, looking impressed. “Snap. I don’t usually go for the big ones, but I’m feeling mad FOMO over here. That dude is smoking.” She turned her head again, still trying to feel out if she was supposed to be happy for me or not. “How was it?”
I lifted a shoulder and this time I did look at her. “I’d take his ass to Red Lobster.”
Ayako almost sprayed her drink all over the table at theLemonadereference, then cackled. “Oh my god, Camilo. How long have you been waiting for a chance to drop that one on me? So will there be a repeat? He seemed cool.”
I shook my head at her suggestion, because no. “Ayako, what the fuck am I going to do with a guy with enough money to drop thirty-grand on dinner? I’m a social worker! I can’t fuck with people like that. It would be a betrayal to the profession.”
