Page 9 of The Heart You Kept

He frowns as he thinks for a moment. “What else was on the list?”

“Lots of things.” I shrug. “Travel. A sex show in Amsterdam.” My brain has gone completely blank under his scrutiny. “Umm…. A tattoo. And ballooning in Cappadocia.”

“Anything else sexual?”

“Umm….” Oh god, why did I openly admit this? “A threesome.”

His fascinated eyes hold mine and he sips his drink.

“And I did that…. A few years ago now, actually.”

“And?”

“I….” I shrug, embarrassed. “I couldn’t bring myself to do two men so I thought I would add another woman and….” My voice trails off.

“And what?”

“I learned that I don’t like to share,” I blurt out in a rush.

A trace of a smile crosses his face. “I don’t share either.”

“Right? I think it’s weird that people do.” I smirk, feeling a little more of my equilibrium return.

We fall silent and he sips his drink as if deep in thought. “I’ll have your money refunded. I apologize for wasting your time.”

Disappointment runs through me.

“What?” I frown. “Why?”

“I’m….” He gives a subtle shrug as he tries to articulate himself. “This will not be advancing to the next stage.”

“Why not?”

He gestures to the air that is crackling between us.

“What does that mean?”

“The physical attraction between us is too strong.”

He feels it too.

I fight the goofy smile that is threatening to cover my face. “Isn’t that the point?”

“From your perspective perhaps, from mine most definitely not.”

What’s he doing here?

“Do you think you’re gay?” I ask.

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s okay if you are.”

He stands as if outraged and walks toward the door.

He’s leaving.

“What are you doing?” I splutter in a panic.