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“Really?” He snapped his phone shut.
“Really.” And I pressed my lips against his.
* * *
When I woke up, I was naked and alone and my head felt like it was shrouded in fog. I pushed myself up, and
then fell back with a groan, squeezing my lids shut and curling up around the sick pit in my stomach.
From somewhere else in the apartment, I could hear John yammering into his cell. “What you worried about, baby?... Yup... Yeah... Yes, I love you too.”
The door opened. Closed. The light lessened, and I sighed in relief. And then a body draped over me.
“Hey, baby.” John nuzzled my neck. “Time to wake up.”
What had I done? Was I going to be sick? When we’d come back to his apartment, we’d had more alcohol, and then we’d fallen into bed in a drink-fueled stupor. And now all I wanted was a hot, hot shower, my own bed, and some vast quantities of comfort food.
“John.” I pushed him off me. “Was that your girlfriend?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah.”
“John!” I was aggravated enough that I wrenched away and toppled over the side of the bed. Ugh, my head still spun. I narrowed my eyes and glared at the blurry vision. “Do you really have an open relationship?”
“Of course I do.” He sounded offended. “I don’t believe in being tied down.”
I started looking for my clothes. “And what does Caroline believe?”
“She agrees with me.”
Of course she did. “But does she really, or does she just agree with you to keep you?”
Now I’d made him angry. “That’s ridiculous. Just because you’re narrow-minded doesn’t mean—”
I yanked my shirt over my head, and then tugged my jeans stiffly up my legs. “You know what, John? You’re a sloppy kisser.”
John looked wounded.
“I shouldn’t have done this.” I shook my head. “I was just—”
“Horny. I know. You mentioned that several times last night.”
“Yeah, well.” I picked up my purse, and stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Anyway—I have to go.” This was awkward. Was I awkward, or the situation? Probably both.
John frowned. “I don’t get it. I thought we were having fun.”
“Yeah—I think—” I frowned at the ceiling, embarrassed and uncomfortable. “You know—the first time—when we—I sort of thought we were going to be a thing. A couple.”
“You did?”
I laughed. It was either that or cry. “Yeah. I did.”
“You didn’t think that this time, though. You know about Caroline.”
“Yeah, I do, of course. I guess I’m just not comfortable sleeping with someone in a relationship.”
He shrugged. “Well, Caroline’s non-negotiable.”
“I know.” And I did. The thing was, I wouldn’t have wanted to be in a relationship with John even if Caroline wasn’t around. He had the sweeping prince image down pat, but I wouldn’t bank on a heart of gold.
