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She doesn’t look that much older than me, either.
“Just out with some friends,” she says, gesturing behind her shoulder to a group of three other women at a high-top filled with empty drink glasses.
Tyler looks at them, his eyes widening for about half a millisecond before diverting his gaze. It looks like he knows them too.
“And who is this?” she asks, turning her attention to me, a perfect smile on her face.
I’m a preschool teacher. I know the difference between a smile that’s real and one that’s fake. You need to be able to fake both when working with kids all day, no matter how tiresome it can be. It’s a necessity to smile even when your day isn’t going well.
“This is Maria,” he says coolly.
I am Maria. Just Maria.
“I think I’m going to go to the ladies’ room,” I offer, getting up and sliding from the booth past Harper.
I don’t think I want to be around for that vaguely awkward encounter anymore. It’s obvious that the two have some sort of history I’m not privy to. But I guess that’s Tyler’s business. If he wants to tell me what the deal is, he’ll do it when he’s ready.
Even as I try to convince myself of that fact, the idea that he may have all of these secrets makes me uneasy. I mean, I let him take my V-card, like, a minute ago. Was that stupid of me? Did I jump into it too quickly?
At the thought, my entire body feels icky.
I wash my hands and steel myself to walk back out there. But the door to the bathroom swings open, revealing Harper.
“Oh, hey,” she says, as if she wasn’t expecting to see me here.
I assumed she’d go into one of the stalls, but instead, she leans against the counter beside me.
“Hey,” I offer quietly, hoping this conversation goes by quickly and painlessly.
“So, Tyler and you are kind of a thing?” she asks, going straight to the point of why she followed me.
“Yeah, sort of,” I tell her, at a loss as to how to answer.
Yes, we’re seeing each other. But I’d like to think it’s a bit more than that, even if we haven’t put labels on it. Are labels important? Should I have asked about that before letting him take my virginity? The thoughts make my stomach stir.
“I figured. Tyler always was one for these kinds of things,” she says cryptically, and I don’t like at all that she felt the need to come into the bathroom to tell me that.
“He’s an adult. I’m sure he’s had relationships in the past,” I say as evenly as I can, reaching around her to grab a paper towel to dry my hands.
“We had one of those things once. Actually, he’s had one of those things with three out of the four women I’m here with tonight,” she announces casually, as if this isn’t a malicious scheme to make me feel inadequate.
And it’s working beautifully. It takes all that’s in me not to let my anxiety take over completely.
I let Tyler fuck me. Was this his game all along? Is he going to make me feel special by taking me to meet his best friend, string me along for a few quick rounds, then drop me?
Maybe I had been right in the first place about the type of guy Tyler is. And somehow, I let the idea of a guy liking me overpower my reason.
Regardless of what his plan was, I enjoyed it. I wanted to lose my virginity, though I had hoped it would be to a guy who was more of relationship material.
“I need to go,” I mumble and rush out of the bathroom.
Being out on the town doesn’t seem all that fun anymore.
“I forgot I have to finish writing some of my lesson plans,” I say as I approach the end of the table and grab my sweater and purse.
“Maria?” Tyler asks, looking up at me with concern.
“It was nice meeting you both. I’ll talk to you later, Tyler,” I tell everyone with the best smile I can manage at the moment before turning on my heels and making my way to the exit.
