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“Oh, after the night I’ve had, I’ll never forget.”
The cashier laughs as she rings me up and hands me the handcuffs in a discreet purple bag with no text on it.
I turn around to find Priya behind me in line, arms loaded with lingerie and a pair of hot pink furry handcuffs. “When in Rome!” she says. I guess she wants to make it up to Jamie after not seeing them for three months, and I can’t blame her.
We wait for another Lyft outside beneath the neon glow of the sign. This time, our drive back to the hotel is blessedly free of questions.
Back at the hotel, Priya hugs me when she exits to her floor. “I’m going to put all of this away, but let me know if you need any help, okay?”
“I will. Thanks for coming with me tonight.”
“Of course, that’s what friends do.”
I can’t help myself; my heart glows when Priya calls me her friend.
Vince is exactly where I left him an hour ago, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone.
“My arm’s numb,” he complains.
“Well, give me five minutes.” I hold up the bag with a grin.
“You found ‘em?”
“Yep! And there’s an extra key!” I exclaim.
I fumble around in my suitcase until I find a pair of nail scissors. It takes some sawing, but I free the handcuffs from their plastic packaging. The key falls into my palm with a plink.
I walk over to Vince and slip the key into the tiny lock, careful not to misplace it again as I rotate it around. The handcuffs open with a click, and Vince frees his hand and waves it.
“Thank, God! I’ve had to piss for like an hour!” he yells as he jumps off the bed. I laugh and stow the handcuffs and keys in the pocket of my suitcase.
I feel Vince before I see him. He presses his lips to my cheek, my throat, and finally, my lips.
“You’re a lifesaver; you know that?” he mumbles, pulling me in for another kiss, “I fucking love you.”
I stop.
My heart plummets to my knees. Does Vince love me?! Why is that terrifying and exciting at the same time? Why don’t I mind it? The answer floods my mind: I fucking love him, too.
Vince pulls away and immediately tries to backtrack, thinking he scared me off. “I mean, you saved my ass tonight. I love—"
“Vince, it’s okay,” I cut him off. “I love you, too.”
“Really?” Vince grins.
“Yeah, I love you,” I say. I take a deep breath and think about what Priya told me:take the leap.
“I’ll come home with you,” I say.
Vince’s face lights up. “Really?”
I nod. “Yeah. I’m excited to see your place.”
Vince kisses me harder this time. I’m careful of his sore wrist as I press my body against his, noting how well we fit; and how he’s never made me feel like I’m too much. I think about what Priya said; maybe Vince and I are genuinely good for each other. Maybe we’ll work out.
Los Angeles, CA.
Vince lives in a sprawling estate in the belly of Laurel Canyon.
