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He just looked at me with a dismissive shrug. His flippant response caught me off guard, a pang of disappointment stirring within me.
“Can we not try to label this at the moment?" he proposed, his tone heavier than I'd ever heard. "I need to process what just happened. I know that you do too. As for regrets…" He paused, a certain vulnerability flashing in his eyes before he continued, "Kissing you was the only thing on my mind the night I first saw you at the club. I don’t think I can regret something I’ve wanted so bad for so long.”
His words washed over me like a calming wave, tugging a relieved smile onto my face.
"You know," I admitted, my voice soft, "kissing you has been on my mind too since that night at the club." The admission felt liberating, a weight off my shoulders that I hadn't even realized I was carrying.
A spark flashed in Hank's eyes at my confession, his lips curling into a smirk as he leaned in, capturing my lips with his own. The kiss was tender and lingering, a reaffirmation of the desire we had just confessed to each other.
As he pulled away, he gave my ass a playful smack, causing a surprised gasp to escape my lips. A heat rushed through me at his touch.
That night, as I lay in the comfort of my bed, I found myself reaching out to the empty space next to me. I yearned for Hank's presence, the desire for his company lingering just as his taste did on my lips. I allowed myself a secret wish, to wake up to his sweet face one day, to be greeted by his mischievous grin in the morning light.
I wondered what this newfound intimacy would mean for our office dynamic. Would we still instinctively fall into our old patterns of bickering when surrounded by our coworkers? Or had our relationship irrevocably changed?
Next morning, the familiar hum of the office filled my ears as I stepped into my office. My heart pounded in my chest, the events of the night prior replaying in my mind as if on a constant loop.
"Oh my God, Lina!" Mike called out as he followed me in, his eyes sparkling with mischievous delight.
“What?” I asked.
"You and Hank..." he started, trailing off as he watched my expression. I felt my cheeks flush involuntarily, the sheer accuracy of his previous guess knocking me off balance. "Wait, no... it wasn't sex, was it?" He added thoughtfully, his gaze growing more intense. "He went down on you, didn't he?"
My mouth dropped open at his audacity, and I quickly looked around to see if anyone else had heard.
"How in the..." I began, stammering as I grappled for a response. Mike simply smirked as he took a seat, leaning back in the chair with a satisfied nod.
"Sixth sense, like I told you," he declared theatrically, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I can't explain it, but I just know these things. It's more of a curse, really," he added.
"I'm not sure how to feel about it," I confessed.
"Or is it that you don't want to feel anything? Because you're scared of what it might mean if things don't work out with Hank?" He proposed.
I was terrified of being vulnerable, of letting someone in only to get hurt again. And that fear, I realized, was stopping me from exploring what could potentially be something beautiful with Hank.
I felt a knot in my stomach as I said, "There's another reason I'm hesitating. Finn…." The name left a sour taste in my mouth.
Mike's face turned serious. "Finn isn't here," he reminded me gently. "This is about you and Hank. Do you really think Hank would treat you the way Finn did?"
I found myself instinctively shaking my head before I even fully registered his question. "No," I said firmly, "Hank is nothing like Finn."
"Then give Hank a chance," Mike advised, his tone soft but insistent. I found myself smiling, the apprehension in my heart slowly being replaced by hope.
Mike's excitement was infectious as he began to envision potential double dates and couples activities.
"Think about it, Lina!" Mike gushed, leaning back in his chair. "Me and Daddy, you and Hank... We could go to the amusement park! Or take a cooking class! Or even go on a weekend getaway together!”
His ideas tumbled out in a rush, punctuated by his wide grin and waving arms.
"Mike, slow down," I laughed, a blush creeping onto my cheeks. "Hank hasn't even asked me out yet."
"But he will. Hank asking you out is practically the next step in evolution. A natural progression, if you will," Mike replied with a knowing wink, mimicking the tone of a documentary narrator. "And when he does, it won't be just a date, will it? Hank's gonna be your Daddy!"
My heart hammered in my chest at his words, a strange thrill pulsing through me. Yes, I wanted Hank to be my Daddy, to care for me and protect me, just as Joe did for Mike. But admitting it out loud felt so daring.
"But what if I'm not ready for a Daddy?"
"Oh, Lina," Mike said, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of concern and mischief.
