“Eloise! Over here!” Sophie yells, and I automatically walk to her table.

It’s a small bar, and hardly any people are here. I guess Wednesday isn’t a big night for bars. Except for my sister, apparently.

She’s sitting at a table with three other women. They all stop talking, and watch me as I approach them.

“What are you doing here?” Sophie asks, standing and hugging me.

“What are you doing here? It’s Wednesday, shouldn’t you be home studying?”

She shrugs, and says, “Wednesdays are cadaver days, we always come here to have a few drinks afterwards, to clear our minds of the bodies.”

Comments like that make me glad I wasn’t able to get into med school.

“Sounds heavy,” I say, looking at her three friends and smiling.

“What are you doing here?”

Gabe reaches the table, and brushes my hand with his. Sophie’s eyes bulge. The eyes of her three friends bulge.

“I’m here with Gabe,” I say.

“Is that Gabe? Him?” she asks in a hushed tone.

I smile and nod, my eyebrows raised.

“Eloise, I need the bathroom. Come with me.” Without waiting for my response, Sophie takes my hand and pulls me away.

“Gabe, do you mind?”

“Go ahead, I’ll get us some beers,” he says, and turns away from the table.

The washroom is at the back of the bar, and I follow Sophie down the row of wooden tables. She throws open the door, and we step into the cramped, dated space. At least it’s clean.

“What are you doing with him here? Shouldn’t you two be in a bedroom somewhere?”

“He insisted on having dinner first.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“I just want to get this over with.”

“So tell him that.”

“I have. He said I’m not ready yet. That I’m not relaxed enough.”

Sophie bursts out laughing, her cackle echoing around the small space.

“What’s so funny?” I demand.

“He’s probably right. You’re so tense all the time. This is probably why you’ve never had an orgasm before.” She pushes the words out between her chuckles.

My cheeks turn red with fury, and I fight the urge to slap her.

“Shut up.”

Sophie runs her fingers through my hair, and says, “You look amazing. You should wear your hair down more often.”

“I used that hair curler thing you bought me for Christmas.”

“Like three years ago? It’s about time you used it.”

I snarl my lip at her. I take a step back, and say, “You smell like the dead.”

“Very funny. I had a shower.”

“Might want to try some perfume as well.”

“Anyway,” Sophie says in a more serious tone, “that man is sex on legs. Send him my way when you’re finished with him.”

“You don’t think he’s too rough looking?”

“That’s his appeal, duh. I want him next.”

“I think Marcy’s next in line after me.”

“Screw Marcy, I’m your sister, I get priority.”

The idea of Gabe with either of them upsets me. For some reason I feel protective of him, and don’t want either of them to go near him.

“I found him, find your own man.”

“At least have him take his shirt off for us, so my friends and I can study his muscles. Purely for medical research, of course.”

“No way. I just told you, he’s mine.”

She grins, and says, “So this is more than sex?”

“God, no. Look at him, how could I ever bring him home to Mom and Dad?”

“Especially now they know he’s a client. But who cares, you’re in this for the sex, remember?”

“Trust me, I haven’t forgotten. But I don’t know when that’s going to happen. I thought dinner would be it, but here we are, in a bar.”

“What’s he like to hang around with?”

Without hesitating, I say, “Lots of fun, actually.”

“So chill out and relax. Stop worrying about it so much and enjoy yourself.”

“But I can’t, I just want to get it over with.”

“Do I have to start quoting you research from my human sexuality class? Get rid of that attitude and relax and enjoy your time with him.”

My gut is telling me she’s right. I’m having a good time with Gabe. I should stop worrying so much about the way tonight is going to end.

“I should get back out there, he’s probably wondering what happened to me.”

Turning, I open the washroom door and go in search of Gabe. He’s sitting alone, at a table as far away from Sophie’s table as possible in the small space.

“Sorry, sisters.” I say, shrugging.

I sit across from him. Two beers in frosty glasses are already on the table.

“That one’s yours.”

“Thanks.”

Gabe lifts the other glass and says, “Cheers.”

“Cheers,” I say, clinking my glass against his.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to sit with your sister and her friends or not.”

“No way. I have no desire to sit with them.”

“That’s good. That must mean your sister approved of me.”

“Do you care?”

“Only if her disapproval would scare you off me.”

“Well I’m still sitting here, aren’t I?”

“I know, I’m enjoying the view.”

My face turns red, and I say, “You can stop that now, you’ve already got me tonight.”

“Maybe it’s not just about tonight.”

Unsure how to respond, I lift my glass and take a long sip. I’d only ever thought about tonight, what I thought was a one-time offer to solve my problem.

It never occurred to me that he’d want to do it again. Or even that I might want to do it again. I guess I was thinking that he’d teach me how to have an orgasm, and after that I’d be able to do it myself.

Assuming, of course, that he actually can live up to his own hype.

My mind starts to spin. What am I doing here? How did I end up on a date with the promise of a first orgasm? Is it actually going to happen?

I hear Sophie and her friends explode in laughter, their noise crashing through the quiet of the bar. I glance over at them, and her eyes catch mine.

I realize I’m doing exactly what I promised her I wouldn’t. I have to relax and stop overthinking things. Live in the moment, like I promised her.

Gabe finishes his drink, and sets the glass on the table.

“Another beer?” he asks.

“Actually, I was going to suggest we go to a different bar.”

“Music to my ears.”

Abandoning the rest of my beer, I stand. Gabe stands, and takes my hand. As we walk to the door, I look over at Sophie. She gives me the thumbs up and laughs. I give her the finger.

Back in Gabe’s truck, I say, “I feel like we’re playing musical chairs tonight.”

“Maybe next time we should stay in.”

I push the thought of a next time out of my head. Sophie would be proud.

“Who was that guy at the first restaurant anyway?”

“Marshall. He owns Hell in a Needle. And is an asshole.”

“So he’s a business rival.”

“One who doesn’t keep things professional. I didn’t want him to cause a scene.”

We drive in silence while I contemplate the concept of someone causing a scene. The idea is foreign to me and I can’t imagine my father ever being in the situation where someone he knows might make trouble.

“I know a place just around the corner, it’s even got a pool table. Have you ever played pool?”

I stifle my smile and decide not to tell Gabe that I grew up with one in our game room. Sophie and I spent half our childhood playing, and still play almost every weekend.

“No, never. But it sounds fun.”