Chapter 4
Water drips down my legs as I rush across my bedroom, my towel threatening to slip off. I heard my phone sound off while still in the shower, and if it was Colin, I didn’t want to miss it.
But it’s Allison, which I see before the phone slips from my wet grip and hits the floor.
“Susie? Did I catch you at a bad time?” I hear from under my bed.
Reaching underneath, I lose the towel completely and slip off the side of the bed, tumbling to the floor.
“What was that?” Allison asks, hearing my whoop and the thud. “Susie, what’s going on?”
“I’m fine,” I say, projecting my voice so she’ll hear. I take a second to sigh. The carpet beneath me feels really nice. I’ve never been naked on the floor, so I never noticed until now.
“Sorry,” I say as I finally get the phone. “What’s up?”
“Bad news. Florence had to call out. She can’t cover the night shift.”
Damn.
If she can’t do it, the job defaults to me.
“I know you’re seeing Colin tonight…” says Allison.
“It’s fine,” I interject. “Really. Colin will understand. He says he can get busy unexpectedly, too.”
“Oh, good.”
Allison pauses, and I get the sense she’s building up to a Serious Question.
“Come on, out with it. I still need to call Colin to reschedule.”
“Okay. I want you to tell me what he says after you speak to him. I can’t help worrying he’s pressuring you.”
“Oh my God, Allison,” I huff. “Again? He’s being totally great about the whole thing. He insists he wants me to be ready.”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry, Susie, but this just seems really fast. Three dates in three days?”
“The first one wasn’t a date,” I remind her.
“Two-and-a-half dates,” she corrects.
I sigh. “What can I say? It’s the weekend. After tonight, I probably won’t see him again until this Friday. I don’t know how I’m going to make it.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you’ve waited this long…”
“Bye, Allison,” I say, laughing. “Text you later,” I add before hanging up.
I start to look for Colin in my contacts to call him, but I stop. Stalling to build up my nerve, I finish toweling off and wander into my closet, wondering which outfit I would have chosen for tonight. However, I soon realize I’m just browsing mindlessly — I’m too depressed by the thought of not seeing Colin. At the same time, spending the night alone at the shelter is always boring; if it didn’t need to be done, I wouldn’t bother.
Enough, Susie.
“Call Colin,” I tell my phone, and in a second it’s ringing.
“Susie!” he answers, sounding surprised to hear from me. “What’s up?”
“I have to cancel tonight, Colin,” I say, forcing myself not to beat around the bush. “Our night manager had to call out, so I have to work at the shelter tonight.”
“Ahh, sorry to hear that. Is it a lot of work?”
“No, not really. It’s mostly just a matter of being there, in case anyone calls for third shift temp jobs. It’s really boring.”
“Hmm, that’s a shame. I was going to take you to Jean-Georges.”
I smile to myself. “It’s okay. I’ve been there.”
“Of course, but I was looking forward to it.”
“Can you take a friend?” I suggest, not wanting him to miss out more than he has to.
“Perhaps, but I have a better idea: why don’t I keep you company at the center? Maybe I can even help out.”
Oh God.
It’s a perfect idea; it even makes me mad I didn’t think of it.
“Colin Legend, are you asking to donate your time to charity on a Saturday night?” I ask.
“Not a chance, Lexington. As long as you’re there, then I’m the one who’s really benefiting.”
Wow. Yeah.
“Oh, that’s a relief,” I reply, snickering. “I don’t know if Colin Legend’s reputation can survive a little selflessness.”
He chuckles. “It would be pretty bad, no question. My publicists would be furious.”
“There’s no pleasing them, is there?”
“Nope,” Colin agrees.
I wonder what mine would say if she found out I was dating Colin. I’d probably be on the phone, getting grilled for hours after every date. I’d long for the days when it was just Allison bugging me. Mentally, I scowl, realizing it will have to happen eventually, if I want to keep seeing Colin.
But it’ll be worth it.
“Okay. Why don’t you meet me at the center later?” I propose. “I’m going to head down there now.”
“Sure, Susie. See you then.”
—
Colin arrives at the center at exactly the time he was supposed to pick me up for our date. The center always feels so empty at night; sometimes, it even feels creepy, when it gets quiet. I’ve been known to jump in fright when the phone rings and I’m barely managing to stay awake. I grin, realizing I’ve never been so excited to work an overnight at the center before.
Of course, I’d feel silly sitting at the reception desk all decked out for a hot date, so I had dressed normally, if above average. I opted for a tight, white tank top that might be a bit cool for the evening, but it shows a nice amount of skin. I also picked out my hottest pair of skinny jeans after checking myself out in the mirror enough times to be sure they looked okay.
I didn’t stop to think, What if Colin dresses like usual for out dates? That thought entered my mind after I left, and it was too late to turn back.
Thankfully, he had the same idea as me.
“Hey, Susie,” he says, slipping his cell phone into the pocket of his khakis.
“Hi,” I say, barely managing to get the word out before he pulls me in for a kiss. Pressed against his chest I feel the hard buttons of his robin egg blue shirt. His breath tastes minty fresh, enhancing the effervescent aroma of his sporty cologne.
“You shaved,” I say with a note of regret after breaking from his embrace.
“Yeah,” he sighs, sweeping his fingers across his now smooth chin. “It was getting too prickly.”
I shrug. “Well, I think you still look pretty good.”
He laughs. “Oh thanks. So, I can stay then?”
I grab the undone collar of his shirt in my fist and pull him into another kiss. “Yes, you… can stay,” I mumble. “If you earn… your keep.”
His hand slides down my back and clutches my bottom. I yelp as he gives my cheeks a squeeze, sending a wave of pleasure through my body.
“Come on,” I say, taking his wandering hand in mine and guiding him past the center’s entrance and through the security doors.
“You look good, Susie,” he says as we walk. Leading the way, I can feel his eyes taking me in from behind.
“Thanks,” I reply. “You do, too.”
He catches up to me. “I mean it. You always look incredible, but you don’t need a nice dress and heels to turn heads, Ms. Lexington. You’re a natural beauty.”
My cheeks burn, and I have to take a deep breath to still my heart. “Maybe you should see me without any makeup.”
He sets his hand on my shoulder and stops. “I’d love to see you without anything at all. And not just your body bared to me, Susie. Your heart and soul. I want to know everything about you. I don’t care if it’s your deepest dreams and desires or a list of what you had for breakfast this month. I want it all.”
I let him draw me into another kiss, this one lasting for what felt like hours. Together, alone in the quiet facility, I could have kept my lips locked to his all night. I feel his tongue slip into my mouth and moan, my legs losing their strength. His arms clasp around my waist, keeping me from sinking to the floor. My warmth aches for his touch, for the relief it’s been waiting to experience for far too long.
The kiss might well have lasted all night — I’ll never know, because eventually the phone rings, breaking the spell. We laugh softly for a second before I sigh and wander over to answer.
“Lexington Center,” I say after clearing my throat. I sit down at the desk and shake the mouse to wake up the computer. Colin grins, watching me in action, leaning against the wall as I take a request for an overnight cleanup at a restaurant that suffered a burst water pipe.
“Sure, Mr. Alvarez. I think I know who to call for that. I’ll send her your information right away. If I can’t get anyone, I’ll let you know within the hour… You’re welcome… Bye!”
I turn to Colin, who’s grinning like he just won a bet. “What?” I ask.
“Oh, nothing. I’ve just always had a thing for sexy secretaries,” he replies.
“Should I be worried, Mr. Legend? I’m sure a man in your position could hire quite the stunner.”
He laughs hard at that. “You mean Clark? He is handsome, no doubt. But he’s not my type.”
Scoffing, I ask, “You hired a guy secretary?”
Colin shrugs. “It was a favor for a friend of mine. He does a pretty good job. Why, you thinking of a career in entertainment management?”
“I’ll consider it. Now give me a minute, I need to make those calls.”
He winks and takes a seat across the desk from me. I dial Nadine, who operates a water and fire damage cleaning service. Luckily for us, her ex-husband has her children for the weekend, and she’s available for the job.
“No, thank you, Nadine… You have the address? Great, you can head over now… All right, see you then.” I hang up and pump my fist. “Mr. Alvarez will be happy. He calls us for hiring a lot, so he’s a big supporter of the center.”
Colin nods, a proud look on his face. “It’s not surprising. You seem to run a very dependable operation.”
“Thanks. We do our best.” I smile. “Now, where were we?”
Colin rolls his chair forward until he can wrap his hands around mine. “I think I had asked you to tell me everything about yourself. Did we get to that yet?”
“Everything, huh? Where should I start? I mean, there’s the names of all my favorite teachers, starting in first grade and up through college. I could tell you my top ten Ryan Gosling movies. Or how about my biggest Twitter pet peeves?”
He shakes his head. “No. Start with your dirtiest sexual fantasies.”
His request hits me so unexpectedly, I nearly fall out of my chair. Planting my feet on the ground, I try to respond, but my throat goes dry.
“My… fantasies?”
“Susie, I’m going to make your first time unforgettable. Maybe forget the dirtiest fantasies. Tell me how you picture your perfect first time.”
“Okay, that’s better,” I say. “I didn’t really want my first time to be in an airplane restroom.”
Colin laughs. “What? Airplane bathrooms can be very romantic.”
“Oh, sure. I guess you’d know.”
“A gentleman never tells,” he replies. “Now go on. Get started. Where would you want it to happen? Somewhere familiar, or somewhere new?”
“I’m not sure. Does it have to matter?”
Colin pulls my hand to his lips and kisses it. “Of course not. This is all up to you.”
I wonder, What do I really want?
“I really don’t know,” I say. “I mean, flowers are nice. Chocolate, wine, music. I never really gave much thought to the particulars. What mattered was the man. I didn’t want a…”
“What?”
“A Ken. Or a Daniel. I know that doesn’t make sense to you.”
He smirks. “Two guys you dated who didn’t fit the bill?”
“Or maybe it does. Really, every guy I’ve met has been one or the other. It’s really frustrating.”
“Well, now you’ve met a Colin.”
Laughing, I ask, “Are you saying I should only date handsome, entertainment industry billionaires?”
“Good luck finding another handsome one,” he says.
I don’t even notice we’re slowly getting closer until he’s kissing me again.
I swear, if the phone rings, I’m chucking it out the window, I think as his hands squeeze mine.
Yes, he’s definitely not a Ken or a Daniel. And every second I feel Colin’s body, breathe in his scent and taste his hunger for me, I start to feel like, after all this time, maybe that could be enough.