She stands there before me looking like a temptress. Her hair is long, and her curls flow like waves down to the middle of her back. She wears a loose, olive green halter tank that shows enough skin to drive my imagination wild. Her jeans fit like a glove, and her black heels accentuate the never-ending length of her legs. I take her hand in mine and steer her to the dance floor. I grip her hips, and instinctively her arms wrap around my neck. I bury my face in her hair, letting myself sink into her smell of seduction.

Her back is pressed to my front, and we’re dancing to a rhythm that only we can hear. I know the minute we step out of this place, her walls will be back up and any chance of convincing her that we should see more of each other will be over. I don’t know why, but I want to know her, and I don’t care how long it takes, I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ve gone from being a quick fix to wanting to be a permanent solution. I want to know everything there is to know about her, and getting reacquainted with her body is just the icing on the cake.

I see her friend from earlier talking to Ben. They seem comfortable at the bar, and I don’t have to worry about leaving him alone for too long.

She runs her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck, while her hips sway entrancingly from side to side, her ass pressing up against my dick every chance it gets. Slowly I slide my hands under her shirt, the flowy material hiding them from plain sight. Her skin is soft, silky and warm. The minute my skin touches hers, I’m clenching my teeth and begging for control. Her breath catches and I’m sated by the knowledge that I affect her too.

As the songs change, our bodies somehow become closer. She turns in my arms and purposefully stops herself from pressing into me. Her cheeks are flushed, and her eyes are blazing with need. She’s vulnerable from the alcohol, and as I run my thumb across her bottom lip, I decide that she needs to lead this moment. I want to kiss her, but I don’t. I want to take her home, but I won’t.

After the last time we spoke she knows where I stand, but I will only push when she pulls. What happens next has to be up to Courtney, because after tonight there’s no going back for me.

I’ve spent weeks keeping my distance, but at the mere mention of her name tonight, I knew giving her the space and retracting from our sexual agreement changed nothing. I still want to be friends, and then some. I want to peel the surface and dive deep into her thoughts, quell her fears and bring her needs to life. I want to be the guy she turns to out of necessity, not convenience.

She lets her guard down and presses herself against me. Her perfect tits brush up against my chest. I lower my hands and politely place them on top of her ass, her eyes bore into mine. She's waiting for me to make the next move, I can feel the anticipation buzzing through her, but I just stare back at her, and wait. My eyes dance around her face, capturing everything beautiful about her. I linger on her plump lips and watch as her tongue peeks out, enjoying my attention. Her arms resume their rightful place around my neck, and I feel the exact moment her body goes weak and she gives into us. With no hesitation or uneasiness, I seize the moment. As her lips meet mine, I cup her ass and pull her into me.

A mixture of mint and tobacco, her mouth is warm and inviting. Our tongues are talking, and I don't ever want the conversation to end. Each stroke intensifies our attraction, and she melts into me. Any closer at this point and our clothes would be off and I would take her right here.

I realize that this is our first kiss. Everything before is marred by fear, trepidation, and sadness. This kiss isn't littered in escape or pain. There's no rush, and no eagerness to forget. This is just lust; Unadulterated and undeniable.

She steps back, and I don’t want to give her a second to think or regret it. I cup her cheeks, give her one last peck, and pull her toward the bar. It’s all out in the open now, the kiss, my determination, her interest. Now, we can dilute the heat and see where the night takes us.

Standing at the bar, she stands in front of me and I close her in with my arms. We patiently wait for the bartender to make his way to us.

“What can I get you guys?” he asks. His eyes leer at her a little too long, and intuitively I wrap my arm around her torso protectively.

“I’ll have two shots of tequila, a Mojito and a bottle of Asahi.”

I fish for my wallet and throw the cash on the stained wood. I lift the shot glass, “A toast?”

“To what?” she questions.

“Friends?”

“Friends don’t kiss,” she says with a smirk. I appreciate her light-hearted response, it makes me feel hopeful that she’s open to the idea of more.

“How about a toast to more,” I say confidently.

She licks her lips and hesitates. I hold the drink up in front of her eyes and wait for her to make her move. With a sigh mixed with excitement and defeat, she clinks her glass to mine. “More.” We throw back the shots and reach for our drinks to chase down the burn.

I notice Ben from the corner of my eye and signal to walk over to where they’re seated.

“Welcome back you two,” a small and sassy brunette says as we get closer. “I see you decided against sex in public,” she jokes, referring to our dancing. I reach my hand out in front of me, “Hi, I’m Elliot. And I see you met Ben.” Ignoring her innuendos.

“Tina,” she responds with a smile. Thankfully, they seem to be enjoying each other’s company, and there’s no pressure on us to go our own ways and end the night early. There's a high circular table standing in between the four of us with only three stools. I offer Court the stool but she waves her hand, signaling she'd rather stand up. With one hand holding my beer and the other one touching Court, I'm very content in this moment.

“Hey, I’m Ben,” he says, offering Court his hand. “Forgive me for tagging along. It seems I had no choice in joining in on tonight’s episode of let’s reunite with our girls, starring Elliot and Lior.”

“I don’t know what they’ve been telling you, but I’m not anyone’s girl,” Court states.

“Not yet, you aren’t,” Ben says with a chuckle. He looks directly at me and I suppress my smile. I'm impressed by how forthcoming he is, considering they just met. She tries to subtlety step to the side, letting me know his comment irritated her. I hold her still, stealthily sliding her body in between my open legs.

“I don't even know why Lior and Evie bother spending time apart,” she continues talking. “Evie has a permanent smile on her face and is staring at her phone all the time. It’s sickening actually.” The inflection in her voice lets me know she’s joking. It’s no secret Court loves seeing that smile on her best friend's face. There’s huge comfort in knowing Evie is happy and radiant at all times these days. Her strength and resilience, albeit slow to shine, has been a gift to witness.

“So, how do you two know each other,” Court points between Ben and I.

“I’m the new Elliot at work, I work with Lior,” he responds. She moves forward, and turns to face me.

“You have a new job?” she asks in disbelief.

“This is why it pays off to be friends.”

“When did you change jobs? Why didn’t I know?” I’m surprised by her level of interest, as well as how irritated she looks because she didn’t know. Tina and Ben realize that the conversation has taken a more intimate turn, so they head back to the dance floor, left to enjoy each other’s company.

“When do you think would’ve been a good time to talk about it?” I ask. “How about a few weeks ago when you told me to stop trying to make fetch happen?”

“Don’t be a dick,” she says before attempting to turn back around to the others. I reach for her arm, and her eyes follow my grip. She raises her eyebrow in question.

“Don’t run.” I insist. “How about we get out of here, and we can catch up?” I drop my hand and wave the proverbial white flag. I don’t use the alcohol to my advantage, and even try to push the kiss out of my mind. They say slow and steady wins the race, and losing isn’t an option.

* * *

It’s almost two in the morning, and we’ve been sitting at this dingy diner, just up the block from Transcend; getting to know one another. When we first got here, Court made me work for it. The way we left the bar, argumentative and tense, seemed to have infiltrated her mood. But as the diner keeps busy well into the night, Court and I managed to settle into a comfortable rhythm; enjoying each other and the live and free entertainment, in the form of intoxicated party-goers.

I told her about my new job, and how the switch was difficult, but the best thing for me. I explained exactly what it was I did so she could stop thinking I was just a guy who chose to dress in a suit every day. Trying to explain commercial real estate to the best of my ability, can be difficult. Most people think it’s like Million Dollar Listing when in reality the differences are huge, and my life just isn’t that glamorous. I stick to the basics with Court, because I don’t want to bore her before things have even had a chance to take off. I don’t go into too much detail about the baggage from the last few years, but I choose to discuss the basics. The safe topics.

I divulge how this career path fell in my lap, and how when I finished school, my mother insisted on me going to college. Knowing I wanted to always be my own boss, I got a bachelor’s degree in business and kept my GPA above average. My mom knew a guy who offered me a job while studying at Rutgers University. It was downtown, and he had a pretty good business. He taught me the ropes, hoping I would open my own franchise, but the lure of the big city and my decision to locate my biological father changed all my future plans. I started searching for different job opportunities, things that were more challenging, and naturally something that brought in the big bucks. Money isn’t the be all and end all, but I wanted to help my mom as soon as I could. Growing up as a single mother meant that she worked her ass off for me. If I ask her she would say she has no regrets and would do it all over again.

Disappointing superwoman was never an option for me, so showering her with gratitude has always been at the top of my list. Years later, I still owe her everything. Even though I’m on a different path than what I planned. This is the first time in a long time, I finally feel I’m right where I’m supposed to be.