4
HOLLY
My lunch break ends up being a long one. It’s not like I’m particularly hungry, I just don’t want to be in the office all that much. I still haven’t gotten over the fact that I made a huge fool of myself during the party on Friday, and I feel as if there’s a tension in the office, I’m the elephant in the room that no one wants to mention.
My friend Sasha and I end up grabbing drinks while we’re out to lunch, using it as an excuse to avoid going back to work.
“It’s not as bad as you think, honestly.” Sasha says. “A few people have been gossiping about it, but you didn’t make as big as impact as you think.”
“I didn’t?”
Sasha takes a sip of her Long Island Ice Tea and shakes her head. “It was obvious that you were a little tipsy, but you kept to yourself. Everyone is mostly pissed at Verity.”
“Verity?” I cock my head, confused.
“Yeah. Verity. She’s the one… you know.”
Oh. That one.
“That’s the name of this secretary girl?”
Sasha nods. I feel like throwing up. Fucking Verity?
“I’d have reacted so much worse if I were in your position honey. I would have thrown that bitch overboard.”
“She’s pregnant Sash.”
“Well—” She pauses. “I’d put a life jacket on her first.”
Her casual callousness makes me break out in a snort laugh. “She’s not the one I should hate, as much as I want to. It’s that fucking pig Lucas who is responsible for getting her pregnant. He’s the one that cheated on me, if you’re throwing anyone over board it should be him.”
Sasha raises her drink. “Now that I can drink to. You know what they say honey, the best way to get over a guy is to get under another. So…”
“So?”
“So where the heck did you get to on Friday night? Last I saw you on the boat you were running off and mumbling something about getting a piece of ‘Notorious’.”
“I was?”
“Yeah. Right after I told you he was driving our limo.”
Like all the girls in the office, Sasha is familiar with ‘Notorious Nate’—he is something of a local celebrity around these parts after all.
“He gave me a lift home.” I concede, and Sasha’s face lights up, but I hold my hand out to explain. “But it’s not what you think. Here’s what happened.”
Sasha is in tears by the time I finish my story. “So you managed to bring Notorious Nate home, and you end up spraying him with a fire extinguisher… Damn girl. You sure found a way to mess up a great opportunity for a good fuck.”
Her words make images dance through my mind. I picture Nate as he was in my kitchen. Standing there with one of my small white towels wrapped around his hard body. What I wouldn’t give for him to have dropped that towel and bend me over a counter, slamming me hard from behind.
“Hello? Earth to Holly?” Sasha waves a hand in front of my face, breaking me from my reverie. “Do I even want to know what’s going on up there?”
“Just things that are never going to happen.” I sigh reluctantly.
“Why not hit the Fling King up? Let him give you a good seeing to with that python between his legs. A girlfriend of mine used Nate to get over a bad breakup, and she said it worked perfectly.”
“I dunno. He’s been with so many girls. Don’t you think that would be intimidating? I feel like I couldn’t compare. And what’s to say he’d even go with me Sash, he’s—”
“Girl you are out of your mind crazy if you think that fool wouldn’t bend over backwards for you. Look around you girl, every damn guy walking by is checking you out. If Notorious Nate don’t want a piece of your fine ass, he’s out of his damned mind. He took you back home didn’t he?”
“I guess. I just wish I wasn’t so drunk, fuck. He’s so fucking dreamy, and I messed it up big time.”
Sasha pulls her phone out and starts tapping away at the screen.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m messaging Nate. I’m helping you to forget about Lucas.”
I reach my hand out and snatch her phone out of her hands.
“Hey!”
“You don’t have to message him. I ran into him earlier on my way here.”
Sasha’s eyes widen in excitement. “I knew you were hiding something from me! What happened?”
“I think he might have asked me out on a date. He said he wants to go for drinks.”
A broad grin takes over Sasha’s face, and she’s practically dancing in her seat. “And what did you say?!”
“I said I’d message him.”
She nods slowly as if I made a wise decision. “Oh girl, that right there is confirmation that your boy is down to fuck. Go out with Nate, let him lay you down all horizontal and forget all your troubles as he makes your body melt into orgasm central.”
I scoff on my drink, nearly coughing it up. “I don’t know Sash, maybe another man is the last thing I need right now.”
“You’re exactly right.” She says. “And that’s why you’re not getting a man. You’re getting a Grade A, sex machine from the planet orgasm. He’s been sent back in time to make pussies scream, and his sights are set on you.”
“Why are we friends again?”
Sash knocks back the last of her drink and winks at me. “Because you love me bitch.”
When I get home from work, I jump in the shower and wash the day’s grime away from my body. I still haven’t worked up the courage to message Nate, but when I finish drying my hair, I notice there’s a message in my Inbox. It’s from Nate.
Hey,
Got tired of waiting for your message, so I decided to stalk you. (Hope that isn’t creepy?) I’m still up for a drink tonight if you’re interested. I help out at the community center until 8pm. After that I’m all yours. There’s a great bar on the beach front called Gino’s. I’ll be there from 8:30pm if you want to grab a drink with me.
-Nate.
I hold the phone in my hand for a moment, not sure if I really believe that the message is real. This is it, this is my second invitation and second chance at not making a fool of myself in front of the Fling King. There’s a nervousness in my stomach that is bordering on nausea, and my whole body feels hot from anticipation. Maybe Sasha is right, and the best thing for me right now is a good old fashioned fuck. Lucas and I never exactly had the best chemistry, and our brief time together always just felt kind of stagnant. It’s not like we didn’t get on, but he never seemed that interested in me when it came to the bedroom.
I assumed the lack of chemistry was probably something to do with me, but learning about his affair might explain part of it away. Mind blowing sex is something I have never really experienced, and I’m half convinced that everyone else is making it up. The reviews surrounding Nate’s prowess are certainly enticing, however. I’ve never actually met a girl that’s been wooed by him, but I’ve certainly heard enough stories through the grapevine to know that is prowess knows no bounds.
Still, my history of sexual mediocrity niggles away at me. There’s no way my brain would ever let me sleep with Nate and not have some internal angst crisis over it. Going out with him might be fun tonight, but I’m definitely not setting out with the intention of having sex. I’m still raw from the break up with Lucas—even if he is a cunt—and throwaway sex with a random stranger will probably only make me feel worse.
I get the impression that Nate is good fun though, and his company might help cheer me up. As he took the liberty to ‘stalk’ me, I return the favor and have a look at the schedule for the community center tonight to see what is scheduled before 8pm. The schedule pops up on my phone, and my mouth drops into a smile when I see what is lined up.
Mondays - 7pm - 8pm: Salsa lessons for retirees.
Is this really what Nate is doing with his free time on Monday evenings? Notorious Nate… the Fling King… is teaching Salsa to old grannies?
Jumping from the chair, I skip over to my wardrobe and look for something suitable to wear. I settle on a billowy red dress that falls around my thighs. It’s casual enough to look like I haven’t tried, but it also makes me look damned sexy. Not that I’m trying to be sexy of course.
I make the executive decision to bring the start time for our date forward a few hours and rush around the house trying to get ready in time. I hope Nate’s not a shy dancer, because I’m about to crash his volunteering session.
It might even be fun.