I don’t know why I didn’t just put his number in my phone as soon as he gave me the business card. Would that have made it more real? Or less real?

Color me confused.

The business card is sitting on my desk, and I have my phone out right next to it. Beth and I are standing over my desk, staring at the card, as though it’ll come to life and do something on its own.

It’s like a science experiment. I was never very good at science. I never knew my way around one of the Bunsen burner things. And the chemicals? They stunk, and they stung my eyes.

You know one thing that smelled great? Dan’s office.

Crap. I’m just now realizing that I only know his name because it’s on the card.

Dan Murray. He sounds like a prick. He kind of acted like one, too.

Then why do I want him so much? Why do I think his prickishness was hot?

Confused doesn’t begin to cover how I feel.

“We going to just stand here all day and stare?” Beth asks, folding her arms across her chest and tapping her toe. “Or are you going to make a move?”

“Come on,” I say, backing over to my bed and falling into it like it’s catching me in one of those trust exercises. “When have I ever been one to make a move?”

“Exactly,” she says, grabbing my phone. “Then let me call him.”

I spring from my bed and grab the card from my desk.

“Hell no!” I say, slipping the card into the back pocket of my PJ pants. “I don’t want him to think I’m some kind of lunatic. Two girls calling him? He’d think I was off the wall.”

“Let me pretend to be you, then!” Beth says, her eyes lighting up. “And I always thought you had a cute butt, but do you want me shoving my hand into your pants to get that card?”

“You’re not getting it.”

“Then let’s just look up his number. Shouldn’t be too hard to find. Now, this was the bank on 59th Street, correct?”

“Fine!” I say, taking the card out of my pocket and putting my hand out. “Give me the phone. I’ll just call him. It’s five, and he told me I’d call him at five, so I guess I have to.”

“See? This is what you need. Someone to light a fire under your butt.”

I punch in my passcode and open the phone app on my phone. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that calling a guy on my phone is the last thing I’d usually do on it?

But Beth is right. Just needed someone to light a fire under my butt. This’ll be easy. Just call him up, no biggie.

I start to dial his number.

“Oh, it’s a 212,” Beth says, looking over my shoulder. “That’s the original Manhattan area code.”

“Wait,” I say. “So this is his work number?”

“I guess so,” she responds, flopping down onto my bed.

“But he should be leaving work now, shouldn’t he? Damn. I guess I can’t call him. He won’t be there anymore. He’s probably left for the day.”

“Quit looking for excuses to not call him,” Beth says, inspecting her fingernails. “What happened to your big plan with this guy?”

“Oh. Yeah,” I sigh.

Would I really have the guts to do through with it? Give my virginity away to this guy who I just met?

What did I think it would be like the first time? A bed covered with rose petals, harp music coming from who-knows-where, a guy in velvet pajamas walking toward me, with his eyes piercing mine until he gently lays me down on the bed and makes sweet love to me while gazing into my eyes all night?

I guess I never really imagined it at all. I certainly never imagined that the first time A guy would touch me down there would be at an office in a bank.

But things never do go as planned, do they?”

“I think I need a shot of courage,” I say, going to the kitchen.

“Oh, happy hour?” Beth says, bouncing off the bed and following me into the kitchen. “What’ll it be? Tequila? Vodka?”

“No. This is how I get fired up,” I say, rooting around in the fridge, glass jars of condiments clanking against each other until I find what I’m looking for. “Raw. Cookie. Dough.”

“That’s your idea of a good time, I guess,” Beth says, grabbing two spoons.

“Now I’m good,” I say, shoving a gob of the stuff into my mouth. “Now I have the clarity and purpose to do what I need to. I’m gonna call Dan.”

“You’re gonna call Dan!”

I take my phone out again. My little diversion did put things into perspective, if only for a second.

It’s not a big deal, I keep telling myself as I punch in his number and wait for the phone to ring.

“Hey, boss,” Dan says on the other line.

“Well, you said I’d call. So here I am,” I say. “Calling.”

“I’m happy to hear from you,” he says on the other end. “I’m just finishing up some work, and I’ll be done by the time you get here.”

“By the time I get there?” I ask. “I’m going back to the bank?”

You never return to the scene of a crime! And he wants me to go back there, where he had his fingers on my panties and my mouth gasping for air.

He’s making me wet, and he hasn’t even said anything dirty yet.

“Not back to the bank. Not inside, at least. Meet me across the street. There’s a little bar that I want to bring you to.”

“Why don’t we...just meet at your place instead?” I ask, summoning up all my courage. I can’t believe I actually got the words out, because I catch myself not breathing and then need to gasp for air.

“Oh?” he says. “That’s fine too. You just want to skip right to the main event?”

“Yeah,” I say. “Why not? Skip all the bullshit and go right to the main thing.”

This isn’t me talking. Someone’s overtaken my body. I’m possessed by a sex-crazed person.

“Baby, getting to know me wouldn’t be bullshit. But you’re right. There will be plenty of time for that later.”

“Getting to know you?” I ask.

This guy, the first guy who ever touched me like that, who told me he wanted me and commanded that I do the same, who was arrogant and presumptuous enough to think that I’d call him when he told me to (and honestly, he was right) - he wants to get to know me?

“Yes. But that’ll be after I do every sick, dirty thing to you that I know has been running through your head since we met. Touching you. Tasting you.”

“Just tell me where to be and I’ll come,” I say.

“Yes, you will. You will come. You’ll come on my face, my cock.”

“Text me the address!”

I hang up and throw the phone down on the bed.

“Everything okay?” Beth asks. “Why’d you hang up so fast? Was he a rude prick? Tell you he was gonna give you the best sex of your life, or something?”

“Something like that.”

I can’t tell her what he said. It’s too much!

“To his credit, it’s true. It will be the best sex of your life.”

She looks at me with a sideways smile and goes over to my closet.