My head was pounding the next morning when Eric found me beside the toilet.
‘I must’ve drunk more than I thought,’ I moaned, having made my way back to the bed.
‘I ordered breakfast,’ he said curtly. ‘It should be here soon. Meanwhile, drink water.’ He left and returned with a glass of cold water.
‘Thanks.’ I took a sip of the water. ‘I’m sorry about last night.’
He sat on the bed. ‘Don’t worry about it. It was our first time being at a huge public gathering. You’ll know better the next time.’
I still wasn’t entirely sure what I’d done that constituted flirting. I didn’t think I flirted with anyone, but then I didn’t think I was drunk and I was.
There was a knock on the door.
‘Must be room service.’ Eric answered the door and returned with a tray filled with breakfast goodies.
‘Do you think you’re up for sitting at the table to eat?’ He sat the tray on the table.
I crawled out of bed. ‘I can’t remember the last time I had a hangover. It’s been years. Maybe my college graduation.’
Eric pulled out my chair and I sat down. ‘When was the last time you were drunk?’
‘I never get drunk.’ He sounded tense. ‘When you drink too much you lose control and I don’t like losing control.’
I tasted the scrambled eggs and ham. ‘This is delicious, but there’s a lot of food here.’
Besides the eggs and ham, there were potatoes, toast, pastries, fruit, orange juice and coffee.
‘Now you’re criticizing my food ordering skills.’
There was an edge to his voice. I guess he was still upset from last night.
He jabbed his eggs with his fork. ‘You should be grateful I’m taking care of you.’
‘Oh, I am. I definitely am. I was just saying there’s a lot of food. Sorry if I upset you. I didn’t mean to. I appreciate all you’ve done for me. You’re wonderful and I’d be lost without you.’
His shoulders relaxed.
‘Is there anywhere you want to go today while we’re in town?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I have some errands to run. Do you think you can hang out with Jackie?’
‘Oh.’ I looked down.
‘Is there a problem?’ he asked. ‘I thought you’d have fun spending the day with her.’
‘Oh, I’d have fun. It’s just that I thought we were going to spend the day together.’
Eric sliced a piece of ham. ‘Look, to be honest I’ve been feeling guilty about making you cancel dinner with Jackie last week to be with me. I figured since we’re in town, you girls could hang out while I do my thing.’
‘Jackie didn’t mind me canceling. Besides, I wanted to be with you.’
He sipped his coffee. ‘I know, but it would make me feel better if you spent time with your best friend. I think Jackie’s been feeling a little deserted. She even scolded me last night about taking you away.’
‘She was only kidding.’
‘Maybe, but I think there was some truth to her sentiments. I’ll pick you up at Jackie’s at eight.’
He left to shower and I crawled back into bed. I called Jackie and asked if I could come over.
‘I have a better idea,’ she said. ‘How about we go shopping? We haven’t gone shopping in forever and I want to pick out something new for your wedding.’
‘I told you not to spend money on anything new. We’re just going to the courthouse. It’s no big deal.’
‘It’s a big deal to me. Besides, it’ll give me an excuse to splurge twice in one month on something new.’
‘Are you sure Bruce won’t get mad?’
‘Who cares?’ Jackie said. ‘He’ll get over it. Your best friend only gets married twice.’
Jackie’s last statement had me rolling on the bed laughing. ‘Thanks!’
‘For what?’
‘For just being you.’ I got off the phone with Jackie just as Eric walked into the room dressed in jeans and a button-down white Oxford.
‘You look great!’ I told him.
‘Thanks!’
‘I called Jackie and we decided to go shopping.’
He nodded. ‘Good. I’ll pick you up at her house at eight.’
He kissed me before he walked out the door, but not before taking the satchel.
I lay in bed another hour, replaying the night over and over in my mind. Dancing to music that had been popular back when I was in high school, reconnecting with people I’d known since kindergarten and hadn’t seen in years. It was a fun night – until Eric and I returned to our room and he accused me of things I’d never do. I reasoned that he was just insecure. I guess I’d have to do a better job of showing him he was the one for me.
A couple of hours later, Jackie and I went to the mall, hitting all our favorite shops. We stopped to get a bite to eat in the food court and found a table in the corner.
I picked up a bunch of fries and stuffed them into my mouth. ‘I can’t remember the last time I had fries. I’d forgotten just how good they taste.’
Jackie sipped her soft drink. ‘That’s why you look so good. How can you not eat fries?’
‘It’s hard, but I’m trying to cut down on carbs.’
‘So how did Eric like the reunion?’ Jackie asked.
‘Oh, you know how it is when you go to an event where you only know a couple of people.’
Jackie nodded. ‘Well, if he didn’t enjoy himself, he sure is good at faking it.’
I wasn’t ready to tell Jackie what had happened. I was still trying to process it myself.
After eating, we ended up in our all-time favorite boutique. We saved it for last because we knew if we went there first, we’d blow all our money. We never had any trouble finding something we loved in this store.
Jackie carried over a piece of lingerie. ‘Isn’t this sexy?’
I gulped. It was the leopard set I’d had on the night before.
Jackie shook the lingerie. ‘Your face is red. You have this, don’t you?’
I nodded.
‘I knew it. Do you always get all sexy for Eric?’
‘He buys you sexy lingerie? I so need him to talk to Bruce. Bruce is as romantic as…’ She looked over my shoulder. ‘As that guy putting his hand down his pants to reposition his junk.’
I turned around to see who Jackie was referring to and locked eyes with a bald middle-aged man shopping with his wife, who looked as if she could be his daughter.
‘And that’s another thing,’ Jackie said.
‘No way would I take Bruce along when I went shopping for clothes. He hates shopping. I took him once when we first started dating and I never did again. What about Eric? Is he a pain in the ass when it comes to shopping?’
‘Scott was. But not Eric. He loves going shopping with me. In fact, last week he took me shopping and stood outside the waiting room. I tried on about six dresses and modeled them for him. He insisted on buying them all.’
‘Wow,’ Jackie said. ‘What an amazing guy. And to think you almost didn’t do the whole online dating thing.’
‘Yeah, I know.’
It was six when Jackie and I returned to her house. Bruce was grilling some burgers.
‘Is there enough for us?’ Jackie asked.
‘Plenty,’ Bruce said. ‘I went to the store and bought more just in case. Nick has some friends over so I figured I’d make enough for everyone.’
I elbowed Jackie. ‘See how great Bruce is.’
‘Yeah, he might not be Mr Sexy Pants, but he is thoughtful.’
Eric arrived at Jackie’s a little before eight. He didn’t know it, but I’d kept tabs on him via the GPS app on my phone. He’d spent the entire day in a seedy part of town, or at least his phone did. Normally, I never paid attention to the app. But it kind of weirded me out when he told me he had plans for the day. He wasn’t from here. He’d never lived here. Other than me and Jackie and Bruce, he didn’t know anyone in this town – or no one that I knew of. Yet he’d spent the entire day doing God knows what.
Eric handed Jackie a colorful floral arrangement in a glass vase.
She took the flowers. ‘Are these for me?’
Eric nodded. ‘It’s just a small gesture to thank you for being such a good friend to Shelly. I know she really values your friendship, and I appreciate that you’re always there for her.’
Jackie smiled. ‘Thank you but you didn’t have to buy me flowers. Shelly has always been there for me, too. That’s what best friends do.’
On the drive home, Eric was a little quiet.
‘Did you have a fun day?’ I asked.
‘Yes. I did what I needed to do.’
I debated whether to ask him what he needed to do in one of the worst sections of the city, but I didn’t want to get into another fight.
‘That was nice of you to buy Jackie flowers,’ I said.
‘Well, she’s a good friend and good friends should be rewarded. Did you have fun shopping today?’
‘Yes, Jackie got an outfit for the wedding and I bought a couple of tops for work.’
‘You’ll have to show me when we get home. I’ll need to approve them.’
I playfully hit his arm. ‘Stop it. You know I don’t dress inappropriately for work.’
‘No, but some of your blouses expose a little too much of your breasts. I get hard just looking at you.’
I looked down at my breasts to check if the top I was wearing was exposing too much.
‘That top is fine,’ Eric said. ‘But when we get your breast implants, it might be too snug. I’ll take you shopping for new clothes then.’
That night, I modeled the blouses I’d bought.
‘You look beautiful in them,’ Eric said. ‘You made good choices. I approve.’
I changed into my nightgown and went to bed. Fifteen minutes later, Eric joined me.
‘Are you asleep?’ he asked.
I peeled open my eyes. ‘Sort of.’
He started kissing my shoulder and then went down my back. I turned over to face him.
He held up a new set of sexy lingerie. ‘Put this on.’
‘Can we have sex one night without me dressing up like a hooker?’ I asked tiredly.
‘But I thought you liked roleplaying.’
‘I do. It’s different. But not every time. Sometimes I just want to be made love to.’
‘But you know I don’t get as hard when you don’t wear the sexy lingerie.’
‘You get hard enough,’ I said.
I was wrong. After I spent what seemed like eternity trying to get him aroused, I changed into the get-up, complete with a cowgirl hat and white boots and whip.