"You know, being a womanizer and all."
I smile. I still didn’t think it's funny.
Two stools open, and Luke and I move to sit down. I order another Hennessy. He’s been drinking the same and orders another as well. I drink another two glasses with Luke before we call it a night. It's good to see him, but only in small doses.
When I walk out of the hotel, I don't know which way to go. I'm horny as hell and irritated. I haven't had sex in a while. Jessica is really starting to grate on me, and I need a release. I need a distraction.
I take my phone out of my pocket and scroll down my contacts list. There are so many women I can call. All of them would agree to a night of hot sex in the blink of an eye. I can call any one of them and find a place to put my erection.
Nicole flashes before me, and I sigh. How am I going to be able to enjoy myself with anyone if she's the only one on my mind? Besides, I don't want the others. I want her. If I'm going to fuck, let it be with Nicole.
I pocket my phone again and wave for a cab. I'll just go home. It looks like another night alone with my hand. Nicole has caught my interest, and I don't want anyone else.
Sure, I'm leaving in 23 days. It seems silly to focus on just one person in the time that's left. I should be going out and sleeping with everyone, enjoying my last days of freedom.
Instead, I want to spend that time with Nicole. Even if it gets me nothing.
What's happening to me?
Nicole
Thomas doesn't give up. No matter how slow I need to go, he makes sure we do that. It's endearing. Especially since I can tell how much he wants me. He practically vibrates with arousal when he's around me. I can almost smell it coming off of him. There's no question that I want him, too. I'm just not ready to take that next step.
When I first met him, I was sure he'd try to charm me out of my pants the way so many other men have tried to do. They didn’t give a crap about anything but what I had between my legs.
Thomas is different. As we spend more and more time together, he's shown me that he's interested in me as a person. Sure, he tells me often how beautiful I am, and I know he wants so much more than I'm willing to give him.
Despite that, he never pressures me too much. He respects my boundaries. At the same time, he makes it clear how much he wants me. I should've told him the truth about why I held back, but the idea of revealing that secret terrifies me. Thomas would run away the moment I told him I wanted to wait until I was in love to lose my virginity. I feel guilty for not telling him. He has a right to know, but I'm too selfish to risk losing him by telling him the truth.
Despite not knowing what's holding me back, Thomas has been surprisingly patient with me. He treats me with respect. We’ve been on a few more dates, and it's been solely about getting to know each other. Other than kissing, he doesn't push me into anything I'm not comfortable with. I’d been nervous the first time, but he had given me no reason to worry. Well, on his part. I'm still nervous about myself. The more time I spend around him, the less I'm sure I'll be able to control myself around him. What we have isn't love, but that doesn't mean I don't want more than just a kiss from him.
I meet him at the corner of Seventh Avenue and West Fifty-Ninth Street. "Why are we meeting here?" I ask him when I walk up.
"I have a surprise for you," Thomas says. He gestures with his hand to a white carriage with four horses and a driver.
"We're going on a tour through Central Park."
I smile at him. "Really?" I ask.
He nods. "When you live in a country, you tend to avoid the tourist destinations and miss out on the best your country has to offer."
This is true. I've gone to all the tourist attractions when I’d traveled to Germany, but I had never been on a carriage ride around central park.
The driver turns in his seat when we climb into the carriage.
"We're going to cover the South Quadrant of Central Park," he says. "That includes Sheep Meadow, the Balto Statue, Tavern on the Greene, and more."
He smiles at us. Thomas nods at him. "Good man," he says.
The driver clicks his tongue and flicks the reins, and we are off.
"This is so nice," I say as we enter Central Park at West Drive. The park is green. Pedestrians are out enjoying the weather and the beautiful surroundings, and the sun breaks through the clouds, mimicking how I feel.
"Your country is a beautiful place," Thomas says. "You should celebrate it."
"Your patriotism is impressive," I say. "I’m proudly American, but I don’t think anyone sees the country as passionately as tourists do. I mean, we’re just trying to live and get by, you know? We hardly have time to stop and see everything with fresh eyes."
Thomas shrugs. "Where I come from, being from Elanda is to be proud. Our country is not very big, but our hearts are, and we swell with pride that we've made the most of what we have."