“Night, baby. Have sweet dreams.”
My daughter scuffled back to her room and closed the door behind her, leaving Lara and I to the silence. We looked to one another, quiet for a tense beat before bursting out into stifled laughter. Lara nervously played with her hair, much to timid to look me in the eye.
“I think I should g
et going,” she whispered. “I’ve got to get to work first thing tomorrow.”
Sure, I was disappointed to hear that, but I also completely understood where Lara was coming from. Much of the mood had been diffused by Clarissa’s unexpected entry, and I wasn’t sure if we could get straight back into kissing. Needless to say, I didn’t want Lara to leave. Not yet, anyways. There were so many questions running around in my head, so many answers that I was searching for. I knew that if I let Lara go home now without asking her out on a date, I’d regret it.
“How do you feel about parties?” I asked hurriedly.
“Depends on the party.” She raised a curious eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”
“There’s a get-together of sorts coming up next weekend,” I explained. “Hosted by my publisher. Tons of authors and literary agents are going to be there. It’s supposed to be a great networking opportunity, but most of us just go there for the free booze. Would you be interested in coming with me?”
The smile that stretched across Lara’s lips could have lit up the entire room. “I’d be happy to,” she giggled.
“It’s a date, then.”
“I’ll mark it in my calendar.”
7
Lara
I’d been looking forward to the party all week. Several professors noted that I’d been particularly distracted, and dear old Alistair noticed how spacey I’d been acting during my shifts. I just couldn’t stop daydreaming about Chuck. He’d actually asked me out. I had to pinch myself several times to make sure that this wasn’t all a dream. I thought for sure I was dreaming when Chuck kissed me the other night in his apartment. Holy cow could that man kiss. He’d knocked the air right out of my lungs and left me seeing stars, head swirling crazily as he grabbed hold of me. There was experience behind his kiss, control and surety I’d never experienced with past boyfriends and casual flings. Chuck was a man, in charge and confident. And if I said that our kiss hadn’t left me a little wet between the knees, I would have been lying.
The evening of the party, I found myself frantically shifting through old dresses in my closet. I wasn’t sure how fancy this party was going to be. Chuck said fellow authors and important figures in the literary industry were going to be there, so I felt sure this was one of those black-tie events. It wasn’t like I had a great selection of dresses to choose from. My wardrobe was seriously outdated and left much to be desired. After at least half an hour, I managed to round down my picks to just two dresses: a short black dress that hugged my figure tight, and a calf-length red dress with a high neckline but plunging back. Both dresses had been gifts from Hannah, one for my twenty-second birthday and the other for an evening out. I’d put on a bit of weight since receiving the dresses, and I had to admit I didn’t think I’d feel completely confident in either selection.
As I ran my fingers over the fabric of the black dress, thoughts of Chuck’s strong hands in my hair flashed across my eyes. I wondered how far we would have taken things if Clarissa hadn’t interrupted us. What would we have done if it was just the two of us alone? What if I’d let him take me, then and there? Would Chuck be wonderfully gentle? Or would he be deliciously rough? I was just following Hannah’s advice, trusting my gut. His kisses had been intoxicating, and the sensation of his fingertips against my skin made me feel like I was on fire. The growing hardness in the front of his pants was the perfect confirmation that he liked me more than he let on.
I somehow managed to get dressed, choosing the little black dress over the red one because I quite frankly didn’t think it was wise to go braless. I was worried that maybe Chuck would read it as an overtly seductive sign, which was the last thing I wanted. We were going to a party to have fun, to make idle chitchat with his peers. I wanted to look presentable, for both his sake and mine. After applying a discreet amount of makeup –rouging my lips with a bit of cherry tinted stain and applying a bit of mascara and eyeliner– I spent the next hour working on my hair. My long black locks were difficult to work with, too thick to curl properly, but too plain to just let down. I nearly burned my fingers twice while trying to use the curling iron, but finally settled on a hard do that I was at least half-satisfied with.
Chuck arrived shortly after, knocking on my door like some gentlemanly caller. He was dressed in dark blue dress pants, a white button-down shirt, and a matching dark blue sports coat. He’d styled his hair back with a bit of gel, and he’d trimmed his beard to perfectly accent his strong jaw. If I didn’t know anybody, I could have mistaken Chuck for a runway model. How was it possible that a nerdy science-fiction author could look so damn fine?
His mouth dropped open a little upon seeing me. “Lara, you–” He swallowed hard. “Wow.”
I giggled, “Oh, stop that.”
“You look amazing.”
“You think so?”
“Definitely.” Chuck stuck out his elbow for me to take. I did so, grinning stupidly as I locked the door behind me.
“Where’s Clarissa?” I asked as we made our way down the hall to the apartment complex’s front entrance.
“She’s actually at her grandparents’ this weekend.”
“So what you’re really saying is that we don’t have to worry about being back at a certain time.”
Chuck winked at me. “You get me.”
* * *
The publishing house had rented out a massive banquet hall at one of the fancier downtown hotels, one that practically screamed wealth and status by its massive marble signage alone. Tables had been set up along the perimeter of the ballroom, covered in expensive looking silk tablecloths and floral arrangements. Upon them rested a wide variety of finger foods sitting on fine china, and there was even a tower of champagne flutes at the very end of the buffet lineup. The gentle glow of warm white fairy lights that hung from the bannisters had me hypnotized, and the smooth swing of jazz music by the live band in the corner of the hall similarly had me entranced. I’d never before been in a room so lavish, never before rubbed elbows with so many authors who I’d admired for so long.
Chuck introduced me to a number of his peers, fellow authors of similar acclaim and status in the literary world. I shook hands with many of them, too dumbfounded to say more than ‘hello’ and ‘nice to meet you.’ As dazzled as I was with the sights, the smells, and the line of new faces, I found myself pulling closer to Chuck as the night went on. His company, his attention, was the only thing I wanted. And what made things even more spectacular was the fact that he seemed to feel the same way. No matter how many people came up to greet him, to chat his ear off about their latest projects, Chuck always seemed to return the conversation to me.