Homeless Heart

Lizzie

I sat and stared at my laptop screen; I couldn't hide the smile. My heart was beating faster, and I wasn't sure if it was the anticipation of the evening or thinking about Phin. The hotel always gave me a lovely suite because we did so much business for the event. I couldn't help but be sad that such a beautiful room would go to waste because I wasn't even going to sleep here tonight. I'd planned to go home and sleep in my bed, no point in sleeping alone in a suite. I thought about Phin, and where he'd sleep tonight, we hadn't talked about where he lived here in the city. I secretly hoped he'd join me in the suite. Why let the nice room go to waste? Would he sleep with me if I asked? He'd made it pretty clear he was attracted to me, but I wasn't the type of girl to do casual sex. Guys his age probably only did casual hookups. I didn't know much about Phin; maybe he had a girlfriend, and there was still something I felt he was hiding. I pushed those visions away and then imagined Phin getting ready somewhere else in the hotel. No shirt, top button of his pants undone, resting on his hips. I tried to stop having those thoughts about Phin because I had way too much to do. Next week when I was off work lying around in my sweatpants, I'd have plenty of time to fantasize about Phin and those hips. I better get some batteries for Victor next week.

As I stood in front of the mirror, I admired the Badgley Mischka emerald green gown, which helped enhance my cleavage and accentuate my strawberry-blond hair. The dress cost me a month's wages, but it was worth it. The rest of the dress gathered at the waist, hiding those little bulges that Spanx didn't always cover. My silver heels were my staple at these events; they were high, but not too high. I'd already broken them in at many other events so I wouldn't have blisters at the end of the night. I did my hair in a loose braid to hang over my bare shoulder, hoping it would cover some of the freckles that peppered my body. I didn't want to worry about my hair all night, and wearing it up was just too fussy. The downside to the whole thing was the amount of makeup I'd have to wear. I hated wearing all that makeup, but it worked better with my dress. My smoky green eye shadow, dark eyeliner, and muted toned lipstick worked perfectly for the event. If I wore lip-gloss, it would get stuck on people's cheeks on the greeting kisses, so I stuck with a nude matte lipstick. There were so many things you needed to consider when getting ready for these events, and over the years I'd learned that the hard way. Getting your lip-gloss stuck in someone's long hair was very embarrassing and gross. Being a girl wasn't easy on nights like these. As I finished getting ready, I had to remind myself that tonight wasn't about me; it was about the charity and the kids who needed our help. Remembering why I was there, renewed my resolve and helped me to put the last-minute details out of my mind as well as the handsome young man waiting downstairs.

My phone pinged with a text from Hope.

Hope: Hot barman here and looking delicious. Now get your butt down here. I need you!

Looking at the clock, I realized I needed to get moving. As I got closer to the ballroom, my heart started to pound. I stood at the central doorway to the large ballroom and saw Phin right away behind the bar in his uniform, and he looked breathtaking. He was wearing a simple black oxford shirt, that was tight across his chest and shoulders with the sleeves rolled up showing off his toned arms. Looking at his firm biceps, thinking about them wrapped tight around me, had me blushing again. The dream came back to me, and I knew right then that I was in trouble. He looked up, smiled, and that damn dimple appeared like magic. Poof . . . there goes my second pair of panties!