“You don’t date.”
It was true. Nick went out with girls—but not ever with any sort of romantic designs. He went out because he liked to be out. Liked to see shows, go to clubs, eat fancy dinners. They weren’t designed to impress, they weren’t designed to create any added amount of intimacy. To be honest, he knew he didn’t have to. No matter what happened, by the end of the night, they always ended up sleeping with him anyway.
Hence my confusion.
He hesitated for a second, acknowledging the awkward truth. But when he looked down into my eyes, there was an honesty and a vulnerability there I had never seen before.
“I would date you.”
My heartbeat quickened, as my lips fell open just a hair. It was the very last thing I ever expected him to say. And while I might not exactly understand his reasons, I couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by the whole thing.
“Come on,” he coaxed, dipping his head to catch my eye. “I won’t even bring Max.”
I let out a laugh, before gazing back up into his eyes.
Was he actually serious? Could this actually be happening?
“Do you even know how to date?” I stalled, leaning back with a coy grin. “What exactly might this date consist of?”
“Easy,” he said without missing a beat, “dinner and a movie.”
I laughed again. No doubt he had googled ‘normal person date’ right before asking, and was thoroughly pleased with himself. Then my smile faded, as I looked up at him once more.
A date with Nicholas Hunter?
Yeah...I could do that.
“Pick me up at seven?”
His eyes twinkled.
“Seven it is.”
And with those words, our normal day came to a close.
The two of us bid each other a hasty goodnight, and disappeared to separate corners of the house. Our heads spinning from the last twelve hours. Our bodies bracing for the next twelve.
The room I’d selected to be my own, had been a longtime favorite of mine. The adjoining bathroom featured one of those walk-in showers I adored, and a tub as big as the entire living room at my old apartment. An enormous bay window opened out onto a balcony with a beautiful view of the park, and everything from the canopy bed to the high silk curtains made me feel like I was playing the part of a princess for the night.
It was also right down the hall from Nick.
This was a fact that I tried my best to keep from dwelling on as I brushed my teeth, combed out my hair, and quickly went through the rest of my nighttime routine. Although all my new clothes and toiletries wouldn’t arrive until late tomorrow, the room was already stocked with anything and everything I might need. Much nicer stuff than what I’d bought, actually.
I found a sapphire silk bathrobe in the closet, and slipped it over my shoulders as I headed out onto the balcony. The sounds of the city swirled up around me, like a comforting cloud—a home that carried with you no matter what side of the bridge you were on. But unlike my old apartment, we were high enough up that instead of coming at you from all sides, it was reduced to a pleasant background noise. A gentle hum, providing a context and meditative ambiance to your thoughts.
I closed my eyes and leaned over as far as I could, dangling down my long hair as I wrapped my hands firmly around the rail. We were so high! High enough to look out over the entire city. I could easily see how someone could get used to this. If I actually did live here full time, I think I might spend a portion of every night doing this exact same thing.
Then a sudden movement caught my eye, and I ducked behind the granite wall.
It seems I’m not the only one who needs to clear my head...
Just a stone’s throw away, Nick had wandered out onto his own balcony. It was a nicer day, about sixty four degrees. We didn’t get many nice days like these too often at this time of season. And there he was... Tall, handsome, and topless—wearing only a pair of low hanging pants. As his eyes roved out over the cityscape, he leaned forward to rest his chin on his hands—lost in thought.
A melancholy prince, alone in his castle.
For a moment, I couldn’t help but stare. He hadn’t seen me yet, and given my position behind the wall, I was completely hidden from sight. I could stare to my heart’s content, soaking in all the intoxicating details without judgement or shame.
There was a reason why Nick was one of the most desirable men in the world. There was a reason that everyone from pop stars to eastern European royalty would stop what they were doing at the drop of a hat, and fly out to meet him at a single call.