I sit up, to find myself under the hotel bed sheets, naked beneath, and alone. The bathroom door is shut, a light peeking from beneath it. Light is peeking through a nearby curtain. It’s morning and I’m still here. I don’t even remember deciding to stay. It’s morning and either Cole and I say an awkward goodbye or we don’t, in which case, I have to tell him that I’m not an attorney. Then he’ll find out what my life is and think I’m now staying for his money. Or I’ll fall for him, I’m already falling for him, and I’ll get distracted, screw up my plans, and end up heartbroken.
I have to leave.
I throw off the blankets and grab my phone from the nightstand, checking for messages that don’t exist, before dashing for my clothes. In a rush of movement, I’m dressed, though I can’t find my panties, but that is just going to have to be okay. I settle my briefcase on my shoulder and stare at the bathroom door, regret filling me. I don’t want to leave, but that is exactly why I have to leave. I need my Cinderella with a spanking fantasy to be fantasy-worthy. I don’t want to ruin it with real life.
Regret settles in my belly; I plan to just leave, but a pad of paper on the nightstand catches my eyes. I walk to it and grab a pen, before writing:
Hello and everything that followed was perfect. I didn’t want to ruin perfect with a bad goodbye.
—Lori
I set the note in the center of the bed right when the shower turns off. Heart racing, I rush for the door, hurrying down the stairs. I picture him exiting the bedroom and reading the note, wondering what his reaction will be. Regret? Relief? Anger? Disappointment? By the time I step onto the elevator and sink against the wall for the ride, my only certainty is that despite my certainty I will never see Cole again, I will never forget him either.