Page 5 of Love Like Lightning

It took no time and one panty-melting smile to make me forget that I’ve decided to take a long, long break from men. Oh, and I don’t do random hookups.

Okay, but this man doesn’t have to love you. He just has to make you come. Maybe more than once.

The voice in my head sounds dangerously like Simone.

Head spinning, I follow them out into the cold and start the short walk to my final destination for the night.

As I get closer, I wonder if I’ll actually see Henry later tonight. Or if he’ll decide to cut his losses and just head to bed.

Maybe I will.

I’m not sure which outcome I actually want.

When I get back to my room, I decide to shower and freshen up. I brush my teeth and everything.

Everything meaning I even shaved.

It makes me feel a little ridiculous, but I don’t know the protocol here. I’ve had exactly one one-night stand in my life, and I was so drunk that I didn’t even have to think about it.

It was not the best experience. That guy definitely didn’t get me anywhere close to an orgasm. He talked a big game but couldn’t even stay hard because he had drank so much. That was way back in college, and I’ve been a relationship girl ever since.

So yeah, I’m a bit out of my depth here.

I’m sitting in the middle of my bed while a rerun marathon of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives plays on the TV and trying not to stare at my phone. It’s only been an hour since I left the bar, and I have no way of knowing where Henry had to drive to drop the rest of his group off.

I’d better check to make sure my sound is on anyway. Just in case.

The anxiety isn’t foreign, per se, but I’ve never dealt with it in relation to a situation like this. I shouldn’t even care if he ends up texting and coming over or not. I don’t need to get laid that badly. But I am starting to think that maybe I should just try out casual sex instead of falling into relationships over and over again. When I think back on the four relationships I’ve had since college, every single one of them was with someone I met through my family in some capacity. Whether that was a friend of a cousin, or a coworker, or just someone they knew in passing. Something about hooking up with a guy way out here in Colorado, someone I've never met, is tempting.

That’s exactly where my head is at while Guy Fieri’s jovial voice raves about some kick-ass enchiladas in the background.

I should just let Guy lull me to sleep. I still can. As I reach toward my phone again, determined to flick the volume setting to vibrate this time, it finally chirps.

I almost jump out of my skin, dropping my phone and knocking my head against the wooden bed frame. The screen lights up with a text from an unknown number, and I stare at it for much longer than I should before picking it up.

Unknown Number: Hey, Gianna, I just got home. I’m still up for a nightcap if you are. :)

I type out my answer so quickly that I have to double check it for spelling errors and just to make sure it makes sense before hitting send.

Me: I’m up for it. My room is one of the Garden suites, so there’s a private entrance out front. It’s the one to the left of the main entrance. Just knock. :)

I don’t usually use cutesy smiley faces or emojis, so I’m not sure why I add the smiley face at the end this time. Maybe to add some levity to the situation. Maybe just because he did. All I know is that the moment the message goes through, I’m up off of the bed and pacing.

When I booked this room, I loved the idea of having direct access to Main Street, and I liked that this room was special. It’s larger than a normal room with a small kitchenette and a large bathroom.

The idea that it would be convenient for a late-night hookup didn’t even cross my mind.

Two quick knocks sound at the door, and my feet freeze to the floor. Taking a deep breath, I try to convince myself that I can do this. It’s not that I don’t want to, I do. Plenty of people have no-strings-attached sex on a work trip. It’s totally normal.

Just…not for me.

Until tonight.

I deserve a good time, and somehow, I’m certain Henry can deliver. Back at the bar, he definitely gave off the impression that he’s a flirt, and if his smooth offer to continue our night is any indication, he’s probably well versed in the art of the casual hookup.

With a new resolve, I head to the door. My head buzzes, and nerves make my stomach churn with every step I take. Once I’m in front of the door, I reach out to turn the doorknob and pause.

The moment the door opens, there’s no going back.

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