Page 3 of Walk Off

“There are people watching,” Jasmine said with an eye roll.

“Oh, I’m so sorry for embarrassing you like that,” she said in mock horror. Then she proceeded to pepper kisses all over her face before Jasmine ran away while Celia laughed. She watched her daughter go and all she could think was that time was moving too fast.

“You look like you could use this.” Zara held out a drink as she strolled up next to her.

“Yes, please.” Celia took the glass not caring what it was as she took a large sip. Turns out it was a gin and tonic, something Zara knew she liked.

“Easy, tiger,” Zara said. “We have all night to get drunk.”

“I don’t plan to get drunk.”

“Well, I do but not this early.” She looked around the room. “Have you seen how many good-looking guys are here? It’s like a smorgasbord of men.”

Celia couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sure they love being thought of like that.”

“As if they aren’t thinking the same thing about us. We look fucking hot.”

Zara was nothing if not confident. “Well, you can have your pick because I’m not interested.”

“You’re never interested. You know what you need? You need a ‘clear the cobwebs out’ fuck.”

Celia shook her head. That’s what she got for telling her friends she hadn’t had sex since getting pregnant with Jasmine. “And what exactly is that?”

“It’s just sex for the sake of sex. Just to get you back in the game.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be in the game.”

“You should. The game is full of orgasms you don’t have to give yourself. And that’s something to write home about.”

“You want me to write home about my orgasms?”

“It’s an expression.” Zara threw up her hands. “Come on, you and I are going to meet some guys.”

Celia let Zara drag her along, mainly because she might be right. It might be time to exorcise the demons and at least try and have a memory associated with sex that didn’t involve Kyle.

He’d been her first and he’d been her last.

When it came to sex, he was all she knew.

They mingled until it was time for dinner to start and somehow she’d met and agreed to dance with two guys. Calvin and Dane. Both of them played soccer and were friends of Benji’s. A bonus was that both lived in different cities. Maybe Zara was right. Maybe she could have a quick one-night stand to get herself back out there.

“You look like you’re having fun,” Dallas said as she sat down next to him for dinner. He nudged her shoulder with his own. “It’s nice.”

“I’m trying.” What more could she say? Dallas knew her story and all about Kyle. They’d gotten close since he and Ruby had married and she considered him her brother. Sometimes he was even easier to talk to than her friends. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“What are the rules for one-night stands?”

Dallas choked out part of his drink, quickly wiping it up with his napkin. “Excuse me?”

She sighed. “I need to get back out there and I think a one-night stand might be the way to start. But I have no frame of reference for rules or etiquette.”

“Celia, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” He looked slightly horrified.

“I don’t need you to approve, Dallas, I just need advice.” She gave him a sad smile. “I can’t keep living in the past.”

He sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Since we’re in a hotel, you don’t need to worry about going to his place or your place. That will also make it easier to leave. It should be sex and nothing else. No cuddling or talking afterward. And use protection.”

---