Page 61 of Unhurried Hearts

The lace panties roll up and itch against my hip as I pull them back up.

I force myself to draw a slow breath through my nose. Getting into comfortable clothes tonight will truly be a delight. Eyeing my clutch on the shelf next to me, I smile. Carefully, I step out of the panties, revelling in how much smoother the velvet fabric skims down my hips without them. I stuff the panties into my clutch and wrap up in the stall. While I wash my hands and reapply my lipstick, a young woman going through the same motions compliments my hair. I recognize her from a few tables away from ours and we easily fall into a discussion about curling irons. As the bathroom becomes busier, I squeeze out of the room.

“Whoa.”

The hallway beforehand was almost deserted. Now it resembles a high school between classes.

Smartly dressed people pour out of open doorways as another event wraps up. I’m about to step to the side and wait because travelling upstream like this is hopeless when I collide with someone. They must have been walking quickly, because the air is all but knocked out of my lungs at the impact. A set of hands steer me away from the busy hall and I’m too busy catching my breath and walking in my heels to notice what’s happening.

“We’ve got to stop running into each other like this.”

I glance up at Darren, wrinkling my nose when I smell the booze on his breath. He’s led me out of the hall and into a quiet stairwell, his body right in front of the door.

“Move out of my way.” My voice is firm but echoes in the carpetless area.

He laughs at my demand.

“You’re drunk, Darren. Just let me by.”

He leans heavily against the door like standing is an effort.

“What are…what are you doing here?”

Oh, god. He’s slurring his words, even.

“I’m at an awards show,” I sigh. “What about you?”

Maybe if I engage him in conversation, he’ll be happy enough to buzz off.

“Wedding.”

I pop open my clutch when my phone buzzes inside.

Chris:

Hey, you okay?

Before I can reply, Darren reaches into my bag and plucks out the panties.

“No—”

“What do we have here?” He squints at the underwear and my face burns hot with fury.

My voice trembles as I hold out my hand. “Give those back.”

“What the fuck? You wearing these for that guy from the coffee shop? I got the vanilla version and you’re givinghimthe good stuff?”

Even with my heels on, I can’t quite reach his hand as he holds them over his head like a middle-school bully.

I consider the stairs but have no idea where they lead. The last thing I want is for him to follow me and then I’m even further away from the ballroom, from Chris. The metallic thud of the handle clangs on the other side of the door.

“Excuse me, sir,” a voice yells. “You can not block this door. It’s an emergency exit.”

Grumbling, Darren staggers aside, and the same waiter I snagged the champagne from earlier opens the door, indicating for me to go through with the tip of his head.Distracted, Darren lowers his hand enough that I snatch the ball of lace back from him, clicking my clutch firmly closed once I stuff them back inside.

“Darren, I’d let you keep these ‘cause you’re obviously really lonely, but someone else has their name on them.”

I’m pretty sure he’s too half-cut to even understand my insult, but I walk away on my heels with my head held high, completely content with where I am in my sexuality for the first time in forever. I have a gorgeous date to find.

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