Page 131 of If Our Hearts Collide

How humiliating…

And then I find the postcard thing that one of the men—I can’t remember his name—handed to me.

Turning it over in my hands, I read the description written in elegant, printed font.

Glow Night - July 25th

444 Fine Oak Lane

Wow. Tonight.

If I had been in a good headspace after the speed dating event, I would have pulled out this postcard last night and inquired further about it with the person who actually handed it to me.

It’s just that everything surrounding it is fuzzy. I know that if my memory was clearer, I would be more excited for it than I am now.

However, I’m too devastated and butt-hurt over my loss of hope that someone—anyone—would have wanted me beyond the five minutes we were assigned to chat.

So why would I think going to a public event again will pan out in my favor?

It seems like if I attend, I’m essentially a masochist, which in a way I’ve already confirmed.

So what’s the harm in submitting myself to even more humiliation? It really can’t get worse—can it?

I read the card again.

But it does sound fun…

And if I deserve anything right now—it’s fun.

I’m doing it.

And Mr. Collins Stone doesn’t need to find out.

After breakfast—which is essentially lunch at this point—Collins walks me back to my place and enters first to assess what I assume would be the scene.

“Any cocks or vaginas?” I ask, peering around his side dramatically and a tad bit hopeful.

I can’t believe we kissed last night, and it was by far the best one of my life.

But it’s obvious that Collins’s hard exterior shell is in place as he’s in work mode.

He grunts out what I assume is a no.

Something is on his mind. I can tell by the way he isn’t offering even a smirk at my attempted humor.

“I need to be away the rest of the day.”

“Okay…”

“Typically I wouldn’t make this known, but I am since you have the tendency of getting drunk off your freedom. The last thing I need is to come back here and find you in the middle of?—”

“A fuck fest.”

“No,” he snaps. “I was going to say…trouble.”

“Why are you telling me this though?”

“Because I will have tabs on you and don’t want you to be alarmed if you feel the presence of someone watching you.”

---