Page 20 of Oh Boy!
Sally
My toes curl. My skin pebbles in bliss. My eyes refuse to pop open. Hidden under the geometric patterns of the comforter in my comfy king-sized bed, I stretch my arms over my head. What a perfect dream! I mean, registering that it was all a dream sucked, but the sensations remain. I blindly extend my arm towards the nightstand where the ringing of my phone tore me out of my hormone-induced comatose state.Why did I forget to put it on airplane mode?
Once I locate the culprit, I toggle to vibrate mode as I toss back the comforter and pry one eye open, then the other, and blink like a mad woman. Yawning, I lace my fingers together and stretch again. Without the warmth of the comforter, a chill runs throughout my body, raising my consciousness.
My expectant heart thuds in my chest. I lift my groggy self on my elbows and pull down my oversizedFriendstee-shirt, a gift from Rupert who shares my distaste for A/C. That made being roommates easier… Well, that and the fact that we’re best buds and are always on the move, separately, which makes our reunions a celebration. If there is such a thing as a soul brother, Rupert is definitely mine.
Tormenting myself, I grab the phone but don’t look at the screen yet, putting it face down on my chest. Hopeful, I breathe in and out, imploring the universe to grant my silent wish: let it be Nathan Price. Who cares if I’m being ridiculously sappy? As far as I can remember, I haven’t been this worked up over a guy in… forever?
Eventually, I put myself out of my misery, and a shit-eating grin takes residence on my face before I can control it. Luckily, there’s no witnesses.
Nathan: How would you like to hang with an obnoxious and self-conceited prick like me today?
The prick would enjoy this VERY much.
The prick had a great time on Thursday— not talking about the gallery.
The prick misses you ;-) A WHOLE LOT!
A strangled sound escapes my parched mouth. I need water, but my fingers have a mind of their own and refuse to let the prick stew.
Sally: Good morning, Nathan.
Nathan: Hey! Morning?
It’s almost lunch time.
Wanna grab a bite?
Sally: Just woke up. Guess my tired brain didn’t register what time it is.
Nathan: I’m not even sorry I woke you. As much as I want to ask inappropriate questions, I’ll behave.
His text ends with a devilish emoji. My smile grows wider. The unabashed kiss that I stole from him in the mostly empty Starbucks ignited a yearning that I haven’t experienced since I chose to exit the dating scene, or whatever you want to call it. The second my lips claimed his, goosebumps covered my needy body. The second our tongues dueled for dominance, my nipples hardened as they pressed against his chiseled chest. The second my mouth set him free to come up for air, a disappointed growl rumbled from his. Nathan released me from his embrace, his thumb stroking my flushed cheek, and murmured that as much as he appreciated my initiative, he wouldn’t want us to be arrested. I hated that he was right.
Putting myself out there again was so atypical; it’s been long enough! Once I resumed my position on the couch, we talked about this and that, as if we hadn’t just made out like teenagers. Somehow, I felt that, despite the cocky attitude he shows the rest of the world, he respected my odd boundaries. He didn’t insist on driving me home. He waited for my Uber, opened the car door for me, and deposited a chaste kiss before I slid into the vehicle. The considerate man gave me space yesterday, only shooting me a couple of texts to make sure that I got home safely and wishing me a good day.
Sally: Since when does a prick behave?
Nathan: Right. But answer me first.
Let’s do brunch?
* * *
Hope.Fear. Faith. All of these raged inside of me on my way to Tribeca. My heart hoped. My mind feared. My soul had faith.
“I’d rather sit outside if you don’t mind,” I say as Nathan and I advance toward the hostess stand at Tiny’s, an aptly named restaurant on West Broadway. “I love the feel of this place but don’t want to freeze in the A/C.”
“Of course. Let me find my friend who works here and ask her to seat us.” The back of Nathan’s pale hand grazes my knuckle. A jolt of warmth courses throughout my body, making me quiver in the most delicious way.
My entire being’s come out of hibernation thanks to Mr. Price’s potent presence. Some would say that it’s due to his breathtaking physique, or maybe his fame in his field, but they’d be wrong. My attraction to him runs deeper, and that’s precisely what brings ancient anxieties to the forefront, as well as the drive to overcome them.
Minutes ago, he greeted me with a simple hug. As always, part of me was grateful for his restraint while the rest craved more. Was he having second thoughts about us? Nah, he wouldn’t have suggested meeting in his neighborhood if that were the case. After all, he offered to show me his work after brunch, before a scheduled private session on Carolingian Minuscule lettering. If I’m being honest, for a nano-second, I freaked out about the prospect of willingly accompanying him into his territory. Thankfully, I brushed the negative thoughts aside and reminded myself that I wasn’t a naïve twenty-one-year-old girl anymore. Five years have passed; Rupert’s right, it’s about time we moved on. So here I am, putting myself out there again with the enigma that is Nathan.
The table is as minuscule as the restaurant and causes our thighs to brush each other on occasion. My navy capris are a useless barrier to the yearning that radiates from us.
Nathan’s pupils were dilated before he took the first sip of his Servando’s Palomarita. “This is their signature cocktail. Can you believe that I’ve been living in the area forever and didn’t unearth this place? Virgil did.”
