Page 42 of Single-Minded
As my breath quickens, he’s back at my mouth, kissing me fiercely, his tongue exploring my lips, then my neck, the lobe of my ear.
We look at each other, both hot and panting, and he grins at me. “If only we knew where to find a condom. Or eight hundred.”
Looks like this feng shui thing is working already.
35
I may be terrible at dating, but I am awesome at sex.
“You didn’t!” shrieks Darcy.
“I did.” I can’t stop grinning. I feel like a whole new woman. A woman with a vagina. I can’t believe I was so resistant to the idea in the first place. “It wasA-M-A-Z-I-N-G.It was like three hours of foreplay, which beat Michael’s old record by about two hours and forty-five minutes. I swear he kissed every single inch of my body. And, when we were all done, he finished the painting. With his shirt off.”
“Really? Because usually they just roll over and start snoring. He must really be hoping for a round two.”
“Maybe,” I say. “That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”
“Did he sleep over?” she asks.
“No, I told him I had an early meeting and kicked him out at two in the morning. I was freaked out that things might get weird in the daylight. And the absence of tequila.” Darcy howls with laughter.
“That was probably a good move. I don’t know if you’re ready for a sleepover. Keep it casual for now.”
“We ate pizza off a paint bin, drank tequila from the bottle, and had sex on the floor. You can’t get much more casual than that.”
“Just be careful, doll,” she says. “I’m glad you had fun, I’m glad you’re moving forward, I just want you to tread carefully. You don’t want to be like one of those people who’ve lived in a cult all their lives and they get out into the real world and OD on Cheez Whiz and bologna sandwiches until their hearts explode.”
“I’ll try to lay off the Cheez Whiz,” I say.
“That’s all I ask,” she says. “I’m just looking out for you.”
“By the way,” I say. “Thanks for the condoms.”
Darcy snorts.
36
I’m feeling a little squirrelly about going to the psych office job site. Obviously I need to check on my projects, just as I always do. But normally I wouldn’t go back so soon. The truth of it is, I want to see Nate. And I think it will be awkward as hell to see Nate. It’s been almost twenty-four hours since he arrived at my house, and he hasn’t called. I don’t know if this is normal, or something I should worry about. Darcy says it’s no big deal. Maybe he doesn’t have my number. I wonder if he feels weird about calling me since I’m sort of, but not really, his boss. Actually Joe is his boss. It didn’t occur to me until after the fact that I’d be completely mortified if Joe ever finds out that I slept with one of the guys on his crew. Hopefully Nate isn’t the type to kiss and tell. Or have wild, crazy, tequila-fueled sex and tell.
37
Even the promise of soy burgers and a life-changing, three-hour orgasm is barely enough to overcome my aversion to the overwhelming fetor of patchouli and incense.
Kai the tantric yogi and I meet at the Green Zebra Café. I’m early, he’s ten minutes late. But I’m fresh off my night of tequila, sex, and paint rollers and brimming with newfound confidence.
Kai is exactly as Sam described him, with sandy, shoulder-length wavy hair and soft brown eyes. He’s lean, about five-ten, maybe five-eleven, and wearing a flowy white shirt and linen-colored pants that are probably made of eco-friendly hemp or bamboo fibers or something. He orders us a round of Balancing Arts Elixir shots from a waitress who knows him by name. I’m hoping the “secret ingredient” listed on the menu is rum, but it’s probably just lemongrass or ginger root or something. Kai spouts Zen platitudes like he’s a human meme generator.
And I’m getting the feeling that while wheatgrass and tantric sex might be Kai’s go-to first date, starting a cult is probably his second.
“Sam’s told me a lot about you, Alex,” says Kai, gazing at my eyes. He barely blinks, and I begin to feel weirdly exposed under the intensity of his gaze. What exactly did she tell him? “You have a beautiful aura around you,” he says.
Jeez, I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it through the entire date, or the bonus round, with a straight face. I mean, is this guy for real?
“Thank you, Kai,” I say, because what else do you say? He reaches across the table and clasps my hands in his, staring deeply into my eyes. My nerves are starting to get to me. In theory, I agree with Darcy and Sam. I’m an adult woman, and sex is part of the human experience. And after my night with Nate, it’s pretty obvious I’ve missed out on a whole lot by spending my entire grown-up life sleeping with a gay man. But in practice, I’m just not sure I can go through with it.
“You’ve been through a great deal of pain this year, but you are a powerful woman, and you will rise above these troubles. Your goddess spirit will find peace and happiness, because that is what you deserve,” he says earnestly.
And your lucky Lotto numbers are 47, 13, 63, 12, and 2, I think to myself.
