“Well, what can I get you?”
“Water,” Caroline said, smiling. She had to be careful, she decided. She was no match for him. He had probably done this same routine with so many others before. It was one thing to play around with frat boys that are still on the verge of maturity. Jack Reiner was on a different level altogether. She will figure him out, though. Soon enough…
Jack came back to her side with two glasses. Half full and floating ice cubes inside. Transparent liquid. It looked like water, but Caroline knew better.
“This will quench your thirst in a second. Maybe you will stop giving me a hard time.”
“Giving you a hard time? Are you serious? You are the one leveling accusations against me. Saying how I begged…”
It was a trap. All of what she was about to say was true. She did beg for him to come, professionally. She did look at him helplessly in the morning. She did follow him when he made the ridiculous proposition that they get away from the dinner. He probably also saved her from embarrassment. All of that was true. She accepted the drink from him.
“The best vodka known to man. Straight from Russia.” He said, collapsing on the couch by her side. “Cheers, to good friends for without them the world would be a dull place to live in.”
What could she say to that? She accepted the drink, appreciated the taste before it even made it to her mouth simply from the whiff hitting her nose as she tilted the glass.
“Is your goal to get me drunk?” She said, grinning. He was definitely the most attractive man she had ever seen. All of the fantasies she had constructed in her mind were true.
“Not my style. I am insulted you would think I have to resort to that kind of criminal behavior.” He said, looking so adorable in his pretend act.
“I don’t mean it like that.” She said, getting closer to him, feeling the distinct possibility that she might be crossing a line she couldn’t uncross.
“Honest truth?” He said looking intently at her.
“I have wanted to kiss you so bad. Since I saw your pictures.”
“You have been spying on me?” She asked, taking a gulp of the drink in her hand and wincing from the burn she felt all along the esophagus.
“Just a little. I mean, who could resist looking at all those hot and sweaty pictures?”
For an instant, Caroline thought someone had taken her pictures in her private moments.
“Cross-country,” he clarified, reading her mind. “Google Images. It’s all there. I will be honest with you. Didn’t know you at first. As soon as I got the email, I searched, and you were right there. I couldn’t believe I didn’t know about you.”
Caroline couldn’t help feeling a little excited about the fact that the one person she had admired from afar was searching for her and checking her out. All the guilt she had felt about snooping around to learn more about him was slowly dissolving away and getting replaced with an irresistible urge to kiss him. But she couldn’t be the one to make the move first.
It didn’t take long. He wrapped his free arm around her neck and turned around to kiss her. The softest and most gentle kiss. In the one kiss, she felt the heat she had wondered about for so long and mixed with the cold of the glass. Tingling all over. The most beautiful first kiss. Restrained and passionate. Succulent and sweet.
All Caroline could do was close her eyes. Instinctively, in submission to the man she had adored from afar for so long. This was the moment. This was the time. She was ready. Not matching his wits. She gave in. She had kissed many guys. Maybe too many in the past week. None had felt as real. Every sensation of skin contact paled by comparison to this new feeling. Was it all in her mind? Could it really be true? Caroline sensed her mind easing and her body softening.
It seemed as if time stopped. Until their lips parted. Disconnecting with a prolonged draw. One that took forever to come about. Feeling like her essence getting sucked out of her…. Slowly. Caroline opened her eyes to see him looking at her. His eyes, shining with a mysterious inquisition into her being. What is he doing? Why is he not kissing me?
“I don’t think we should do this,” he said.
Caroline could barely read his facial expression. Was he joking? Still playing with her? Playing mind games? What should she say? Was there ever a guy who was this close to her, who she gave herself to that decided to stop at the last minute? There wasn’t any. Every experience in her life has been running through the light. It didn’t matter if it was red, yellow, or green. Straight to the point as soon as she let herself be kissed, or held a certain way. That had been her experience. So, in the middle of this haze of confusion, Caroline didn’t have a response. Maybe they shouldn’t be doing anything. If so, why did she allow herself to come to the hotel with him? Why did he bring her?
“I am sorry. I don’t want to do this.” He said again, placing his glass on the side table, where a desk lamp shone an orange orb of light.
“Eh…?” She said, noticing the bubbling excitement fizzling away.
“I mean, unless you…” He grinned at her. She hated him for it. Why was he toying with her?
“Are you serious? Is this your version of foreplay?” She asked, as much out of frustration as it was about curiosity. Should she have said foreplay? She didn’t like how eagerly she said it. Surely she couldn’t be the only one thinking what she was thinking.
“My version of foreplay? I like the sound of that. In that case, yes. My version, but custom creation for you.”
The moment had passed. The spark was gone. That indelible sensation of the contact between their lips had left on her had disappeared. As opportunities count, this one was wasted. When so much could have been done differently…
“Why did you invite me here?”
