He nods, “Absolutely, I don’t have any business cards on me, but I’m Simon. Mention me and I’ll make sure your first drink is on me. For both of you.”
Jesse nods back at Simon, a look of appreciation on his face. Looking at Jesse’s face, I can tell he’s really uncomfortable, so I make excuses to leave. I promise Simon that we’ll come back to try the coffee and turn us to walk back the way we came. Oneglance over my shoulder shows Simon still watching us walk away, a stunned look on his face.
Biting my lip, I look forward again, wondering how to navigate this. I’ve never had this problem before—being attracted to two people, I mean. It’s almost like the start of a Pack, but I’ve never really considered that I’d have one. Jesse hasn’t ever mentioned one, and it seems like it’s way too early to broach that subject. Especially since they’re strangers.
“Looks like we’re VIP,” Jesse comments.
I look up at him, startled, “What do you mean?”
“We know the owner now, and we’re gonna get free coffee. We should demand an entourage follow us around to signal how important we are.” Jesse’s face is set in a mischievous smirk, and I can’t help but giggle and play along.
“Oh yes, we may even need to hire security. Only if they wear sunglasses and talk into their wrists, though, no walkie talkies for us.”
“Exactly.”
I could definitely handle more time with this man.
six
JOSIE
Ray and I are having our second session, and while she’s not ready for us to go to her nest, there is a plethora of pillows and blankets in a small room that looks like it’s typically used as a den of sorts. It’s dark in here, the furniture is dark wood, and the drapes are closed, giving it a cozy feeling. Subtly sniffing the air, there’s a lingering scent of cedar and a touch of eucalyptus that calls to me. I want to bury myself in the smell, but then I might get kicked out for lack of professionalism.
Even though my original scent sample of Ray didn’t sit great, I decided to give it another shot today. She’s sweet, and I don’t want to pass up time with her for something as silly as my nose. I’m hopeful that since it will be in person instead of a scent card, I’ll be able to handle it better. So far, things have been fine. She doesn’t have my favorite scent, but in person, it isn’t as harsh and meshes well with the other scents around us, so I can ignore it.
Once the blankets are how she likes them, I look to her for permission before settling in and opening my arms for her. Carefully, she steps closer and gently lowers herself, resting her head on my shoulder, her body tucked tight almost in a ball. Resting my arm around her, I use the other to cover us so we’renice and toasty. At first, the quiet of sitting together feels a bit strained, but eventually I feel her body relax against me.
“How are you today?” I ask her softly.
She shrugs, but doesn’t answer verbally. It almost feels like square one again, but maybe she’s just slow to open up to people. That’s something I can definitely relate to. I don’t push her for an answer, I can respect her space.
“Yeah, I get that,” I tell her.
We snuggle in the quiet, but after only a moment, I can’t help but start to hum. I get through the first chorus before I feel her start to shake in my arms. Glancing down, worried that she’s crying, I see she’s actually biting her lip to keep from laughing.
“What?” I ask with my own smile.
“Are you humming ‘Jesse’s Girl’?”
Oh my goodness, I totally was. The realization sets me to giggling.
“I hadn’t even realized what I was humming! I just do it sometimes when I’m relaxing.” I laugh.
“Why ‘Jesse’s Girl’? There are a lot more relaxing songs you could hum.”
“Well, I absolutely love 80s music. I don’t know why, but it just makes me happy. I, uh, also went out with a guy named Jesse recently, so that might play into it,” I tell her.
“Tell me about your date?” she asks.
“Sure. He’s actually my neighbor, but we only met the other day. When I was on my way here for our first session, actually, he was coming home from work, and we finally crossed paths. He’s a bit anti-social, but super nice. We went and got coffee together, and it was nice just getting to know each other.”
“Did he kiss you?”
I laugh. “No, no kissing yet. I, uh, I actually don’t date much.”
“Oh, I can understand that. Dating is the worst. Do you want to date more?” she asks softly.
“It sounds nice to do that, to find a person I can be with, but I have my own problems that make it hard for me to meet new people,” I admit.
