“It’s going to be fine. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll change while you’re in the bathroom.”
“What am I going to do in there? I just used it downstairs and it’s not like I have a toothbrush or a change of clothes. This was a bad idea. Why am I such an idiot?”
“I have an extra toothbrush and you can borrow anything of mine you want.”
I gaze over at the closet. “You mean I can sleep in a suit?”
“I do haveotherclothes. In the chest, you’ll find t-shirts, boxers, and sweats. Pick whatever you want. Go through the drawers and take what looks comfortable. I’m going to brush my teeth. I’ll be right back.”
As soon as he leaves, I start at the top and make my way down. I find his boxer briefs and immediately slam that drawer shut. The next holds some t-shirts. I pull out the first one I see. It’s solid gray and smells like Finn. I hold it up to see if it’ll fit.
I close that drawer and open another. Socks.
I open the last drawer. Sweats. I pull out a pair from the top and something tumbles out with it. It’s a box of condoms. They scatter all over the floor.
Panicking, I fall to the ground and scoop up as many into my hands as I can, shoving them into the box. How many are in here? Who buys a box of fifty? Does he havethatmuch sex?
Just as I’m scrambling to pick up the last one, the door opens. Jumping into a standing position, I hide the box behind my back and close the drawer with my foot.
He eyes me suspiciously as he enters.
“Liz…”
“Mm-hmm?”
“What’s going on?” he asks, placing his hands on his hips.
“What do you mean?” I tell myself to play it cool. “I was just getting some clothes, like you said.”
“What’s behind your back?” he asks.
I roll my eyes. “Nothing. Stop being so paranoid.”
He takes a step toward me. “I’m paranoid?”
“Finn!” I shout. He stops mid-step.
“If you have any respect for me at all, if tonight meant anything to you, please go back out into the hall for a second.”
”What the hell?” he asks as his head tilts to the side.
“Please?” I beg, shuffling my weight from one foot to the next.
He turns, shaking his head, and leaves the room.
I open the drawer and stuff the box of condoms under a different pair of sweats, quietly close it, and then saunter out. “Okay. Thank you.”
He’s leaning on the wall outside his door. He watches me until I’ve shut the bathroom door.
Resting my head against it, I laugh, relieved, and glad I managed to get out of the awkwardness of that one. I place his sweats and t-shirt on the sink, and a lone condom falls to the ground.
I stare at it for a half second and then do what anyone would do in my position. I look for a place to get rid of it. Who doesn’t have a garbage can in the bathroom? What the fuck? Am I just not seeing it? Biting my fingernail nervously, I unwrap it, tear the wrapper into tiny little pieces, place it inside a couple of sheets of toilet paper and flush it all down the toilet. I watch it go down, then close the lid. Problem solved.
There’s a toothbrush in an unopened package on the counter. I use it and change into Finn’s clothes. They’re too big for me, thank God. The sweats won’t stay up so I hold them as I make my way back to the bedroom. Finn is lying on the sofa, covered by a blanket. His feet are hanging off the end and he looks horribly uncomfortable.
He smiles as I enter. The room is dimly lit by a lone light from his bedside table.
I feel I should speak. “Thanks for the clothes and the bed.”
“Thank you for everything tonight. You were great.”
I climb into his bed and slide the sweats off. There’s no way I could sleep with them hanging off of me like that. I pull them out from under the covers and toss them on the floor. He’s facing me and his eyes widen.
“Goodnight,” I say before switching off the light.
“G’night, Lizzy.”
