“I’ve thought about you a lot over these years.”
I pivoted to look at him. “You have?”
He nodded. “I always thought about reaching out, seeing what you were up to, but then life got in the way. Tonight sort of feels like kismet.”
It had been a long time since I’d felt this desired. I felt powerful, heady, full on the longing of all these years. I remembered how smart he was, how intelligent and caring.
“I’ll be in LA next month for work,” Stuart said. “I’d love to see you again.”
I looked up at him. His face was inviting me in.
“But I’m here now,” I said.
Stuart leaned over me. He placed a palm flat against my cheek. “That,” he said, “you are.”
He kissed me—it was deep and good. A rooting kiss. The kind that lasts long enough that you start breathing through each other.
“I like you,” he said. “I like you a lot.”
“I like you, too,” I said.
A fantasy started to sprout to life in my head. Stuart and I, finding each other all these years later. Me, the wild, untethered,still-searching girlfriend. Him, the consistent, successful, charming man. We’d host lavish dinner parties, now armed with all the knowledge we didn’t have before. People would look at us and say:Can you believe it? They met in high school.
The sex was good. Stuart was skilled. He rolled me on top of him and placed big, open-mouthed kisses on my neck. I could feel myself fold to him, hand myself over in a way I had not in recent memory, maybe not ever.
His hands moved down my back, kneading and releasing the muscles in my shoulders.
He kept his mouth on my neck and moved one palm over my belly and held it between my legs. I felt myself press down, wanting friction, something to move against.
“Hey,” he said, blowing the words into my ear. “We’ve got time.”
And then slowly he began moving his fingers in circles. I exhaled out everything.
When it was over I went to use the bathroom in his button-down. I splashed some water on my face, noting how rosy my cheeks looked. It really is true what they say: an active sex life does wonders for your skin. I was due to head back to LA the following day, but I was already thinking about extending my trip. I didn’t have anything particularly pressing to return home for, and I thought I’d stay a few extra days. We could get to know each other again. Fill in the gap of the last seven years.
I swished some of his toothpaste around in my mouth and padded back into the bedroom.
When I got there Stuart was sitting up, setting his alarm. I climbed back in next to him.
“Hey,” he said. He kissed me lightly on the temple. “Listen, I have to get up super early tomorrow.” He showed me the alarm clock, like proof. “Would you mind terribly if I called you in the morning?”
I looked down at my body—his shirt, hanging open. My bare bottom. I cinched it around me. “You mean, you want me to leave?”
“You’re upset. Don’t be upset. I just sleep like an animal, and I barely get four hours as it is.”
“It’s fine,” I said.
I gathered my clothes up as he watched. I yanked my pants on and pulled the shirt over my head, turning my back so he wouldn’t see my naked chest. I slid into the heels.
“Have you seen my earrings?” I asked him.
“Ah!” he said cheerfully. He plucked them off his nightstand, handing them to me.
I reached to take them, and he pulled his hand away, using the other to grab my waist and drag me down into a kiss.
“This was a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m really glad I bumped into you.”
I strung the earrings through my ears. I felt all at once like a Christmas tree on December twenty-sixth.
