ONE
Noah
The dim lighting ofthe room made this appear more romantic than I intended. I had been waiting for my date for about ten minutes. She was running late but at least she texted me to let me know she was.
I had met Veronica, or Ronny for short, on a dating app. Or that was what I thought it was when I first signed up for it. But I learned quickly that it was more for people who wanted to hook up.
Ronny didn’t want anything serious, but she also didn’t want to jump into bed with the first guy she met either. She wanted a first date to test the waters and maybe, if I was lucky, she would come home with me. I appreciated her honesty.
I had been seeing someone on and off for the past several years. Though, it actually felt like a lifetime.
No matter how much I tried hinting for more, Nikolai Serrano wanted none of it. He was career driven, which I appreciated, but my heart could only take so much. Hence the reason for this date. But I knew I would end up paying for this. Nikolai or Nicky for short, was due to arrive in town either today or tomorrow. He would contact me and ask me to meet up. I always said yes but this time, I wouldn’t. Not right away like I usually did anyway.
I knew before the conversation even happened that he would be pissed. But it wasn’t like we were committed to each other. He told me time and time again that he couldn’t have a relationship at the moment. We were both in different spots in our lives. I didn’t blame him. It wasn’t like he ever led me on. But I was done being used. My thoughts traveled back to my last conversation with him and how it didn’t go as well as I had hoped.
“Where are you going?” I asked Nicky, rolling over in bed and watching him get dressed.
“I’m heading back to my hotel.” He didn’t meet my gaze and continued pulling on his suit. It was one thing that attracted me to him. I loved how well-dressed he always was but one day, I would love to see him in ripped jeans. That thought alone made my cock twitch.
Kneeling on the bed, I shuffled over to the edge. “So soon? You never leave right after we fuck.”
“Well, this time I have to.” But he still wouldn’t meet my gaze.
“Nicky.” I grabbed his hands, stopping them from doing up his shirt. I pulled him closer, rising to my knees until I knelt in front of him.
“Noah, I have to go.”
“No, you don’t.” Running my hands over his bare chest, I pushed the fabric of his shirt off his shoulders. “I think you should come back to bed.”
“I think you should listen to me for once and let me go.” He grabbed my hands, stopping me from stripping him like I had intended.
“What gives?” I slumped back onto the bed, not wanting to fight with him but at the same time not wanting to back down either.
“I have shit to do.”
After Nicky left that night, we hadn’t met up since. He had been in town, but he visited his family. So, I never got him alone. Now I was tempted to cancel this date and call him up. But I fought myself in that. Nikolai was bad for me. My heart was already invested even though he told me not to get attached. I couldn’t help it. I was best friends with his brother, and we had known each other for years. Nicky was my addiction.
“Noah?”
I glanced up finding a woman standing a few feet away.
I stood, holding out my hand. “Veronica.”
She smiled. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she said, returning my handshake. “I can’t say I usually do this, but dating is hard.”
I grunted, rolling my eyes. “I agree.”
She laughed, the sound making me grin.
We sat at the table, ordered a round of drinks and remained silent for a few minutes. She was beautiful with her pale skin and long chestnut brown hair that fell just below her full chest. She wore a red dress that hugged her slender frame.
I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she could help me forget Nicky. Even if it was just for a night.
“Tell me something, Noah. What made you sign up for that app?”
“The guy I’m sleeping with doesn’t want to commit to anything more than that. So, I thought maybe going on a date with someone else would help me forget him for a bit.”
Veronica nodded, taking a sip of her martini. “That’s fair. My ex-husband cheated on me with his secretary.”
