“That’s fine, but your made-up name isn’t going to be Florence. It’s about as sexy as an old shoe and you’re a sexy girl. You need a sexy name.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “Ok,” I said cautiously. “Kate?”
He shook his head again.
“Whatever. Choose something.”
I could see him thinking. I was interested to see what he’d come up with. How did he see me? “Anna,” he said finally.
What??Did he know me? No. We lived 3,000 miles from each other. Did I look like an Anna? It must be just some kind of weird coincidence. What did it matter if he used my real name, anyway? I’d never see him again after tonight.
Leah came back from the restroom at that moment, interrupting any debate I might have with Ethan over his invented name for me.
Ethan reached out to shake Leah’s hand. “I’m Ethan. We were just leaving, but we’ll see you home.”
I giggled. He was pretty sure of himself, that was for certain. “I did not—”
“My boyfriend’s driver is outside. I can see myself home.” She grinned like an idiot.
“Ok, then we’ll walk you out,” Ethan said, as if we were a couple or something.
Daniel’s driver was chatting to a man who turned out to be Ethan’s driver when we got outside. I said goodbye to Leah, promising to call her in an hour to let her know whereI was and that I was ok. Ethan opened the door to his car and gestured for me to get inside.
“Do you know Daniel?” I asked.
“Daniel who?”
“Daniel Armitage.”
“I know of him, but I’ve never met him. Why do you ask?”
“Your driver seems to know his driver.”
“Leah’s boyfriend is Daniel Armitage?”
I nodded and he nodded in response.
“Where are we going?” I asked, slightly panicked. Why hadn’t I asked before? I’d just got into a car with a stranger without asking any questions. What was I doing? I pulled out my phone to text Leah.
“Columbus Circle. Mandarin Oriental,” he said to the driver.
I told her where we were going and that I’d text her later to let her know I was ok. I swallowed and leaned forward to unwind the window to let the warm air of the New York summer spill in. OK, well if we were going to a hotel. He meant business. And when I saybusiness, I meansex.I’d never been into one-night stands. I didn’t like the idea of a stranger seeing me naked. But this stranger was particularly attractive and I was here in New York City to blow off some steam and have some fun, right? It was the city that didn’t sleep, and when in Rome …
My right leg started bouncing. A nervous habit. I only noticed as I caught Ethan noticing. He dragged his eyes from my leg up to my eyes and smiled.
“There’s no need to be nervous. We won’t do anything you don’t beg me to do to you,” he whispered in my ear.
Wow.My stomach tilted and I shifted in my seat, and went back to staring out the window.
TWO
Anna
Ethan already seemed to have the key to a … our … the room. We made our way up in the elevator without speaking. Without touching. I was more nervous than I wanted to be. I could do sex with no strings attached. What was the big deal?
When we reached the door, it swung open to reveal a huge living room overlooking Central Park. It was the most romantic thing I’d ever seen. The ceiling was decorated in what looked like gold leaf. The floors were dark and gleamed against the lights of the city. It looked like a place where a Roman god would live.
“Fuck,” I said, failing to keep what was in my head in my head.
