I’d ignored Will since we slept together. I couldn’t bring myself to face him or the enormity of what I’d done. I even deleted our messages, making sure there was no trace. It felt calculated and wrong, but I couldn’t risk anything coming out.
By the time Friday rolled around, I was ready to drown my guilt in cocktails. Camille had an Uber pick up Meredith and me first, then we swung by her place. We headed to Bourbon House, which of course brought back my memories of having my first “business dinner” with Will. Maybe I should have suggested someplace else.
But once we were seated, drinks and appetizers arrived, and we started to laugh and gossip. For the first time all week, I let myself forget everything I’d done.
Then, out of nowhere, another round of drinks appeared.
“Courtesy of the gentleman at the bar,” the waiter said.
I turned. It was Will. Meredith and Camille followed my gaze, both immediately recognizing him.
“No way,” Camille said, smirking. “Go talk to him.”
“Wait, is he on a date?” Meredith asked, narrowing her eyes. “I’ll kill him.”
I shrugged, trying to act indifferent. “He has every right to date,” I said, though the idea made my heart hurt. Fueled by two drinks, I got up and walked over to him.
“Hello,” I said, my voice steady but my heart racing.
“Hello to you,” he replied, his eyes lighting up.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I could ask you the same,” he said, amused.
“I’m on a girls’ night,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant. “And you didn’t need to buy us drinks.”
The woman he was with shifted uncomfortably. “I’m going to freshen up,” she said, excusing herself.
The second she was gone, I turned to him, my tone sharper. “Are you on a date?”
“Sort of,” he admitted.
“What’s a ‘sort of’ date?”
He leaned in, his voice low and deliberate. “You didn’t call me after I had you naked in my bed.”
The way he whispered those words made my body tingle.
“If you’d talked to me, I would’ve canceled,” he added. “My mom set this up.”
“Well, your ‘sort of’ date is coming back,” I said, “I’ll see you later.”
Back at the table, I spilled the news to Meredith and Camille.
“Want me to clock him?” Meredith asked.
We laughed, but my eyes kept drifting back to Will. Our gaze met more times than I could count. I hated how jealous I felt, knowing I had no right to be.
His date was stunning, with auburn hair, freckles, and a kind of beauty that was impossible to ignore. I excused myself to the restroom, giving myself a much-needed pep talk in the mirror. When I walked out, Will was waiting for me in the hall.
“Not here,” I said, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a dark ballroom at the end of the hall.
In the shadows, he pressed me against the wall. His lips brushed against my ear.
“I just want you to know how much I would rather be with you.”
I shook my head. “Will, you can date whoever you want.”
