"Look, if my roommate can pull off making two-grand from a date she sent me on, anything is possible."
Wesley leans back and stretches his arms out along the top of the bench, reaching behind my neck. I have the urge to curl into him, but I’m not sure where is head is after last night. “Well, since I'm most likely going to be out of a job soon, I suppose it can't hurt to consider the idea."
"See, there you go," I tell him.
After a minute of silence, Wesley stands up from the bench and dips his hands into his back pockets. “So, can I walk you home? I need to get a little rest after the last few days."
"You don't have to walk me home. I'll be okay," I tell him.
"I'm walking you home," he insists.
We walk side by side in silence but we're only two blocks from my apartment, so I'm wondering what's going through his head. I'm not sure what's going through mine at the moment, but I know I should thank my lucky stars he came to my rescue tonight.
"Tomorrow, I should find out about the contract I signed with your boss. My attorney spoke with your boss' attorney tonight," Wesley says.
"Well, if not, maybe the breast milk company will put a stop to all this when they get ahold of the promotion."
"If they see it," Wesley says. He sounds well versed in pitfalls of the industry. "Sometimes, when they hire outside firms, there's a certain level of decision-making capabilities granted. I don't know what the contract between the two companies looked like, so it could go either way."
"I doubt Virtual Generation would have the final say with such a delicate subject matter.”
"We'll see," he says, sounding deflated.
"Thank you again for coming to help me tonight. I appreciate it more than I can explain. Nick was horrifying me after the first thirty seconds."
"Anytime."
"Okay then." This is so freaking awkward. We're standing in front of my apartment steps, looking at each other as if we're trying to read minds. If I was watching a TV show, I’d be yelling at the guy to kiss the girl. It’s what you do when you walk someone home. This is real life, though, and since I was the initiator of last night’s debacle, I can't let this get any worse. I wrap my arms around his neck and give him a hug. “Tonight was fun … after my date ended,” I tell him.
"The sauce was amazing too," he says in my ear.
He’s killing me. “Yeah, the sauce ... that was amazing,” I repeat, holding my breath.
“I’ll see you,” he says, taking a step away.
Wait, don’t go. I want more just not a second-night stand more. Maybe this is it. I never thought I could come back from a one-night-stand and find more, and I’m sure I’ve had a reason for that.
"Yeah, see you.” I inhale sharply because I don't know what to do in awkward moments.
“You’re going to let me walk away?” he asks, wrapping his arm around my waist.
“What do you mean?” I think I might know what he means.
“Get over here,” he says, pulling me in. His hand sweeps up the side of my cheek and traces his tongue along his bottom lip. “May I?”
I manage an agreeable nod as our lips touch. I know why we had a one-night-stand now. His lips are firm but soft and they taste so amazing. I could melt into his hand and stay here in the middle of the street all night like this. My heart thunders in my chest, making me feel more alive than I’ve felt in a long time. I wrap my arms around his neck, enduring the hot sensation of his skin against my wrists. Every part of me wants to invite him upstairs, but there is something more worthy of temporary satisfaction.
He pulls away and sweeps my hair away from shoulders. “I never understood the mention of ‘Feeling butterflies,’ but I just felt that way for the first time in my life. “This could be something good—us.”
A smile is stretched across my face, so wide, my cheeks are beginning to ache. “Yeah, this could be something,” I tell him. “It definitely could.”
“Good night,” he says, leaning in and giving me a soft kiss on the cheek.
I feel so many different emotions that I might say something ridiculous if I offer any more than a good night in return. I don’t want to ruin the moment—a perfect moment. “Good night, Wesley Moon.”
I scramble up my front steps and disappear into my apartment building before I’m able to beg Wesley to follow me. I wonder if he would have. My heart is still racing and I’m hot even though it’s chilly outside. He was adorable tonight, the way he saved me for that disaster. I’ve never met a guy who would jump at the opportunity to play a brother interested in incest. He’s got charm and he’s funny, gorgeous … obviously, I’m dreaming.
As I make my way into my apartment unit, I find it dark, which means Layla is still out on her wonderful date. It's definitely better off that we don't talk tonight, or she'd get an earful. I'd love to see what she has going on with this dating site though.
