Once the door is closed, I take in the room. Itislovely: white walls, dark mahogany flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows. The king-sized bed in the middle of the room is made up, with dark green throw pillows and a forest green duvet. I can’t help but smile at the small walk-in closet. My apartment isn’t much bigger than a closet itself. There’s a huge mirror in the corner of the room, a desk by the window, and a TV on the wall.
As much as I want to avoid Hayden, I can’t help but be grateful for his kindness.
I put my clothes away, and as I’m hanging up a shirt, there’s a soft knock at the door.
“You good in there?” Hayden asks, his voice muffled.
“Yeah, still unpacking.”
The door cracks open, and he peeks in. His blond hair is messy, but in a way that only makes him more handsome. His black tee has disappeared. Now, his muscular chest is bare, showing off his ink. His dark gray sweatpants hang low on his hips, damn him. He’s also barefoot, so his steps are quiet as he moves closer.
My heart has taken off at a gallop, and my brain has glitched. I’m transfixed, so much so that when he steps toward me, I don’t step back.
“I figured I’d help you put some stuff away.” He reaches for the last pile of clothes on the bed.
“Wait, I can…” The words die on my lips as he picks up a pile of folded sweatshirts, leaving the vibrant pink vibrator that was tucked underneath on full display.
Fuck me.I’d love for the floor to swallow me whole right about now.
Time slows. A moment of pure, painful silence follows. My cheeks flame. I bite my bottom lip, torn between bursting into tears and laughing it off.
Hayden clears his throat, attention flicking between me and the pink nightmare on the pristine bedspread. “Well, that’s…a very confident color.”
I slap my hands to my face. “Oh my God.”
How is it possible a few simple words can make the situation a thousand times worse?
“At least I don’t need to be worried you don’t have company. And that yourcompanyis a better conversationalist than I am.”
Hands dropped, I huff. “Please shut up.”
He laughs, the sound loud and rich. “Ry baby, no shame. If I had to deal with bad dates the way you have, I’d have a drawer full of those things too.”
Despite how mortified I am, a short burst of laughter escapes my mouth. “Glad to know you’re entertained.” I swipe the vibrator off the mattress and stuff it back into my duffel bag. Why did I even bring it in the first place?Gah, I’m an idiot!
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He puts my clothes back on the bed, his expression solemn before his lips tip up in a slow smirk. “I’ll let you get back to organizing your…collection.”
I pick up a throw pillow and smack the back of his head with it. “Get out.”
Grinning, he backs toward the door. “I’ll be in the living room. Come find me so we can order lunch.”
“Uh-huh.” My face is so damn hot. I can only imagine how red it is.
He’s almost out the door when he glances back at me. “And don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Get out!” I hiss.
As he throws his head back and roars with laughter, I stalk into the walk-in closet and close the door.
When the bedroom door clicks shut, I set the clothes on the shelf. Then, I lower myself to the floor. Legs pulled into my chest, I stare at the wall, mortified and amused in equal measure.
Ofallthe things for him to see, why did it have to be my vibrator?
Clearly, my bad luck extends past dating.
12
reminiscing
