GRACE
“He still hasn’t said a single word to you?”
“Not a thing,” I tell Winnie, the only real friend I have back in DC.
“He pretends like he doesn’t know me. Like nothing happened. It drives me crazy. I’m beginning to think I’m the one who has lost my mind and it wasn’t him.”
Winnie’s giggle shoots through the phone. “That would be something.” She pauses for a second. “Wait, do you really think it wasn’t him?”
I set my glass down and pick up an olive off the tray in front of me. “No. It is definitely him.”
“Why, does he have like a weird mole on his face?”
I snort and pick up my cabernet. “No. I just know. It was that small recognition when he walked into the room on my first day. Or the glances he steals my way when he thinks I’m not looking.”
“Are you going to say anything?”
I swallow the rest of my wine down and then glance at my phone screen to look at the time. “Eventually. Maybe. I don’t know. I was going to but then decided I should just fuck someone else to get him out of my system.”
The woman on the stool next to me coughs at my words.
“Where are you anyway?”
“Trying to take my own advice. I’m sitting at a wine bar waiting for my Tinder date.”
“Moving on quickly, I see.”
The bartender asks if I want another and I nod. “It’s been two weeks, Win. And every night I am pulling out my damn vibrator thinking about how he told me I tasted like strawberries and cream and then fucked me so hard I blacked out. Three times. Three times!”
The woman next to me glares at me, and I stick my tongue out at her.
“There is no setting for monster dick on my vibrator and it leaves me disappointed. Maybe I should just ask him for a mold of his dick and be done with it.”
Winnie laughs so hard into the phone I know she is probably bright red. This time the woman next to me turns around and starts yelling.
“That is so inappropriate. You need to leave and have that conversation elsewhere. I cannot be subjected to such vile things coming out of your mouth. This is a family establishment.”
“It’s a wine bar.”
“You are inappropriate! What would God think of you saying those things?”
I smile at her in a charming way. “Ma’am, I met God two weeks ago and he was happy with me screaming his name.”
She gasps so loud I think she may fall out of her chair.
“And it seems if you are offended by talk of vibrators and masturbating, I am guessing you are not being properly satisfied at home and are too embarrassed that Jesus won’t forgive you if you took matters into your own hands and took care of business yourself.” I lean closer to her but don’t quiet my voice. “Trust me, it will probably feel better than your husband.”
She yells for the bartender and I lean back in my seat, laughing just as I catch a glimpse of dirty-blond hair and sapphire eyes. He’s standing near the hostess stand, biting his lip as he takes me in. I have no idea how much he heard, but for some reason I don’t care. Maybe he did hear it all. Maybe he knows that I’ve been thinking about him every damn night.
A man starts talking to him and he looks away from me before engaging in conversation. He walks with a group of men around the corner and I lose sight of him.
“Are you still there, Grace? I can hear the noise in the background.”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“What happened?”
“Huh?” I ask, confused.