His Five Night Stand (15 page)

“Not yet,” he whispered, setting me softly on the ground. “Not yet, love, but soon.”

I thought I might collapse from desire and disappointment.

He kissed me good bye before he left. I crawled back into bed aching for a man I still barely knew. Who was I?

I found another note under my door the next evening. I leaned against the door as I read.

Callie—Night 3 will need to wait. You are addictive and I’m afraid of moving too fast with you. Rest and know I crave your touch. If you will have me again, I’ll see you tomorrow night—T

My knees felt weak. T.

I tried not to feel disappointed. I could wait another night, couldn’t I? I tried not to read more into his words. He craved my touch, he feared moving too fast. This was part of his five-day routine, I couldn’t allow myself to want or hope for more.

The card stock felt solid and strong in my hands making me think of his arms around my waist and his mouth against mine and other parts of my body. When we were together, the things Theo did to me, the way he touched me caused me no shame, only pleasure.

I remembered with sweetness the way he’d soothed away my tears. Seeing Henry had rattled me the arrogant bastard. What right did he have to walk around my lake with his new girlfriend? As stupid as that sounded I did feel as though he’d invaded some unspoken territorial agreement. You stay downtown with your expensive car and fancy restaurants and leave me with my bohemian coffee shops, corner cafes, and sunlight filled parks. Henry had hurt me, and the shock of seeing him reminded me that the wound was fresh, but in the morning light after two nights of loving from Theo, I felt a little stronger, more sure of myself.

The man I thought I loved didn’t want me, so what. I was a desirable and lovable woman who was just beginning to understand the things her body could do. I had never felt this way physically about Henry. The pain of losing him was still present, but the curiosity I felt for Theo and myself felt like it might just be tipping the scales in my favor.

And what about the woman who had broken Theo’s heart? This mystery woman had died. She was a ghost, a memory that I couldn’t compete with. I closed my eyes and held the note to my chest feeling dizzy with emotion. “Idiot,” I whispered out loud. “It’s five nights, nothing more. It doesn’t matter if he loves a ghost or a hundred women before or after you. All you have is now.”

I took a breath and stood tall. My neurotic inner war would need to continue later. Sure I was having the most amazing sex of my life with an almost total stranger, but if I wanted to have clean clothes the next time my tall dark and handsome showed up, I needed to do laundry.

I scrounged up some quarters and grabbed a basket full of dirty clothes.

The laundry room was in the basement down three flights of stairs at the end of the hall from Billie’s office. The sound of laughter in the laundry room echoed down the hall. I stopped walking wondering if I could slip back upstairs unnoticed. I wasn’t in the mood to chat with anyone considering the last time I’d seen any of the women in this building I’d been drunk and wobbling on Theo’s arm.

I had just decided to turn around when I heard footsteps behind me.

“Hey Callie, there’s room for another, come on in.” Shea stood in the hallway swinging an empty laundry bottle. She wore casual sweats, her pale hair in a messy topknot.

“I can come back,” I said, taking a step back. “If the machines are all busy.”

“Don’t be dumb, it’s just me and Odessa and a bottle of red wine. It’s laundry night.”

Odessa. I took another step back.

Theo’s former lover.

Odessa knew about Theo’s five nights.

Odessa knew my secrets.

At the word wine Odessa stuck her head out into the hallway spotting me.

Her black hair hung loose around her face and for once she didn’t have her cats eye make up on. She looked natural and luminous wearing a tank top and jean shorts. I was instantly jealous. She had a history with Theo. I wanted to run and hide from her and my emotions. I knew I had no right to feel jealous about their past. We were not an item. We were an experiment. An idea.

“Hey there!” Odessa said, darting into the hallway and grabbing my hand. “You are not escaping. You need to come in here and join us. I want to know everything.”

My heart hammered in my chest as I followed her inside, my laundry basket hooked under my arm. “Everything?”

“Let me help,” Odessa said, taking my basket and setting it on a long table. She opened a machine and started sorting through my clothing separating whites and colors.

“I can do that,” I said.

Shea returned with a fresh bottle of detergent. “Don’t bother, she is meticulous and impossible, it’s best to let Odessa do what she wants.” Shea took a seat on one of the vibrating washers and gave a wicked grin. “This thing is fun, I really should kick you girls out of here and get Troy in here. I have a feeling that we could have some fun on this machine.”

“Oh please,” Odessa said. “You can’t tell me that you and Troy haven’t already done it in the laundry room.” She looked at me conspiratorially. “I know for a fact they have made a game out of having sex in every room in this building.”

“Not every room,” Shea said, rolling her eyes.

“You fucked in Callie’s room two days before she rented it,” Odessa said, taking a pile of my whites and putting them in a washer.

“Guilty as charged,” Shea giggled holding her hands up in surrender.

“I heard every moan,” Odessa explained. “You may have noticed the walls are kind of thin.”

“I hadn’t really noticed,” I said, cheeks burning.

“Oh please,” Shea said. “It’s a rite of passage to listen to Odessa moan. I remember living upstairs from you when you were in Callie’s studio. This was right after I moved to Seattle. I grew up working the apple orchards of Eastern Washington. I was a walking cliché. Small town girl lost in the big city and then I heard it.” Shea gripped the edge of the machine and moaned. “Oh, baby, yes, yes, yes.” She rocked back and forth banging on the machine her face rapt with pleasure as she pretended to orgasm. “I was inspired to tell you the truth. Were you with Theo then or was that before?”

Something flashed in Odessa’s eyes at the mention of before Theo.

“Never mind,” Shea said, looking apologetic. “It doesn’t matter really.”

My mind was still stuck on Theo. The mention of his name made me feel a little dizzy and jealous, so inappropriately jealous. Odessa was one of the women Theo had loved before. It was a little too much for me to bear.

“A woman has a right to moan. If we aren’t moaning, we need a new lover, the right lover. We deserve pleasure. And when you find the man that makes you feel every part of your body, we should hold on tight.” Odessa arched one of her thinly plucked eyebrows. Was this her way of telling me that she’d heard my recent cries? My face burned even hotter and I wished I’d just stayed upstairs with my dirty clothes. I did not know how to talk to these women who were so open about sexuality, they were so raw and uncensored, I felt repressed and awkward around them.

I took a seat on the wooden bench across from the machines. Shea poured me a red solo cup full of red wine. I knew enough about wine to know it was expensive. I imagined it was Odessa’s from the pile of laundry she’d started folding, the labels and fabric told me she had money. I wondered again why she was living in The Holiday. It was a nice building, but it wasn’t luxurious, it had character. I knew why I was here. I wondered what the other women’s stories were.

“So,” Odessa said. “I’ve waited long enough to ask. How are things going with . . . Theo?” She took a swig of her wine and grinned at me.

And boom. There it was.

I swallowed feeling totally exposed but slightly relieved to have the question out in the open. I didn’t need to pretend it hadn’t happened. I could hear the sound of her lovemaking; clearly she had heard me with Theo. Then another thought occurred to me. Maybe I could learn more about Theo without breaking his rules.

“Things, are going,” I paused, unable to contain my smile. I took another big swig of wine the feeling of warmth moving through my body.

“Oh my God, did you hook her up with Theo?” Shea said, pouring me another drink. “You didn’t tell me that.”

Odessa shrugged. “I thought Theo and Callie might be good for each other, and I like seeing other people happy.”

“And remembering you deserve happiness yourself,” Shea said, lips pursing as she almost glared at her friend.

"I'm happy enough," Odessa said. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Callie and Theo.”

“Is he still doing his five night only thing?” Shea asked me.

“Yes,” I said, feeling embarrassed that his five night stand was somehow common knowledge. “We’ve had two nights so far.”

“Two already?” Odessa said, eyebrows arching. “Interesting.”

“Interesting?” I repeated.

“Nothing. It’s just Theo generally likes to take things very slow. He savors his women, he worships us.”

Us. I hated that. Me. I wanted to say. He worships me. I was officially losing my shit and the wine was not helping.

“Well, he told me that he would see me tomorrow, he needed a break,” I said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

“Interesting,” Odessa said. Again, the word with no explanation.

“Because?” I asked, craving information.

“He has a pattern and you seem to be breaking it,” Odessa said, smiling. “I noticed last night he came in and went directly to work. Did he sleep with you?”

“You mean like close his eyes?”

“Yes, sleep. Theo doesn’t sleep with women, he loves them and he leaves.”

“He did fall asleep . . . after.”

“I think you have him unsettled,” Odessa said, grinning. “That is definitely not his pattern.”

“I don’t want to unsettle him; I mean it’s just a physical thing. I understand the rules. Five nights, no getting attached.”

“How could you not get attached to that cock?” Shea said, sighing. “I’ve heard it’s gorgeous. If I wasn’t madly in love with Troy, I would so want a night with Theo Manhattan.”

“Manhattan?” I said. So, he had a last name. I felt like such an idiot. I didn’t know it and yet it sounded familiar.

“Yes, you know the Manhattan gallery downtown?” Shea said. “You may have seen it a couple blocks down from the art museum. Theo is a sculptor and a curator. His pieces are outrageously expensive and he owns the gallery as well. He’s quite the collector. Be careful.” She wagged her finger back and forth playfully.

“Well, I don’t think he’s going to collect me,” I said, getting her meaning. “Five nights, it was clear and I am just getting over someone. The last thing I need is complication.”

“Oh please,” Odessa said, pouring me more wine. Somehow my cup was empty again. A load of laundry washed and in the dryer now, my darks were next. Where did the time go here? “The only thing you need is complication. Women make a mistake with heartbreak. There is this thing, don’t make out with anyone, don’t fuck anyone. Mourn. Grieve. Bullshit, I say. When your heart is broken, take it and gift it to someone else. Be vulnerable. Be beautiful. Be strong. Let your body remind you of your power. Embrace yourself.”

“She really should write self-help,” Shea said, nodding with seriousness.

“When your heart breaks you feel unlovable. If you have the right frame of mind, being loved by someone else can remind you to fall in love with yourself again.” Odessa had moved towards me, brushing a strand of hair off my face. “Do you feel more beautiful, Callie?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“The thing is, you never stopped being beautiful, you just forgot.”

“Kiss her!” Shea shouted snorting and laughing.

“She’s not my type,” Odessa said, winking. “But honey I’m not rejecting you, you are gorgeous. And I think you are getting to Theo.”

“Why would I get to him?”

“Theo had his heart broken. He’s more vulnerable than he wants you to believe.”

“The woman he loved died,” I said, my heart racing. “He told me about her, a little bit.”

“He told you about Grace?”

Her name was Grace. “Not all the details.” Which was not a lie.