Modern Girl's Guide to One-Night Stands (2 page)

Toeing the door open, she saw Charlotte, Luke’s assistant, spread across the table while Luke was kissing her exposed skin. Julia shut her eyes and counted to five, sure she’d hallucinated the scene. But even with her eyes shut, she could still hear the unmistakable sounds of sex.

Turning, Julia ran back to the elevator and smashed the call button. When the noises got louder behind her, Julia abandoned that plan and ran to the stairway. She was halfway down the eighteen flights when she lost it. She slid down to the step and cried.

She wasn’t even sure what she was crying about, Luke’s complete betrayal or the fact he’d found his pleasure with someone else even after she'd thrown herself at him. It took several minutes, but Julia finally pulled herself together and finished the long descent to the ground floor. Still in a state of shock, she got in the back of the waiting limo, not sure what to do next.

“Ms. Hopkins?” the driver said.

“What?” Julia asked, turning to the front of the limo and finding the driver waiting for her. His smile was sad, and Julia didn’t know if his response was to her obvious tears or if he’d known about Luke’s extracurricular actives. “I’m sorry, Jacob. What did you need?”

“I was just wondering if you wanted me to take you back to Mr. Davis’s apartment?” he asked.

Mr. Davis’s apartment.
Even the driver knew she was just an accessory in Luke’s life. Here she was, going back to his apartment, preparing to be his wife, living his life. All the while he was fucking some girl on the conference room table. What the fuck had happened to her? She’d even lost the fire to go up there and tell him off. She didn’t even recognize herself anymore.

“Yes. Take me to the condo, but would you wait on me? I just need to grab a few things.”

“It’s the best decision you’ve ever made,” Megan said as they rode the elevator down to the lobby of the hotel. “Luke was an asshole. You’re young and a babe. You’ll find someone new. Someone who will treat you right."

“Meh,” Julia shrugged noncommittally.

Staring down at her now-bare ring finger, she sighed. It had been a month since she walked out, leaving the ring with a long Dear John letter, and it still felt weird. Luke hadn’t even called to try and explain. Maybe Luke hadn’t even noticed she'd left him. She wasn’t sure if that made her angry or relieved.

But after weeks of analyzing her feelings, Julia realized one thing: she wasn’t upset anymore. No, all she felt was relief.

“It was the right thing to do,” Julia said, more to herself than Megan. “I would never be able to trust him again. I should have known something was up when he wanted to use condoms again. He said it was to be safe. That we wouldn’t want to rush the wedding because I got pregnant. Now I realize he was fucking around on me. Do you think that meant he wasn’t practicing safe sex with his mistress?”

“Have you been tested?” Megan asked, answering the question in a roundabout way.

“It was one of the first things I did after leaving.”

“Tell me again why you wanted to marry that creep? You’re a much smarter girl than that.”

Julia shrugged, at a loss for words. She really couldn’t remember why. They had dated for a while, and then he proposed. It was almost as if she said yes out of pure shock more than anything else.

“After the mani-pedi, we should go down to the pool. A nice soak in the hot tub is just what you need.”

The elevator doors opened and Megan dragged her to the spa entrance. She glanced down at a sign sitting on the reception desk and started jumping up and down like a fangirl.

“Oh, Drew is here. We need to get hot stone massages, too.”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry about your back,” she said, as if reading Julia’s thoughts. "Drew is a licensed massage therapist. Just tell him about the accident and he’ll take extra care. He has magic fingers, and he’s smoking hot. It’s a win-win.”

“A massage does sound nice. And I guess if I want someone to touch me now, I’m going to have to pay for it.”

“Oh, honey, Luke was a prick,” Megan said and put her arm around Julia’s shoulder. “Let’s hit the bar tonight. Maybe we can find you a hot piece of ass to help you forget about what’s-his-head.”

“I can’t even think about going out with someone else. I just called off my wedding. The body is still warm. Besides, I don’t even have a place to live right now."

“Yes, you do. You’re staying with me, and you’re welcome to stay as long as you want. And who said anything about dating?" Julia started to protest, but Megan cut her off. “Let Drew work on you. Maybe after you’ve loosened up you’ll be more receptive."

“Fine.” Julia smiled, even though she really didn’t feel it. She really hadn’t felt much of anything these last few weeks.

“I still have to go Saturday morning, but I’m determined to see you laid before then. Maybe we should skip the pool and go straight to the bar.”

“I’m not sure I’m up for that.”

“Don’t be a prude. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else, I always say.”

“Megan…”

“Ms. Shelton? We’re ready for you.” A small brunette woman came out of the back room, carrying a clipboard. “If you’ll follow me.”

Megan turned back to Julia and smiled. “Just enjoy the spa. We’ll talk about that other thing later.” She winked and walked through the curtain to the back rooms.

Julia stood there and watched her go, knowing full well Megan was on a mission. Julia had never been the type of girl to bed-hop, but it wasn’t as if she’d seen any action in a while. It would be nice to feel wanted and desired again.

“Ms. Hopkins, are you coming?” the brunette asked with a nod of her head. She was waiting for Julia to make a decision, patiently holding the curtain open.

The week they’d booked at one of Chicago’s luxury hotels was supposed to help her get out of this funk, but it wasn’t helping.
Maybe Megan was right
. Maybe a man was just the thing to help her forget. Julia followed the attendant back to a private room, determined to do this one crazy thing before she returned back to her boring life.

“I won’t be back until Monday, but promise me you’ll stay another night and relax. The room is booked until Sunday, so enjoy the pool. The bar. The men." Megan picked up her bag and checked her makeup in the mirror one more time. She dabbed a bit more lip gloss on her full lips and smiled. “You never did find your one-night stand.”

“Every guy staying at this hotel reminds me of Luke. Successful, polished, driven. Not exactly the escape I was looking for.” Julia stretched out on the sofa and pulled her robe tighter. She missed out on her crazy one-night stand, but this was still one of the best winter breaks Julia had spent in a long time. She was relaxed and felt more like her old self, not the soft, placating woman she had become.

She wondered again why she had let Luke dictate her life. It wasn’t until she’d walked away that she realized she hadn’t made a decision for herself in over a year. Luke even picked out her clothing, for Christ’s sake! That is, everything but the sexy lingerie she was planning on surprising him with. So much for that plan. Maybe she would wear them to the next faculty meeting. A little secret, under her stiff business suit.

“I think I’ll just go back to your condo,” she said. “I want to spend the rest of winter break in my PJs, eating ice cream.”

Megan reached over the back of the sofa and patted her on the shoulder. “I still think you’re being too picky. We’re talking a one-night stand. A fling, not a relationship. Pick a sexy guy and go with it. Seriously, you don’t even need to talk. Just a little bump and grind.” Megan walked over to the closet and pulled out her jacket. After double-checking her itinerary, she headed toward the door. “I wish I could have canceled this speaking engagement. I don’t want to leave you alone. You could always come with me.”

“To Des Moines? In January? No. I’ll pass. I promise not to run back to Luke or have a breakdown while you’re gone. I’m fine. Really.” Julia crossed her heart with her fingertips and shot Megan big puppy dog eyes. “Your devoted fans are waiting. I still can’t believe people admit, in public, that they read your books.”

“What can I say?” She shrugged and headed toward the door. “Sex sells.”

“Go have fun with your secret double-life. Mild-mannered English professor by day, pervy erotica writer by night,” Julia said. “I'll hold down the fort. And I know the drill. If anyone asks, you’re at a boring administrative conference.”

By six that evening, Julia had all her bags packed and called for the bellman. The huge suite felt empty without Megan and she still had to unpack some of her things at Megan’s condo. She gave a final glance around the room, feeling a lot like Dorothy at the end of the movie. This was the bright and colorful world of Oz and she was headed back to the dreary black and white of her life.

With a longing sigh, she followed the bellman down to the lobby.

The perky blond at the desk greeted her with a smile. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“I’m checking out. Can you call me a car?”

“Certainly, but it might be a few minutes. The big pharmaceutical conference just let out for the day. Most of the taxis and cars for hire are out right now. Let me call the service and see what I can do.”

Julia hadn’t eaten yet, so she decided to wait until the crowd died down. She turned to the hallway leading to the restaurant. The thought of eating alone at such a nice restaurant made her cringe. A loud laugh from the other end of the lobby caught her attention as a group of men in business suits walked into the bar. She could always grab a sandwich at the bar and try for a car in an hour. Or maybe she’d just have a few drinks and head back to the room.

“You know, I think I’ll wait to check out, but can I store my luggage here?”

“Not a problem. Just let me know when you’re ready to leave.” The blond girl smiled and waved the bellman to a back room.

Julia smiled as she walked into the bar. The lights were low and a soft jazz quartet played in the corner. Groups of men and women dressed in business attire were scattered around the room, smiling and having a good time. She walked to the far side of the bar. The perfect place to people-watch. Just a few more hours in the fantasy world would do. She could always unpack tomorrow.

She sat in the corner of the crowded bar and ordered a sandwich. From this vantage point, she could see almost the whole room. Looking over the sea of power suits and Prada, Julia knew this wouldn’t be the place to find someone to help her forget Luke. They were all just like him.

While she ate, Julia ignored the crowd and started planning her week of apartment hunting. Megan’s offer was nice, and she loved her, but Julia didn’t think she could handle more than a few months of living with her. Still, it was good to have time to find the right place.

As she started in on her dinner—a BLT and some pub chips—a man in an expertly tailored suit slid onto the stool next to hers.

“Hey,” he said with the obligatory male chin lift. “It should be against the law for a pretty girl like you to be all alone."

Julia fought back the urge to roll her eyes. “I don’t mind.”

“But I do. Let me buy you a drink.”

He didn’t have a nametag, so he probably wasn’t with the convention. By the look of his suit and the insanely expensive watch he kept flashing, she would guess finance. She also noticed the slight dimpling on his ring finger. No tan lines——he was far too clever for that—but she could make out the indentation of a wedding ring.