I exit the club onto the street and into the late, cool evening air. I shiver slightly wishing I had thought far enough ahead to grab a sweater before I left Alexa's apartment hours ago. My eyes scan the scene outside the club. It's near midnight now and the throngs of people waiting in line to get inside have only increased. The hum of their voices as they mingle and connect before ever hitting the dance floor wafts through the air. I don't know how I'm going to jump back into that. I'll need to at some point. Meeting men in Manhattan isn't as easy as it looks.
"Kayla?"
The voice that calls my name is rough and deep. It's not Doug. This voice carries more confidence. I whip around on my heel, my eyes scanning over the crowd behind me. I don't recognize any of the faces.
"Kayla." It calls to me again, louder this time. A hand juts above a group of people standing near the entrance to the club.
I step towards the voice trying desperately to place it. I briefly dated a few men before I moved back to Boston. Right now, I can't recall any of them. Please let it be someone from work.
He steps forward, the crowd parting to let him through. I notice her first. She's a beautiful brunette, slightly taller than I am, her hand clenched tightly in his. She's wearing a fitted red dress, the neckline so low that her cleavage is on display. Her lipstick is bold. It matches the hue of the dress. She flashes a set of perfect white teeth before her gaze travels up to his face.
"Ben," I say his name for the first time.
He leans forward to brush his lips over my cheek. "It's great to see you."
I step back out of sheer need. My body aches just from the soft touch of his lips on my skin. "It's nice to see you too."
"Who is this?" The woman attached to his hand nods towards me, her voice shaded with a European accent. "How do you know her?"
"This is Kayla." His hand drops hers. "We met a few weeks ago."
She stares at him. "Where did you meet?"
His eyes don't leave my face. "It was on a flight from Boston."
I instantly see relief wash over her. "You're visiting New York?" Her hand reaches to skim over my arm. "You like it here?"
"I live here now." I don't move even though her touch is making me incredibly uncomfortable. Her reaction to his vague response about us meeting on a flight quieted something within her. She was jealous. I could sense it within her eyes but it's gone now.
"Really?" She claps her hands together as if that's the best news she's heard all day. "Do you need a guide to show you around?"
Great. The girlfriend of the best fuck I've ever had wants to be my bestie. I shouldn't have gotten out of bed today.
"Kayla has lived here before." His tone is low.
I turn my head to look at him. He's exactly as I remember him save for the stubble that's now covering his jaw. He's dressed differently though. Gone are the designer suits. Tonight he's dressed in a black sweater and jeans. I'm not sure I would have recognized if I spotted him in the crowd.
"I'm Mickey." Her hand darts into mine. "It's nice to meet you."
"Kayla," I say my name even though I know she's well aware of it. "It's good to meet you too."
"You'll come inside for a drink, yes?" She motions towards the entrance of the club.
I glance at it briefly before I shake my head. "No. I'm actually on my way home. I was already inside."
"That's a shame." Her overzealous pout isn't lost on me. There's another wave of relief washing over her. She wants Ben to herself. I can't blame her.
"Have fun," I say without any meaning at all attached to it. She's going to go into that club and dance with him, then she'll get into a bed with him and experience all the pleasure I felt. Damn her. Damn my life right now.
"Another time, yes?" She leans forward before her lips brush against my left cheek, and then the right.
"Sure thing." I look towards the street in search of an available taxi. "I need to be going."
Ben's hand reaches for my elbow just as I turn to leave. "Let me hail you a cab, Kayla."
"That's not necessary," I quip. I don’t want to prolong my internal agony for another moment. It's torturous knowing my moment with him has passed. I don't want to remember the way his body felt as he took me in that bed. I can't think about the way his lips tasted as they pulled my desire to the surface.
"I insist." His breath roams across my shoulder. "I'll find you inside, Mickey."