"So I guess that is your answer then?"
"Yeah, I think so. I told her I'd have an answer to her by this weekend."
"Well, just be careful. Make sure it’s the right thing for you, and if you need anything, just call me, okay?"
Hunter got up and walked to the door, turning the handle, and was just about to leave when I cleared my throat.
"Hunter?"
"Yeah?"
"She wants it to be natural and fun. How the hell am I going to do that?"
"Treat her no different than the way you've treated the other women you have been with." He shrugged.
"No. I just mean she's my friend. It's going to awkward enough. I don't want to fuck this up."
"Fuck, do you need me to teach you how to use your fucking cock too?" He chuckled. "I dunno, get her some toys, have fun with it. Get her worked up, just relax, and have a good time. Remember, it’s only a week, and since there is no relationship going to be formed, you really can't possibly fuck anything up."
That was Hunter's advice. Before I could tell him I was more worried about fucking up my friendship with her, he had already left my office and was on his way.
* * *
Istepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist. I dripped dry while I shaved, and then I walked to the kitchen with a renewed sense of who I was. The weight of having the decision lifted off me had made me feel much lighter than I had in days.
I pulled the fridge open and grabbed a beer and wandered into the living room. Flopping down onto the couch, I turned on the TV to catch some late-night news.
I needed to unwind. The tension I'd been carrying in my upper back and neck all week was now killing me. As I had driven home, I'd been happy with my decision, but now I realized that I wasn't proud of most of the things I had done when it came to women. I let out a breath. I didn't want Sophie to become just another woman on that already long list.
I thought back to the afternoon. All I had gotten from Bryce were wisecracks about my sex life. Hunter had been the one who had made the most sense. He had spoken to me from his heart. He genuinely wanted me to be prepared.
I picked up my cell phone, checking again to see if she had messaged me while I had been in the shower, but the only message that sat there was mine. "Fuck," I mumbled under my breath.
I threw my cell phone down on the couch beside me and reached for the documents I had printed earlier and started reading them over once again, making sure everything I wanted to be included was there. I was about halfway through them when my phone started to vibrate, and when I looked down at my screen, I saw Sophie was calling.
"Moment of truth," I murmured before taking a deep breath. I hesitated for a moment and stared at her name, and then I picked up my phone and answered.
9
Sophie
"Iheard from Chase," I practically shouted into the phone. "He said yes." My stomach flopped at the thought. I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, twirling a strand of my hair around my finger as I waited for a response from Jenna.
"EEEK! All right, girl, this calls for a day of shopping. We need to get your primped and primed and ready. We need to shop. We need to go to the spa and get things waxed. Oh, I am so excited. When is he coming? No pun intended." She laughed.
"Tomorrow, for one week."
"You guys live two blocks away from one another and you’re taking him hostage?"
I was giddy with excitement and began laughing. "No. It's part of my plan. I have to maximize my time."
"Maximize your time?"
"Yes, that way we can get in as many sessions as possible."
“You make it sound as if this is a therapy appointment.”
I let out a laugh. “I guess you are right.”