1
I’ve never done this before. My legs tremble as I walk down the long hotel corridor. Her room is right at the very end; a suite, she told me. Room 935. I know the number will be etched in my memory forever, because as much as I want this, right now, I’m also terrified.
I left the bar shortly after her, needing one more drink for liquid courage before I got changed into the black satin dress I’d thankfully brought along. Besides the fact that it will come off easily, the idea of her running a hand up my thigh while I’m still wearing it excites me. My black heels sink into the carpet as I make my way to the point of no return, and I feel myself getting wet, my mind in the gutter at the thought of finally being touched again.
This certainly wasn’t part of my plan when I woke up this morning. I’m a career-driven sales manager from Arizona, the highlight of my week being dinner with my parents every Sunday. Apart from that, I work long days and spend most nights alone in bed with my subscription of Netflix. My company’s annual New York trip is always a refreshing change of scenery, as I love the city and I’ve been looking forward to coming here for weeks. The first day of the textiles trade show in the Financial District was busy as always, with vendors from all over the world promoting their latest fabrics.
The company I work for has a stand too, showcasing our organic cottons from Phoenix, where we are based. My job is demanding, and I travel a lot in between the office and our factory, which is one of the reasons I’m still single at thirty-five, or so I tell my friends. Deep down, I know that’s not the case, though. Relationships have never been my priority. Perhaps because I’m ambitious and have been working my way up the corporate ladder for the past fifteen years, or perhaps because I’ve only come out to my close family and a handful of old friends, who I hardly ever see anymore. I never let anything get serious but not because I’m scared; I’ve just never met anyone I wanted to go through all that trouble for. Besides all the questions and opinions that I know will follow, it’s simply no one’s business.
It’s been a while since I’ve been with a woman, and almost six months since my last girlfriend broke up with me because I wasn’t ‘invested’. I guess she was right. I wasn’t, but I still miss the sex and I wonder if that’s why I was so drawn to the woman on whose door I’m about to knock. She oozed sex; I could feel it, even from a distance.
We got talking in the bar of the hotel where most of the trade show delegates are staying, as it’s conveniently situated right next door to the venue. While catching up with colleagues from different branches of my company, and a couple of buyers I’m hoping to write an order for, I was surprised to see a woman I didn’t recognize watching me from the far end of the bar. Stepping away from the conversation, I smiled at her, trying to figure out if I knew her, or if she was involved in the organization of the show. My memory is exceptional, and although nothing about her rang a bell, my interest peaked at her intense stare. Smiling back, she gave me a nod and then beckoned me over. Curiously, I came as if I had no free will; I was just so instantly drawn to her. She was very attractive, handsome, and a bit older than me, I guessed. Short, messy hair, a killer smile and dimples that stirred something lascivious inside me. Her ultra-confident air made me think she was successful with the ladies, but mostly it was her attitude that drew me in. Slightly butch perhaps, she acted as if she already had me in the palm of her hand, and for some reason that excited me, but I can’t deny that I was nervous as I approached. Subconsciously, I fiddled with my necklace, like I always do when I’m not entirely at ease. The cross around my neck holds no meaning to me any more in a religious sense, but it reminds me of where I came from, who I am, and it gives me a strange sense of comfort, just because it’s always been there.
“What are you drinking?” she asked, placing her hand possessively on the small of my back as I joined her at the bar. It was a bold move, and she didn’t pull it away after I’d taken a seat next to her. I could feel her warmth through my thin white shirt, and I think that’s when I slowly started going crazy. Her hand casually curled around my waist, waking up body parts I’d neglected since my last girlfriend, or perhaps a part of me I never knew existed. The firm, confident, hold told me she was not afraid to take charge and although I’d never felt a need for previous girlfriends to do that, I liked it way more than I could have anticipated.
“Gin and tonic,” I answered, swallowing hard. Her eyes were so blue, and they seemed to pierce right through me, to read every inch of desire that had been buried deep for months, years even.
“Gin and tonic. I like that,” she said, licking her lips as she stared at my mouth. “You’re sexy, you know that?”
“Right.” I rolled my eyes, knowing there was nothing sexy about the way I looked, but the comment still made me feel slightly feverish and caused an ache to form between my thighs. My blonde hair was pulled back into a braid and I was wearing jeans, Nikes and a plain, white organic cotton blouse that hung frumpily from my shoulders. Being in charge of the Cotton Innovation Department, I’m expected to dress in line with our product offer. I can’t say I love what they give me to wear for work, but since the main part of my job consists of interacting with clients, outward communications and promoting our brand, I don’t really have a choice. By now, I’m so used to it that it’s become a part of me and besides, I like my job and I don’t have much else in my life, so I tend to do whatever they want me to. My trade show lanyard was still hanging around my neck as I turned to her, giving away my name. She tugged at it, pulling me closer, and I let her.
“Emily Evans.” The way she said it could have passed for an orgasm coming from her mouth, and I think I gasped for a brief second as she pulled me closer to her enticing lips. Her breath was on my face as she looked deep into my lust filled eyes. “Emily Evans, would you like to come to my room?”
Even if I’d wanted to resist, my whole body reacted to her voice, her strong grip and her words in a way that was entirely new to me. No one had ever left me shaking on my feet just by using words alone, and honestly, I was fascinated.
“For what?” I asked, quietly cursing myself for sounding so naïve. I looked around to make sure no one was listening in on our conversation. There would be a lot of gossip if my colleagues knew I was flirting with a woman. No one here knew about this part of me.
“Don’t play innocent with your beautiful icy-gray eyes, you know exactly what I mean.” Her tone was dominant as she took my drink from the bartender and handed it to me. “I want to fuck you, Emily. I want to make you feel like you’ve never felt before.”
“How are you so sure you can do that?” My words didn’t sound one bit convincing, but I said them anyway. I think I tore the lanyard back out of her hand at this point and straightened in an attempt to pull myself together, but it all then became a bit of a blur from there.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.” She paused and smiled at me and God, I swear, in that moment, I melted. “I’ll see you in my suite, room number 935. In an hour.” It was a command rather than a request, and after the way my body reacted to her only moments ago, how could I say no?