And he busted out of there so fast after we banged that clearly he wasn’t interested in anything else. To be fair, those were the parameters set forth when we met...but it still feels a little icky. He seemed like a good guy, but then he just ran out, and I don’t really know how to feel about that other than a little sad.
I do my best to brush those feelings away. It was what it was, and it’s over now.
After I try to scrub away all the feelings and fail, I get out of the shower. I have a missed text from Nicki.
Nicki: I’m heading home with Josh this morning. Your parents are already there cooking. Meet us there when you get up. Thanks for the best night last night! Oh and bring me something if you stop at the Bux.
I laugh. She knows I’ll stop at Starbucks on my way—especially after a night like last night. I need the caffeine that fuels me in a way regular, homemade coffee just doesn’t.
I search the area for a Starbucks on my app and find one close to my brother’s house, and then I gather my wet hair in a ponytail, toss on a baseball cap since Nicki has hired in a team to get us ready for the rehearsal tonight, and head for valet to pick up my brother’s car.
The Starbucks is only about fifteen minutes from the hotel, and Friday morning traffic in Vegas is relatively light. I’m battling a slight hangover and my body is still a little warm from what Luke did to it.
I sit in my car in the parking lot and place a mobile order on my app. I don’t get my favorite nonfat white chocolate mocha with extra whip. I opt instead for one of the most caffeinated beverages on the menu—a nitro cold brew, which, according to my favorite barista back home, isn’t the top most caffeinated drink on the menu, but the caffeine hits you quicker because of a little bit of carbonation. I punch in Nicki’s favorite drink, a skinny latte, and I order a little something for Josh and my parents, too.
I stare at the picture of Hot Luke one more time for good measure, set it as my wallpaper because I’m totally going to play a joke on Nicki and tell her the guy is my new boyfriend, and then I get out of my car and head inside to pick up my drinks.
They aren’t ready yet.
I stand by the counter to wait, and I slip my phone out of my pocket. I’m scrolling Instagram mindlessly, wondering if I should put up the picture of me with Hot Luke when I know I won’t, when I hear a voice behind me.
A bragging voice.
At least it’s low, but not low enough that I don’t hear every word of his conversation. I’m the only one in hearing distance, and I probably look occupied as I scroll my phone.
“Oh, yeah, I banged her real good.”
My brows dip down. What kind of asshole brags at the Starbucks mobile pickup area about the girl he had sex with last night?
“I spent all night screwing her brains out up against the window, and then I bolted.”
His voice is still low, but I still hear it.
Up against the window?
My brains were screwed out up against a window last night.
And that voice...
It’s low, but it’s still deep and husky.
It’s familiar.
But it can’t be.
The heat of an arm brushes mine as someone beside me grabs a drink from the mobile pick-up area. I finally glance up from my phone.
The drink is labeled simply Luke.
Not Hot Luke, but when I look over and my eyes meet his, it’s definitely Hot Luke.
He glances over at me like I’m in his way—or maybe it’s to apologize for getting in my way—as he turns to leave, and when his eyes lock with mine, even beneath my baseball cap, I spot immediate recognition in his eyes.
And some regret...probably for the words he just said.
“I’ll call you back.” He hangs up his phone and slides it into his pocket, his wide, very confused eyes never leaving mine.
“Were you just bragging about last night?” I accuse at the same time he says, “What are you doing here?”
I don’t have the energy to even answer him, so I set my hands on my hips and wait for his defense.
“I know that’s how it sounded, but I swear to God, I’m not an asshole. He’s just been badgering me to get laid, and I know I told you that last night, and he asked me if I hooked up, and I may have exaggerated a little for his benefit. Give me your number. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
He’s rambling, and it would be cute if I didn’t feel so...grossed out by his conversation.
I feel like I was a conquest that he could use to brag to his friends.
Granted, that’s exactly what it was for me, too, so maybe I don’t have a reason to be angry—especially since I was about to run to Nicki and tell her all about my night with a stranger...but somehow this taints what happened between us. I wasn’t about to brag every detail about my hands clawing the glass while he gave me the hottest orgasm of my life, but clearly he didn’t leave the room with those same secrets.
“Order up for Ellie,” the barista says, and she pushes a tray with four drinks plus another drink on the side across the counter.
I hold up a hand to Luke. “I’m good. Last night was...” I trail off.
“Hot?” he asks a little hopefully, repeating the same word he used just after we had sex.
I shake my head. “It was one night, and that’s all.” I pick up my five coffees. “One perfect night that I refuse to let you taint this morning. We weren’t supposed to run into each other again, so I’m just going to pretend we didn’t.”
With those as my parting words, I spin on my heel and practically run out the door.
And just as I move in front of it to try to open it with one finger since my hands are full, someone on the other side pushes it open and right into me.
All five coffees tumble down to the ground.
I draw in a deep breath as I ward off the tears.
So that is how today’s gonna go. Got it.
Hot Luke rushes over in some attempt to help me, but it’s futile. The girl behind the counter yells, “Remake mobile order for Ellie!”
One of the workers rushes over with a mop and some paper towels from the back, and Luke picks up the five cups, and I stand there apologizing over and over and over as I blot at my shirt that will definitely smell like coffee for the rest of time.
Luke’s eyes meet mine once the mess is cleaned. I press my lips together.
“You sure we can’t at least exchange numbers?” he asks...pleads.
I shake my head. “Bye, Luke,” I say, and then I turn toward the pick-up counter to wait for my remake.
Maybe he stares after me, or maybe not. I don’t turn around to check as I sigh again. I can’t deny that I felt a lot of things when I saw him. I can’t help but wonder why he was at the same Starbucks as me at the same time. Serendipity, maybe? Fate? Or just a coincidence?
Whatever the case, he’s gone when I finally do turn around. As I exit the store and carefully slide the drinks onto my passenger seat, I can’t help but wonder what fate has in store and whether we’ll run into each other again.
CHAPTER 8
I force myself to forget about Hot Luke and our Starbucks encounter as I pull into the driveway, and then I text Nicki to let her know I’m here since I won’t have a free hand to ring the bell. I grab the five drinks and walk them up to the massive, imposing front door.