Letting Go

Chapter 3

Ben

I watch as Lori backs away from me, dragged by the drunken girl with the matching sash. When she's lost in the crowd, I signal to the bartender to refill my drink and then make my way back to our table. The taste of her is still on my tongue, and I replay the feel of her mouth against my skin as I sip my drink at the table. I know nothing about her, not even her last name, and I curse under my breath when I realize that I've made it difficult to track her down.

In my life, I don't have time to chase after women and I'm too busy to build any sort of relationship. The decision to be with a woman is made in minutes for me and my time with them only lasts a few hours. I don't do sleepovers or promise them relationships; they know what they're getting into when they offer to come home with me after only a few hours. I'm now in new territory with Lori. She isn't leaving with me--but I'm not finished with her yet.

Thinking of her is getting me going again, so I down the rest of my drink and reluctantly call our waitress over to line up a few more shots. Maybe I just need to blow off a little steam so that another beautiful woman in the bar doesn't rock me like Lori has. Most of the guys are paired off with women, and I laugh when I notice a few of the girls being worked by my friends are wearing the same sash as Lori. How convenient it is that we're all staying at the hotel.

After three more shots and a few Jack and Cokes, I'm ready to make my way up to my room. I'm drunk, but not drunk enough that I'll be sick in the morning or unable to take a girl home tonight. That thought has me searching the bar for options. I know I need to choose carefully so I don't end up with some girl who'll be hard to get rid of. Our waitress is wiping the table off and I watch as she leans over in front of me, making sure I can see down her shirt. Looks like my choice has been made out of convenience.

When she brushes up against me, I grab her wrist and watch as she looks through her lashes again.

"What time are you off?" I ask, careful not to slur, and to make it clear what I'm asking.

"What time are you leaving?" she flirts, sitting down on the edge of the table and running her finger down my chest. I can smell her cheap perfume and I cringe at the thought of tasting it on her skin. I quickly remind myself I don't have to taste her to release this sexual tension Lori and I have built up.

I lean in close, running my hand up the inside of her leg and answer, "Now."

"I can take my break now and maybe come back to your room for a little while. I only have a few hours of my shift left, so if we are still having fun, I can finish my shift and spend the night in your room." I don't tell her that won't be necessary. I don't let women stay with me overnight. It's too much of a risk for me to have a woman around and in my business. I like my sex partners to be discrete and unattached.

I nod and tell myself I'll handle her offer of a return visit after our hook-up. She sways her ass for my benefit as she makes her way back to the bar. Lori had me mindless with just a few licks of her tongue and I hope the waitress has some stellar skills to make up for the way my dick seems to be uninterested.

I say goodnight to the few of my friends who are still trying to work their moves on the girls they've found for tonight. Keith is drunk and at the table texting his fiancé and for a minute I envy him. He seems genuinely happy. In a bar full of willing women, his attention is on his soon-to-be wife. He has never looked more content. I make my way back up to the bar and the waitress latches onto me. I haven't even caught her name, but I guess that's just a detail I don't give a shit about.

As soon as my hotel room door closes, she goes into action, undressing herself and me. I watch her as she tries to turn me on, willing my body into action. It isn't usually an effort for me, but Lori got under my skin. The waitress kneels down in front of me and I finally give up and close my eyes, imagining she's Lori so I can release this need to feel her on my skin. When she finishes, I open my eyes, far from satisfied, and wait for her to say something. She tells me she has to go back down to the bar, but she'll come up when her shift is done. I put my pants back on while she dresses.

I walk her to the door without saying a word, and open it so she can step out. She turns around and looks at me with a smile I don't return. I thank her and tell her that a return visit won't be necessary.

"Asshole!" she yells, and I don't say anything because she isn't telling me something I don't already know. Also, I don't want to engage in anything that might keep her here longer. I look over her shoulder when I hear footsteps falling in the hallway behind us. It's Lori, trying to sneak past us and into her room, which is a few doors down.

"Lori!" I yell, startling the waitress. The waitress storms off down the hall and I flip the latch on the hotel door so that it won't lock me out. I take off to catch up with Lori. My pants are not buttoned and I don't have a shirt on, but I'm now jogging down the hall barefoot, trying to reach the closing door of Lori's room. In a total creeper move, I stick my foot in her doorway so it won't close. She spins around when she hears the door make contact with my foot. I have completely blown any chance with her and for the first time in my life, I'm desperate to fix my mistake.