You sat at the last chair at the bar counter, silently stirring your rum and coke with a bright red cocktail straw. You didn't want to be there, but your best friend had been insistent, threatening to not leave your new apartment; your new apartment that was still in boxes.
It had only been a month since your relationship ended, but it felt like it was only a few seconds ago. After 6 years, it seemed like a limb had been amputated, albeit a cancerous, defective limb but a limb never the less. It only took a week to find yourself a nice two bedroom apartment, plenty big for yourself and your new kitten that you had promptly adopted so you wouldn't be so lonely.
Realizing now that inviting Katie over had been a mistake as soon as you opened the door and her eyes raked the box filled livingroom.
"You've been here three weeks, when are you going to unpack?" She had asked.
"I am unpacking…you know…as I need things." You pointed to a small stack of DVDs, the single plate, glass, and coffee mug that was being used resting in the dish drainer.
Katie just shook her head, "When was the last time you went out?"
"This morning, to go to work." Duh.
"No, I mean like out, for fun?"
Fun? When was the last time you had fun? Maybe five years ago.
"That's it, you and me, we are going to Mackies."
"Why can't we just stay in? I have booze and look a kitten!" You bent over and scooped up the small orange tabby.
"He's very cute, "Katie scratched behind his ears. "But I mean it, if we stay in we are unpacking."
You had groaned all the way down the two flights of stairs, groaned the 20 minutes that it took you both to get to Mackies and groaned all the way through your first rum and coke.
Now, as you nursed your seconded drink, you watched as Katie flirted with boys. You couldn't be mad at her, she was beautiful with her long golden hair, and rockin curves- she was everyone's dream come true.
But something felt off…not a bad off…just a sense that someone was watching you, but you couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from or if it was the nice buzz that was building in your brain.
"Hey, that guy is looking at you." Katie giggled, face flushed, finally turning her attention back to you.
"Who?"
"Behind you, sitting in the corner."
Glancing over your shoulder, you saw who she meant.
He was gorgeous.
Gorgeous in an Anne Rice vampire novel kind of way, with dark long hair hanging around his face.
"Look at how he's looking at you."
"He is probably looking at you."
"No, no, it's definitely you."
Swallowing hard, your heart was pounding; maybe she was right…but you weren't used to be the object of someone's gaze. Even in your last relationship, Cory had other things on his mind.
Instinct told you to just ignore it, to wait it out until those blue eyes found someone else.
"He's coming over!" Katie whispered excitedly, shaking your shoulder.
"Stop!"
"Hi." His silky baritone voice was dripping with a gorgeous English accent your ears had ever had the privilege of hearing, He towered above you, the only odd thing you noticed was he was wearing gloves indoors.
"Hi." You replied meekly and saw out of the corner of your eye Katie inching away.
"You are so beautiful." The words seemed to fall from his lips like he had no control of them.
Your face flushed a deep crimson; you couldn't find your voice, so you just smiled shyly. He didn't seem to mind.
"My name is Adam, would you mind sitting with me?" He gestured to his table.
Taking the gloved hand he offered, which sent a tingling sensation all the way to your toes, you allowed him to lead you back to where he had been sitting.
The next morning you could hardly remember the rest of the night, and woke up late the next morning to the sun pouring through your bedroom window. The left side of the bed still had Adams imprint in the pillow.
You laid still for a long while, trying to hear if he was still in the apartment but the only sound that filled your ears was from the kitten who was overjoyed that you were finally awake.
Disappointed, and slightly ashamed, having never having a one night stand before, you shuffled to the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice.
That was when you saw it: a note on the counter. Snatching it, you read the spiky handwriting so many times your head hurt.
Adam asked to see you again tonight.