Morgan drummed her fingers unconsciously on the counter waiting for her turn to pay the bill. She had gone out with some girlfriends to celebrate getting another year older, and hopefully wiser, as all of them had had birthdays that month. Her eyes scanned the small diner as she waited in line. That was when she saw him sitting alone in a booth in the back. Greg, the coworker she couldn't get out of her head despite trying countless times. He seemed almost sad sitting by himself. Before she could think better of it, she walked over in his direction.
"Hey stranger," she said as she approached the booth, "what are you doing here?" Greg looked up at her somewhat startled, a smile spreading from the corner of his mouth.
"Hey! Actually I'm -" A gorgeous brunette appeared at the booth and interrupted him.
"Greg?" she said looking between him and Morgan before taking a seat in the booth opposite of him.
"Rebecca! This is Morgan. We work together. Morgan, this is -"
"Rebecca, I heard," Morgan said, extending her hand and a fake smile. "Nice to meet you." She turned to Greg. "Well I'll see you at work. Bye, enjoy your meal." She left quickly. She could feel the hot tears behind her eyes bubbling to the surface. Hastily, she made her escape into the ladies' room, hoping she wasn't spotted. She hovered over the sink, drying her eyes. God, she was mortified. Here she thought Greg liked her back, and he had a girlfriend all along. She must have misread everything between them, every flirty comment, every stolen glance. God, she was idiot. How the hell would she face him tomorrow? Every emotion she felt at that moment was complicated and conflicted.
She was standing in front of her locker when she heard him.
"Morgan, hey, about -" His voice made her feel things she now knew she shouldn't. She winced, agonizing over how to handle this.
"Hey, your girlfriend seemed nice," she said nonchalantly as she turned to face him. "We should all go out sometime: you and your girlfriend and me and my boyfriend." She was rambling now. Oh my God, what was she saying? "Like a double date or something." Crap, stop talking, she screamed internally to herself.
"You have a boyfriend?" Greg asked. He looked shocked with his eyebrows scrunched, his dark brown eyes boring into hers. It kind of pissed her off. Did he think she couldn't get a guy or something? What the hell should he care anyway? He had Rebecca. God, she even hated her name.
"Don't look so surprised, Greg," she smirked, dishing it out. "What? You didn't think I had some hot guy waiting for me at home?"
Anger flashed in his expression. "No, I guess I didn't." He looked away from her, opening his own locker.
"So you want to go on double date, huh? How about Saturday? We're both off then," he replied, not looking at her as he stared to his locker.
Shit, shit, shit. What had she done? No way out of this one. "Um, sure. Sounds great. We can work out the details later. I have to meet Sara." And with that, she rushed out of the locker room. What the hell had she gotten herself into?
She went to a local bar after her shift, hoping maybe she could find some guy to be her fake boyfriend for a night. But as she started downing drinks, the only guy she could focus her mind on was Greg. Why did he have to have a girlfriend? And why did she have to be so damn beautiful? And why did Morgan have to love him? She loved him, she realized just then, making the situation even worse. Even if she did find some guy to play her boyfriend, she would still be subjecting herself to watching all of Greg and his girlfriend's public displays of affectionate for a whole miserable night. Shit. She had to cancel. She wouldn't be able to handle that.
Around her seventh drink, she decided she need to tell Greg that night. It just couldn't wait any longer. Hazily, she flagged down a cab and gave him Greg's apartment address. She paid the driver and stumbled to the door. She knocked a couple times calling his name. Her mind worked slowly in her inebriated state. It wasn't until the fifth knock that it occurred to her that she was probably there, at his place. Rebecca. The thought of them together took the stability from her legs and her back slid slowly down the door until she met the floor. She had her face buried in the hands, when the door opened, causing her to fall backward into the apartment.
"Morgan?" He stood at the door looking down on her wearing only a towel around his waist, his hair and toned physique still wet from his shower.
"Is she here?" Morgan managed to whisper taking in the glorious sight of his half naked body.
"Is who here? Are you drunk?" He bent down and lifted her up, carrying her to the couch. "Stay here," he told her, "I'll be right back."
She nodded, suddenly feeling sleepy and so comfortable. She curled up and closed her eyes.
"Morgan? Morgan?" She felt someone shaking her. She opened her eyes to see Greg looking at her, bringing a smile to her face.
"Morning," she whispered as she struggled to sit up.
"Not quite," Greg said, "You've only been out for an hour." She frowned as she sat up straighter, taking in her surroundings, suddenly realizing she was at Greg's place, passed out on his couch. Shit. She tried to remember what she had said to him. She was drawing a blank. All she remembered was Greg, in a towel, water glistening off of him. She peeked up at him, now seeing that, sadly, he was fully dressed in a faded t-shirt and sweatpants.
"How did I get here?" she asked him. He handed her a cup of coffee and sat next to her on the couch. He sighed.
"I have no idea, Morgan. I don't even know why you are here. Do you need me to call someone to pick you up? Your boyfriend, maybe?"
"What? I don't have a boyfriend." It slipped out before she could think. She could feel his eyes on her, studying her. He inhaled a sharp breath.
"You don't? But I thought you said -" She closed her eyes and drew in her own deep breath.
"I know what I said. I lied, okay? I saw you with your model girlfriend, and I don't know. It made me jealous," she avoided eye contact, feeling herself blush at the confession.
"Morgan, I don't have a girlfriend." She looked at him confused. "Rebecca's not my girlfriend, just a blind date that went poorly."
"What?" Morgan said taking the new information.
"Yeah, as soon as you left, you were all I could talk about, think about. I don't think she liked that too much," he smiled, his chocolate eyes searching hers. "I've kind of had a crush on you for a while now."
"Really?" she asked, but before Greg could speak, she leaned forward and kissed him. His lips were soft, and his arms powerful as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. Before she knew what was happening she found herself in his lap, straddling him. As she inched closer, she could feel his desire for her. She pulled apart from him to catch her breath, her eyes glued to his. She felt his hand under her shirt, lifting it over her head. She pulled off his shirt also. She leaned in and pressed her mouth gently against his neck, lightly sucking. He groaned, and pushed her off, laying her on the couch lengthwise. He crawled on top of her, hovering over her. He ran his lips down her collarbone to edges of her bra. She arched up and unhooked it, letting it fall off to the floor. He put his hands on her and then teased her breasts with his mouth. She moaned tugging at his pants. Within moments, nothing laid between them. His hands ran down her thigh. Then she felt him inside her, filling her. They moved as one, her hands exploring his hair and then down his back. He moved his lips up her neck until he found her mouth again. It wasn't long before she trembled, letting a gasp escape, as a pleasing sensation radiated within her. He stiffened and shook, gripping her closer.
"Oh God, Morgan," he called out before relaxing into her, his head resting on her shoulder. She stroked his hair as they laid there in silence, absorbing what had just happened between them. After a few minutes, Greg sat up and looked at her, not able to contain his grin.
"Well, I guess you do have a boyfriend now," he said, "If you'll have me."
"Hell yes," she grinned pulling him in for another kiss.