Not Another One-Night Stand

Excerpt:

Colin

I exited the plane with my carry-on bag. I had packed light, so I wouldn’t have to bother checking my luggage because I hated being at the airport any longer than I had to be. Also, when I had first packed for my trip back to the US, I had been eager to go to the home I hadn’t seen in eight and a half months.

When I had started my job years ago, I’d loved traveling. It was one of the reasons I’d wanted to work for the company. But after doing it for so long, it was getting old, and this recent assignment was the longest I had ever been on. I’d been in the UK for nearly three-quarters of a year, and I still had over three months to go, which was why I was excited to be back home even if only for a few days.

But that was before my brother called and left me a message that he was letting a family member of his wife’s move in. Felix’s voice mail had cut in and out, so I’d missed who exactly was living in my house now, but it didn’t matter because I didn’t want to go home and spend time with a stranger. It would be awkward for both of us. I was only in town for a few days for work before I went back to the UK, and I didn’t want to spend that time making small talk with someone I’d just met.

I walked out of the airport just as my Uber pulled up to take me to a hotel. It wasn’t my first choice, but at least I would get to be alone, and it was closer to my work. And the next time I came back to the States for good, my house would be all mine again.

____

I dropped off my luggage in my hotel room and left to get a drink down at the hotel bar. Minnesota was six hours behind the UK, so it was the middle of the night there, but I had slept on the plane, and I wasn’t ready to call it a night yet. I was hoping a little bit of alcohol would help me get some rest.

It was a Saturday night, so the bar was decently full but not too crowded, which I appreciated. I found a seat in the corner of the bar, where there were several empty stools. I was nursing my first drink when I saw her walk in.

She was average height, and the word pretty came to mind when describing her. But it was the red hair that really caught my eye. It was almost wild with curls going everywhere. She was dressed up, but she looked more like she was going to work rather than on a date, and she was alone. Her makeup was light, and her black dress had a modest neckline and three-quarter sleeves. The sexiest piece of clothing on her was her red heels.

She looked around, and I realized I might have been wrong. She could be meeting someone there, and maybe she liked to dress more conservatively for dates. Except her eyes scanned over all the people, and she only stopped when they landed on the empty stools next to me.

Her expression brightened, and she came and took the stool two away from mine. She gave me a polite smile, and I nodded in return before the bartender came over and took her drink order.

We both sat there, minding our own business for a good ten minutes before laughter had me looking up again. A group of women who I guessed to be in their mid-fifties walked in. And the redhead next to me stiffened. She slunk off her stool—there was no other way to describe it—and walked around to my side, facing the wall.

“I’m sorry to ask this,” she whispered. “But can you move over one seat and let me take this spot? I’m hoping that won’t be for long, but I would really appreciate it.”

I moved over silently and let her take my old seat.

She sat down with a sigh. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I tilted my head toward the ladies. “Not your friends, I take it?”

The redhead smiled. “I’m here for an office party. I just wanted to take a break for a little while, have a drink, and get away from everyone.”

That explained the clothes and makeup. She actually was dressed for work instead of a night out.

I looked at the group of ladies, who were finding a table that, unfortunately, put the redhead and me in their line of view. I leaned forward, putting my elbows on the bar so that, hopefully, they wouldn’t notice she was sitting next to me.

“So, those must be your coworkers?” I asked.

“Yes. The four of them work in the same area as me. They’re nice enough, but they’re not exactly the people I want to hang out with on a Saturday night.” She chuckled. “That probably sounds mean, especially to someone who doesn’t know me. I swear, I’m not a monster.”

I offered her a reassuring smile. “I think we’ve all been there.” I worked with several people who I wouldn’t want to spend my time off with outside of work.

“Thank you. I’m the youngest of all of them by about twenty years. We’re not at the same point in our lives, and they’ve all been working at the company a lot longer than me. Like I said, they’re not my first pick of who I’d want to hang out with on a Saturday night.” She took a sip of her drink. “Actually, I feel that way about my whole office. I work at a boring insurance company, so tonight’s party isn’t what I would call fun.” She grinned. “Are you judging me yet?”

I laughed. “You don’t have to justify anything to me. I’m just a stranger you met at the bar.” But I felt like I needed to remedy that. I held out my hand. “I’m Colin, by the way.”

____

Paisley

I smiled and said, “I’m Paisley,” as I shook his hand.

Colin had blue eyes and blond hair and was the kind of guy most girls had a crush on in high school, including me. No surprise there. I’d had a crush on tons of guys in high school. I was me after all.

But being around someone so hot was not good for me and my no men, no sex rule.

Although…

“So, Colin, what brings you here tonight? Is it something as exciting as the sixtieth anniversary of your company being open?”

He grinned, which only made him more attractive. “I’m here for my job, too, and I actually have to do some work on Monday but nothing as exciting as an anniversary party.” He snickered.

“You think you’re funny, but if you had to be in that room with everyone from my office, you’d see how much work it actually is. And I’m not even getting paid for it.”

He burst out laughing, and I wanted to give myself a pat on the back for making this beautiful man happy, if only for a moment.

He leaned closer to me. “You know, Paisley, I was regretting coming into town for a few days, but you might just change my mind.”

“Might?”

He lifted his glass and emptied it. “We’ll see how the rest of the night goes,” he said, meeting my eyes.

Now that I knew he was only going to be in town for a few days, I had a good feeling on how the night would go.

It was going to end with the both of us naked.