Page 4 of Erase Me
“I’m the first one to arrive in San Clemente.”
“When did you arrive?”he asked.
“Last night.”
“And the rest?”
“They’re coming whenever they can get away.If they can get away.”I pushed the cell phone deeper into my pocket.
“Are you saying they might not show up?”
“Everyone except me has real responsibilities.”
“What’s a real responsibility these days?”
There were more pregnant women and multiple babies in strollers on this street than I’d ever seen on any other street in my life.“Motherhood, spouses, serious nine-to-five office jobs, I guess.”
“And you don’t have any of those things?”
“The rental was paid for way in advance.I have a job that I can take on the road, so I packed the laptop and voilà, I’m here.First to arrive.Sun and surf.Carefree and ready to have a good time.”
“What about the rest of it?”
Tilting my head, I stared into his brown eyes.
“Motherhood, spouses, partners?”
“Not ready for those kinds of grownup commitments.”I shook my head.“Enough about me.How about you?Give me the a-to-z of it.”
“What happens if no one else shows up?”
“I’ll be wandering in and out of bookstores, trying to not get into fights with mothers and toddlers.”
“I can help you with that.”He smiled, his shoulder bumping mine.“A week, I mean, keeping you out of trouble.”
“Who mentioned a week?We could have booked the place for the weekend.”
“It’s already Sunday, and a guy could only hope.”
Thirty-two years old and I’d been with enough men to recognize when someone was making a move on me.Hewasgorgeous and sexy and definitely making a move on me.The prospect was interesting.
“They’ve done it to me in the past.Cancelling on me, I mean.So who knows?I might end up on my own.”
The sun was warm…or was it the air, or the delicious heat radiating from the man standing so close next to me?I shed my jacket and draped it over my arm.
Two parties of four were called.The waiting line of people moved.Reed put a hand on the small of my back and slid us down the line closer to the restaurant.Standing sideways, his fingers stayed on the newly exposed band of skin between my halter top and khaki shorts, caressing ever so softly.My bare shoulder pressed into his chest.He was all muscle underneath.
A jolt of awareness had run through my body the first moment I laid eyes on him.Now, it was even stronger.Whatever was happening here was totally unexpected.
The question popped in my head.When was the last time I had sex?It had to be way too long as I couldn’t remember.
“What is it that you do?”I asked.
“You don’t want to know.”
“Oh, I do.”
“I’ve got the most boring job in the world.”
