Page 35 of Lessons in Love
“Hard dick. For hours.” I should be offended by his bluntness, but the curly haired hipster seems to know his stuff. “It’s a staff recommendation.”
The little placard hangs from the shelf that displays the bottle. “Yeah, so I see.” I set it back in its place. That’s not what I need. If I could bottle the painful erections I’ve been dealing with, I’d be a millionaire . . . oh wait, I’m already a millionaire. Then I’d be a billionaire and market the hell out of those pills. Every bottle would come with that pic of Virginia’s knee. Works for me. I’m sure it can work for others. This could bring groundbreaking advancements in men’s penile projections. I don’t even try not to laugh. I’m funny as shit.
After an hour of asking about almost every bottle of pills in the health store, I’m also starting to think that I’m out of luck with the chemical imbalance theory. “But Clive calls it insta-love. Is this really a thing?” I ask the hipster. I’d settled into a philosophical conversation on existentialist versus internalized love. He lost me on the self-love movement he was currently adhering to and inviting me to bear witness to the sanctity of it. I was brought back around when he mentioned love at first sight. His happened when he was three and “discovered” himself in the mirror. In reference to me, he claimed I was suffering from a clear case of socially acceptable attraction to someone I had physically bonded with resulting in a chemical change in my mind’s matter. He reaches behind him and places a small box of Godiva’s chocolates in front of me. “That will be nine eighty-seven.”
“Why are you selling me chocolates?”
“Have you not been listening at all?” he asks, exasperated.
“I’ve been listening.” Understanding is a whole other issue, but I’ve been listening.
“It’s just love, man. You’re overlooking the obvious. Just flat out, simple love.”
Simple? Uncomplicated . . . “So I need chocolate to cure me?”
“There is no cure. Trust me, my friend. You’re too far-gone. So you have to deal with the crisis at hand. Buy the chocolates and go see her. That’s the closest to a prescription as you’re going to get.”
Go see her.I slap a ten bill down and take the chocolates, then tuck them into my coat pocket. “Keep the change.”
“I was going to.” The hipster opens the paperback in front of him back up and adds, “Good luck.”
“Thanks. I’m going to need it.” I walk out into the late afternoon and text Virginia.What are you up to?
She replies quickly, making me smile.Just work, but off in forty, so YAY!
I start down the street, but type:Meet in the middle for drinks?
Her:Just tell me where and I’ll be there.
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I grab a cab and head for the city.
Forty-five minutes later I’m sitting at a table in the corner of a pub, waiting . . . correction: anxiously waiting for her to arrive. The bell chimes and a gust of wind ushers her inside. Despite the brown hair that was blown over her face, I know her. My heart beats erratically in response.
She pushes her hair back and looks around. When she spies me in the corner, Virginia smiles and life feels better because of it. I stand when she comes toward me.Holy Jack Fucking Daniels.
I step forward and as soon as she reaches the table, I take her in my arms and kiss her. Hard. With all the passion I’ve stocked up on since I last had my lips on hers. Breathless. I want to leave her breathless and wanting more. When our lips part, she languidly opens her eyes, and says, “I could get used to that.”
“Never settle for less, V.” I help her with her coat, but put it back on her shoulders when I see what she’s wearing. “Why are dressed like that?”
Laughing, she doesn’t seem to be taking this matter as seriously as she should. When I start zipping her up again, she moves just out of reach while swatting my hands away. “What are you doing, Hardy?”
“You forgot your suit jacket at work. And from the looks of it, your bra as well.”
“I took my bra off.” She waggles her eyebrows and pulls a hot pink lacey strap from her purse. I push it back down just as quickly. Laughter rings out, the sound even making me smile.She says, “What are you doing? You said when I’m around you I don’t have to wear a bra. I think they’re uncomfortable so I took it off.” After setting her bag on a chair, she takes her coat off again.
When she sits down, I sit down across from her. She adds, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” I ask, my eyes darting from her delicate collarbone that I bit and licked to the neck I’d love to mar with a hickey claiming her as mine for all to see, especially that asshole at her work. Claiming her? What the fuck am I doing?
Oh, the candy. I reach into my coat pocket and pull it out. Placing it on the table in front of her, I say, “I got you something.”
“You brought me chocolate? Hardy?” she teases. “Be careful or I might fall in love with you.”Temptress.“This is so sweet of you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Want to share?”
“No, I want you to enjoy them in your bath.”
