Page 32 of Touch Me
Joel was rugged and cheeky, and I’d thought he was the hottest boy in town. Especially as he was the lead guitarist in a band. Joel and I had been at a party, rolling in the hay, literally, and kissing so much I’d thought my lips would be forever bruised. I was ready to lose my virginity. The two glasses of bourbon and Coke I’d gulped down helped, too.
So, Joel and I sneaked down to his car, and after hours of heavy kissing, which was probably all of about six minutes, Joel lost his load all over the back seat of his beat-up Toyota Camry. I didn’t even realize he’d had his jeans down. After that night, I saw very little of Joel, which was a shame because I’d liked him. Embarrassment, or something, kept him away.
So, no . . . I can’t count Joel as one of my sex partners, which means I’ve had sex with only three men in my life. Will, Ryan, and Alexander.
Lolly offered me a packet of corn chips, my favorite—and I accepted. She, on the other hand, munched on a Granny Smith apple. The kids were set up under their own umbrella with a feast of sandwiches, carrot sticks, and juice drinks. Once they’d eaten those, they could chow down on their treats of crisps and jelly snakes.
“Anyway, back to our discussion,” Calvin said after he had the kids settled. “I reckon if you’re having fun, and I can guarantee the men are loving it, then there’s nothing wrong.”
“I agree. Do it for one year and come Australia Day next year you’ll be a whole new woman. A wiser, more experienced woman.”
“A year!” I gasped.
“Sure, why not? Make it your plan. Every week for twelve months you try something—ahem. . . someone different. You never know what you’ll experience. Or who you’ll meet.”
She was right about that; the four men I’d met so far this year were all very different. Yet each one had shown me something about them that I’d liked. “Twelve months?”
“Yes, babe, twelve months. You won’t even be thirty.”
I rolled my eyes at her. “I’ll nearly be thirty.”
“Exactly. Now’s your chance. Grab the opportunity by the horns and ride that baby like there’s no tomorrow.”
“Literally.” Calvin laughed. As we raised our glasses and thumped the plastic together, I laughed with them.
“But don’t forget, babe . . . I want details.”
“Me too.” Calvin’s grin was magazine-worthy.
The rest of the afternoon slipped by in a beautiful haze. We swam in the warm ocean and allowed the waves to crash into us and over us. We basked in the sun and let the cool wind lick the saltwater off our bodies. And we finished off our bottle of Shaw and Smith white wine.
The last thing I wanted to do after a day like that was go to work.
But I had no choice.
I’m lucky to even have this night manager position.
I had no qualifications, I barely even finished high school because Dad wanted me to work in his shop.
I couldn’t afford to lose this job.
Chapter Ten
The Hot Horizon Hotel was at full occupancy again tonight. It seemed everyone was here to enjoy the Australia Day festivities. Most were families finishing off the school holidays with a couple of days at the beach.
I managed to sneak outside when the second set of fireworks started at ten o’clock and watched the night sky explode in a rainbow of colors. Each firecracker released with a bang that reverberated through my chest and milliseconds later brought a new color to the black sky. It was the perfect end to a magical day on the Gold Coast.
A very tall man, standing slightly in front and to the side of me, leaned against one of the marble pillars with a glass of red wine in his hand. I should have done my job and informed him that alcohol couldn’t be consumed in this area.
But he looked so content, I didn’t want to spoil it for him.
He may have felt me staring because he turned to look at me, and inclined his head. He had dark hair and a full mustache that reminded me of Tom Selleck in the Magnum PI shows my father watched over and over. Not too many men could carry off a mustache like that, but on Selleck and this guy, it looked just right. The music echoing up from the beach hit a crescendo, and the fireworks geared up for the big finale.
I smiled at him, and he turned back to the colorful spectacle.
The fireworks finished with the night sky full of red, white, and blue flares, and the families around me clapped and cheered. Within minutes, everyone who’d gathered in the front courtyard with me had disappeared back inside.
I returned to my station behind the lobby counter, and as if possessed, quickly flipped through the hotel registration documents searching for my tall stranger. I scanned photo IDs like a homicide detective until finally I found him. Mr. David Lawson, thirty-eight years old. Checked in all by himself.