fact, the Gilbert Stuart suite is host to our gathering twice a year.”
“And they allow that?”
“A person of the ‘they’ you refer to is a member. So, yes, they allow. It’s not like what you are imagining though. We aren’t getting trashed off booze and drugs and having obscenely loud fuckapades.”
An uncomfortable giggle slips past my lips because I have no idea what these parties are like.
“But I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, and when you went quiet on me, I was worried I had done just that.”
“It’s just weird. Not you, just . . . I guess it’s because I don’t know that side of you. I mean, you’ve told me, but our interactions have painted you in a particular light, so it’s hard for me to imagine you otherwise.”
“Does it bother you?”
Nothing he does should bother me. He owes me nothing, and it would be foolish of me to assume that he should.
“No. I have no right to judge you. It’s not like you ever hid this from me. You’ve been transparent from our very first conversation.”
He takes a pause, and I can hear the clinking of keys and a car door shutting. A few more long seconds of nothingness pass before he finally speaks.
“It’s something I need.”
“I know,” I murmur. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you had to defend who you are to me. I’m sorry.”
He starts his car. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Setting my phone down, my mind runs wild with thoughts of what tonight would look like if I were a fly on the wall in that suite. How many people? What do they look like? Do they talk before they fuck? Will Alec be having sex or just getting himself off while watching others? I even wonder about the little things. What kind of car does he drive? What is he wearing? I tell myself these are normal thoughts to have about a picture I’ve never seen and have to create in my head to form a semblance of understanding.
When Brooke returns from the bathroom, I tell her my thoughts as she sits and listens. She assures me it’s normal to be curious and that she’s curious as well.
“He’ll be at the XV,” I tell her. “What if I went too?”
“Can you even do that?”
“No, I’m not saying go to the party. That wouldn’t even be possible. But what if I went to see if I can catch a glimpse of him walking into the building?”
“Like a stalker?” she teases before smiling and enticing, “You totally should.”
“You think so?”
“If it weren’t for the kids, I would totally go with you. Yes. Go.”
The mystery of who this guy is runs rampant, increasing my curiosity, and when I see the excitement in my best friend’s eyes, I get the courage I need to go and check out this stranger I’ve come to know.
“You don’t mind staying here with the girls?”
“Not at all.”
I leap off the couch to grab my purse and keys. “I won’t be gone long,” I call out from over my shoulder as I rush to the garage.
Driving through the night and into the city, I go a little faster than the speed limit, hoping I can beat him there. He’s battling city traffic for his whole drive, whereas I’m only battling it for part of mine.
My heart races, and my palms sweat as I grip the steering wheel. I feel as if I’m on a crazy adventure.
I kind of am though.
This whole week has been crazy. It’s strange to think about how much I’ve come to know this guy in a matter of days. But Brooke was spot-on—it should be no surprise that I’m as enamored as I am. Alec is the wild card in my predictable life. He’s thrown my daily routine off-kilter, and for me, it’s exciting when I don’t know what to expect.
So I drive.
Headlights pass me by in a city so alive with people. I wind through the zigzag streets as my car’s GPS gives me directions, and I soon find myself pulling up along the curb across the street from the entrance to the hotel. Sky-high buildings line the narrow city street, and when I turn my car off, I scan the area, but Alec isn’t among any of the people walking along the sidewalk.
The valet is in mere reach of me. I watch as cars pull up and the attendants open the doors to reveal the passengers. One by one, but none