Andria Cooper hadn't had sex in six months. As she checked her reflection one last time in the full-length mirror, she reasoned with herself that she wasn't going out looking to get laid; she was only going to open herself up to possibilities. And if she were being completely honest, she wouldn’t even be doing that if her BFF hadn’t talked her into it.
"Kiki," she said into her cell phone, "tell me if this looks all right. I wanna look sexy, but not like… desperate-to-get-laid sexy." She held up the phone and snapped a selfie from the front then angled until she was able to get an acceptable shot of the back before she sent them both off.
“Keep in mind that I do have my maroon jersey dress with me if this doesn't work."
"Okay, focusing outside my envy," Kiki answered, "the maroon one is great, but it covers up too much. Stick with this. I love the back, and that color is perfect for your skin tone."
"The back is my favorite part too. So this works?"
"Beautifully." Kiki agreed.
The cream color glowed against Andie's skin, and she hoped it wasn't just the lighting that made that little miracle happen. Or if it was, she hoped they had the same lighting in the lounge downstairs.
“So, tell me straight, Kiki. Shoes? Hair? Clutch? All good?"
"Yes, the whole shebang looks smashing. Just don't chicken out and sit in a corner like a wallflower, okay? Or worse, change your mind and decide to stay in your room like a hermit and watch TV. Get out there. Flirt. Smile at somebody and let him buy you a drink."
"That's the plan," Andie said with a sigh in her voice. She knew where this was heading.
"That's always the plan with you. Then you never make it out the door. Or once you get somewhere, you hide in the darkest corner you can find and escape within an hour. Danny is over, and you deserve better than him anyway. Always did. Now, get off the phone and get back out in the world. For real this time."
"Hey," Andie said a little self-defensively. "It's not like tonight I'm going to meet Mr. Right, you know. This is a business trip a billion miles from home. If I do just sit in a corner, only thing I'll be missing out on is a one-night stand. And you know I've never been too big on those anyway." She worked as call support for a large office supply chain out of Chicago. When the opportunity for this training seminar had come up, she’d been so excited. It’d been years since she’d been able to afford any sort of travel, and this place was only a two-hour drive from her favorite person on the planet. Her uncle Wally was going to be so surprised when she came rolling up his drive tomorrow. The anticipation of time on the farm was almost greater than the anticipation for tonight.
"A one-night stand is exactly what you need right now. One night with a handsome stranger to remind you how incredibly hot and desirable you are. You spent too many years with a jerk who tore you down all the time. Your ego could use the boost."
Andie hmm’d in lieu of a reply, because her friend made a compelling argument.
"Just tell your mind to shut up and let your body take the lead for once. You'll thank me when you get back home. I love you. Now hang up and go away."
Andie laughed a little. "I love you too. And I promise, I'll try. I won’t hide in a corner or activate my cloaking device."
“Oh my God,” Kiki chided in mock horror, “and absolutely none of your lame ass nerd jokes you geek.”
They hung up with laughter and promises to talk in the morning, and Andie headed out the door, determined to take her friend's advice and not give in to the voice in her head, reminding her there was room service, a king-sized bed, and Pay Per View. "Damn you, Kiki," she muttered as she forced herself out the door. "You know me too well."
Luke Baxter almost choked on his drink when the plump, tawny-haired woman walked into the room. She had a mass of curly hair that was piled on top of her head in one of those styles that always made him want to dig his fingers in and pull. It was streaked in about a dozen different shades. He couldn't make out much of