think that fictional sex was really not a good representation of what real sex was. And that’s when I decided to watch porn. I mean, if anyone is going to show you what real sex is like, it’s professionals. People who have sex for a living—surely they would be able to show me what real sex was like . . .
Only, when I Googled whether a woman could have a screaming orgasm every thirty seconds while her legs were in that position, the internet assured me it was highly unlikely.
So, if Noah was hoping for sex with me, chances are, he would be sorely disappointed, since I’m not sure I actually knew what real sex even was.
CHAPTER 63
“Sure, a date,” I finally said, after what had been a very long silence.
I heard Noah laugh next to me.
“What?”
“It’s about time you said something. I’ve been sitting here waiting for you to say something for three minutes now. I thought I’d scared you off.”
“You didn’t scare me off,” I said, even though that didn’t sound very convincing at all, and there was a part of me that felt completely scared off.
“Okay, I’ll try to believe you, but I’m not sure I totally do . . .” He turned and looked at me. “If you don’t want to then, I mean, we don’t have to . . . it was just a kiss. If you want it to end here, then that’s cool. I won’t pretend that I won’t be disappointed, but if that’s it and this doesn’t go anywhere and there’s no date . . .” He sighed. “Sorry. I’m rambling. What I mean to say it, it’s totally up to you. Whatever you want to do, I’m fine with it.”
“I’m cool with it,” I quickly chimed in. “The date. Totally cool with it.”
“You are?”
“Yes!” I said, feeling a little more self-assured now. This was a time to try new things, right? To live experiences I had never lived before, after all.
“Great.” His cheeks and eyes brightened at the same time and he quickly looked back at the road.
“Where will we go?” I asked.
“I have no idea. We’ll have to Google.”
“Okay.” I pulled my phone out.
“I mean, I will have to Google. I’m taking you out.”
“I’ll narrow some options down. Besides, you’re driving and it’s getting late, so we should probably find a place sooo—” And then something dawned on me, and I was so shocked I hadn’t thought about it before. “Where will we stay tonight?”
“Well, I know where I don’t want to stay,” Noah said.
“Where?”
“In a teenager’s basement again.”
I laughed. “Me neither.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Noah said casually. “Lots of places to stay around here.”
“True,” I said, looking back down at my phone and typing “Places to eat in Durban,” and then adding the word “romantic” after it and blushing to myself as I did.
Something popped up on my screen, a place that I knew from living here for a while. It was the most expensive and, arguably, most luxurious hotel in the area. It boasted a beach-front cocktail bar and restaurant, which was supposed to be wildly romantic. It was a little way outside of the city, just down the coast. I tapped my fingers on the screen and brought up the pictures of the rooms. Gorgeous, opulent rooms facing the ocean. One room in particular caught my attention, the most beautiful bedroom I’d ever seen. It looked sumptuous, romantic, so unlike the bedroom in my apartment. It was bursting with plants, and the walls were covered in this intricately patterned green-and-pink wallpaper depicting a scene from a jungle. The bed had an ornate golden headboard with the fluffiest pillows that existed in the world, I thought. A private plunge pool on a deck surrounded by tall, elegant-looking palm trees, looking out over the sea below. I read about the room; this was the presidential suite at the Lighthouse Hotel in Umhlanga Rocks. Built on two levels with its own private elevator, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a dining room for ten people. It was the ultimate in luxury and romance. My eyes followed the words and, when I came to the last line, I choked out loud as I read the price at the bottom.
“Oh my God.” I held the phone up for Noah to see. “Look how expensive this place it. One night is, like, my entire month’s salary.”
Noah was driving, and when he stopped at a red light, he glanced at the phone and gave a