I walked to the bathroom and jumped in the shower. The hot water felt great on my body as I stood there, trying not to think about Hannah. Was it going to be awkward when she woke up? I didn’t even know what to say. It’s not like I could say thanks. And I didn’t want to bring up my usual conversation of this was great, but I’m not really looking for anything else. I knew that was false. While I didn’t want a relationship, I did want more than just a working relationship. I wanted to sleep with her again. Shit, I wanted to bend her over my desk in my office and f**k her up against the window. I even wanted to take her in the elevator. We’d have to be quick, so as to not get caught, but that would be part of the excitement. Maybe she’d invite me over to see her apartment. Maybe I could introduce her to Zane and Lucky. I was pretty sure she would get on with Lucky and that would be great.
“What the f**k are you thinking, Leo?” I groaned to myself as I realized that I was thinking about Hannah as a girlfriend. “She’s not a girlfriend.” I scrubbed my body with the bar of soap. “Some hot sex doesn’t make her a girlfriend. You don’t even want a girlfriend.” I frowned as I shampooed my hair. Maybe it wasn’t just Hannah I had to worry about. Maybe I had to worry about myself as well. Maybe the sex had been so good that it had turned my brain. The last thing I needed was to break my own rules. I didn’t do love. I didn’t do relationships and I sure couldn’t get into a relationship with my assistant.
I stepped out of the shower, dressed quickly, grabbed my phone and walked down to the hotel lobby.
“What’s up, bro?” Zane answered on the first ring.
“Dude, I f**ked up.”
“Oh shit, already?” He didn’t sound surprised. “What happened?”
“I f**ked my assistant.”
“What?” He sounded surprised now. “You didn’t.”
“I know, I f**ked up.”
“That’s a major f**kup.”
“Zane, watch your language.” I heard Lucky in the background. “Ruby-Lane is on your lap.”
“She can’t understand what I’m saying.” Zane sighed.
“Zane.” Lucky sounded annoyed.
“Fine, my bad.” Zane answered. “Never have kids dude.”
“I don’t plan on it.”
“Never get married either.”
“Thanks, honey.” Lucky said dryly.
“I’m just joking my love.”
“You won’t be joking when I leave you and take the kids.”
“Lucky,” He sounded upset. “That’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be funny.”
“Dude, do you need to go?” I asked him, feeling slightly irritated.
“No.” He sighed. “Sorry continue.”
“If you can’t talk, it’s fine.”
“I can talk.” He laughed. “Dude, you sound seriously stressed.”
“Yeah, that’s because I am.”
“I’ve never heard you like this before. Are you falling for this girl?”
“No, of course I’m not falling for her. It was just sex.”
“Then why are you calling me?”
“I think she wants more.” I sighed.
“Oh boy. What did she say?”
“She said she liked me.” I huffed.
“What?” He sounded confused. “Did she say she liked you or she loved you?”
“She said she liked me. She’s not a psycho.”
“Leo, her telling you she liked you means nothing. Lucky was telling me she loved me after a few days.”
“No, I wasn’t.” Lucky screeched. “Don’t lie, Zane.”
“Did you or did you not tell me you loved me pretty early on?”
“I never told you I loved you. Though I did start thinking it.” She said indignantly.
“Same thing.”
“It’s not the same thing.” She sighed. “You also told me that—”
“Hey Zane.” I said letting my annoyance show. “Is this a conversation between you and Lucky or you and me?”
“Sorry dude. This is what life is like when you’re married, you never have a free minute.”
“And that’s exactly why I’m not getting married.” I snapped.
“I hate to tell you this Leo, but I gotta say that I’m not sure that’s true anymore.” Zane laughed. “I want to meet this assistant.”
“No dude. It’s not going to happen.”
“Come on, bring her to the picnic.”
“Nope.”
“I’ll invite Noah, Robin, and Skylar as well and we can have a big party.”
“I’ll come, but Hannah will not be coming with me.”
“Don’t be a party pooper.”
“Zane, I think you’ve been married too long.” I sighed. “I gotta go.”
“Wait.” His tone changed.
“Yes?” I said, not bothering to hide my exasperation.
“Don’t write this girl off too quick. Don’t jump to conclusions. Yeah, you f**ked up by sleeping with your assistant, but it’s not the end of the world. See what happens, Leo.”
“I don’t want anything to happen.”
“College was a long time ago, dude. You need to get over that shit with what’s her name.”
“What?”
“That girl that dated you and tried to use you ‘cos your dad had money. I knew she hurt you, but that shit was a long time ago.” He sighed. “Dude, it’s so long ago that I can’t even remember her name.”
“Great best friend you are.”
“I’m the best friend you have.”
“Uh huh.”
“I’m just telling you to allow other possibilities to exist. Trust me, dude. I know where you stand right now. However, love isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s quite possibly the best thing that can happen in your life. I know my life didn’t really begin until I met Lucky. She made me see the world in colors I never knew existed.”
“Zane.” I groaned. “Are you trying to make me throw up?”
“Just don’t rule it out.”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I just f**ked her. This has nothing to do with love.” I said angrily. “I gotta go.” I hung up the phone and walked outside into the street to take some deep breaths of fresh air. What the f**k was I going to do? I stared at the cabs zipping down the street and then I thought about Hannah upstairs in my bed, naked. I wanted to go back upstairs and crawl into bed and lie down next to her. I wanted to hold her in my arms. I was about to go back upstairs when my phone rang.