“Who cares?” She laughed.
“What if he hears you?”
“So what?” She laughed louder this time, and I frowned.
“Just how much have you had to drink?” I leaned down and looked into her eyes. “You’re so much drunker than I thought, aren’t you?”
“Stop ruining this for me, Lola.” She gave me a petulant look. “I need some fun. Shit, we both need some fun. Isn’t that why we came to London?”
“We came to study abroad.”
“We came to study abroad and expand our horizons. Shit, if we want the same boring lives we had in Florida, then we might as well have just stayed in Florida. Let’s have some fun. Let’s be wild and crazy.”
“I don’t know,” I sighed while surreptitiously looking around the room to see if I could see the sex god again.
“I’m going.” She shrugged and then stumbled as she walked away. “I don’t care what you say.”
“Anna.” I grabbed ahold of her arm. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“Hello. I’ve been waiting for you.” A tall man swooped in and grabbed Anna around the waist. “We should leave.” He looked around the room quickly and started walking.
“Okay, Max,” she giggled and leaned into him.
I felt annoyed that I was going to have to leave the exhibit before I even got to meet my professor and get to hear him give his talk.
“You owe me,” I hissed as I followed Anna and Max out of the room. I grabbed ahold of Anna’s arm and she smiled at me happily.
“Yay to a fun Lola.”
“I think we will have a lot of fun tonight.” Max’s eyes lit up as he realized I was coming with them.
I was pretty sure he thought he was in for some sort of threesome, but I didn’t bother to correct him. He’d find out soon enough that I had no interest in doing anything with him aside from punching him in the face if he tried anything on Anna. What sort of guy wanted to hook up with a drunk girl anyway?
Every guy, Lola, a voice in my head whispered, and I smiled to myself as I realized what a hypocrite I was. I wasn’t sure I would have said no if the sex god had tried to make a move on me. In fact, I was pretty sure I’d be in a back room somewhere, pulling up my skirt and hoping he’d have his wicked way with me. Not that I’d ever done that before, but what Anna had said was true. We’d come on this trip to live a little dangerously, and steamy sex with hot strangers qualified as dangerous. Not that I was sure I’d actually be able to go through with it. I wasn’t that type of girl.
I stared at my reflection in the big mirror in the foyer of the museum and took in my appearance. I looked the same as ever. Long, light brown hair, light brown eyes, slender-ish body—definitely not skinny. I’d never be skinny; I enjoyed sweet goods too much. My skirt and top looked plain and boring. Though, ultimately, I was happy with my reflection. My makeup had held up well. My eyes looked big and bright, thanks to the mascara and eyeliner, and my red lipstick was killer. I looked pretty, if not gorgeous. And I was fine with that. I wasn’t really one who liked to be the center of attention. Not normally.
Though, I wouldn’t have minded if the sex god had grabbed me and kissed me in front of everyone. That would have been hot and awesome.
I sighed to myself as I realized how pitiful I was being. Anna and her kookiness were rubbing off on me, though at least she had found someone. Even if that someone looked like a sleazeball.
“We shall take a cab.” He pushed Anna into the back seat and then grabbed my hand. “I’m glad you are coming as well.” He smiled down into my face and held my hand for longer than was polite. I shuddered as I realized that he was going to be even more annoying than I had anticipated.
“I’m coming for Anna.” I gave him a defiant look and he laughed.
“Sure you are.” He leaned down towards me and I felt his tongue in my ear.
I was about to push him away from me when I felt someone staring at me. I looked up and my eyes met those of the sex god. He gave me a hard look and shook his head as I stared back at him with wide eyes.
“Let’s go.” Max’s hands fell to my waist and he pushed me into the back of the cab before getting in quickly.
I closed my eyes in anger and embarrassment. Well, that was that. The sex god thought I was a tramp. Not that it mattered. I’d never see him again, but still, I felt empty inside, as if I’d ruined my reputation to him before I even knew him.
“Who’s ready to party?” Max looked at Anna and me in the back seat and grinned as I groaned.
I turned to look at Anna, but her eyes were closed. I resisted the urge to shake some sense into her. Tonight, I’d go along with her craziness, but tomorrow? Tomorrow, I was going to let her have it.
***
His View
I noticed her as soon as she walked into the room. There was a light about her that was fresh and bright. It didn’t hurt that she was beautiful. An innocent beauty as well. She looked around the room with an eagerness that captivated me and I could tell that she was here for the art. Unlike her friend. Her friend looked scatty and on the make. I saw her eyeing Max from the moment she entered the room. Her friend was cute as well, but not as beautiful as she was.
I smiled to myself as I watched them make their way around the room. There weren’t many women under forty who came to art exhibits on Friday night; especially to just see the art.
“Xavier, thank you for donating these pieces. We are blown away by your generosity.” The curator gushed in my ear and distracted me. He was a very wimpy man, small in stature and low in voice. His suit was ill fitting and obviously cheap.
“It was my pleasure.” I gave him a small smile, annoyed that he had made me lose the mysterious girl. “I’m glad to share art.”
“I bet you can’t wait to start your class on Monday. It seems like it will be right up your alley.”
“It should be a good experience.” I nodded and looked around the room quickly, bypassing the stares of the many women who were obviously interested in me. Aha. I felt a rush of excitement as I spotted her again. She was unassuming in a crowd with her brown hair and plain navy skirt and a boring top. Yet her eyes sparkled in excitement and her cheeks were flush from the warmth in the room. Her body was curvy in all the right places, and I admired the long expanse of leg that she had on display.
“So what do you think, Xavier?” The curator asked me eagerly and I frowned at him.