Chapter 36: Getting Dressed

Samantha stepped into the other room and closed the door behind her. Boxes filled with the previous owner’s belongings sat stacked against the wall. Her face was still burning. Her breathing came too fast.

What did I just do?

She had given her first time to a complete stranger. The image of him earlier flashed through her mind and she pressed a hand to her stomach, cheeks growing even hotter. She recalled something that size... had that really been inside her last night?

"Argh... Why can’t I remember anything?"

She let out a quiet, frustrated sound. Why couldn’t she remember anything? It was always the same. She was a light drinker. One too many and entire stretches of the night simply vanished. She tried to piece it together. She remembered going out with her friends. She remembered Susan her best friend trying to stop her from ordering another round. She remembered Susan carrying her in the streets. After that—nothing. No explanation for how a man had ended up in her bed.

She was twenty-six years old plus she was a virgin. She had always wanted her first time to mean something, to be with someone special. Instead she couldn’t even be sure it had happened, and the only person who might know was sitting in the next room. What must he think of her? That she was the kind of girl who brought anyone home?

She cracked the door open just enough to look.

Rael sat at the bed and looked near the window, looking out. For a moment she forgot her panic. He was unfairly handsome. Where did she find such a handsome face last night. At least she hadn’t ended up with someone ugly. God, how could a person look like that?

He turned and their eyes met.

"Did you find the clothes?" he asked.

She snapped out of it. "Yeah—yeah, one minute."

She dressed quickly in a pink T-shirt and shorts, her usual home clothes, then fixed her hair in the mirror. The first impression was already a disaster; she refused to make it worse. Inside one of the boxes she found a grey T-shirt, a black jacket, and black pants. She still couldn’t stop wondering what had happened to his original clothes. A new, mortifying thought appeared: had they done it outside? Her face heated all over again.

She took a few deep breaths until the worst of the panic settled, then walked back out. Rael looked at her all dressed and all he could think about is how cute she looked. It was as if he got himself a girlfriend just now. Rael still sat on the edge of the bed with the pillow firmly in place. The sight made the whole situation feel even more uncomfortable, but at least he was covered.

He accepted the clothes with a quiet "Thank you."

"I’m sorry," she said again.

"It’s okay."

She hesitated, then spoke in a rush. "I’m not that kind of girl."

Rael looked up. "What?"

"I was just too drunk. That’s why... those things happened. Please don’t think of me as one of those girls."

"Samantha," he said, voice steady, "I never thought of you like that. You’re clearly a sweet person. Why would I?"

Some of the tension left her shoulders. "Do you want coffee?"

"Of course."

Internally he was already calculating how quickly he could leave. If she ever learned the truth, she might actually kill him. He needed to get out of here soon.

"Can I change in that room?" he asked.

"Sure."

He stepped into the side room and closed the door. The moment he was alone he started going through the boxes, searching for his phone. Without it he couldn’t access any of his money, and he still needed to keep his real identity hidden. One box, then another. He carefully put everything back each time. Nothing.

The door opened behind him.

"What are you doing?"

Samantha’s voice was suddenly cold. The shy, embarrassed girl from a minute ago was gone. A sharp, heavy presence filled the small space.

Rael turned slowly and picked up a pair of shoes that happened to be in front of him. "I was looking for shoes."

The coldness faded almost at once. "Oh. I’m sorry. I thought you were... never mind. Did you find them?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Coffee’s ready."

"Coming."

He finished dressing quickly. As he turned, a faint reflection of light caught his eye. His phone sat in an open cupboard. He slipped it into his pocket without a sound.

When he walked back into the main room, fully dressed, Samantha’s breath caught for half a second before she remembered the two cups in her hands. She set them down. Rael took a seat at the small table, picked up the coffee, and took a quiet sip.

The awkward silence settled between them again.

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