Page 19 of Accidental Blind Date

Is it considered a walk of shame if the guy is already gone when you leave in the morning? Asking for a friend.

I wake up in the morning to the sun beaming through the windows of the hotel room, splayed across the white comforter in yellow slats. I’m pretty sure there are birds singing too. As I roll to a sitting position, I hug the sheet to my body because I am still naked. All of Jax’s things are gone but it’s okay. It was a one-night stand, as we said it would be. I’m not looking for anything more and neither is he.

Though I wouldn’t say no to a sequel of whatever the hell that was last night…

My phone buzzes and I pick it up. My screen is crammed with notifications, mostly missed texts and calls from Joni.

Joni- Did you go back to the hotel with him?

Joni- Did you have sex?

Joni- Did you DIE?

Joni- OMG ANSWER ME!!!

As guilt floods through me, I realize it would be better to just call her. Joni answers on the first ring.

“Well look who’s alive!”

“I’m sorry,” I tell her as I stand up, taking the sheet with me like some kind of Trojan queen as I look for my clothes. It’s like a scavenger hunt.

“I have been worried sick. But also…Life 360 says you’re at a Hilton. I need to know everything. And since I stayed up half the night pacing my house and chewing my new manicure off, don’t leave out any details, you hear me? Not one.”

“It was a good night,” I say wistfully.

“Good? No, no. I deserve more than good. Libby. Listen, I’m married and bored, spending all my time either caring for my mechanic husband while clipping coupons and pretending like being a teacher in this day and age is actually the dream. You know I got stabbed with a pencil on the first day of school this year? Most teachers get an apple or, I don't know, a Starbucks gift card. I got stabbed. So please, indulge me, tell me what happened!”

I giggle at that and grab the rest of my clothes so I can get dressed.

“So, at first…I didn’t think he was going to show. I was about ten minutes early, but he was nearly twenty minutes late.”

“Men are always late,” Joni says. “Not an automatic deal breaker in my opinion. Go on,”

“So, he comes around the corner and sits down, and I swear to God Joni…he was not at all what I was expecting.”

“Tall?”

“Yes.”

“Hair color?”

“Blonde. Mostly. A bit of gray.”

“Beard?”

“No.”

“Muscle?”

“Ripped.”

“Damn. And fuck you. But also, damn. Get it girl.”

“We talked and ate and had a couple drinks and then we went to a hotel and–”

“Hold up. You said you weren’t going to sleep with the guy. What happened there?” I can hear the amusement in her voice. I make my way out of the room and down to the first floor. As I step out of the building, I have to orient myself. My car is a few blocks down. Luckily, it’s daytime now and not unsafe to walk alone. I start in the direction of my car but make a pit-stop at a little coffee shop, desperate for some caffeine.

“He didn’t pressure me into it if that’s what you’re asking,” I say, standing in line.