Page 63 of Single Malt

“Paris?”

My stomach sank as I remembered the beautiful dark-haired woman who’d come to the art exhibit and given Brody an enthusiastic hug. The fact that he’d answer a call from her only moments after he’d been inside me made me sick.

And furious.

I didn’t want to hear anything else he had to say to her, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him I was leaving. I didn’t slam the door behind me because that would just attract attention, and the last thing I needed right now was someone to see me coming out of a supply closet looking like I’d just been thoroughly fucked.

Fortunately, the way to the restroom was clear, and I was able to duck inside without anyone seeing me. I grabbed a handful of paper towels and went into the bigger stall.

What the hell had I been thinking? Not just having sex in a semi-public place –again– while I was supposed to be focusing on my career. I’d had sex with Brody. I’d never wanted to see again after what’d happened at the exhibit.

And then I’d made it so much worse by doing the dumbest thing I’d ever done.

I’d told him it was okay to not use a condom.

I had an IUD, so I wasn’t worried about getting pregnant, but after what had just happened, I no longer knew that I could trust his claim that he was clean. He had stopped to bring up protection, so I hoped that meant he hadn’t flat-out lied to me when he’d said it was safe for us to go without, but I wasn’t so sure anymore that he was a good guy.

After all, he was clearly involved with this Paris Carideo enough that he’d invited her to the exhibit, and he’d taken her call even though I’d been standing right there. The only logical reason I could think of for the latter was that not taking her call would have somehow hurt their relationship. Otherwise, he could have just let her call go to voicemail long enough for us to have had a real conversation, even if it’d just been a short one. The only thing that made sense was that his girlfriend didn’t trust him enough for him to miss a call.

For good reason, apparently.

I wasn’t angry at her, and I hoped that she wouldn’t be angry at me if she found out about me. I’d never thought even for a moment that Brody could have been a deceitful bastard who would fucked me if he’d still been with her, but then again, he had fooled around with me not long before she’d shown up at the exhibit.

Sure, he and I hadn’t exactly made any commitments or promises to each other, and I hadn’t wanted either of those things. I still didn’t want those things. But I didn’t know if he and Paris had some sort of arrangement like an open relationship or something like that.

It wasn’t any of my business, exactly, but I didn’t understand how he could say he knew he was clean if he was with other women without having the chance to be tested. If he fucked Paris tonight – his girlfriend onValentine’s Day– would he tell her that it was okay to not use a condom?

I shook my head as I got rid of the paper towels and moved to the sink to wash my hands. I needed to stop thinking about him and his relationships. Who he talked to and who he fucked wasn’t any of my business. Not now, anyway. It would’ve been before we’d had sex, but what was done was done.

No more.

I studied my reflection in the mirror, forcing myself to use a critical eye. I didn’t plan on staying at the party, not after Korbin’s aggression and Brody’s betrayal, but I did need to get to the door, and I refused to look like I was doing a walk of shame.

Even if a part of me did feel a little bit ashamed of what I’d done.

I didn’t need to look like it too.

My hair didn’t look too bad, so just a quick smoothing down with damp hands was enough to make it presentable. The minimal makeup I’d applied hadn’t been smudged, not even my lipstick, which was good since that meant he wasn’t wearing any of it. I’d really have to write a positive review of the brand.

My dress was a little wrinkled, and it took me a couple minutes to get it back to a place where it merely looked like I’d been walking around all evening and not that I’d been pinned to a door with my dress around my waist. My underwear, however, was a complete loss. Brody had torn the lace badly enough that I couldn’t even attempt to put it back on, which meant I’d be going home commando.

Under other circumstances, I might’ve enjoyed the thrill of something that would have shocked the faculty members in the other room. Tonight, it just reminded me that I’d done something stupid. Especially since, even though I’d cleaned myself up as best I could, the insides of my thighs still felt slick.

“You can do this.” I looked my reflection in the eye. “Walk out. Find Dr. Ipres. Tell her I’m leaving. Go home. Take a hot shower and pretend like nothing happened.”

This sounded like a good plan, but I could see a half dozen ways everything could go wrong, not the least of which would be running into Brody again. The second worst thing would be running into Korbin.

He was the only person who’d seen Brody and me together, and he thought the two of us were a couple. If he’d also noticed that Brody and I had been gone for a while, he could guess what we’d been doing, especially since he seemed like a man whose mind would go in that direction, even if it hadn’t been true.

Rumors could destroy my reputation, true or not. Yes, I was responsible for my part of what happened between Brody and me, but it wasn’t as if either of us were underage or there was a power differential between us. A man’s reputation wouldn’t really be that damaged under the same circumstances, but a woman’s would. Unfair, yes, but that was the way the world still worked.

I needed to walk out there as if Brody and I had simply had a conversation with each other, and now I was going home to check on my sister. Nothing more, nothing less. Calm, cool, and composed. I’d always behaved in a professional manner, and no one would have any reason to think otherwise unless I gave them reason to.

I took a few slow breaths to steady myself further and then left the restroom. I kept my chin up and refused to give even the appearance that something out of the ordinary had happened. My pulse raced as I stepped into the main room, adrenaline spiking at the thought of seeing Brody, but then I saw Dr. Ipres almost immediately and headed straight for her without looking for anyone else. Fortunately, she was only with her husband.

“Thank you for inviting me tonight,” I said with a smile. “I’m heading home. I don’t want to leave Aline alone too much longer.”

“Of course.” Dr. Ipres squeezed my hand. “I hope she feels better.”