I'm not the kind of girl who takes a stranger home to her bed. Not usually.
Don't get me wrong. I've had my share of one-night stands. Only they were with friends of mine, or ex-boyfriends. And it always leads to that awkwardness. Are we together? Are we back together? I swore off the one-night stands. I no longer have the fortitude for breaking hearts.
But I digress.
I've always had a theory that your New Year's Eve will be a good indicator of the upcoming year. This particular New Year had a promising start. I got off work earlier than expected, then stuck around the restaurant where I wait tables part-time to have a drink. Midnight rolled around. Champagne flowed. The ball dropped. I found my tongue entwined with that of the cute bartender I'd had a mild flirtation with. I don't think it's the champagne talking when I say that he was a fantastic kisser. In fact, I may well have wound up taking him home, but for the fact that I don't hook up with friends anymore. Or co-workers for that matter.
Once the revelry had died down a bit, people started drifting out of the restaurant - going home, perhaps, or in search of longer-lasting parties. The cute bartender brought me another free drink with a smile. I smiled back, then surveyed my surroundings as he went off to schmooze the actual paying customers. I noticed a guy watching me from a few seats down. He was cute, in that sort of obviously ironic way. His hair was mussed. He sported a three-day beard, torn jeans, a button-down shirt and a blazer. He was sipping at the last of his drink. When I caught his gaze he held it - he didn't pretend he hadn't been watching me. I found his reaction enticing.
"What are you having?" I indicated his near-empty glass.
"Just a coke. Trying to sober up. You know how the cops are on New Year's Eve." He grinned ruefully.
"I hear you." I hopped up, grabbed his glass, and went around the bar to refill his soda. When I returned, I slid into the seat next to him, reaching over for my Long Island Iced Tea.
"You work here?" He asked.
"Yeah. I'm usually out the door the second my shift is over," I confided. "But parking was a bitch today, so I walked here. Now I've just got to wait for one of my co-workers to finish up and give me a ride home."
"You live nearby?"
"About a mile from here. I'd walk, but you know. All the crazies are out."
"I could give you a ride," he offered. "I assure you that I am not one of the crazies."
I had my doubts about that. The smile he gave me was just a shade predatory. Maybe it was the champagne, but it excited me even more. I checked my watch. It was nearing 1am, and I had to work the next morning. I downed my drink in three long swallows. He cocked his eyebrow, impressed.
"All right. Let's go."
"I'm Jared, by the way," he said as I took him by the hand and led him towards the door.
"Kate."
It took us nearly twenty minutes to get to my place. The streets were still clogged with drunken celebrants and police cruisers. We pulled into my parking lot. Jared rubbed his hands together nervously, or maybe I was projecting, and he was just trying to keep warm. In the small space, I could tell he smelled amazing, like aftershave and cloves. I was taking a mental inventory. It had been nearly six months since my last relationship had ended. Six months without sex. It didn't really bother me so much, but suddenly it seemed a terrible idea to let this good-looking guy who smelled so good drive off into the night.
"Listen." I turned to him. "The traffic is still really bad around here. Why don't you come up, have some coffee, wait for the streets to clear a bit?"
"Yeah, sure, that would be great." I could tell he was relieved that I had invited him up, so he wouldn't have to bust out some transparent line we would both see through.
He followed me up the stairs to my small efficiency apartment, reaching up and touching my hips to steady me when I almost lost my balance in the dark. I switched on the light, put some coffee on, flipped on the stereo and turned on the heat to warm the place up a bit. He stood against the wall, awkwardly taking in the surroundings. I walked up to stand near him. His body heat radiated off him.
"Coffee should be done soon."
"Great."
"I'm sorry I don't have cable or anything."