Before the water turned cold, I shut off the shower and grabbed my towel to dry. Wrapping it around me, I walked into Addison’s room.

“Whatcha wearing tonight?” I asked, realizing I should have thought about my clothes while I was in the shower, instead of the unobtainable Luke. God, I was never going to be able to look at him again.

“The skinny jeans I picked up last week when we popped into Barney’s. I was hoping to grab your blue flowy tank, and then throw on a sweater wrap.” Addison bit her lip, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes.

She knew she could have anything in my closet, but for whatever reason, she always felt bad for borrowing my clothes. Why we even had separate closets was a mystery to me. In our next place, I wanted a third bedroom we could convert into a huge walk-in closet.

“Of course you can. I think I’m going with leather leggings, and my sheer black blouse with a cami under it. Then I’m going to fuck up my nicely massaged feet with that pair of sky high, black pumps I love but never wear.”

“All right, girl, let’s turn on our going out music, and get this party started.” She spun around and cranked up her iPod. We danced and sang at the top of our lungs.

When I returned to my room to change, I noticed a text message.

Jeff: Can we take tomorrow off? We can run Sunday instead.

 

If Addison had known Jeff, I would have thought she put him up to this text.

Part of me was thrilled to have the day off. I could party more, but I didn’t want to start making exceptions.

Me: That’s fine. Same place, same time on Sunday?

Jeff: Perfect. See you then.

An hour later, we walked down the street to our favorite French bistro and enjoyed a fantastic dinner along with a few drinks. Our night of fun had just begun.

*****

Luke

Once I finished with Alexa, I went into my office and closed the file I was working on prior to her appointment. I needed to get out of the spa to think. I would finish the paperwork tomorrow morning, hung over and miserable.

Instead of hopping on the T, I decided to walk to the condo since it was mild out for March. Every year we got a few amazing days to trick us all into thinking spring was upon us. Today was one of those days, but a snowstorm was probably right around the corner.

Despite my best efforts, my thoughts drifted to Alexa. Even after our session, I still didn’t know much about her. Something about her drew me in. My mom always said some people had a light in them others gravitated toward. Alexa was definitely one of those people. I liked being around her, and shit, I got to put my hands all over her amazing body. If this connection continued, I would have to transfer her to another therapist so I could pursue her outside of the spa. The problem was I didn’t want any of the other guys near her. Now would be the perfect time to have a female therapist on staff so Alexa could be under her care.

Before I knew it, I’d passed the Ritz Carlton Hotel, located two doors down from my apartment entrance. I loved living at the Ritz Carlton Residences. The location, sandwiched between Downtown Crossing and Chinatown, was perfect for my life, with the theatre district a few blocks away, and amazing restaurants on every corner. Boston Common, a big park in the middle of the city, was at the end of my street.

“Hello, Luke. How was your day?” Hennrick asked in a thick Haitian accent as he opened the door for me. “How are your beautiful sisters?” The doormen at the Ritz had ridiculous memories. They remembered everything about every resident. I was blown away every time we spoke.

“They’re great, Hennrick. How are the kids?” I replied.

After he told me they were getting too big, I headed inside. Next in line for greetings were the concierges on duty, Drew and Devin. They kicked ass. I gossiped with them from time to time, but after the day I’d had, I said a quick hello and headed up to my unit. I needed a cold shower and to hype myself up for a good night out.

As I stuck my keys in my door, I received a text from Danny.

 

Danny: Where the fuck did you go?

Me: Sorry I needed out of there. Want to grab dinner before we head to the bar?

Danny: Yeah man, meet you in your lobby at 7.

After I found my place, Danny bought a unit in the North Tower across the street. We wanted to live close to each other, but living in the same building was pushing it. After all, we had been roommates for years. Now, we needed space from each other, especially after long days at the spa together.

I loved walking into my apartment at dusk. Floor-to-ceiling windows in every room overlooked the Boston Common and the Charles River, and the natural light they let in created a welcoming glow. An oversized, black leather sectional sat closest to the living room windows so I could stare out over Boston. Years ago, my father purchased an antique telescope for my birthday that I loved using. And no, I didn’t use it to spy on any neighbors, but to watch sailboats floating up and down the river from spring to fall.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, I poured two fingers of vodka, and the smooth liquid slid down my throat. My next stop was the bathroom. I stripped out of my black spa t-shirt and scrub pants, and stepped into the shower. The hot water on my tense neck and back reminded me I was in desperate need of a massage.

Standing under the pulsing spray, I thought about the conversation with Alexa. She was undeniably beautiful, intelligent, and mixed in was a sense of humor. Her tales of cricket tennis cracked me up. What she was was a breath of fresh air. A lot of women who laid on my table were self-absorbed, pampered princesses who never laughed at themselves. Alexa looked like a person who knew how to let loose and have a good time.

After I climbed out of my shower, I dried off and dressed in dark jeans, a tight black t-shirt I joked was a boy’s extra small, and a black and white striped button down. Adding a pair of black leather loafers and a few sprays of Polo #4 cologne and I was ready to head downstairs to meet Danny.

When I stepped off the elevator, Danny’s voice echoed down the hall. He was always trying to get Devin to go out with him. Can’t say I blamed him, as Devin was about five foot five with a smoking hot body. Four-inch heels made her uniform look sexier than intended. I didn’t understand how she could stand in those things all day, but what did I know. She was a cool chick, but probably way more high maintenance than I could handle.

“What’s up, dick?” Danny greeted as I came around the corner.

“Real mature, asshole. You ready to get dinner?” I asked, patting him on the shoulder in a bro-hug.

“Yeah, let’s go eat, so I’ll have a nice full stomach for all the booze I’m going to consume tonight. I even took a BluCetin.”

Danny swore by those pills. He claimed they prevented a hangover even after the hardest bender. I never allowed myself to drink to that point anymore, but Danny still loved to party. He was a man-child.

After saying our goodbyes to Devin, we headed out to dinner in Park Square, just a short walk through the Boston Common. Flemings Steakhouse was a favorite, and we usually just grabbed bar stools. The bartenders were chill, the steaks cooked to perfection, and they stocked my favorite bourbon. That was exactly what I needed after today. We were meeting the rest of the guys at ten o’clock, so we had time for a leisurely dinner.

“So, what had you running out today?” Danny asked on our walk to the restaurant.

I always worked later on Fridays to get a head start on Saturday’s paperwork, so my bolting after Alexa’s appointment raised a flag or two.