new york, baby [h.s.]

chapter five

I was still dizzy and smiling stupidly when I shut the front door of my apartment, leaning against it briefly. I heard Sid talking to Luke in a hushed voice for a moment, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I made a little noise putting my purse and coat on the back of one of the chairs in the kitchen and I heard a loud gasp from Sid.

"Willow Marie Lane, get your ass in here!!" Sid yelled from the living room. I grinned to myself, rolling my eyes. I relaxed my face as much as I could before I faced her and Luke, begging myself to keep my expression neutral.

"Yes, mom?" I joked, flopping down into the armchair next to the couch. I pulled my Docs off with some difficulty, kicking them onto the floor. "Sorry I didn't make curfew."

"Yeah, no shit you didn't, you were gone forever, I was starting to think he put you in his basement with the others," Sid exclaimed, laughing. "How did it go?!"

I pressed my lips into a flat line to keep myself from smiling.

"It was alright."

"Shut up, come onnn," She whined. "How. Did. It. Go?!"

"He kissed me at the end, if that tells you anything," I said quietly, trying so hard not to grin, but failing.

Sid gasped again and grabbed Luke, shaking him. Luke was stoned, clearly, because he just laughed.

"WHAT? You let him kiss you?! That goes against your, like, number one rule."

"Yeah, it does, but that rule is only for when I go on dates with guys who are sleazebags and I actually have to test them to see if that makes any difference in them going on a second date."

"So there will be a second date?" Sid asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, I think so. Made him promise to call."

"He's gonna call you. My god, Willow Lane, you have gone and lost your damn mind. You must really like this guy," Luke teased us.

"Lucas, shut up and let me be excited for her, you don't understand!! She never does anything like this, this is a miracle," Sidney exasperated. She was a little drunk, I think. I think I needed another drink, too. I got up from my chair, flitting in my stocking feet to the kitchen to grab another bottle of wine.

"Is he a good kisser?" Sid called to me from the couch. I heard her shush Luke.

"Incredible. Like, I think I saw God for a second."

"UGH, of course he's an incredible kisser. I'm assuming since you let him kiss ya he could holda conversation without insulting you."

I laughed, pouring myself a hefty glass of wine. I needed this after tonight. My skin was still buzzing from where he had touched me.

"He figured out that I was kinda testing him towards the end," I smiled, taking a sip of my wine. "He's very smart, and he listened to me when I talked and asked me questions. Sid, I don't think he has a 'thing.'"

Sid was silent for a second. "You're telling me there isn't something wrong with him? That he is a perfect man?"

"I'm not saying that, but he doesn't have a thing. He dresses beautifully, he didn't share any traumatizing stories or photos of dead animals with me, he didn't make me cry, he's a good kisser-"

"Does he smoke?"

"Not that I could tell, no."

"Huh. What the hell. Maybe he is perfect."

I laughed again, sitting down on the couch next to her and Luke. "He asked if he could kiss me," I said matter of factly.

"Did it turn you off?"