ALL MY LUCKY STARS

Olivia

Yesterday came and went in the blink of an eye. Well, except for every time my phone went off and I hoped it would be Alex and then it wasn't. My heart sank every time, and I swear that added an extra hour to the day.

It was nearing 7 PM, and I agreed to meet him at his apartment. But he hadn't texted me all day, and I had no idea where his apartment was.

It was half past 6, and I just showered. I put on a little makeup, some mascara, blush, and rosy-nude lipstick. I blow-dried my hair a little bit, giving it a nice blow-out effect like when you get it done at the salon. I had long curtain bangs and liked to curl the ends up a little. Though I really needed a haircut. It was down to my butt now without me even having to tilt my head back. Far too long.

At six thirty-four, my phone finally buzzed. He texted me his address, along with his excitement to see me.

He wasn't wrong when he said he lived close by. He was a mere nine or ten blocks away from me.

And yet I had never seen him before.

I passed your building on my way to work. How had I never crossed paths with him?

Now feeling nervous about knowing I was going to his apartment, alone with him and his sexy self, was really starting to make me panic. But I had no time for that.

I slipped on my little ballet flats and hoped my outfit was cute. I sent several different options to Monica but she had me mix them up. It was September in New York and was starting to get chilly, so I'm wearing a tight white v-neck tank, with a thin pink embroidered sweater over it, and my favorite pair of jeans that has a few pink roses embroidered on the pockets. I hoped it was casual enough that it didn't show I was absolutely fucking nervous, and I didn't know whether or not to expect... something?

Liam had started hitting me after we started having sex. I remember making him wait, thinking it was the right thing to do until I knew he really liked me. But none of it mattered.

And the sex sucked, anyway.

I remember I was so relieved after I submitted papers for a restraining order, so happy to be free of his spell, I went to my favorite speakeasy bar and fucked the first guy who talked to me. Well, actually, he wasn't the first. The first guy to do that was way too old. So I settled for the second.

It felt good to be fucked by someone who knew nothing about me. He could never hurt me that way, I thought. The way I'd been hurt by Liam.

Something in this moment told me I'd never have to worry about this with Alex.

As I'm walking my way to Alex's apartment, breathing the polluted but comforting scent that is New York City, I began to relax. Looking at all the people I passed– some in suits, some on the phone, running to catch the subway, and then of course the fashionistas of Manhattan with their baggy cargo pants and Shein tops, I really had nothing to worry about. Because they weren't worrying, right? Just a pool of people going on about their day on a sunny, chilly September evening.

I should be okay.

The sun at this point of the year starts to set around 7 pm. And when I approached his street and saw him waiting outside his own apartment with a bouquet of pink roses, I smiled.

He met my eyes with his seductive gaze and smiled so wide I thought his jaw might break.

He walked slowly, patiently towards me, then leaned down to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"These are for you," he said, voice husky and a little daring, and handed me the pink roses.

"How did you know?"