Waiting For August

Part 40 ~ Whatever this is...

Rookie. April started calling me that. It was an inside joke between us, and it always made me smile. After our initial encounter, we began hooking up on the sly, not unlike the way Mason and I did whenever our roommates weren't around.

That was the full extent of my dating experience. One guy, one gal, sharing their company and all of the fringe benefits that came with an intimate relationship. At the time it was enough for me. It wasn't something that I had gone looking for, but I'd enjoyed it just the same.

Problem was, while I cared for them both, I was never in love with them. Not in the usual way that lovers were. Perhaps it had something to do with my wolf, but deep down inside there was always a feeling of detachment that I simply couldn't overcome. Maybe it was the knowing that we could never entirely belong within each other's world.

Now the thing with Caleb, well that was on a whole other level. I was drawn to him. Couldn't escape it if I'd tried. I'd probably have slept with him that first night we'd met if he hadn't pushed me away.

The fact that he had, however, it left me struggling with doubt. Did he not feel the same way? Was it because we were both men? It became a confusing and lingering fear just under the surface of all conscious thought. These festering doubts had me in a tailspin, but now it was time to push them aside and take a leap of faith.

Tonight was the night, and although my stomach was a churning sea of nervous energy, I had no plans on backing down. Not only did I want to make up for running away last week, but I wanted to show him how I felt. Where words always seemed to fail me, action would now define the state of my mind, and my heart. Even if it only started with a kiss.

With Hannah no where in sight, I headed to the door. I could see Caleb across the room where Naomi and Stella had found a quiet table. If he was still saying goodbye, it gave me the time I needed to get ready for his arrival.

With one last glance around the room, I slipped out the doors. When I reached my room, I slid the security bolt in the lock position before closing the door. It had the immediate opposite effect, and now guaranteed that the door wouldn't close and auto lock.

I lit the candles first. That way if Caleb got here before I returned with the ice, the room would look ready. I placed a bouquet of roses on the coffee table along with a couple of candles and the ice bucket. I went to the mini-fridge and grabbed a bottle of champagne before placing it in the empty bucket.

I stood back and took in the scene. It was how I imagined. The room was basked in a warm gentle light. The flowers gave off a light floral fragrance that mingled with the warm vanilla scent of the candles. The ice bucket was glass, and the champagne gold, and when Caleb walked in, whether I was here or not, it would leave no doubt in his mind that tonight was intended to be something special.

I grabbed the ice bucket, the one that the room had supplied and headed down the hallway. There was an alcove a few rooms down, where there was an ice machine, as well as a pair of vending machines. When I got to the ice maker, I sighed. It wasn't running and a note indicated that it was out of service. The note directed me to try another floor.

I dashed down the hall to the elevators, and impatiently hit the call button. I felt anxious. The last thing I wanted was to have the door open and have Caleb standing there. It would be much better to have him arrive before me than to awkwardly explain why I looked to be leaving before he'd even arrived.

When it finally came, I stepped in relieved that he wasn't inside. It wasn't empty, however. There were four individuals already inside. One was a young lady, probably in her early twenties. She was wearing a black skirt and a white dress shirt with a gold name-tag, much like the servers at our gala had. With her, were three well dressed gentlemen. One appeared to be about her age, and I imagined that it was him that she may have decided to go off with. The other two, were much older looking. The three had surrounded her as she stood in a daze against the side wall of the elevator.