The Two-Night One-Night Stand by Ryan Ringbloom Page B

reply she makes a break for it, quickly vanishing through the curtain.
    “Excuse me for a moment.” I step out as well. This is crazy. But I can’t let her go without talking to her. Taking off down the corridor, I catch up to her in the main lobby by the exit. “Holly, wait,” I call, and she stops, slowly turning to face me. I search for more words; none come. Holly, wait is all I really had.
    “Matthew, I’m sorry but I really don’t think I can take much more of… anything tonight.” Her hands flail, slicing the air around her. She remembers my name. Score. “I just finished what can officially go in the record book as the worst date on earth.” Double score. “And making awkward small talk with my one-night stand in the lobby of the hospital just isn’t gonna happen.” Okay, no points for that one.
    Her dark hair is scooped up in a ponytail and her head is dipped to the side, waiting for me to reply. It’s hard to concentrate with those gorgeous brown eyes blinking at me through long lashes.
    I need to say something. Anything. But what? My brain and peen start duking it out. My brain wants to apologize. Peen wants to ask her out. My brains wants to ask for her number. Peen wants me to reach out, grab her, and squeeze her boobs.
    “Did you know that approximately every three minutes, a reaction to a food allergy sends someone to the ER? That’s more than 200,000 visits per year,” I spill out.
    What the fuck? My brain won the battle and that’s what it came up with? Unreal. That’s it. Peen, from now on, you’re in charge.
    Woo-hoo. No problem .
    “No, I didn’t know that,” Holly says, staring out the front glass doors. A red Ford Taurus pulls up. “Wow, look at that, something actually went right for me today.” She steps in front of the sensor and the doors part. She breezes through, sending a small waft of vanilla in my direction.
    Stop her! Peen shouts.
    I follow her out the door but I’m two seconds too late. She’s already stepped into the backseat, the door closing behind her. My shoulders and head drop down. Dammit. I kick at a cigarette butt on the ground, disappointed in myself for blowing what could have possibly been a second chance with this girl.
    My heart pounds in my chest and thunders in my ears. Every organ in my body seems out of place. Seeing her again is wreaking complete havoc on my insides. Yet, she seemed completely unfazed at seeing me again. Was this really only a one-sided reaction?
    I pick my head up just in time to notice her turn, peering out the back window of the car in my direction. My eyes bore into her but she doesn’t notice. She bites down on her plump bottom lip, not looking at my face. I follow her gaze, which brings my eyes down. Wait, what’s this?
    She is looking in my direction. That’s right, baby. You know you want the P.
    A grin stretches a mile wide across my face.
    Looks like maybe it wasn’t one-sided after all.

 

     
    “OKAY, SO, I know my brother is an asshole but I didn’t think you would,” Jayne says, taking out another twenty and placing it down on the bar. Drinks are on her tonight, her way of apologizing, and she needs to apologize… a lot.
    “Jayne, I don’t even know where to start with that comment.” Even though there’s a band setting up, the bar isn’t overly crowded and the bartender is very attentive. I point at my empty wine glass and within seconds it’s refilled.
    “I mean, like he’s my brother so I’m supposed to see that asshole side to him, but I just didn’t realize people outside of the family would see it too. I thought someone else would see him as normal. Does that make sense?”
    It does. I have an older sister and there were plenty of screwed-up moments that I witnessed growing up, but she had settled down with a man who saw past all her crazy-ass flaws. I guess it’s true when they say there’s someone out there for everyone. But Nick is not my someone.
    “It’s fine, Jayne, but just