She won’t let me join her in the shower. I don’t know that for sure because I was too nervous to ask, but I think it’s true. She would have invited me if she wanted me in there, right? And even though I’ve already showered and am perfectly made up for them, I would have gotten unready with her in a heartbeat. I should have told her that.

I’m a bundle of frazzled nerves.

But why?!

As soon as Nadia disappears into the bathroom, I start to pace along the length of carpet from the front door into the sitting area.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” I whisper to myself. Like for real!

No slut-shaming or whatever, but this is not the first time I’ve met up with someone in a hotel room wearing more makeup and jewelry than clothing. But this is the first time I’ve been on the verge of an emotional and sexual breakdown because I want to fuck so badly.

I have to call Darren.

“I’m trying to get out of here, I swear,” he whispers into the phone instead of saying hello.

“I’m freaking out!” I whisper this sentence with a lot of emphasis. I need to make sure that he understands my emotional state; one of us should.

“What— What’s wrong?”

“She’s hiding in the bathroom.”

“She is?” Ugh, he makes confusion sound so fucking adorable. I can’t wait to shove his dick down my throat again.

“Kinda? Maybe. She showed up, and the first thing she wanted to do was shower.”

He sighs. “Oh. Yeah. Nadia hates to have sex if she doesn’t feel exceptionally clean. Hates it.”

“Oh. Okay. That’s fair.”

A moment of silence passes. “Is there something else?”

I flop into one of the chairs in the sitting area and groan. “No. I’m just nervous. I’ve been waiting weeks for this, and now that it’s here…”

“You’re excited?” he asks carefully.

“Well, yeah, but nothing is turning out how I expected.”

“Please don’t tell me what you expected; there are three angry moms watching my every move right now,” he says quickly.

That makes me laugh, but then I sigh. “I mean, obviously, I thought you would be here.”

“I’m trying to get away,” he says.

“And I didn’t expect Nadia to run off into the bathroom.”

“Did she run?” he asks skeptically. “Are you sure? Because I’ve known Nadia our entire adult lives, and running from a challenge really isn’t her style.”

“Okay, maybe not run. She said she wanted to look good for me, and she thought she’d have time to shower before I arrived.”

“And you don’t believe her?”

I bite my bottom lip and consider his question while I replay her arrival in my head. “I just thought she’d rush into my arms and rip my dress off.”