Kate goes to the adjoining restaurant first to eat. If the Indian man is still there after she eats, it will be a sign from the universe that she should have a bracelet made. As she eats, she surveys the people in the restaurant. If she is honest with herself, she would admit that she is looking for Layne. If this is one of her romance novels, Layne would be making his appearance just about now, making the coincidence an almost sure sign that this is something worth pursuing.
Plus, she sort of cheated by going against her better judgment. She told him in passing back in Beijing five months ago that she was going to speak in the writers’ conference in Mumbai. That meant he would be able to find out her real name, if he was inclined to do any research. That meant they would no longer be totally anonymous. That meant he had a choice to either meet her or not.
After dinner, Kate decides to go to the lobby bar and have a nightcap while she writes. Two chapters and two delicious vodka cocktails later, Kate feels the need to rest her eyes. She powers off her laptop and closes her eyes.
“Give me your hand,” a voice whispers into her ear.
Kate smiles. She knows that voice. She opens her eyes and sees Layne smiling at her, sitting on the barstool next to her. He has his hand extended, palms up. Kate puts her hand on his palm. He softly holds her hand, moving up until his fingers are on her wrist. Kate feels a warmth, starting from the pit of her stomach and spreading slowly to her entire body.
Then, Layne slips a bracelet through her hand, and as it rests on her wrist, Kate sees that the bracelet is lovely, exactly what she would have asked the Indian guy to make for her. It is black infused with gold and silver.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” Kate says looking into Layne’s eyes. There is something unreadable in Layne’s eyes and Kate feels her heart react.
Kate, stupid girl, you’re falling in love with him. You better stop. This is not going to work.
Layne then holds Kate’s hand and helps her up. He takes her laptop in his other hand and leads her to the lifts. Kate follows.
That night is different. They take it slow. And it is excruciatingly slow and sweet. Afterward, Kate feels the tears in her eyes. She strokes Layne’s hair as she watches his face while he sleeps.
Damn it, Kate. You’re in love with him already. Maybe you have been for some time now.
She checks her phone and sees it is almost 3:00 AM, and she has to leave the hotel at 6:00 AM to catch her flight home. She slowly disentangles herself from Layne, picks up her clothes, and prepares to head out. She hesitates. She wants to write something on the hotel stationery on the study table.
After a few seconds, she decides not to, then she leaves Layne alone.
Again.
Layne
Layne is in Mumbai on business, thankful he has a client in this part of the world, and he has made a case for visiting said client for some cross-selling and up-selling opportunities. A couple of months back, when Layne woke up in his Beijing hotel room alone again after the day and night with Kate, he felt both regret and exasperation. He still hadn’t been able to ask Kate out, and he still hadn’t been able to get more concrete details about her. Thankfully though, Kate let slip an important piece of information—she would be a speaker at a writer’s conference in Mumbai.
He lurks in the hotel of the writer’s conference, but he is careful not to be noticed. Most of the delegates are women, so he knows he will stick out like a sore thumb. He stays on the fringes, and watches Kate. Like some kind of stalker, he thinks.
He sees that there are times Kate would look at a guy, her body at full alert, then her shoulder slumps, when what she expected doesn’t happen. He realizes with some elation she is looking for him.
Layne knows he is treading on dangerous territory. Should he show himself? Because this would mean he deliberately travelled here to see her. No more coincidences.
After the day’s session, Layne sees Kate at the hotel lounge. She walks toward the area where a lot of people were surrounding an Indian man, in full traditional attire, complete with turban. Layne carefully observes, making sure Kate doesn’t see him. He sees the man making bracelets. There is a long queue of people who want their bracelets made. He looks for Kate and doesn’t see her anymore. Assuming she had moved on to the adjoining restaurant to eat, Layne joins the queue.
It takes almost an hour before Layne is at the front of the line. Afterward, he has a quick dinner at another hotel restaurant, again making sure Kate is not around. He still hasn’t decided whether he wants to let her know he is there.
Who am I kidding?
By just booking the trip, he already knew he wanted to meet Kate again. It was like he didn’t have any choice.
After dinner, he knows where Kate would be, so he goes to the lobby bar. He sees her at the bar, typing away on her laptop, a cocktail near her. He watches her with an involuntary smile.
She is beautiful. Not only beautiful, she is also smart, talented, articulate, and fun to be with. She is also sexy as hell, and she didn’t know it, which makes her all the more desirable.
He is sure she would be someone his family would love and get along with.
He approaches her slowly.
“Give me your hand,” Layne whispers into Kate’s ear.
She smiles radiantly, knowing already who he was just by his voice. Layne smiles at her and sits on the barstool next to her. He extends his hands, palms up. Kate puts her hand on his palm. He softly holds her hand, moving up until his fingers are on her wrist. Layne feels the thrill of touching Kate’s flesh after a long time.
Then, Layne slips a black bracelet infused with gold and silver through her hand, and as it rests on her wrist, Kate’s eyes brighten. She obviously is happy with the gift.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” Kate says looking into Layne’s eyes. Layne wants to tell Kate something more, but he stops himself.
I miss you. I want to get to know you better. He leaves these thoughts unsaid.
Layne then holds Kate’s hand and helps her up. He takes her laptop in his other hand and leads her to the lifts. Kate follows.
That night, it is different.
They take their time undressing each other. When they enter his room, they just initially stare at each other. Kate moves forward and removes the buttons of Layne’s shirt one by one and when she opens it full, she gazes upon his naked torso.
“I missed your body,” Kate whispers and then she giggles. She runs her hands over his chest and then his rock-hard abs.
Thank God I had the week-long workout before coming to India! Layne thinks.
Layne pulls Kate close to him and then he removes her blouse and bra in one fluid motion. He stands back and stares at her perfect breasts and slowly touches them lightly with his fingers. He hears Kate gasp. Layne lifts Kate up and envelopes her in a tight embrace and he feels her breasts on his chest. Kate wraps her legs around Layne’s hips. He buries his face in her neck and starts kissing her there. Kate holds on to his head as she sighs.
Layne moves toward the bed and they fall on to it, Kate pinned below him. He trails soft kisses from her neck to her breasts. Layne’s hands then expertly remove her slacks and underwear and pretty soon, Kate is naked, and she is writhing in pleasure as his tongue and lips slowly explore every sensitive inch of her.
Kate screams when she comes. Layne looks up and smiles. Kate looks at him with her eyes delirious with pleasure. Then there is a glint in Kate’s eyes. She pulls his head up and she kisses him deeply. They kiss like it is the last time. Layne sits up, trying to catch his breath, and Kate follows suit, straddling him. They are eye to eye, as they go in for another kiss, their arms around each other, Kate’s legs wrapped around Layne’s hips.
Then Kate stares at Layne as she guides him into her, and then she moves slowly, and takes her time before gathering speed. She continues to look into Layne’s eyes, her hands raking his hair and Layne can’t contain his pleasure. He closes his eyes and starts moaning, letting Kate take contr
ol. Kate holds Layne’s hands and guides them toward her butt and he grips her there, as she moves faster and faster and faster.
Both of them reach their climax together, and they fall over in a heap and embrace each other tightly, their legs still wrapped around each other.
It crosses Layne’s mind that this time was different from the previous times he and Kate have hooked up. He then realizes the reason. This time, they were making love. Kate almost cries. Or maybe she does.
When Layne wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone.
Again.
Layne frowns. He had been so sure she would have stayed. They undoubtedly have an emotional connection. He thought it would have been enough for Kate to stay.
Or at least leave him a note.
But she is gone. And there is no note.
Layne guesses it means Kate just doesn’t want to take it further.
Layne shakes his head and hits the palm of a hand on his forehead, as if admonishing himself for being stupid.
How can she not want to take it further after last night?
It is just hard to accept after everything they’ve been through. Layne cradles his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees.
He will have to live with that. He doesn’t really have a choice, does he?
5
The View
Kate
Kate knows it is crazy she should take a trip to Kuala Lumpur just because of something posted on her social media author page. It could have been posted by anyone, but she knew it was him. She knew it because only he could have posted it.
Harbour. Gate. Wall. Bracelet. Friday the 13th, SkyBar. View.
Kate fingers the bracelet on her wrist. She has been wearing it every day for the past four months. Everything she has been writing reminded her of Layne. He has been in her dreams, even when she is awake. She knows she has it bad, but she also knows she has to be pragmatic. If Layne was interested in her more than just the occasional one-night stand, he would have initiated something to bring their “relationship” to the next level. It had been more than a year since they first met.
She looks out of the big glass window and sees the beautiful view of the Petronas Towers. Not for the first time in the last couple of days, she is worried she got it wrong. There might be another SkyBar somewhere in the world with a view. Maybe she is in the wrong place. If she is, then it would definitely mean the universe is telling her to stop this madness. Four times meeting within sixteen months did not a relationship make.
The nachos and chicken wings she ordered arrive and Kate starts eating. She drinks a regular Coke. Tonight, she vows there would be no alcohol to cloud her judgment.
“You started without me?”
Kate looks up guiltily, a piece of chicken wing in her mouth, her fingers full of the juices of the chicken.
“I was hungry,” Kate says while trying to chew the mouthful of chicken. God, Kate, he had to arrive to see how much of a slob you are!
Layne looks great, Kate observes, and the problem becomes obvious. No one who looked like that could ever be serious with a girl like her, except for the occasional hookups. He was just too young and carefree, probably barely in his mid-thirties, and looking like he hasn’t gotten tired yet of having fun. God, I don’t even know how old he really is!
Layne sits down and starts eating. He uses his fingers for the chicken and even spills some salsa on his pristine white shirt. He doesn’t raise a fuss.
Oh God, please show me something negative!
Layne orders a beer and asks her whether she wants a drink. She shakes her head. Layne raises an eyebrow.
“Don’t tell me the Don Julio–chugging girl I like has suddenly gone cold turkey?”
Did he say he liked me? Goddamn it, I’m thinking like a schoolgirl!
“Later, maybe. Depends on how the night progresses,” Kate says with a smile. Layne stares at her and then leans forward. He reaches out a hand, and suddenly, he is wiping something from the side of her mouth.
Ugh... Kate, you slob!
Layne looks into her eyes and Kate feels herself go weak.
“I missed you,” he says.
“And yet you waited a couple of months to try and get in touch, and of course it is still to meet somewhere out of the country,” Kate says. Really? Why didn’t you try to find me in Manila?
“Yes. I really, really missed you,” Layne says.
Kate stares at him and thinks she sees the sincerity in his eyes. She is here, isn’t she? She is here because she misses him too. She is here because she wants to see him. And here he is. Should she make things more complicated?
“I missed you too,” Kate admits.
That night, it feels awkward at first, and without the alcohol, Kate knows she has no excuse to just let it go. At the last moment, she asks Layne for anything from the mini bar. She drinks a small bottle of Grey Goose vodka. After that it is no longer awkward. In fact the sex is amazing.
On the plane back to Manila, Kate weeps. She has to accept that there is never going to be anything more than just what she and Layne shares once every few months.
Layne
He watches her from afar, careful not to be seen, feeling like a stalker again. He loves seeing her at her most natural. She is sitting near a big glass window, with a magnificent view of the Petronas Tower outside.
Layne thanks his lucky stars Kate chose the correct SkyBar. When he realized there were SkyBars in other countries after he posted the message in Kate’s author profile, he had begun to worry whether Kate would choose the correct one. As always, Layne had a client meeting scheduled on Friday the 13th in Kuala Lumpur.
Kate fingers the bracelet he gave her on her wrist as she looks out at the view. Her food arrives. Layne notices she did not order any alcohol. He walks slowly toward her.
“You started without me?”
Layne smiles when he sees Kate looking up guiltily, in the process of biting into a sauce-drenched chicken wing.
“I was hungry,” Kate said while trying to chew the mouthful of chicken. How can she still be so damned beautiful and attractive eating like a slob?
Kate looks great, Layne observes, but she seems totally unaware of how she looks, which endears her more to Layne. She wears a dressy red blouse over figure hugging dark denim pants and beige wedged sandals.
Layne sits down and starts eating. He uses his fingers for the chicken and nachos and pretty soon, he spills some salsa on his pristine white shirt. Oh shit, now who is the slob?
He looks across the table and sees Kate smile. He smiles back.
He hails a waiter and orders a beer and asks Kate whether she wants to order a drink. She shakes her head. What, no alcohol?
“Don’t tell me the Don Julio–chugging girl I like has suddenly gone cold turkey?”
Oh shit, did I say I like her?
“Later, maybe. Depends on how the night progresses,” Kate says, smiling.
Layne stares at her and then sees that she had buffalo wing sauce on the corner of her mouth. He can’t help himself. He leans forward, reaches out a hand, and wipes it off with his thumb.
Kate looks embarrassed, but Layne looks straight into her eyes and says, “I missed you.”
“And yet you waited a couple of months to try and get in touch, and of course it is still to meet somewhere out of the country,” Kate says.
Ouch. I deserved that.
“Yes. I really, really missed you,” Layne says sincerely.
Kate stares at him and it takes a while before she says, “I missed you too.”
The rest of the evening feels awkward. It is like Kate is waiting for him to say something, anything, and he can’t. He still can’t.
When they make it to his hotel room, Kate is acting strange. Layne knows it is his cue to talk to her about meeting up in Manila, but again, for some reason, he can’t muster up the courage to do so. A part of him still expects Kate to suddenly laugh at his face and say something like he was just an occasional fuck,
that he was not boyfriend material. So he keeps his mouth shut. And he acts like what he thinks he is to Kate, an occasional fuck. He starts making out with her, and Kate is stiff.
Then she asks for alcohol, and he brings out everything in his mini bar. He realizes too late Kate has been sober the entire time they are together, and he is missing his chance to seriously talk to her.
As Kate is drinking, he tries to start the conversation, but Kate chugs the alcohol and proceeds to fuck his brains out. So he is left speechless. It didn’t have the sweetness of their lovemaking in India but it was still mind-blowing sex.
Layne already knows waking up Kate will be gone.
Why would she be there, right?
He just screwed up his chances.
6
The Dress
Layne
He sees a patch of bright white in the distance and then he sees her walking down Orchard Road, Singapore: Kate, in a white flowing sleeveless dress, with an asymmetrical hem that moves fluidly as she walks. Layne realizes he had never seen her in a dress before. She had always been in casuals or slacks and a blouse. Of course, he had seen her naked on several occasions, but mostly in proximity. This is the first time he sees her as a sexy, confident woman who commands attention. Her hair, way past her shoulders now, is blowing in the wind as she walks.
Kuala Lumpur had not gone as smoothly as he had wanted, although it ended on a high note. He was feeling Kate had wanted more out of him than he was prepared to give. Things were better after Kate had a drink. He still woke up to her gone though, and he felt like he had hurt her in some way.
The Kate walking toward him didn’t look the least bit hurt. She didn’t look affected.
Kate sees him, and she smiles. Layne loves that smile.
“Hi,” Kate says.
Kate, Finally Page 3