Tattoos & Unicorns

by Kayla Carson

  “Alright.” He said. “Does an hour sound alright?”

  “It's perfect.”

  After hitting the end button, I jumped up from the bed and pulled my tee shirt up, and over my head. I tossed it into the pile of dirty clothes I'd started in the corner of the room, and soon the rest of my outfit wound up there as well. I made a mad dash for the shower, and managed to shave what needed to be shaved in record time.

  I put an air dry cream into my frizz prone hair, and then found my favorite pair of black cotton shorts. This was more of a Netflix and chill kind of night. Minus the chill. Or maybe with a little chill? I honestly had no idea what to expect. I just knew that I didn't want to appear to be trying too hard. I paired my shorts with an old Nirvana tee, and shook the waves in my hair loose hoping that it would dry that way.

  I made sure that all of my dirty clothes were tucked away, and I tidied up the room as well. I even made the bed, which didn't make much sense considering we'd be laying on it soon. I folded the blanket I'd brought from home, and draped it over the end of the bed before using the adjoining door to see if Morgan had left yet.

  “Morgan?” I called out. “You here?”

  When she didn't respond, I instantly felt relieved. I loved her, but I was glad that she'd already left for her date. She would read way too much into Owen being here tonight. That, and she seemed to be a bit suspicious of him. I could see her reasoning, but then I started to think that maybe there was a reason that we met in the record store that day. I had never met someone who I had just clicked with so fast before. He was easy to talk to, even about the difficult things. So maybe I should stop questioning why he was interested, and just go with the flow for once in my life.

  After locking the door between our rooms, I took one last look around my own. It looked clean enough, but I was still nervous. I fluffed the pillows, and placed my laptop on the dresser below the TV so that I could hook the HDMI cord up. After fiddling with the television menu for a few minutes I was able to figure it out.

  I pulled Netflix up on my laptop so that it was mirrored onto the television, and then I sat on the end of the bed. I scrolled through the list of comedies, and then the romance genre, before getting sucked into the horror section. I was a sucker for a good scary movie, and after reading what felt like dozens of movie descriptions a soft knock on my door made me jump.

  I took a deep breath, before slowly making my way towards the door to answer it.

  “Who is it?” I called out.

  “We're you expecting more than one date?” Owen answered from the other side.

  I rolled my eyes, before pulling the door open and ushering him inside.

  “You look comfortable.” He said with a grin as he placed a takeout bag on the table, before sitting down on the end of my bed.

  Seeing him sitting there, in his black fitted tee shirt and ripped jeans suddenly had my mouth watering. I couldn't help but get tongue tied whenever I was around him, and as I made my way towards him I tried to shake my nerves away.

  “Don't make fun of me.” I teased. “I told you I was ready for a night in.”

  “Who's teasing? I think you look cute, Unicorn.” He winked.

  I blushed, and he patted the space beside him. I sat down, and he glanced at the television.

  “Horror?”

  “Oh, I was just browsing.” I said, leaning forward to choose a different genre.

  He stopped me, by reaching for my hand. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. I turned to face him with question, and he gave me a warm smile.

  “Do you like horror movies?” He asked.

  “They're my favorite.” I admitted.

  “Why do you do that?” He asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “Do what?” I asked, my breath hitching.

  “Try to please everyone?”

  I shrugged, casting my head down.

  “It's easier.”

  “What's your favorite movie?” He asked, as he used his finger to tip my chin.

  “Mostly the classics. Psycho, The shining, The exorcist. Things like that.”

  “Let's watch one.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked skeptically.

  He chuckled. “Afraid you'll get scared?”

  “Please.” I scoffed, before leaning forward to browse the horror section once again.

  After a few minutes I settled on Shutter. I'd seen it a handful of times, but it never failed to give me the creeps. Just as a good horror movie should of course. Owen stood to grab the food, and brought the bag back over to the bed.

  “I hope you like Chinese.”

  “Who doesn't?”

  He smiled before pulling the contents from the bag, and divvying it up between the two of us. We decided to eat our meal before we started the movie, so we made our own little picnic right there in the center of my bed. He'd brought soda to drink, and when we finished our meal, he took care of the mess. I was feeling a bit awkward watching him scuttle around the room, and when he sat back down on the bed again, it only increased.

  Should we sit on the end of the bed? Move towards the headboard? As if he could read my mind he stood.

  “Why don't you get comfortable, and I'll hit play.” He said.

  “OK.” I agreed, as I pulled myself up the length of the bed.

  I was sitting on the left side now, with my back leaning against the headboard. When the movie queued up, Owen came to sit beside me in the exact same way. Even though we were in a queen sized bed, his broad shoulders had us so close that we were nearly touching. I tried to slow my breathing, but every time I thought I had it under control his masculine scent would waft over to me.

  “Relax.” He said, reaching for my hand. “I won't bite... unless you want me to.”

  I let out a nervous laugh, and he squeezed my hand lightly. I tried to focus on the movie then, even though I was very aware of the man laying beside me. I could feel my hand getting sweaty in his, and I prayed that he didn't notice. We laid there in silence, watching the movie for a while until a scene that I hate came on. There was something about the Asian ghost sitting on the shoulders of the male character in the photograph that gave me the willies every time.

  I shivered, and Owen must have felt it because he released my hand, and placed his arm around my shoulders. I had to lean up a little to accommodate him, and then he pulled me closer so that my head was resting just below his shoulder. If his scent wasn't intoxicating before, it sure as hell was now.

  He ran his hand up, and down my shoulder softly as I continued to try and concentrate on the movie. I could hear his heart beating, and feel the warmth from his touch. I couldn't help myself. I closed my eyes, and relished in the way that he made me feel. Just being around him woke things inside of me that I never even knew existed.

  I don't know how long I laid like that, but when I opened my eyes again he was staring down at me with a smirk on his face.

  “You're missing the movie.” He said, his voice low.

  “I uh- I wasn't sleeping.” I said, as I tried to leave his embrace.

  He pulled me closer, and I smiled up at him taken aback.

  “Don't you like the movie?”

  “To be honest, I'm a little distracted.” He said, before using his free hand to lift my chin like he'd done earlier.

  “Why?” I whispered.

  “I think you know.” He whispered back.

  This was it. The moment I'd been waiting for. He was finally going to kiss me. I lifted my chin towards his, and our noses touched. I could feel his breath mingling with mine, and just when I thought that our lips were about to meet, he pulled away leaving me nearly panting in his wake.

  I gave him a questioning look, and he returned it with a look of his own. A hint of sadness washed over his face. Sadness, and regret? I couldn't be sure without asking him, and honestly right now I wasn't sure that I wanted to know the answer.

  “Maybe we should just finish the movie.” He said kissing the top of m
y head, before turning away from me.

  I laid there for a minute just staring at the television, wondering what the hell had gone wrong this time. He said I wasn't ready before, but how the hell did he know what I was feeling? I certainly wasn't thinking about Derek just now. I've been thinking about kissing Owen Foster since the first time I met him. What more did he want from me? Written consent?

  “I think you should leave.” I said as I slipped away from him, and stood beside the bed.

  “Leave? Why?” He asked, as he stood as well.

  “Whatever game you're playing... I'm not playing back.” I said, defensively.

  “I just don't want to rush things.” He said, earnestly.

  “Rush things?” I asked with exasperation. “It's only a kiss, Owen!”

  “It's more than that.” He said cupping my face in his hands.

  “It doesn't have to be.”

  “If I kiss you right now Ronnie, I don't think that I can stop.”

  My eyes widened in surprise. This wasn't the response that I was expecting, but I quickly regained control of myself. Feeling a little braver, I stood taller so that he could see my confidence. With his hands still on my face, I let my own run up his strong chest, stopping on either side of his neck. Before he could stop me I used my position to pull his face towards mine, and I kissed him.

  I pressed my lips onto his, and it only took him a matter of seconds to respond. Soon his soft lips were gliding over mine, and I was wrapping my arms around his neck. My body was flush against his, and I could feel every groove, and muscle beneath his clothing. His hands fell from my face, over my shoulders, and sides, before resting on my waist.

  It wasn't long before his erection began to press against me, and I moaned into his mouth as I rubbed against him like a cat in heat. He groaned, and then his hands drifted to my ass letting his fingers skim the hem of my shorts sending goosebumps all over my body. He kneaded my cheeks, as he slowly slid his tongue into my mouth seeking permission.

  I let him in without hesitation, using my own tongue to taste him. I tried to nudge him towards the bed then, but he broke our kiss. He rest his forehead on mine as we both tried to regain control of our breathing.

  “Damn.” He whispered.

  “Why'd you stop?” I breathed out.

  “Ronnie-”

  “Why don't you want me?” I asked, and the sadness in my question was more than clear.

  “I just don't want to be that guy.” He said, taking a step back.

  “The guy who gives the girl mixed signals? Or the guy who turns the girl on, and leaves her hanging?” I said with more sass than I intended.

  He smiled. “I knew you had a little fire in you, Unicorn.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Get out. How's that for fire?”

  “Why can't you stand up to Morgan, like you stand up to me?” He asked, as he slowly closed the distance between us.

  “I- I don't-”

  He lifted my chin with his finger, stopping me mid sentence.

  “I've wanted you since the minute you stepped foot in the record store.”

  “Then what's stopping you?”

  “I don't think we want the same things.”

  “And what do you know about what I want?”

  “I don't want to settle down.” He said as he turned away from me, and ran his hands through his hair.

  “I'm not staying in New York. I'm only going back to say goodbye to my dad, and then I plan on finding someone else to run the business. I'm not someone you can count on, Ronnie.”

  He turned around then, and I shook my head.

  “You think I want to marry you? You think I want you to move to New York with me so that we can start a family? I'm physically attracted to you Owen, and the first and only man I had sex with was pretty terrible at it. I'm not a fragile flower in need of tenderness, and care. I'm a woman with needs, and right now... I need you to-”

  Before I could even finish my sentence, he was lifting me in his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he kissed me. He kissed me so hard that I could barely breathe, but I didn't mind. He was already growing hard, and the feeling of his length between my legs made me whimper. My light cotton shorts were barely a barrier, and the friction from his jeans was making me wet with anticipation.

  He sat me down on the bed then, breaking our kiss so that he could pull my tank top up, and over my head. I reached for the button on his jeans, and pulled the zipper down so that he could shrug out of them before standing to lose my own shorts. He took his shirt off, and my eyes were instantly drawn to his chest. The artwork that adorned it was beautiful, and I found myself reaching out to touch it. He smiled, as I ran my fingers over the ink.

  “I told you I had too many to count.”

  I bit my bottom lip, and he smirked before reaching behind me to unfasten my bra. I locked my eyes on his, and then I let my bra fall to the floor. We were standing in nothing but our underwear then. Me, in my black cotton panties, and him in a pair of gray boxer briefs. His erection was impressive, and I couldn't help but lick my lips in anticipation.

  “You're so beautiful.” He said, brushing his hand over my cheek.

  I leaned into his touch, and closed my eyes as he captured my lips in a soft, slow kiss. He let his hands roam my body, and I did the same until I felt his thumbs slip down the sides of my panties. I moaned, and he smiled against my lips as he started to pull them down over my hips.

  “Ronnie!” Morgan said, as she came barreling through the door that connected our rooms.

  “Why was the door locked, I-”

  Owen quickly spun us around so that his back was now facing Morgan's front, and I buried my head in his chest in embarrassment.

  “I am so sorry!” Morgan said, as she slowly backed out of my room. “Just pretend that I was never here!” She added, once the door was shut.

  We stood there for a second, neither one of us quite sure what to say. I cleared my throat then, and Owen looked down at me.

  “I uh- I should probably get going.”

  “Oh.” I said with surprise. “Yeah. I mean, if you want to-”

  “I think the moment's passed, Unicorn.”

  “Right...” I said, taking a step back and crossing my arms over my breasts to cover them.

  What the hell just happened? I thought we had an understanding? But here we were putting our clothes back on, instead of taking the rest off. So what if Morgan walked in? What was the big deal? Suddenly he thought sleeping with me was a bad idea? Or maybe it was seeing Morgan? Maybe he realized he'd have more fun with her? What did I know about one night stands anyway?

  When we were both fully clothed, Owen came towards me with a smile, stopping directly in front of me.

  “Goodnight.” He said, leaning down to press a kiss to my lips.

  “Goodnight.” I said with confusion before I watched him walk away from me, and right out of the room.

  NINE

  “MORGAN ELIZABETH ASTOR!” I yelled, as I barged into her hotel room the same way she'd barged into mine.

  “Ronnie! I am so sorry! If I had known-”

  “The door was locked!” I said, with frustration.

  “I just thought it was jammed or something. I was worried, so I got the key from the front desk.”

  “You were worried?” I asked skeptically. “You could have called? Knocked? Bellowed?”

  “I know! I'm sorry OK! I just... I had a really bad night, and I needed my bestie.”

  I sighed before sitting down on the end of her bed, and patting the space beside me. With a smile she joined me, and then we turned to face each other. I could see now that her mascara was smeared, and her lipstick looked a little worse for wear. Suddenly her messing up my plans didn't seem very significant.

  “Did something happen?” I asked, the anger and annoyance dissipating from my tone.

  “It turns out my date tonight had a twin brother, and when I wasn't too keen on being shared... things got messy. The bounce
r at the bar had to get involved, and even the police showed up.”

  “Oh my God! Why didn't you call me?”

  “I didn't want to worry you, besides... I knew that you had your date with Owen tonight.”

  I reached for her hands, and held them in mine.

  “Something like this trumps any dates I'd ever have, do you understand?”

  She nodded as a tear slid down her cheek, and I pulled her into my arms for a hug.

  “You've got to slow down, Morgan. I know hooking up with all these men may seem exciting, but it's also dangerous.”

  “I know.” She sobbed.

  “Promise me you'll take things more seriously from here on out?”

  “I promise.”

  “Good.”

  Just then, we heard a loud knock. It sounded as if it were coming from the outside of my hotel room. Morgan, and I stood together before using the adjoining door to head back to my room. Again someone knocked on the door, and checking the time I realized it was nearly midnight. I opened the door slowly, so that I could peek through the crack.

  “Owen?” I asked, with curiosity as I allowed him to come inside.

  “Sorry to bother you, again.” He said. “My bike's been stolen.”

  “What?” Morgan asked, as she reached for his hand. “That's horrible! Why don't you come and sit down.”

  She practically dragged him over to the small love seat at the end of the bed, and took the seat directly beside him. She was still holding his hand, when he locked eyes with me. He quickly pulled his hand free from hers, and shook his head.

  “The police are on their way, and I just... I thought I could wait here if that's alright?”

  “Of course it is!” Morgan said.

  “She's right.” I agreed. “You can stay as long as you need.”

  “Thanks, Ronnie.”

  I smiled before heading towards the bathroom, and locking myself inside. Could anything else go wrong tonight? First Morgan nearly gets assaulted, then I miss out on what could have been an amazing night, and the icing on the cake? The man who would've given me that amazing night was back! With Morgan.

  I splashed cold water on my face, trying to get my blood pressure down. She was probably laying it on thick as we speak. Batting her lashes, and crossing her long legs strategically showing a bit of thigh. The woman was sex on legs, and I bet Owen would have no problem sleeping with her tonight. Maybe I should just forget about him? So what if he was the sexiest man I'd ever laid eyes on. I just wanted to use him to scratch an itch, right?