red herring [h.s.]

8.

Stella.

"What happened?"

"Oh my god." I groaned as I held out my glass, "I need another."

I held my finger up for the waiter who quickly refilled my shot glass with Patrón. Erin was of course in yet another bar when I called her. She was here with a guy who she had ditched the second I called, while I jumped into a cab and came straight here, no more than five minutes after Harry had left.

"Stella." Erin urged me as I downed the third shot and my face scrunched up as a shudder ran over my spine from the heavy taste of alcohol.

I was about to ask for another but Erin shot me a warning look and then shook her head at the waiter, "No, no more."

She then turned her head to me, "Tell me what happened."

I let out a breath as I held my head with both my hands, "He came to my work at Whitlock's and was all cute and nice and then suggested we spent the afternoon together. So we went out and got bagels and then it started pouring rain so I suggested we go to my place for some coffee."

Erin's brows raised but she didn't interrupt as I continued, "So we were on the couch and talked and then we started kissing and I was on his lap and it was really, really hot and then..." I sighed out, nibbling on my lip as I doubted telling Erin the next part. It was rather personal on Harry's part but then again I needed to tell this to someone and I needed the advice.

"Then what?" She pressed and I groaned again, "He couldn't get hard. Like we were grinding and making out and he kind of stopped me and said he couldn't get there, that he was nervous. And then he kind of suggested fingering me? I guess? And I blurted out that I'm on my period." I cringed deeply as I buried my face in my palms.

"And you're not?"

"No, I'm not."

"Whew." Erin mumbled, holding her finger up to the waiter, "Two more shots."

I sighed out again, wincing under my breath at the sheer embarrassment I felt about this story. When the waiter poured us more Patrón, I continued, "So we awkwardly sat down and then he got a call and he immediately left."

"He got a call? Like... a fake call? Like we do when we're on a date and we want to leave?" She checked and I shrugged, "I don't know. He said it wasn't like that, that it was really a work emergency and he assured me everything was okay and that I shouldn't worry, even kissed me goodbye. But I don't know, I feel like fucking shit."

Erin put her empty shot glass down as she leaned her elbow on the bar, "It's so weird how he couldn't get hard. You said he was hard the night you two met, just from some dancing together."

I nodded, "Exactly. And last weekend too at the pub and I hadn't even touched him. Oh my god, fuck." I sighed out again as I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, "Erin, fucking help me. I don't know if I can ever face him again."

"And why didn't you want him to touch you?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, all the magic was kind of gone and I snapped out of it. Like you said, I was really in my head about him not being able to get there, and I immediately started doubting everything. I didn't want him to touch me if he wasn't really into it."

The four shots were definitely in my system as I felt a little woozy, which was exactly what I had been looking for as Erin gave me a puzzled look, "That's so weird... You don't think he's not into you, do you?"

"I don't know." I groaned out again, "It doesn't feel that way when we kiss. You know, we kiss like..." I pressed my lips together as I searched for the words, using my hands to make gestures in the air, "like he's a man and I'm a woman and it just... god, it's so hot. And now I'm all confused? I hardly know this guy and I was about to have sex with him. Jesus."