The Desire Variable | Rewrite

⸻ THIRTY-FIVE ⸻

Lex and I are a little more organized this time. The first thing we do is meet up in the parking lot to leave my stuff in his car. Then, we both work late, so the building is almost empty by the time we leave.

Once we're at his place, I'm delighted to be greeted by Mary again. So much so that I turn around to show Lex my appreciation with a generous but short kiss.

"I need to put my bag in your room and then stop by your bathroom," I tell him, moving away from his lips.

"Of course. I have a bottle of French wine for tonight. Unless you'd rather have a beer?"

"Wine sounds great. Be right back." After one last peck, I retreat to his room.

At a record-breaking speed, I freshen up and slip on my underwear, twisting to look at my backside in the mirror. If I can appreciate how amazing my ass looks in it, then Lex will lose his mind. Adding to that, I have the little black dress I wore when we celebrated the sale of my app and first kissed. A bra is out of the question, but Lex won't mind, given that the alternative is no bra.

I still can't believe we have an entire weekend together. Forty-eight hours of uninterrupted fun, just him, me, and his incredible bed.

Horror hits me as an unexpected truth dawns on me. It's physically impossible that I won't need to go number two. And he'll be around. How do people handle it? How did I manage with the guys I dated? I'll have to make sure he doesn't come into the bathroom right after.

I whimper and adjust my dress before looking at myself from every angle I can, hoping Lex will appreciate the gesture. Once my makeup looks good, I decide to dismiss the heels I brought. The floors are immaculate anyway, and I want to be comfortable.

As I return to Lex, I fluff my hair and adjust my bangs. "Mary, can you put a sexy chill playlist on, please?" I ask. The sweet, languid, and amazing intro of Redbone slowly fills the ambient air.

Lex is sitting on the couch when I arrive, pouring wine into a glass. One's already filled, and he laid out plates with appetizing finger foods. He sees me arrive in the corner of his eye, and his sharp gaze locks on my dress. The way his jaw clenches uncontrollably tells me he remembers the garment all too well.

"I hope this one's mine," I joke, pointing at the now very well-filled glass. He abruptly returns his attention to his task and straightens the bottle up.

His hasty gesture makes a bit of a mess, so he dries his hand and the table with a napkin. "Sorry, I was having the most intense déjà vu."

Feigning innocence, I sit beside him, tucking a leg under me. I even out the glasses to make them more manageable, and hand him one with a smile. A drop of wine is rolling down mine, so I mindlessly lick it up before it gets too low. When I meet Lex's intense stare, I understand my mindless gesture wasn't that innocent.

"To a productive week," I offer as a toast, tapping my glass to his.

"And to an even more productive weekend."