The Stripper Equation

Bite the Bullet

I couldn’t get what he said out of my head.  “I looked beautiful.  What did he mean by that?  Was he trying to get in my head?  Did I look like I was trying too hard?  This was New York City for crying out loud.  I have seen women in couture gowns worth more than my childhood home on the daily, I’ve seen men both in ballgowns and three piece suits.  There was no way that I was overdressed.  Maybe compared to my usual under dressed, too short everything, or jeans and t-shirts, everything else just seemed overdressed. Or maybe if I had Daphne here forcing this on me I would be able to hide behind that, but this time it is all me.  After all these years of yelling at Daphne for dressing me like her personal Barbie doll her I am wishing I could hide behind one of her outfit changes.  I am now realizing how insecure I am on my own.  How insecure I am about Noah.  And I’m not sure if that is because of how much I like him or because I am just so unsure about the whole thing.  Before I could think too much about it my phone starts going off.  And I realize that it’s Noah.  I flip it open.  “Hello.”

“Hey sweetheart.  I’m downstairs.  Are you ready yet?”  His voice sounded so reassuring.  “Or do you need a few more minutes?”

I debated.  I could take the few minutes and change.  I could grab my go to jeans and tees.  Was I ready?  “Yeah Noah.  I’m ready.  I’ll be right down.”  I grabbed my bag and pulled the door closed behind me making sure it was locked and went outside to meet Noah.

The moment he saw me I could tell that I made the right decision by not changing.  I’m not sure if I looked that good or he was just glad that I wasn’t dressed like a teenage girl trying to be sexy.  “So how did you sleep, sleeping beauty?”

“Like a baby.”  I put my hands around his neck and pulled myself into him.  By the time our faces were a few inches apart I closed my eyes and kissed him.  I could hear the traffic around us and after a few seconds I pulled away.  “So where are we going?”

Noah smiled.  “It’s a surprise.”  His grin got wider.  “But you’ll never guess in a million years.”

“Is it horseback riding in Central park?”  I guessed.  I have seen people do it and always wanted to try it.

Noah looked disappointed.  “How did you know?”

“Really?”  I practically screeched, elated.

Noah laughed hysterically shaking his head.  “No.  I was joking.”

I slapped his arm.  “That wasn’t nice.  I was excited.”

He kept laughing.  “Sorry sweetheart.  Maybe next time.”  He walked to the curb to hail a cab.  A few moments later a cab stopped and Noah held the door open for me.  Once we were in the cab he gave the cab driver an address but unfortunately it didn’t mean anything to me.  Once the driver started heading into the traffic Noah turned to me.  “What no more guesses?”

I shook my head.  “You mean no more disappointments.  If I refuse to guess then I won’t get another let down.”

Noah laughed again.  It felt good to be the bearer of his happiness.  “Come on.  I think you are exaggerating a bit.”

I gave him the dirtiest look I could muster.  “Do you not know anything about girls and their horses?  You don’t make promises of the four legged kind.”

“What if I told you we were,” before he could even finish I clasped my hand over his mouth.

“For your safety it would probably be best that you don’t say anything unless it is truly you stating the actual location.  Comprende?”  Before I could get his compliance he licked my hand.  Luckily I hang out with children on a regular basis and I don’t flinch.  “Really?”  I mocked.  “Is that all you got?”  As soon as I saw the playful flicker in his eyes I knew that I had just made the wrong move by challenging him.