Chapter 5: A charming, anonymous stranger

As soon as I turned off the shower, I heard movement in the living room and froze. I couldn't get away with avoiding Oliver all night, but it would have been nice to at least make it to my room and into pajamas first. I pushed open the shower door, pulled a thick grey towel off the rack, and wrapped it around myself hoping to slip across the hall to my bedroom before Ollie noticed me.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he yelled as soon as I opened the door.

So much for sneaking by. I squeezed my eyes closed and waited in the doorway, just out of sight. It wouldn't be the first time he'd seen me in a towel but seeing him tonight - especially like this - just made me feel more vulnerable. It was the same reason I couldn't bring myself to look at the cabbie, I had enough in my head without seeing what they thought of me written all over their faces.

I took a breath and chose the offence I'd been practicing for last fifteen minutes. "I wasn't doing anything you haven't done. We talked, we had some drinks, and we shared a cab. What's up with the double standards?"

Aside from Ollie being twice my size and much harder to kidnap.

He stepped around the corner and leaned his shoulder into the wall. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Yes, big brother, I get that, but I didn't get hurt." I sighed, letting my shoulders relax. He'd taken my last break-up nearly as hard as I had - mainly because he'd considered the guy I'd been dating to be one of his closest friends. Ollie had been the one to catch him in the lies, and I'd been the one crushed into believing I wasn't good enough. "I just wanted to have fun, and I did. Wasn't that the whole point of the night before you wandered off with your friends?"

Ollie nodded and stepped back into the living room, leaving me with a clear shot to my room. I knew he wasn't done yet, but as much as I wanted to hold onto the fun, my mind teetered on a razor's edge, trying to decide whether Rusty was a complete jerk or a guy with quirky but good intentions, and Oliver's questions didn't help. I pulled on my soft flannel pajamas and squeezed the extra water from my hair. I'd hoped the shower would tame my hyperactive nerves and give me a quiet moment to gain some perspective, but nothing seemed to quench the feeling in my gut begging for a release.

And it wasn't just that Rusty had left me hot and bothered, it was that creeping feeling of overwhelming discomfort just below my skin. I slid open the drawer on my nightstand where I kept my collection of colorful rubber bands. When I heard Ollie's footsteps approaching again, I quickly slipped one around my wrist, closed the drawer, and crawled under my bedspread just as he knocked.

"Come on in."

"I'm sorry. You know I wasn't questioning your judgment." The doorframe creaked as he leaned his tall, muscular body against it. The only time he took on the huge teddy-bear look was when we were alone, and he was trying to get inside my head.

I grabbed a pillow from behind me and punched the ends of it, taking out my frustrations on the faux down. "Sometimes I wonder."

"So, you want to tell me about him?"

"Why?" I tossed the pillow against the headboard, folding my arms over my chest. I wasn't quite ready to tell him I had no idea what the man's real name was. "Are you going to have one of your buddies check him out?"

"I won't." He put his hands up in surrender and finally ventured another few feet into the room. "But you can't hold it against me if I want to know a little about the man who made you this frazzled."

"I'm not frazzled." But I couldn't even convince myself. I sucked on my bottom lip, trying to compose my thoughts, but it only reminded me of his taste. His kiss. I threw my hands into the air. "He was a charming, anonymous stranger who went by Rusty."

Oliver seemed to choke on air. "Rusty?"

"Yep." I smacked my lips. "And I didn't give him my name either. We were just having fun."

Oliver's eyes narrowed. "You trying to convince me or yourself?"

"Doesn't matter." I shook my head, trying not to show how much that question rattled me. I still hadn't wrapped my mind around the night, but I was certain of a few things. "I won't be seeing him again either way. No names were exchanged, and he was staying in a hotel, so I doubt he's sticking around too long."

Oliver eyed me for a few seconds longer, giving me his not-quite-convinced nod, then he headed for the door. "Well, I'm going to shower. Want to watch a movie before bed?"

I pulled up my blankets and snuggled down. A movie would leave more opportunity for talking and all I wanted to do was be alone. "I'm going to crash."

"Uh huh, that's a new name for it."

I picked up the stuffed penguin from my nightstand and chucked it at his head as he ducked into the hallway. He lingered just long enough to grab the plushie bird and toss him back before pulling the door closed and cutting off any future attacks or inquiries.