We had agreed to meet at the Roxy Hotel bar in Tribeca at 3pm on a Tuesday. I had a charity event starting at 7pm that I was on the fence about attending. But it was a perfect excuse to leave if things got awkward with the doctor and I needed to bolt.
I didn't have time to get my nails done before our second date, so I attempted a sloppy DIY manicure in the back of my bumpy cab ride. I was wearing a tight fitting black lace dress from DVF and black booties from Zara.
I had already made a conscious decision not to sleep with the doctor until I felt completely comfortable with him. It would feel less transactional that way. Besides, he seemed so patient and gentle with me. As non-traditional as this type of relationship was, I was determined not to seem too “easy.”
I waltzed through the revolving door and into the grand sun filled lobby. There he was, calmly seated in a corner with a single white envelope in his hand. It must have been the $1,000 he was bringing for me. A sort of down payment for our arrangement.
As I approached him, he smiled warmly and stood up to greet me. My fears and inhibitions slowly began to melt away. What had I been so nervous about?
We sat down and he ordered me a glass of rose bubbles. Even though he did not drink, he seemed to know a great deal about wines. I smiled and let him pick a good one for me. I liked that he took charge, yet also seemed mild mannered.
After a couple of very expensive glasses of bubbly, I realized something. I hadn’t felt this comfortable around a man in a long time. This is when he leaned in to me and said…
“Bianca, I have one problem. And that is that I am a very presumptuous man.”
“Is that so? What do you mean doctor?”
“I’ve taken the liberty of booking a hotel room here at the Roxy tonight. Just in case you feel like skipping your charity event. This is not to put any pressure on you, Bianca. You don’t have to do anything you don’t feel like doing.”
His eyes were so kind. I felt like I had known him for years, not days. I decided right then and there that I was going to go upstairs with him. We headed up to room 711.
When we walked into the room, I tossed my grey fur coat on the armchair and made my way over to the window. The moon was bold and the views of the city were spectacular. He approached me slowly from behind and put his arms around my waist. We stood there for a few silent moments in the soft glow of the city light.
And then without a word, he turned me around and kissed me for the first time...