As Jamal and Abigail sat in the cab headed to the hotel, Jamal felt a strange mix of anticipation and regret.
Anticipation because it was going to be his first time and regret because it wasn't with Dawn as he had hoped it would be.
He briefly wondered if he should tell her it was his first time and he was inexperienced, but he quickly decided that would be a bad idea.
There was no need to give that sort of information to a stranger. He was just going to get it done with.
But what should he start with? The whole situation between them was weird.
Yes, he was attracted to her, but it was awkward sitting in a cab like this with a stranger and heading to his hotel room with the mind of having sex with her.
What were they supposed to do when they got there? Strip naked and get on the bed?
While Jamal's mind raced with thoughts of the awkward situation, Abigail was having similar thoughts.
As excited as she was at the prospect of having sex, she couldn't help but wonder whether she should tell him it was her first time.
She shook her head, thinking that he might run the other way if he knew she was inexperienced. She was just going to pretend to be a vixen like Genevieve, she decided.
She had once heard Genevieve discussing with her friends about how guys hated virgins and inexperienced girls. The last thing she wanted was to get so close to doing it and have him change his mind.
Abigail turned to steal a glance at Jamal, but when she caught him staring at her, she flashed him a false confident smile and immediately struck a sexy pose- fluttering her lashes and flicking her hair in a manner she hoped looked sexy like she had seen Genevieve do countless times.
Jamal blinked, taken aback by her sudden pose, and then he chuckled, finding her attempt at seduction cute.
Feeling embarrassed and thinking she didn't get the pose right, Abigail blushed and quickly looked away, making Jamal laugh even more.
"You're really cute, you know?" He asked, making her turn to look at him again.
Abigail raised a brow and pointed at herself, asking if he was referring to her as cute.
Abigail smiled when Jamal nodded, but the smile faltered as she wondered if he would feel the same way or say that to her if he knew she was mute. She highly doubted that.
Seeing the way her smile was suddenly replaced with a frown, Jamal felt a tug on his heart, and he looked away from her with a deep sigh. He still couldn't understand why he felt so affectionate toward her.
Soon, the cab pulled to a stop in front of the Hotel, and Jamal paid off the driver as they got out of the cab.
As they headed for his suite, Abigail's heart raced as she glanced around, taking in the luxurious environment.
As they got into the elevator, Jamal turned to her, his eyes searching hers. "Are you sure about this? I won't hold it against you if you regret your decision and have changed your mind."
She shook her head, stepping closer to him.
Jamal gazed into her hazel eyes for a moment, and the longer they stared into each other's eyes, the deeper the connection they felt.
The ding of the elevator interrupted the moment, and Jamal gestured for her to step out before he followed.
He led her to his room and gestured for her to make herself comfortable.
"Have you had dinner?" He asked, and Abigail frowned when it suddenly occurred to her that she had not eaten all day.
She shook her head, and Jamal nodded as he ordered her dinner, a bottle of wine, and two glasses.
He figured that even if it wasn't her first time, it was his, and he didn't want to rush it.
"So, what's wrong with your voice? You can't speak, can you?" He asked, making her heart skip a beat.
Seeing the way her eyes widened as though she was panicking, he raised a hand, "Did you really think I didn't already figure that you couldn't speak?"
She raised a brow, wondering how he figured it out when she had made sure to not do anything to give herself away.
Jamal rolled his eyes as he shook his head, "I guess you're asking how I know you can't speak?"
When she nodded, he explained. "Even if you had a sore throat, you'd have made an attempt to speak at least once. And I could see you struggling not to use your hands to sign each time you wanted to say something."
Abigail held out her hand, and he figured she wanted his phone, so he handed it to her again.
[Why did you agree if you know I can't speak?] she asked, wondering how a handsome guy like him could have accepted her offer despite knowing that she was mute.
Jamal sighed as he read the text. "I'd be damned if I know. There's just something about you. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's because you remind me of her," he muttered the last part.
[And here I thought it was because I looked irresistible.] she typed again with a rolling eyes emoji.
Jamal chuckled as he read the text, "You do look irresistible. And I don't think you should lie about your condition. To the person who matters, it won't matter."
Abigail angled her head as she thought of what he just said.
"I mean, the right person for you wouldn't care about your ability to speak or not. Besides, even without your voice, you're more fun than most girls with their voice," Jamal said, and Abigail's cheeks flushed.
She flashed him a smile so bright that he blinked. She wasn't used to compliments like that. They felt foreign, but coming from him, they didn't feel insincere.