London.

After making sure there wasn’t anyone left on the plane I grabbed my duffel bag and walked toward the front. My heart was still beating pretty fast as I inhaled, then exhaled. According to the pilot it was just a rough landing, but I’m not sure if I’d describe it as that. It felt more like riding a golf cart down a mountain.

“Oh my God Eric, you know you’re a punk right? How many times have you actually flown on a plane?” asked Tim as we strolled off the plane and into the area to grab our luggage.

I had to think for a second before I could reply. I wasn’t too fond of airplanes, and tried to avoid them by any cost. If it was a short destination, I would gladly ride in a car. I even knew about the statistics making it more likely to get into a car accident than a plane accident; however, an accident in the sky scared me more than an accident on the ground.

“Seven, and that’s seven times too many. Weren’t there supposed to be teleportation devices by now already? It’s 2011, shit. People on Star Trek are teleporting at warp speed, and we’re on flying cars.”

“One, you need to stop watching Star Trek,” Mark chipped in. “And I don’t care if Zoe Saldana is in it. Two, we’re in London baby! Let’s go see what’s good with these UK women, I’m telling you, if you can find one with good teeth, you’re good money.”

Before I could say something about how any Zoe Saldana movie had instant replay value I noticed Zoey in the lobby of the airport. She was wearing a Rolling Stones baseball shirt with a Yankees fitted, and sweatpants. It was good to know London was positively influencing her fashion.

She ran towards me when she saw me and I dropped my bags to hug her. It was reminiscent of a scene from a cheesy Jennifer Aniston movie.

“Hey baby, how was the flight?” she asked.

Mark leaned in and replied, “please, don’t ask.”

“Oh, you always did hate flying,” she said to me as she turned to greet Mark & Tim. “Did he mention the teleportation thing?”

I rolled my eyes as Tim nodded.

We walked out of the airport and followed Zoey to a black Expedition. Apparently the modeling agency had provided her with transportation, as well as a suite in a hotel that I surely wouldn’t have the shelled out the money to pay for. I had to say, I was pretty impressed. When I had first met Zoey she was barely getting any modeling gigs, and was thinking of quitting altogether. Now she had lined up two campaigns in London, and was getting ready for a fashion show. She was definitely on her way to becoming a Victoria’s Secret supermodel, and I was privileged to have a front row seat to watch.

I laid my head down on the backseat as the SUV took off towards the hotel. Mark and Tim were in the seats directly in front of me, and Zoey was in the front passenger seat. She was talking to the driver when Mark passed me his Blackberry.

I grabbed and looked at the screen, holding it above my head. I was reading a text. From Erin.

“Let me know when you all get into town, we should have dinner!”

“What do you want me to say,” Mark whispered as I handed him back his phone.

“I don’t know, tell her no. Wait, that’d be rude,” I thought. “Maybe you could just tell her that I’m not here. I don’t know, just whatever. Have dinner with her. I don’t know.”

“But what if she wants you to come?” he asked.

“Then tell her okay,” and I put my cap over my eyes. I was clearly not in the right mind to be wondering about having dinner with my ex-almost girlfriend, nor was I thinking about the fact I was sharing a hotel room with my current almost girlfriend.

I had been putting a lot of thought into the situation during the flight over, and figured it would be best to just talk to Erin and settle things. The way we had stopped talking left no room for closure, and I figured that that’s what I was missing. It was the least I could do for my potential relationship with Zoey. I think I owed her a clear conscience if I was to ever step up to bat and finally be her man, exclusively.

Eventually the truck made it’s way to the hotel, and we all climbed out to enter the lobby. While walking in the building, I could feel my phone buzzing in my pants.

I answered the phone and heard a familiar voice.

“Well look who decided to finally answer the phone,” I could hear the caller on the other end say.

“Yo, what are you doing calling me? You know I’m here with …” and my voice trailed off when I realized that I didn’t want to mention Zoey. I only felt slightly guilty however.

“With who?

“Nobody, but uhm, where -- how are you?” I could barely get my words out.

“I’m good, I’m good. It’s actually nice to hear your voice, but hey, I have to go. I’m going to call you back tonight, and you better answer, alright?”

“Sure,” I replied, deciding right then and there that I wasn’t going to answer.

We exchanged the complimentary goodbye’s and whatnot, and I ran to catch up with Mark & Tim. They informed me that Zoey had gone to use the restroom.

“Hey, so guys, guess who just called me?”

They both looked at each other and turned to me, replying at the same time, “Erin.”

“Well yeah, but here’s the crazy thing. We only talked for a few seconds, and then she had to go. Which wasn’t weird, but I heard a voice in the background.”

“O-Kayyyyyy...” Mark said, not quite following.

“Well the voice, sounded like her ex-boyfriend’s. The one she was dating while her and I were messing around.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Tim interrupted. “You think you recognized that guy’s voice, in the background of a phone call, when you haven’t even came into any sort of contact with him for months? You’re delusional, it was probably a producer or something.”

“No, I’m telling you, I’m almost 100 percent certain. It was weird. Like, he said something, and then she said she had to get off the phone. But why would she even call me while she’s with him? I don’t get it.”

“Well,” replied Mark, “you don’t have to get it because you have a beautiful woman you’re here for. Leave that alone. Don’t even touch it. All that’s going to happen is you’re going to get into some sort of drama filled incident, and then Tim and I will have to go through months of therapy with you while you play 808’s & Heartbreaks all day. I’m not trying to go back there.”

Time chipped in, “No. More. Robocop!”

“Yeah, you’re right,” I said, not really paying attention to Tim. “You’re right.”

I was about to ask him whether or not I should call the number back when Zoey appeared.

“Okay, so Mark and Tim, here is the key to your room, your bags are already there,” as she turned to me. “As for you, I have a surprise waiting in our room. You’re going to love it.”

After a couple of geeky glances from Mark and Tim as they went to the concierge to inquire about a pool, I followed Zoey to the elevator, playfully tapping her on her butt. God, I loved her ass.

There was a husband and his wife inside, probably no younger than 50 years old.

“17 please,” I told the man, as the man’s wife stared down Zoey.

After a couple of awkward seconds she spoke.

“You two are a beautiful couple, how long have you been together?”

Zoey looked at me and smiled.

“You know what, I don’t know.”

“Well time flies when you’re in love,” the woman replied as her and her husband got off on the ninth floor. “Trust me.”

She winked at Zoey and stepped off of the elevator. Just before the doors closed I caught a peep of her husband hitting her on the butt just as I had done to Zoey minutes earlier. Whoa!

As soon as we were alone in the elevator I reached in to give Zoey a kiss. I looked up at the ceiling and noticed that it was mirrored. Instantly an idea jolted to my brain.

“Hey babe uhm, you know where I’ve always wanted to …”

I didn’t finish my sentence.

“Just shhhh,” her lips sounded, as she placed a finger on my lips.

Her hand then moved to my chest, guiding my body to the far corner of the elevator. Her other hand found its way to the slight bulge on my pants and I felt a mischievous squeeze. My eyes closed as I bit my lip, wondering if there was a security camera watching us. Rather than deter me that just made me more eager.

I could feel her turn around and grind on me. Just as I was grabbing the opposite ends of her sweatpants, ready to pull them down I heard the elevator ding. Quickly my eyes opened as she stood up in front of me.

Three attractive women entered the elevator and I could feel my head get hot. One of them, wearing blue jeans, clogs and a white v-neck with a Louis Vuitton scarf draped around her neck walked over to our side and pressed 18 on the elevator board. She half-smiled at me and then walked back over to her friends.

After what seemed like forever, but couldn’t have been more than 9 seconds, the elevator arrived to our floor. With her back still to me, Zoey reached for my hands and led me off of the elevator.

When the doors closed she turned to the right and led me down the hall.

“You ready for your surprise?” she asked me.

I could feel the had-been bulge in my pants tighten from the teasing I just experienced.

“Only if it’s head,” I grumbled as I followed her to our room.