Hanging out with Hunter feels like home away from home. I am safe and comfortable, taken care of. I don't know where things are going, but I'm open, and waiting to see. Will he be one of my best friends or something more? He's witty and smart, and he's got a lot going for himself. I enjoy his company, and there aren't a lot of people in DC I feel that way about. We make our way to the fainting couch at the foot of the bed, and I kick off my flats beside his Gucci loafers. The joking is gone now. Conversation is deeper now as we lean on the bed. We talk about family and friends, people who have let us down, and ways we've been hurt. He has a lot more of those than he would like to admit. I notice something in his eyes I hadn't noticed before. Not an emotion, but a color. I'm looking at his striking blue-gray eyes, but in one of them there is a hint of brown, like a freckle on his iris. The uniqueness is intriguing. I'm attracted to him even more. The foreseeable lull in the conversation finally comes and he leans in ever so slightly. I move toward him, and my mouth meets his. His lips are harder than I expected. It's almost like a shield, keeping anyone from getting into the softness behind. But I don't mind; I have my own walls up. As I sink into his kiss, I'm not thinking he's my future husband or about how in love I am. I'm just wondering where this will go. As we slip into the bed, somewhere in the back of my head a phrase I've heard before pops up: the first hit is always free.