The Last Man

Jennifer had spent the last month discovering that being single was a lot more fun than she'd been led to believe.

Not that her parents would have agreed.

For most of her life, Jennifer had been the good Chinese daughter. Good grades. University. Sensible friends. A respectable boyfriend. Nothing too wild, nothing that would give her parents a reason to worry about what their daughter was getting up to.

Stephen had fit perfectly into that picture. That was the problem. He was perfect.

Perfectly boring.

They'd known each other since high school, and by the time they started dating, Jennifer had already known exactly what her parents would think of him. He was Chinese. His family had money. He was polite, responsible and headed towards a good career. Nobody had to explain why their relationship made sense. Jennifer understood why everyone approved. She just didn't understand why she was supposed to be happy about it.

Stephen liked documentaries. He could spend an entire evening watching some three-hour exploration of ancient civilizations or the history of shipping routes. He didn't like old horror movies, which Jennifer considered borderline criminal. Whenever she suggested watching something with practical effects, terrible acting and enough blood to fill a swimming pool, Stephen would politely suggest something educational instead.

And then there was the sex.

Ugh.

Two times.

That was it.

One and a half years together, and they'd had sex twice.

Jennifer wasn't exactly an expert herself. She knew that. Her experience wasn't remotely as extensive as the adventurous version of herself she'd sometimes imagined becoming. Still, even with her limited experience, she knew there had to be more to sex than what she'd experienced with Stephen.

Their first time had been awkward. Their second time had been slightly less awkward. Neither had been particularly memorable.

One night, after dinner with her parents, the two of them had walked back to Stephen's car while Jennifer tried not to yawn. The whole evening had been pleasant. Her parents liked him. Stephen had been charming. Everyone had talked about university, careers and what the future might look like. Jennifer had smiled through all of it. Then she'd gotten into the passenger seat and stared out the window.

Is this it?

The question had arrived so quietly that it had almost surprised her. Was this what the rest of her life was supposed to look like? Stephen. A good career. A nice house. Family dinners. Responsible decisions. Sensible vacations.

And boring sex.

Jennifer had stared at the passing streetlights and tried to imagine herself at thirty.

Then forty.

Then fifty.

Every version of herself was still sitting beside Stephen.

The answer had been immediate.

Nope.

By morning, they were finished. There had been some crying. Some awkward conversations. A few attempts to explain why Jennifer didn't want to continue dating someone who was, objectively, a perfectly good guy.

Eventually, Stephen had accepted it. Jennifer had expected to feel guilty. Instead, she felt free.

The following month had been the most fun month of her life. She'd gone out dancing. She'd stayed out far too late. She'd downloaded dating apps and discovered just how many men were willing to meet a twenty-year-old woman who knew exactly what she wanted.

Or, more accurately, was having a fantastic time figuring out what she wanted.

There had been dates. There had been hookups. There had been mornings when Jennifer had woken up in unfamiliar apartments and had to lie in bed for a minute while she figured out where she was.

She loved it.

For the first time, nobody was telling her what her life was supposed to look like. Jennifer could be reckless. She could be spontaneous. She could flirt with someone at a club and never see him again. She could spend Saturday night dancing until her feet hurt and Sunday morning skating around the city with a coffee in one hand.

Most importantly, she didn't have to settle down. Why would she? There were too many people to meet. Too many things to try. Too much life left to live.

Jennifer was still riding that high on Monday morning as she rolled her longboard towards the university. The night before had been particularly entertaining. She couldn't remember the guy's name. Harry? Hank? Something like that. Whatever. He'd been fun, and that was what mattered.

Jennifer had no intention of sticking around until he woke up, though. That was where people made mistakes. A fun night didn't automatically need to become a relationship, and she had no interest in pretending otherwise.

Tonight might be another guy. Tomorrow might be someone else. Maybe she'd take a night off. Maybe not. The possibilities were half the fun.

Her longboard wheels hummed softly over the smooth asphalt as she cut through the office parking lot. It was early, but Jennifer didn't mind. She had class, and arriving an hour early was preferable to getting stuck somewhere she didn't want to be.

Besides, skating in the morning was peaceful. The parking lot was almost completely empty. Only one car sat near the building. Jennifer glanced at it as she rolled past.

Some kind of corporate suck-up, she thought.

The owner emerged a moment later. He was older than her by quite a bit, with a soft build and brown hair that was starting to recede. Nothing about him suggested the kind of man Jennifer would normally notice.

Then he looked up.

Their eyes met.

Something changed.

Jennifer couldn't have explained what it was. For the briefest instant, the entire world seemed to tilt sideways, as if reality itself had stumbled. Then everything settled back into place. And suddenly she knew.

Roy.

Her boyfriend.

Her Roy.

Holy shit.

A gigantic grin spread across Jennifer's face before she even had time to think about it.

What is he doing here?

Then the answer came to her. Work. Of course. Roy worked here. And she'd somehow caught him just before his day started.

Perfect.

He waved. Jennifer's heart gave a little flutter.

He's so cute.

The thought arrived with complete certainty. Roy was her boyfriend. More than that, he was the man she loved. Somewhere in the strange, hazy month after Stephen, Roy had simply become part of her life. She couldn't remember exactly when they'd met, but she knew how she felt about him. There was no uncertainty about it.

Jennifer had thought she'd spend the foreseeable future single. Instead, she'd somehow found a man who made her want something she'd sworn she didn't want anymore.

A future.

Not immediately, obviously. She wasn't about to start planning a wedding or shopping for houses. That would be ridiculous. But Roy?

Yeah.

Roy was permanent.

Her parents hadn't met him yet, which was probably for the best. Jennifer had a feeling introducing a man like him would lead to approximately nine million questions. There would be time for that. Right now, all Jennifer cared about was seeing her boyfriend. With a laugh, she pushed harder against the pavement and sent the longboard gliding across the parking lot.

"Roy!"

His smile made her even happier. Jennifer stepped off the board and walked the remaining distance, unable to stop herself from grinning.

"Good morning, babe!" she called. "I had a feeling you'd be coming in early. I missed you!"

The moment she reached him, both hands came up to his face.

Jennifer kissed him.

It was affectionate at first, but the simple pleasure of seeing him quickly overwhelmed her. She'd missed this man. Somehow, despite having spent the previous evening with someone else, Roy was the only man she wanted to see that morning. She didn't even know why she'd gone out with that guy last night. Last night had been a mistake. Seeing Roy that morning, running into him like this, reinforced an idea that she hadn't committed to until that very moment. Roy was the last man she would ever kiss.

Nobody else could make her feel this way. And she'd tried.

Holy shit had she tried.

Not just Stephen, but the others, too. Strangers, all of them, nice bodies, exciting lives, exciting nights. But nothing compared to being with her Roy. Roy made her feel real. Roy made her feel loved. Roy made her understand who she was, who she was meant to be.

His arms came around her. That made her smile against his mouth. There was something incredibly satisfying about being wanted by someone she actually cared about. Like, really cared about. He wasn't just hot (the way his belly pressed into her made her wetter than any guy she'd ever met on an app) but he also brought a kindness, a dependability, a reliability that she hadn't known she was craving. Sure, Stephen had some of that, but he was no Roy. Roy was the total package.

The kiss deepened, and Jennifer eagerly leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his body and pulling him closer. Roy's car pressed against his back as the two of them lost track of the fact that they were standing in an empty office parking lot.

Jennifer laughed softly when she realized how quickly things had escalated.

Okay. Wow.

This was one of the things she loved about Roy.

There was no tedious uncertainty. No wondering whether he wanted her. No awkward attempts to figure out what the other person was thinking. Roy wanted her. Jennifer could feel it.

The realization sent a thrill through her, and she pressed closer, enjoying every second of it. Eventually, though, she had to pull back just far enough to catch her breath and looked up at him.

"Wow."

A laugh escaped her.

"That's a hell of a way to say good morning."

Roy looked almost stunned. Jennifer found that adorable.

"I don't know how you do it," she continued, unable to resist teasing him, "but you make me so fucking wet I'm practically dripping."

She kissed him again, quickly this time.

"You know I have psych this morning. How the hell am I supposed to concentrate after that?"

Roy opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Jennifer stared at him for a second before laughing.

"Sorry?"

"You are so not sorry," she said as she poked him lightly in the chest. "You want me walking around campus so horny that I'm practically a zombie. God, are you like this with the other girls, too?"

Roy seemed to have absolutely no idea what to say.

"I... uh..."

"That's what I thought."

Jennifer adjusted the straps of her backpack.

"I'm just teasing you."

She leaned against him for another moment.

"Besides, I like thinking about you when you're not around. Makes seeing you again even better."

His expression softened. That did something to her. Jennifer had spent the past month enjoying men who were exciting precisely because they didn't mean anything. There was a freedom in that. No expectations. No obligations. No need to wonder where things were going.

Roy was different. With Roy, she actually cared. That was a little terrifying. It was also wonderful. Jennifer rose onto her toes and stole another kiss.

"God, I wish we could just get in the back of the car," she whispered with a mischievous smile. "But I seriously do have to get to class."

She turned and bent to pick up her longboard, then glanced back at Roy. Good. He was looking at her ass. She loved it.

"It's a light day, though. Just psych and linear algebra. I'm done in the early afternoon."

The thought of seeing him again later immediately made her smile.

"Are you busy after?" Roy finally found his voice.

"Want me to come by when I'm finished?" Jennifer asked. "I could think of a few ways to distract you for a while."

His answer came quickly.

"I'd like that."

Jennifer's grin widened.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He leaned down and kissed her again.

"I'd really like that."

"You are such a dirty dog."

Jennifer laughed and stepped away.

"I'll text you when I'm on my way," she said, settling the longboard beneath her feet and pushing off. "This is going to be hot!"

A few metres away, Jennifer looked back. Roy was still watching her. Of course he was. She couldn't blame him. It was what she wanted, what she craved. Jennifer slowed and turned her board sideways.

"And babe?"

"Yeah?"

"Just to return the favour for how thirsty you made me."

With a wicked grin, she lifted the front of her hoodie and gave him a flash of her breasts. She hadn't been able to find where her bra had ended up when she'd dressed that morning, which made the show even hotter.

Roy's expression was priceless. Jennifer laughed, winked, kicked off again and let the longboard carry her towards the street.

The warm morning air rushed past her face. She felt fantastic. Her classes were going to be boring. Linear algebra was definitely going to be boring. Psych might be interesting, assuming she could actually concentrate.

But now she had something to look forward to.

Roy.

Her boyfriend.

The man she loved.

The man she had somehow found after deciding she didn't want to settle down with anyone at all. Jennifer smiled to herself as the university buildings came into view.

She'd been wrong about what she wanted. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life dating different men. She just hadn't met the right one yet.

And now she had.

For the first time since breaking up with Stephen, Jennifer wasn't wondering who she'd meet next.

She was only thinking about the man she already had.