The One Night Stand

Prompt: January 2023 Contest on r/DirtyWritingPrompts. Theme "Out of Character."

“Come on Lily, please,” Heather begged me. “You’ve got to get out of this hole,” she gestured to my immaculate kitchen.

“This isn’t a hole, I love my house,” I crossed my arms daring her to argue.

She just laughed, “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” Her eyes narrowed, glaring at me. And yes, I knew it. But it was easier to distract than to argue. “You’ve been in a funk since the split. I’ve tried giving you space to get over the incompetent dickhead,” she so affectionately called my ex-husband of 18 years. “But this is the perfect chance to go out. Teagan is at her friend’s, and I know Sadie is a great mom so you don’t have to worry about her dying of neglect like if she was with your ex. Not that I’ve ever bought that excuse anyway, Teagan is 15 and more than able to take care of herself.”

“Don’t you think we’re too old to be going clubbing?” I tried next.

She gasped, “Bitch, we’re 40 not dead!”

“Correction, you’re 40. I’ve still got a couple months of life left,” I teased. Heather struck out, pushing my arm.

“That’s it, I’m going to drag you out of here kicking and screaming if need be. Tonight’s the night, I’m going to find my perfect little househusband, and you’ll find some hot little number to distract you. That’s what you need a one night stand to wash off the stink left by Cuntface,” she spat his newest nickname like it was venom in her mouth.

“A one night stand? I don’t know, it’s not really my thing,” I gave a final resistance, knowing that Heather’s resolve wasn’t anywhere close to giving in. But it was still true. A one night stand? I had never. I was a hardcore serial monogamist. 3 partners in my life. My highschool sweetheart Tara, up until our 2nd year at BSU. Where I promptly met Wes, until he dumped me the summer after graduation citing distance. And that next fall I met Carl, who I married, up until 6 months ago when I caught him with some girl from his office. This was the longest I’d been single since I was Teagan’s age.

“No, it’s perfect. This is what you need, I’m 1000% sure! My neat-freak control obsessed beautiful best friend is going to get down and dirty with a rando at the bar.” I wanted to go even less now. Although, as a byproduct of being in constant relationships, this had also been my longest dry spell since prom.

I sighed, “Fine, I’ll go out.” Heather celebrated, “But I doubt I’ll do this whole one night stand thing.”

Heather rolled her eyes, “Sure, kind of like how you said no to going out.”

---

The music was loud, maybe too loud. Oh gods, I was getting old. “What about him?” Heather says, pointing at a man at the bar.

“Ew, no,” I said, sipping at my margarita.

“What’s wrong with this one?” Heather bemoaned as I rejected yet another selected suitor.

I frantically looked him over again, trying to find anything obviously wrong, finally settling with, “Bad vibes.”

Heather laughed, “Um, wrong answer. Go talk to him, at least give it a try.” She pushed me up and out of my seat. I made my way across the club, leaving my drink behind, Heather quickly pulled it to her. "Oh and remember, don’t be yourself!”

I rolled my eyes, not that Heather could see. The guy at the bar was laughing with another guy. The things Heather could get me to do, with my stomach in my throat I lean against the bar next to them, “Hi, I’m Lily.”

He didn’t respond. Just looked over my body, “Good for you.”

His friend slapped him in the arm, “She ain’t all that bad,” his words slurred.

I told Heather, bad vibes. I started to walk away, this was a mistake through and through. “I could throw you a bone, what do you say a quickie in the bathroom?” the first man propositioned.

“Go fuck yourself, pig.”

The second man laughed into his mug, snorting like a pig. “Fucking cow,” the first man said as I left them alone. Looking back to our table, I saw Heather flirting with a lithe looking man, and my margarita was mostly gone.

And I needed a drink, so I turned back around. Finding any opening at the bar, as far from the misogynists from earlier. “Why, hello,” a woman said as I leaned across the bar trying to get the bartender’s attention.

Her hair was a thick curtain of black curls, a silver ring glinting through her septum, and her bare arms covered in a collage of ink. “Could I buy you a drink?” she smiled. She couldn’t have been much older than 23, perhaps 25.

“I don’t know,” I answered, I nervously touch my bare ring finger.

“Oh, my bad, I didn’t realize you were straight,” she swirled her wine, “my gaydar is usually better than that.”

My mind swirled alongside her wine, “I’m not, or I mean I am, I’m bi.”

“Ah, so you’re taken?” she sipped, the red stain of wine on her lips.

“No, it’s—“ I started.

“Good, then drinks,” she threw back her glass, draining the last of her drink. She raised two fingers in the air, and the bartender came around promptly. “Another glass for me, and for the beauty beside me, she’ll have a—“

“Margarita,” I finished the order. “I’m Lily.”

“Lily, that’s beautiful,” she brushed her fingers against mine, “Michal.”

“Michal, I haven’t heard that before,” I said, as the bartender returned with our drinks.

“It’s Jewish. I got it from my grandmother, who got it from hers and so on,” the red renewed upon her lips with another sip.

I sipped on my cocktail, “I think I was named after the flower.”

“A beautiful namesake for a beautiful woman,” Michal flirted.

I blushed, my nerves threatening to lock up everything, to a retreat. But that’s not what Heather set out for me toinght. I am meant to ‘not be myself.’ So I swallowed my fear, as best I could, and said, “If you inherited her looks as well as her name, I could easily say the same.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Smooth.” She showed off her tattoos, which I took as a reasonable excuse to touch her. Tracing the lines across her arms. “Do you have any yourself? I can’t see any but I’d be willing to search.”

My skin prickled at the thought, “None.”

“I’d still be willing to search, just in case,” she winked. My cheeks burned, but she didn’t stop, “Do you want to get out of here?”

I gulped. Flirting was one thing, but to leave here with her? She’s so young, I looked to my table, towards Heather. But she’s gone. Her words echoed in my head, one night stand, don’t be yourself, it will be good for you. And I’d be lying if I said Michal wasn’t stunningly beautiful. I took one final draw from my cocktail, finishing off what I could. Michal took that as a yes, and downed the last of her red.

She held my hand as we walked under the night sky. I felt like a little girl all over again. Maybe Heather was right after all. We didn’t talk about a destination, but I assumed she was leading me back to her place. But instead we stop outside Goldmann’s Pizzeria, “Hungry?”

We found a table in the corner with a slice of bell pepper pizza each. “So what’s different about kosher pizza?” I inquired, taking my first bite.

She grinned, “It tastes better of course.” She bit into her own slice. It did taste good. “But no, it’s the cheese. You have to use kosher cheese, and no meat with your dairy.”

“This might be silly, but I thought Jewish people weren’t allowed tattoos?” I asked, taking her hand in mine once again. I ran my thumb over the star of David on her wrist.

“Traditionally yes. But I was newly 18 and mad at my mom. I loved it, and couldn’t stop after that. I found like minded Jews, a Rabbi who’s interpretations had a more modern outlook. Then I had to find other ways to disappoint my mother. Like dating gentiles,” she grinned, taking another bite.

“Gentiles?”

“Non-Jews. Now how did a beautiful woman like yourself manage to stay single?” she pried.

“I didn’t, newly divorced,” I gave the honest answer.

“Her loss?” she quirked her head, I gave a shake, “His loss,” she ventured next, and I nodded, “is my gain.” And she leaned in close, so close, her lips dared me to kiss her, my stomach did flips in my gut.

“Don’t be yourself,” I mumbled to myself. And I gave in to the whim of the moment, no plan for the future, just the one night before us.

But before my lips met hers, she pulled away, “What did you say?”

“Nothing,” I lied. Our eyes locked.

“Um, no. Let me try again, what did you mean by ‘don’t be yourself?’” She glared. “Is this some kind of joke? A prank or something?”

My head was spinning. “No, nothing like that.”

“Then what is it?” She leaned back in her seat, her lips that were so close a moment ago were miles away now.

“It was something my friend told me. She was trying to get me out of my funk, by not being myself.”

“So this whole night has been a lie?”

“No, I like you, I really do. I’m just, as Heather would put it, a neat-freak control obsessed serial monogamist. So she thought letting go and having fun would do me good.” I left out Heather’s suggestion of a one night stand, it didn’t feel right to bring that up.

She took a moment, looking deep into my eyes. “You are actually queer, right?” I nodded, “Then fine. I like fun, and now that I know that’s the goal,” she smirked, “we can really have some fun.”

We went back to holding hands, but the near kiss didn’t happen. With our food gone, Michal bid the shop owner goodbye with some words I didn’t understand, I assumed they were Hebrew.

“So you said ‘control obsessed?’” she asked once outside.

“Yep, that’s me.”

“So if you’re not being yourself, that means I should be in control?” she grinned, pushing me against the wall of a nearby building.

My breath hitched in my throat, she was so close once again. This was Heather’s plan right? To let go. “Makes sense to me.” She kissed me, and it was electric. Every nerve in my body itched with excitement. I sunk into it, the wall behind me offering as much support as my legs beneath me.

“Then I think we should streak,” she said, barely audible over the thrumming of my heartbeat in my ears. Wait, streak!

“I-I-I, what!” My mind raced with a million excuses, “What if someone sees? The cops? We can’t, what, no? Streaking? I-I.”

She pressed her lips to mine again, the soft plumpness settling some of my nerves. “It’s three blocks to my shop. There’s no one around,” she gestured to the empty street. “And if the cops show up, they’ll have a hard time running with the hard-on they’ll be sporting after seeing us.”

“And if the cops are women?” I gave another attempt at getting out of the ridiculous notion of running naked through the streets.

“Well, I am into a bit of bondage,” she smirked, “No, no, bad Michal, ACAB,” she shook her head as if to shake away the idea. “Look I won’t make you, I’m not a control freak,” she winked, “but I’m going to streak.” And my mind went blank when she pulled her shirt off. As more of her skin was revealed, so was more of her ink. Her torso covered in intricate portraits. She reached behind herself and her bra went slack in her arms. “So, what’s it going to be? To streak or not to streak?”

Every rational thought would have told me no, but fortunately those all left my head when I saw Michal standing topless on the empty night street, a golden 6 pointed star nestled above her cleavage. I swallowed my fear, Heather’s words fueling me, give in, give up control. Before I could regain any mental faculties that might stop me, I grabbed the hem of my shirt. I felt an urge to cover my stomach, where age and my diet hadn’t been the kindest, but then Michal exhaled “Damn,” and those insecurities faded in the night air.

She shimmied out of her pants, and I reiterated her, “Damn.”

She smirked up, still peeling her pants off her calves. “Hurry up. You wouldn’t want to get caught like this would you?” No, I really wouldn’t. But I just pick up the pace, removing my bra my tits sagging more than hers, but her stares told me she didn’t mind. My pants were next, stepping out of a shoe just long enough to remove the leg, then the next.

The adrenaline was already pumping strong. My heart was going to burst from my chest any moment now. We stared at each other’s nearly naked bodies. Hers ornamented with intricate tattoos, while mine sagged here and there, all of my insecurities on full display to her, but her gaze was full of lust, something that we shared in that moment. “1, 2, 3,” Michal counted down and on 3 we both removed our underwear. All of our clothes sat balled up in her large purse, I held my small clutch and stared, taking in every beautiful inch of this woman.

“Um, which way?” I finally asked. She shook herself back to life, out of her mesmerized state, a state my body had put her under. I blushed at the thought. The thought of being desired, and by someone so desirable herself.

She just smirked, and took off down the street. It took me a second to realize it was on. I took off after her, watching her ass bounce with each step. “Woooo!” she cheered loudly into the night. My gaze flicked to the windows of the buildings around us, wondering if anyone would look out the window at the sound. Would anyone see us running in the buff? She did a little spin, keeping her stride as she easily spun, her hair a whirl of curls and her tits, my lord, her tits swaying in sheer perfection. And I joined her cheer, “Wooo!” She smiled and gave another cheer.

Between laughing, shouting, and running, I was throughly out of breath by the time Michal stopped in front of a shop, ‘Michal’s Tattoos & Piercings.’ She pulled a ring of keys from her bag. A pair of panties fell from her bag, I quickly bent down to grab them. They weren’t mine. She gave me a wink, as the door clicked and she pushed inside. The bell above the door dinged as a welcome. And with her blinds still pulled closed for the evening, we were finally out of the public eye. Any would be peepers were no longer a concern.

I handed her the fallen garment, but she just tosses them over her shoulder. “How was that for not being yourself?” she purred, stepping closer to me. Her body heat radiated off of her.

“Definitely not a Lily-esque activity,” I giggled, her hand brushing against my cheek as she pushed my hair aside. “Do you do that often?”

She pressed her body against mine, my skin burned with desire. “I used to, in college. But it’s been a while.” Her lips met mine, her tongue finding it’s way to mine. It was magical, our bodies becoming one. All I wanted was more, when she pulled away, just an inch, but even an inch was too much. “Do you want a tattoo?”

I froze. No, no, no, of course I didn’t want a tattoo. That was too far, right? How would I ever even pick something I’d want on my body forever? “Would this be part of losing control?” I teased, delaying my answer.

“No, of course not. You’re in control, I wouldn’t do it if you don’t want it. Plus this would go against your neat freak trait,” she winked. “But it’s your control if we mark your immaculate canvas,” her hand caressed over my body. Immaculate, I think of the acne on my back, the marks on my face from scratching the chicken pox, or the faded, but never gone c-section scar across my stomach.

But she didn’t see those imperfections, or she did but didn’t care. All those things wrong with me, were in my head, they only mattered to me. Heather was right, I’d spent 39 years trying to be perfect, and I would never regret Teagan but my marriage was a mess. Was it crazy that I was actually considering it? If so, it was even crazier when I said, “Okay.”

Michal seemed surprised, “Really? I was just kidding.”

My resolve slackens for a moment, but no I’d made up my mind. I wanted a tattoo. I wanted to let go tonight. I wanted this. “For real. But, um what should I pick?”

She smiled, “Well, we have a book of designs.” She sat a binder on the counter. “Or if you want to lose control too,” she placed a quarter on the counter next to a gumball machine. It’s filled with small plastic bulbs, that hold toys for children in quarter machines, each bulb filled with a folded sheet of paper. ‘Random Tattoo: You Get What You Get,’ was written across the machine’s bowl.

I peeked inside the binder, but nothing screamed ‘pick me.’ I looked over to Michal, she was setting up next to a chair. Her naked body distracted me from the task at hand. Her curls against her back, under which is a large back tattoo, the moon over a lake. “What did you pick?” she asked, and I blushed, embarrassed that I had spent the whole time ogling her instead of picking the art that would forever be on my body.

“Um, yep,” I lied, picking up the quarter. With a twist of the knob, the balls jostled in the bowl and one fell to the metal door at the base. I lifted the flap and handed the clear ball to Michal.

She laughed, “Lily, you madwoman. Are you sure you’re actual a control freak? Or was that all a clever lie to get me to streak?” She swayed her hips and I felt faint. “Alright, take a seat.”

The vinyl of the chair stuck to my bare bottom. I thought about getting redressed, but then I wondered if that would mean that Michal would too? And I was happy to stick to that chair if it meant getting to stare at her body a little longer. “You want to see?” she asked, looking at the unfolded sheet.

I closed my eyes, “No, no. It might freak me out.”

“Well let’s get started.” The tattoo machine buzzed to life in her hand, and she laid my arm out on the rest. “Here fine,” she tapped the inside of my wrist.

“As good as any,” I tried on my best smile.

I winced at the pain, but as she continued it became easier to ignore. Instead focusing on the heat where her arm laid atop mine. How she bit her tongue in concentration, carefully drawing each line. About half way through, I realized what it was, “An otter?”

Michal laughed, “Yep, a little otter, with a heart rock.”

I couldn’t help but laugh too, “Teagan loves otters.”

“Worked out perfect then, who needs to be in control?” Me, that’s who. But maybe there’s something to be said about letting loose from time to time.

With a final wipe she revealed the finished piece. The happy little otter floating on his back, a tiny rock heart clutched to his chest. She wiped something across the fresh tattoo and covered it with a bandage. “I’ll go over aftercare later, but for now,” she swung one leg over the chair, to sit in my lap, “I’ve waited long enough.”

She kissed me once again. Her body pressed to mine, her hair forming a curtain around us. The outside world blocked out by her curls. I could’ve sat there forever, content with making out, Michal’s hand on my chest, mine on her ass. I melted into the chair, her passion a red hot heat atop me.

Everything went blank, as her digits touched between my legs. My pussy buzzed with excitement, every part of me screaming in unison for more. Any touch, EVERY touch, the slightest hint or tease, I needed it all. I was putty in this woman’s hands, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Her touch was delicate, but assertive, pressing in all the right places. My back arched as I pushed forward, my head fell back in the chair, and Michal’s full lips fell to my neck, yet another electric sensation added atop it all.

My hand in her hair, I held her close, my thighs tightening around her hand, her curling fingers within me doing their job. I moaned her name, ecstasy dripped from my voice. My orgasm crashed over me, every lingering tension in my body fully exorcised. I fell limp in the chair, Michal’s smile churned my insides, my stomach flipping, my heart exploding, and my pussy thrumming in blissful relief.

She leaned back on my knees, our bodies separating despite all my wishes to never be apart. She moaned around her fingers, “Lily, you’re simply delectable.” My chest heaved with each breath. I was completely enraptured with the sight of Michal’s tongue flicking over her fingers. “I think,” her weight shifted, one leg falling from the seat at my side, “I need another,” she slipped from the chair, a kiss to my sternum, “taste.” Another kiss to my navel, and my spine shivered, “Direct from the source.”

Her lips pressed to my mound, she lifted one of my legs over her shoulder. Her arm resting atop the other, her hand warm against my abdomen. I giggled as she pulled me to the edge of the seat. “Michal,” I moaned at the first, light touch of her lips to my pussy.

“I love the sound of my name on your lips,” she purred.

And with another delicate kiss, I obliged her love, “Michal.” My strength slowly returned after my climax, and my hips thrust forward in attempt to extract more pleasure from her. But her hand on my stomach kept me in place, as she laid teasing kiss after kiss on and around my groin. My inner thigh, the mound above my sex, tantalizing brushes against my folds. “Michal, please, please, Michal, I-I-I need it.” My knuckles turned white, gripping the arms of the chair.

She grinned up from her kneeling position. “I never could say no to pretty ladies.” My heart might’ve stopped in that moment, but was easily kickstarted as her tongue slid across my sensitivity. Her hand slid lower across my stomach, until her thumb pressed gently against my clit. She buried herself in my pussy, her tongue darting into me.

“Michal. Michal. Michal,” I kept calling her name, each syllable seemingly egging her on. “Meh—,” she sucked on my clit, the following ‘hall’ dying in my throat as a moan erupted forth. She looked very pleased, looking up from between my legs, and I knew I was quite pleased myself. “Michal,” I purred, returning her stare. Her lips curling with a grin, as she erased any ability to think with another suck upon my clit.

A second mind-altering orgasm flooded my system. My personhood was just a flickering memory, my existence was now nothing more than a bundle of nerves, buzzing with pleasure and relief. My entire body quivered as Michal slowly licked over my sensitive folds. She rose, my leg fell from her shoulder unable to support itself without her.

Her knee rested on the chair, sliding across the squeaky vinyl until it finally met my groin. I shook on the spot, her other knee landed to my side. I felt her warmth of wetness as she straddled my thigh. Her body pressed to mine once again, she ground against my leg, each gyration of her hips rubbed her knee against my own pleasure. I tasted myself on her plump lips, her tongue spreading the sweetness through my mouth. “You’re so beautiful,” she purred.

Thoughts weren’t my strong suit in that moment, so I just gave a breathy, “Michal.”

She laughed, “And you know just what to say, to make a woman feel wanted.” She kissed me again, her hips dragging her pussy across my skin. “Say it again.”

And luckily it didn’t require thinking to repeat her name. She arched back, one hand on my other knee to support herself. I leaned forward taking her nipple into my mouth, my tongue flicking over the nub. “Lily,” she cried, leaning back into me. My back reconnecting with the chair back, but I kept my lips against her tit.

She hugged me tight to her chest, her body convulsed against me, the erraticness of her grinding. She moaned, riding her orgasm out against my leg. She slouched against me, her body weight pressed me into the chair. Our breathing was thick, and deep trying to regain a normal pattern. We sat there forever, our breathes slowly syncing as we melted into one being. No Lily and Michal, just us.

My heart broke, as the closeness ended. Michal stood, “Follow me,” she whispered leaning down, kissing me before walking away. I wasn’t sure if I even could. Would my legs work? But as her swaying hips disappeared from view, I knew I needed to try.

When I rounded the corner to the front waiting area of her tattoo parlor, she had pushed a coffee table aside and was removing cushions from the couch. She grabbed a bar, and a bed emerged from the pull-out couch. “There used to be a lot of long nights involved with starting a business,” she answered an unasked question.

I crossed the room. A kiss to her lips, my hand reached around to grip her ass, and I fell into her. The metal frame creaked as we fell to the bed. I knew what I wanted, it was my turn. I kissed down her body. My lips on a heart inked against her collar, a blue jay nestled against her ribs, an hourglass on her hip, the tentacle of an octopus wrapped around her thigh.

She tasted like heaven. My tongue lapped at her juices. Her fingers laced through my hair, taking charge as she guided me to where she wanted me. Which was exactly where I wanted to be. I suckled at her clit, flicking my tongue across it, my fingers sinking into her wet hole. Her orgasm came fast and strong, thighs wrapped around my head, hand pulling at my hair, and my name echoed across her lips.

The orgasms flowed freely through the rest of the night. Her pleasure wrapped around my fingers, mine across her tongue, a mutual release on the other’s face, fingers, tongues, thighs, grinding against her stomach, everything was used to milk every ounce of pleasure from our coupling. Only stopping to rehydrate, or eating reheated Chinese takeout, or bathroom breaks.

Michal returned from the bathroom, exhaustion had caught up to me during her absence. The wall on the clock said it was way, way, way past my bedtime. My eyes sagged with the weight of promised sleep. Michal’s weight shifted the bed under us, she climbed over my body. Her heat against my back as I laid face down, seconds from passing out. “You going to sleep on me?”

Her words whispered in my ear sent a shiver of desire down my spine. But all I could muster was a heavy, “Sleep. Need sleep.”

She growled in my ear, her tits pressed against my back. Her fingers teased my well used sex, “Are you sure?” I moaned under her touch, pushing up my hips. “If you want to sleep, I can stop.” Her press softens and I whimper. “Or do you want more?”

I wiggled my hips, pressing back into her. But her touch stayed a bare whisper. “Michal, please fuck me,” I begged, and it seemed as if those were the magic words. My consciousness hung on my a thread, as Michal pumped her fingers into me. She humped my leg, each thrust of her hips drove her digits further within me. I moaned under her, the bed squeaking with each movement. It didn’t take long, before I was crying out in one last orgasm. Satisfied with my satisfaction, Michal rolled off me to the side. She pulled me in close, hugging her arms around me, holding me as I drifted to sleep.

The bell above the door woke me the next morning. I didn’t register what it was until I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, the unfamiliar environment taking a bit to sink in. I hugged the blanket to my chest as I sat up looking to the door.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize—“ a cute blonde laughed from beside the counter. A taco bell bag in hand, a half empty soda resting on the counter.

“Hey, Taz. I didn’t know you were coming in today,” Michal’s voice was raspy and dry.

“One of my regulars hit me up last night. Wanted a last minute tat before going out of town. And I need the cash so,” Taz shrugged, her gaze trying to see through the bedding. “He’ll be showing up in 10. Your choice on getting dressed,” she laughed, “I’m gonna go set up. Nice to meet you,” she tossed a pair of burritos to the bed, before walking off with the rest.

Michal rolled over, as if to fall back asleep. I shoved her shoulder, “I should go.”

That woke her, “Don’t go,” she sat up, the blankets falling away from her nude form.

The clock said it was past noon, “I have to. My daughter will be coming home before long. Plus a stranger is about to show up.”

“Do you need a ride?” she asked, checking the time herself. “My car is in the shop, but I could probably steal Taz’s.”

“That’s fine, I drove to the bar last night.”

She held my hand. “So neat-freak, control obsessed. The last one was serial monogamist, right?” She traced her nails across my forearm. “I assume that means this was a one time deal?”

I gulped. That was the plan. That had to be the plan. I couldn’t really have a relationship with Michal, could I. I couldn’t find the words, so I just nodded.

She climbed out of bed, and threw my clothes my way. It was hard to get dressed under the covers, and watch Michal get dressed out in the open, but I managed in the end. “I should go,” I said again.

Michal grabbed my hand as I turned to leave. She grabbed a sharpie from behind the counter. She pulled the cap off with her teeth, then drew a set of 10 numbers across my skin. “In case, you decide to be yourself,” she smiled. With a final kiss and a burrito in hand, I left Michal’s shop.

---

When I returned home, Heather was already in my kitchen. “And where have you been young lady?”

“Why are you in my kitchen?” I asked, still a little tired. Mind blowing sex marathons have a way of taking it out of you.

“You disappeared on me last night, and ignoring my texts. I was coming to check on you, and imagine my surprise when you weren’t here.” She glanced over me, my outfit from the night before was an obvious sign to where I was. Then she gasped, “Lily! Is that what I think it is?” My wrist tingles, expecting Heather to fawn over my tattoo. But instead her attention goes to my neck, “It is. Lily Johnson has an honest to goodness hickey!”

I slapped my hand to my neck in shock. Which only led to Heather noticing my inked wrist. “No way! What happened to you last night?” she grabbed my wrist. “A tattoo! And what is this? A phone number? Tell me about this mystery man.”

“Well, HER name was Michal,” I started.

“Okay, get some girl. She hot?” Heather raised an eyebrow.

“Unbelievably,” I sighed. Heather then preceded to extract as much of the details of last night as she could. I obviously skipped over most of the sex, only giving the highlights, the numerous and glorious highlights.

“So, you going to text her?” Heather asked.

Text her? “You’re the one who said I needed a one night stand,” I pushed.

“Bitch, please. Why would you listen to me? You’re obviously smitten, and absolutely glowing.” Heather laughed, “Ooh, ask if she’s got a brother.”

‘Hey’ I texted the number from my arm.

‘Wow, that didn’t take long for you to go back to yourself’ Michal responded immediately.

I definitely learned the benefits of acting out of character. But at the end of the day, or perhaps more accurately the morning after, the tiger can’t change her stripes.