Just One Night (ONC 2023)

Chapter One

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"UGH!" I let out a loud frustrated noise, letting the door slam behind me.

"Bad date?" It's said with humor, my eyes automatically roll at the tone. My shoe's come off quickly as I kick the uncomfortable heels to the side. My purse follows them to the floor. I turn to see my best friend Becky laying back on the couch, her boyfriend's messy blonde head in her lap. His eyes are focused on the TV, while Becky looks at me with amusement. Easy for her to laugh at my suffering when her boyfriend is half laying in her lap.

"I can't even begin on how bad it was." I move over to our small shared living room. The carpet is a lovely beige brown color, the walls are a slightly lighter bland beige. Between Becky and I, we tried to cover what we could with art, plants, and colorful rugs.

"Was this the accountant?" Becky asks and I nod, snatching a beer off the coffee table. I don't care who it was. The beer is still cold, I tip it up as I back up letting the backs of my knees hit my favorite recliner. My ass hits the chair with a thud, somehow, some way, I don't spill the beer as I gulp it down.

"Damn girl, you were popular at frat parties weren't you?" Kent said, raising brows at me.

"She can shotgun a beer faster than anyone you know," Becky said it proudly.

"All that talent and you wasted your time at med school," Kent said. If I didn't know him as well as I do, I would have thought he was serious about med school being a waste... Hell, he might be. He had gone back to staring at the TV, some type of football game was going on. Becky doesn't even like football, she only watches it to appease her boyfriend.

Pressing the cold, now empty bottle to my forehead, I let out a sigh. I just wanted one night to go well. I wasn't looking for a long-term boyfriend, just someone to be with for a short time. "I just want someone fun to hang out with until I move to New Mexico."

"Don't bring up New Mexico." Becky covers her ears, and a panicked look crosses her face.

"We are fun people," Kent said right after Becky spoke, he shot her a questioning look.

"She wants a short-term boyfriend." Becky removes her hands to pat Kent's head. He did remind me of a golden retriever. "One she can go on dates with, and bring home if you know what I mean."

"Oh!" Kent exclaims. His attention swivels to me and I have a growing feeling of regret building in my stomach. "I have friends that would be down for a friends with benefits situation."

"Yes!" Becky claps her hands in excitement, right as I say, "No!"

"No!" I repeat, putting the beer bottle back on the coffee table I hurry to get up.

"Yes!" Becky beams at me, even when I turn to leave. "It'll be a blind date, I'll set it up, don't worry!"

A groan escapes my mouth. I wasn't going to get out of this now. Once Becky set up plans we all followed them. Whether we wanted to or not.

I move past our small kitchenette, into the hallway that leads to our bedrooms, a shared bathroom split our rooms apart. I was glad we didn't have to share a wall, I heard enough as it is. I walk past the bathroom door, into my room at the end of the hall. Opening my door I take in the smell, crisp and clean. I loved to keep my room clean, it was the one thing I could control in my life. The floors in here are the same sad beige, but I had added a large rug in the middle. It's mostly cream, and gray with pops of baby blue. I bought light gauze curtains in the same baby blue, and a few of my pillows match. Most of my room is covered in fake ivy, mixed with fairy lights, making it look like a Pinterest dream. My small room holds my bed in the corner, a gray wood nightstand, and a matching desk with a small office chair.

Moving past my desk I open my closet door, clothes look like they are about to fall out, I grab what I need quickly and slam my closet door closed, making sure it latches. Okay, sure, my bedroom is nice and clean, it even smelt really good. We'll just ignore my closet, maybe one day I'll have the time to go through it. Hopefully, before I have to pack before I leave.

I make my way out of my room to the bathroom. I dump my pajamas onto the counter and head over to the shower. As I turn it on and it heats I can't help but to think back on tonight, stripping out of my clothes without really thinking about it. And I cringe.

Sure on the dating app, Mark seemed like a great guy to hang out with. He's thirty, has a steady job, a condo and he owns a nice but sensible car. He was nice at dinner, though a bit boring.

Taking a moment I feel the water, hot enough. Jumping in I think back to first seeing Mark. Gray hairs. That was the first thing I noticed. In his profile picture, he didn't have any, early tonight the sides of his head were all gray, and his hair thinning. Honestly, I don't mind a bald man, some of them can pull it off. Picturing Mark with no hair though, makes my face scrunch up. Sure physical appearance isn't everything, there was just no spark between us. Just as I thought we were getting somewhere in the conversation, it would lull. The only thing he seemed enthusiastic about were some old movies I have never heard of.

I was moving in a month and a half. I wanted someone fun and interesting to spend it with, someone I could bring home and live out the rest of my freedom until my internship.