3

LUCIA

All the blood drained from my face, and my heart pounded loudly against my chest as I stared at the man sleeping peacefully next to me.

I couldn’t believe I had sex with a stranger. I couldn’t believe I had a one night stand, and it was with someone who was obviously younger than me!

What came over me last night?! How could I have been so irresponsible?! I was so captivated by him that all my reasoning was thrown out the window, and now I had ended up in this awkward situation.

I looked out the window, a loud sigh escaping my lips. It was already bright outside and I couldn’t imagine how awkward it would be to go out in last night’s clothes.

If Beth caught me like this, she would not let me live it down.

I let out another sigh, a silent one, as I ran my fingers through my hair in an agitated manner before looking back at the beautiful man.

I needed to leave before he woke up. I wouldn’t be able to stand the awkwardness if he met me here.

I slowly got up from the bed and picked up my lingerie and dress, which was on the floor.

I managed to throw it on at record speed without making a sound, which was a pretty huge deal when I thought about it.

I glanced at the sleeping man— James, Jimmy, Jerry? What was his name again? I was so drunk out of my mind last night that I had even forgotten what his name was. I just knew it started with the letter J.

But it didn’t matter. We would not be seeing each other again anyway. I picked up my shoes and bag, glancing one last time at the sleeping man.

My heart sank at the fact that I would not be seeing him again, but I knew it was for the best.

I clutched the items tightly in my hand before quietly slipping out into the hallway, my heart pounding in my chest.

When I was finally out of the room, I relaxed slightly, letting out a loud sigh before walking barefooted across the hallway.

I was almost out of the building when I suddenly ran into the last person. I wanted to see me looking like this.

“Beth!” I exclaimed, my heart sinking low in my stomach as she approached me, a worried expression on her beautiful face.

She was no longer wearing the pink dress from last night and had now changed into a more casual T-shirt and denim pants with sneakers. Her hair was tied in a messy bun, and she had almost no make-up on.

“What the hell, Lucia?!” She exclaimed, looking at me from head to toe, her expression worried and sceptical.

“Where have you been?! I have been looking everywhere for you. You didn’t pick up my calls or answer any of my texts!”

She was clearly upset like she should be, and my mouth ran dry as I fished for my phone inside my bag.

I had gotten almost 50 missed calls from both Beth and Micheal, and sweat trickled down my brow as I looked back at Beth, my expression turning apologetic.

“I’m so sorry, I made you worry, Beth.”

Her eyes narrowed on me as she placed her hands on her hips. “I didn’t see you ever since you ran off with that singer—”

She didn’t complete her sentence when her eyes slowly went wide with shock. “Wait a damn minute. You hooked up with that singer, didn’t you?!” She exclaimed

My eyes widened as I glanced at the building behind me. I needed to get the hell out of here before the stranger woke up and found me here.

“Shhh. Lower your voice!” I whisper-yelled, grabbing her arm. “Let’s get out of here first.” I said, tugging her hurriedly towards her car.

“Oh my God! You totally slept with him!” She exclaimed with a laugh, which made my cheeks burn as I tugged her harder.

“Let’s just go, please.” I said, feeling shame and embarrassment wash over me.

We finally got into the car, and once we began moving, I let out a relieved sigh, but my relief was only short-lived as Beth began asking questions just as I expected.

“So, tell me. Did you actually sleep with him?”

I let out a sigh. Even though it was pretty embarrassing, it was kind of obvious. I left to see him last night, and now she caught me like this. It was not really difficult to put two and two together.

“Yes.” I said through gritted teeth, and I was not expecting Beth to let out a loud scream that nearly tore my ears off.

My eyes instantly darted to her, wide and panicked, and apparently, it looked like a scream of pure joy.

“That is awesome!” She exclaimed, focusing on the wheel, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as a loud scoff escaped my lips.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“No. No. I’m being serious right now, Lucia. When was the last time you dated or slept with a man? When was the last time you’ve even spoken to a man?”

“Come on. I speak to men every day, and I’m pretty sure I’ll speak to the security guard when I get back home. And maybe the mailman? The delivery guy?”

A light chuckle escaped Beth’s lips as she shook her head. “You know what I mean.”

“They are all men, aren’t they?”

“Lucia.” She said in a stern tone, and I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest like a child.

“Well, you can’t blame me for not wanting to be with a man now, can you?”

“Look. I know I understand that the thing with Connor was truly heartbreaking, but you can not avoid men forever—”

“Can we not talk about this?” I said in a low, dangerous tone, the temperature of the car dropping.

“Lucia—”

“Please, Beth. Not now.” I pleaded, annoyed that my voice broke at that moment.

Beth let out a loud sigh, giving me a look of sympathy before focusing back on the road. “Fine, but if you like the singer, give him a chance. Don’t push him away.”

I looked out the window, taking a bit of my time before I answered. “Nothing’s going to happen between us. It was a one-time thing.”

“Oh, that’s sad.” Beth answered, and from her tone, I could tell that she was.

Both of us fell silent as the sounds of cars honking and engines blaring echoed around the area. It was truly a busy city, and for a moment, I allowed myself to get lost in all the craziness.

After a while, I slowly turned to her, an intense feeling of shame welling up in my chest.

“I’m sorry I did that at your wedding, Beth. You must have been so embarrassed.”

Beth let out a scoff. “Embarrassed? Give me a break. I’m rooting for you, girl.”

I rolled my eyes, focusing back on the window as a smile tugged at my lips. I wasn’t surprised to hear such a response from my best friend. She was a wild one, after all.

After minutes of driving, Beth finally pulled up in front of my apartment, and I instantly grabbed my shoes and bag.

“Thanks for the lift. Text me when you get home safe, alright?”

“Will do.” She answered with a nod and a small smile, and after we said our goodbyes, she drove off, and I made my way straight into my apartment, still barefooted.

Once I got into my room, I dropped my shoes and bag on the ground before collapsing on my bed with a heavy sigh escaping my lips.

The hangover from drinking so heavily the night before was starting to hit as my head began pounding.

After resting for a while, I managed to pull myself up from the bed with a loud groan and I almost ended up hitting my legs against one of the many boxes and bags scattered all over the ground.

I returned to New York from Austria just a couple of days ago and I had not gotten around to unpacking and arranging my stuff just yet as I had my hands full with house hunting and preparations for Bethany’s wedding.

Attending my best friend’s wedding was not the only reason why I came back to America. I had recently gotten a job as a professor at the prestigious Crawford University, and it was not an offer I was going to pass up on.

I loved teaching, and I honestly couldn’t wait to begin my new job. My mood lightened at the thought of teaching as I slowly made my way to the bathroom.

I slowly stripped off my clothes and got into the shower, letting out a relaxed sigh as I felt the warm water cascade down my hair and body.

I felt so at peace, but unfortunately, that peace was short-lived because in the next moment, I felt myself thinking of the stranger once again.