One Night Stand

by Corina Eichholz

  “Of course!” Mom exclaimed overjoyed.

  “How long have you two been together?” Dad asked curiously.

  “Officially, only two weeks,” I answered. “But it’s pretty serious,” I told them, letting them know where I stood.

  “That’s great Leah. We are so excited to meet this young man,” Mom said for the both of them.

  “What’s his name?” she asked, excited.

  “His name is Axel.” I blushed, thinking about him.

  “Well, tell him he’s more than welcome to join us for dinner this Friday night.” Dad smiled at me.

  “Thanks.” I smiled, getting up to hug them both. This was exactly the reaction I was hoping for and needed to hear the most from them. I left my family home feeling good and excited; I couldn’t wait to tell Axel the news. I’d been feeling happy a lot lately. Axel seemed to have a contagious happy and carefree attitude. I was finally in a positive and healthy relationship that was reciprocal. With my family about to meet him and welcome him into the family, I couldn’t see how things could get any better. Everything in my life was finally going right.

  “Babe, I’m home,” I called out, as I unlocked the door to the apartment, with the key Axel had given me after our first night back together. His head popped into view from around the corner and he welcomed me in with a giant bear hug, lifting me off the ground and gracing me with a flurry of soft kisses.

  “I missed you,” his deep voice whispered in my ear, before moving his lips to my neck, undoing me, just as he knew how to.

  “I missed you too,” I moaned out in pleasure. “Guess what!” I exclaimed, “Mom and Dad are so excited to meet you! They said you’re more than welcome to come over for dinner this Friday,” I relayed. He stopped kissing my neck, to look into my eyes, his wide green forests twinkling as he broke into a giant toothy smile, clearly just as pleased as I was.

  “That’s great news babe.” He grinned at me and slowly lowered me to the ground. “How’d it go with Jackie?” he asked, looking deep into my eyes and finding what I was keeping from him.

  “She’ll get over it,” I said simply, not wanting to let Jackie bring down my mood. His smile faltered a bit but it wasn’t gone.

  “Okay,” he said and then pulled me towards the bedroom. “Now we should celebrate.” He winked mischievously, making me laugh. With Axel, there was always something to celebrate, me doing well on a test, getting donuts, it being a nice day outside, it being a rainy day outside. Anything he could think of, it always made me laugh and made me fall a little more in love with him. I needed that kind of positivity in my life and he was full of it.

  “And what are we celebrating this time?” I questioned, smiling as I sank down into the bed. He made quick work with my shirt and bra, tossing them aside.

  “The first step to joining our families,” he said, like it was obvious and it made my heart soar.

  “I love you,” I said without even thinking, the words came naturally to me now and I loved telling him exactly how I felt about him.

  “I love you too Leah,” his raspy voice said, before his mouth was occupied and did delicious things to my body.

  AXEL REMAINED NATURAL AND CAREFREE, as he drove as to my parents’ house for dinner. I was amazed by how calm he always was. I always found the first time meeting parents was awkward and uncomfortable but by the way Axel was acting, you would think we were going to see his parents and not mine. He parked in the driveway and we walked up hand-in-hand. I didn’t bother knocking and just opened the door leading us in.

  “Mom, Dad, we’re home,” I called out, as we took off our shoes and hung our jackets in the closet. Mom and Dad appeared out of nowhere, as if they had been waiting for us.

  “Honey, Axel, so happy you both are here,” Mom said hugging me and then taking an eyeful of Axel in and the man candy he was, while Dad shook Axel’s hand, looking him up and down, seemingly impressed as well.

  “Nice to have you here, Son,” Dad said, making me almost choke up. Dad had never called Chris son, so already, I felt like this was a sign of approval. Axel’s smile widened even more, if that was possible and then he went to greet Mom, who threw her arms around him in a hug, which he returned.

  “Come on in, I want to hear all about you,” Mom said, ushering him inside the kitchen. We followed her in, Axel eyeing all the family pictures on the walls as we went into the kitchen. Mom fixed us a pot of tea, as we sat at the kitchen table.

  “Smells amazing,” Axel complimented.

  “My lasagna.” Mom smiled, delighted, it was one of my favorites.

  “Yum,” he said. Lasagna was one of his favorites too.

  “So, tell me Axel, when did you and my daughter meet?” Dad asked, his arm casually wrapped around Mom’s shoulders. Axel and I held hands under the table on his knee.

  “We actually met during the summer,” he informed them, a certain detail I’d left out when I had spoken to them, on purpose.

  “Really!” Mom gasped in surprise. “I didn’t know that!”

  “Yeah, we met when Leah was in Munich,” Axel explained, both of them were even more surprised by this.

  “What are the chances,” Dad stated and smiled at Mom.

  “Yeah, we actually never asked each other where we were from, so you can imagine my surprise when Leah shows up at my place of work as a customer.” Axel chuckled deeply.

  “It was fate,” Mom sighed dreamily.

  “That’s what I keep saying.” He chuckled.

  “So, do you and your family live around here?” Mom asked curious.

  “No, I’m actually from Munich and that’s where my family is. I live here though, not far from the campus,” he informed them.

  “Wow, so it’s just you, all alone here,” Mom surmised, sounding sad for him.

  “Well, I have Leah and my friends but yeah, my family is all in Munich.” He shrugged.

  “Do you see them often?” she asked.

  “Twice a year, once in winter and once in the summer. Leah and I just happened to meet when I was visiting them. Never met once here but bumped into each other on a completely different continent.” He chuckled again.

  “Funny how things work out.” Dad smiled. Jackie walked into the kitchen, gracing us with her presence, she was clearly was not thrilled to be here.

  “Hey Jackie,” I said to her, hoping she’d be on her best behavior.

  “Jackie, come meet Axel, Leah’s boyfriend. He is simply wonderful,” Mom cooed. I laughed inwardly at Mom; she was loving Axel and definitely planning the wedding in her head.

  “We’ve already met,” she said, rolling her eyes rudely.

  “Oh, you have?” Mom questioned surprised.

  “Yeah, he was two years ahead of me when I was at University of Florida, before I dropped out,” she said, clearly trying to emphasize just how much older he was than me. “He is also the security at the bar Ashley and I go to,” she said, making me cringe when she brought up Ashley. I knew she was trying to make this uncomfortable for all of us and get Mom and Dad to question our relationship and age difference. Axel squeezed my hand, sensing my discomfort. “Well, now that everyone’s here, let’s eat,” Mom said, getting up, not understanding Jackie’s standoffishness. We got up and sat in the dining room as Mom served us lasagna and salad.

  “Now I know where Leah gets her cooking skills from,” Axel moaned in delight, as he dug into his lasagna, complimenting us both. “This is delicious.”

  “Oh, why thank you. Eat up there’s plenty more,” she told him, looking overjoyed. Dinner was going great; everyone was talking and having a good time. Except for Jackie, who remained mute when not sighing, from time to time. Axel was explaining to everyone his business plan that he was hoping to start up in the fall.

  “That sounds wonderful,” my father commended.

  “So, you’re putting down roots here,” Mom surmised, thrilled.

  “Yeah, this is my home,” Axel said, smiling at me and squeezing my hand. My hea
rt raced.

  “Leah will still be in school and you’ll be running a business?” Jackie asked, speaking for the first time, a jab clearly pointed at me and my youth.

  “Just for a year and then I’ll be licensed,” I said to her, frustrated.

  “Just sounds hard, like you two will both be pretty busy,” she said lamely, as she pushed her lasagna around on her plate with her fork.

  “I don’t think it will be a problem at all, besides when Leah’s lease ends this summer for her dorm, she’ll be moving in with me,” Axel said challengingly to Jackie. Her eyes widened dumbfounded and she shut up quick.

  “That’s amazing news!” Mom exclaimed, looking close to tears. I was surprised Axel had told them, I hadn’t been planning on telling them for a few months but I guess the cat was out of the bag.

  “That’s very exciting!” Dad smiled proudly.

  “Yeah it is,” I agreed, unable to keep the smile off my face. Axel and I cleared the dinner table, even though Mom protested the entire time but I could tell she was thankful.

  “I’ll make some tea and we can have dessert,” Mom said as she put away the dishes.

  “I’m heading out soon, Ashley and I are going out,” Jackie said, making me nervous at the thought of Ashley coming over but Jackie wouldn’t be that cruel.

  “Okay,” Mom said sounding disappointed, as Jackie left to go get ready in her room. Mom made a chocolate cake for dessert that was delicious; I licked my fork clean, savoring the chocolate frosting.

  “That was delicious, Mom,” I said, as Axel devoured a second piece, moaning in agreement between bites. Mom laughed, pleased and I was really happy that I’d agreed with Axel and let him meet them. Tonight was going really well, even with all the unneeded tension that Jackie brought, it had been great. I looked around at my parents and Axel, all smiling and having a good time and realized how perfect it all felt together and that this was exactly how I wanted all my family dinners to be.

  “Hi,” I heard Ashley’s voice say, before I saw her face come into view behind us. My eyes went wide involuntarily and I felt my breath catch in my throat. Anger coursed through my veins. She’d almost ruined my relationship with Axel and now she was going to ruin my first family dinner with him, she had some nerve.

  “Hi,” everyone but Axel said, he’d gone stiff upon her arrival as well.

  “Jackie’s upstairs,” I told her, trying to give her the hint to go away. She nodded ignoring me.

  “How’s it going Axel?” she asked.

  “Good,” he said his voice clearly uninterested. He finished his last bite of cake and then got up to clear the dirty dishes. I helped him and followed to keep Ashley away from him, he was mine.

  “Haven’t seen you in a while,” Ashley said to him, following us. Axel turned to look at her, his eyes full of hate, now that my parents couldn’t see.

  “I changed my schedule, so there wouldn’t be any run-ins,” he said, his voice cold and unlike the Axel I knew. Her eyes went wide and her lips trembled.

  “Axel, don’t be like this,” she pled. I felt like I was going to be sick. What didn’t she understand? Axel and I were together!

  “Ashley, I don’t want to see you or talk to you, we’re not friends, we never were and we never will be. And nothing is ever going to happen between us, that was just one horrible mistake. I’m with Leah. And that’s not going to change,” he stated. Ashley burst into tears and ran out with a few childish stomps. Axel had gotten her to leave us. I let out a breath of air I’d been holding in. It was hard to see but I was happy and understood why he had done it.

  “Ready to head home?” he asked, I loved that he’d made his home my home too.

  “Yes.” I nodded, exhausted from Ashley alone.

  “You’ll have to come back soon,” Mom told him, hugging him a big goodbye hug.

  “Definitely,” Axel agreed.

  “Drive safe,” Dad said, shaking Axel’s hand again.

  “You did good,” Mom whispered in my ear, as she hugged me goodbye. I smiled as she winked at me, as Axel and I left.

  “Your family is great,” Axel said, as he drove us back to his apartment. “I had a blast.”

  “I’m sorry about Jackie and Ashley,” I apologized, still upset about how they had acted during the night.

  “It’s fine, babe. Like you said, Jackie will get over it and Ashley will hopefully not be a problem anymore,” he said reassuringly and squeezed my hand.

  “I could get used to you, being at my family dinners,” I divulged, I loved having him there. It felt so right, like he was supposed to be there all along.

  “Me too.” He smiled at me, kissing the back of my hand. We sank into bed, both beat from the long day and the big dinner we’d had.

  “So, I met your family, now it’s your turn to meet mine,” Axel said, cuddling up to me.

  “That might be hard,” I laughed at his joke.

  “I’m serious Leah,” he said, breathing into my hair. “This summer, I want you to come home with me and meet my whole family,” he told me, stunning me.

  “Really?” I asked, smiling to myself.

  “Really, we’ll backpack Europe for a few weeks and then we’ll stay with my family for about two weeks,” he said, clearly having thought about this in great depth. “I already told them about you.”

  “Wow,” I answered, still in shock of it all.

  “Is that a yes?” he asked, smiling.

  “Yes, Axel, definitely yes,” I answered, but then thought about the reality of it. I didn’t have that kind of money and I couldn’t ask my parents. I guess I could try to find a way.

  “I’ll have to get a job,” I told him and he laughed, holding me close, making my body shake as well.

  “No, babe.” He chuckled. “I’ve been saving, I’ve got you covered.” He smiled and my heart was so deeply touched. He was always thinking of me and was way too generous with me.

  “Really?” I asked, close to tears.

  “Really, I always will,” he said, his voice deep as he kissed me.

  “I’m so lucky to have you,” I sighed blissfully in his arms.

  “No babe, I’m the lucky one.” He sighed happily.

  “I guess we’re both lucky.” I giggled and met his warm full lips. Letting down my walls and opening up my heart to Axel had been the best thing I had ever done.

  TRUE TO HIS WORD AS always, Axel took me on a backpacking trip across Europe. He showed me places I’d never been and places he’d never been. Both of us enjoyed exploring these new places and each other. Finally, Axel brought us back to the place where it all began: Munich. He introduced me to his family: his parents, his aunts, his uncles and his cousins, all of whom I adored and made Munich even more wonderful, if that was possible. Then we went back to where it all started, St. Peter’s Church, where Axel had seen me even before I saw him.

  “Right there,” Axel said, his magnificent green eyes looking down at me softly.

  “What?” I asked, standing by a bench in front of the gorgeous Church.

  “This is where I first saw you, with all your pencils, drawing. I knew then, that I wanted you in my life, just like I know now,” he said softly. Axel took both my hands in his and lowered himself down onto one knee.

  “Leah Parker, I love you more than life itself, you make me a better person. You make everything good around you. I lived without you in my life and it was the most excruciating time of my life. I want to spend eternity and then some with you by my side. Leah, will you marry me?” he asked, getting down on one knee and looking up at me. I didn’t even have to hesitate, the words were already screaming to be set free.

  “Yes!” I exclaimed, as he pulled out a beautiful diamond ring from his shirt pocket and slid it down my finger. I realized then that my happily ever after was just beginning.

  The End

  A big thank you to my mom for always telling me that I could be anything I wanted to be and believing in me no matter what. Thank you, to my fri
ends and family for being so supportive and not letting me give up, even when I really wanted to. A big shout out to my editor Stephanie, you were amazing to work with! To all my readers, I hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

  Corina Eichholz is a Canadian author from Montreal. She enjoys spending her free time with her daughter and traveling, when not cuddled up with a good book.