Modern Girl's Guide to One-Night Stands

by DRAYER, GINA

  Julia was almost dressed by the time Megan had stopped her musing. She pulled on the tee, feeling a little more in control now that she was dressed. “I would have told you. If he’d given me his last name I wouldn’t have—”

  “I’m not mad,” Megan said and gave her a squeeze. “Just know that if things go bad, I’m getting you in the breakup. I’ve had Simon for the past twenty-nine years, and you’re more fun than he is these days."

  The idea of them being together was still fresh in Julia’s mind, and she didn’t want to even contemplate the end right now. After spending an entire night with him, she wasn’t even sure she could make it through the week without becoming hopelessly attached. This whole “taking it slow” plan was a mistake and she knew it, but she’d promised to give it a try.

  “I’m starved, and I really need to get started on work. I’ve already lost most of the morning,” Julia said, heading downstairs. “We can talk when I get back.”

  Thankfully the house was quiet when she arrived. She managed to slip away from Megan, grab her gear and a bite to eat before heading back to the dock. It was really too late to get any shooting done today, but a little distance would do her good. There were still a few items she needed to set up at the house, anyway.

  She’d just loaded the last studio light onto the speedboat when Simon came strolling down the dock.

  “I thought you were going to see me before you headed out this morning,” he said before reaching her.

  “I’m still here.”

  “It sure looks like you’re running away. Just because Megan knows, it doesn’t have to be weird.”

  “No, but Megan walking in on us this morning made it weird. I didn’t want her to find out like that.”

  Julia turned around to find him just a few feet away. He was in shorts and no shirt, with an iPod strapped to his arm, ready for a run. It was hard to think straight with him looking like so sexy. All she wanted to do was drag him back to the boathouse and have her way with him. That was the real reason she didn’t stop to talk to him.

  “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” He reached out and grabbed her hand, pressing a light kiss on the inside of her wrist. "Because if you are, I might have to remind you about how great last night was.”

  A shiver ran down her spine with the contact. She didn’t need reminding, but if he wanted to…

  No.

  She pulled her hand back. If she didn’t leave now the entire day was going to be a wash. “I have a lot of work to do and I’ve lost most of the day already. I'll be back for dinner, and we’ll talk then.”

  Julia picked up her backpack and turned to get into the boat, but Simon grabbed her hand. With little warning he pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly, his hands on either side of her face. The gentle kiss quickly turned into something more, his lips parting hers, his tongue invading her mouth. One hand tangled into her hair, locking her into place.

  When his other hand moved under her shirt, Julia emerged from her stupor and pulled away, breathing hard. “Simon, I really need to go.”

  “I’m sorry. I just get carried away around you.” Nuzzling her neck, he whispered into her ear. “Don’t think too hard about it. Just go with it.”

  Not being able to go with it wasn’t her problem. Julia was afraid of not being able to find herself again once she did. She’d gotten lost in a man before, and she didn’t want that to happen again.

  She stepped out of his reach and turned toward the ladder. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  It was just past four when she made it back to the house. It hadn’t taken her long to get everything in place. And if she’d left on time that morning, she might have had some good shots to work with. Now she only had four days on site.

  It wasn’t how she wanted this session to turn out. The artistic shots were new for her. She’d done self-portraits before, but nothing like this. It was fifty-fifty odds she’d even get the shots she wanted.

  Sweaty and covered in dirt, Julia snuck upstairs to grab a quick shower. Not that she needed to creep in—the house was empty. There was a scrawled note in Megan’s handwriting that said they went to town to stock up on supplies. Knowing Megan, that was code for booze.

  Being alone gave her too much time to think, and it didn’t take long before Julia was a bundle of nerves. She wasn’t sure how the night was going to turn out. It was one thing to talk about spending time together and exploring the possibility of a relationship when she was alone with Simon, but now Megan knew. Were they supposed to act like a couple or just try to act like nothing happened?

  And just like Megan always accused her of doing, Julia released all that worry into cooking. She started with cherry scones for breakfast the next day and then moved on to dinner. She made pork chops with potatoes, kale, and a chopped salad. When they still weren’t back, Julia started a soup for lunch the next day. By the time Megan walked through the kitchen door, Julia had meals prepped for three days and had just pulled fresh rolls from the oven.

  “God, Julia. You do know we had enough leftovers from the party to feed a small country.” Megan waved her hand at the mess in the kitchen. “What's all this?”

  “I had the time. After I’d finished dinner, I thought I might get a head start on stuff for tomorrow. There’s nothing wrong with a little planning."

  “Anxiety cooking,” she said over her shoulder. “What did I tell you? I bet she even made dessert.”

  “I do not anxiety cook. It’s just…”

  But she couldn’t finish the sentence. Simon came through the door carrying a bag, and Peter was on his heels. Julia bit her lip and went back to buttering the top of the rolls.

  “Are those hot rolls?” Peter asked, reaching across the counter.

  “You’d better not touch Julia’s rolls,” Megan teased, slapping the bread out of his hand. “Simon might get jealous.”

  “I think you might be right,” Peter said, nodding in agreement. He was trying hard to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t pull it off as well as Megan. "I noticed last night he was awfully proprietary of her tarts.”

  “Julia’s tarts are his favorite,” Megan said in agreement. “He certainly got his fill of them last night.”

  “Grow the fuck up,” Simon said, setting a bag on the counter. “I had enough of both of you in the car.”

  “Simon, it’s fine,” Julia said.

  It was so not fine, but what could she say? This was Megan. This kind of ribbing was the least she’d expected from her.

  “What?” Megan said, batting her eyelashes. “Did I say something wrong?”

  Simon looked as if he was ready to strangle his sister. She couldn’t blame him. Megan was doing her best to push his buttons.

  “And you wonder why none of your friends ever wanted to hang out with us,” Simon said.

  That was so not the right thing to say. Julia could see this conversation taking a nasty turn, so she decided to step in. “What do you know? Dinner’s ready. Megan, can you help me set the table?”

  Megan picked up a stack of plates and stormed out of the kitchen to the sound of Peter’s laughter.

  “Dinner should be fun,” Julia said under her breath and picked up the plate of pork chops.

  The guys followed her in with the other bowls and they sat down to an awkward silence. Simon sat next to her, and Peter and Megan in the seats across the table. Obviously still upset about his comment, Megan filled her plate, all the while giving her brother the stink eye.

  “This looks great.” Peter piled food on his plate, ignoring the tension between the siblings. He elbowed Megan and leaned over. “Remember that time we spent summer break in South Carolina, and Matt came back to the beach house with that cooler of pork he’d bought from the back of a truck?”

  Megan smiled. “I can’t believe you guys thought it was a good idea to eat that.” She pointed at Simon and laughed. “Simon was so sick someone had to walk him to his class the following Monday. We were afraid he’d pa
ss out and die in the bushes.”

  “If you were that sick, why didn’t you stay home?” Julia asked.

  “If I had a choice, I would have. I was taking Applied Regression Analysis over the summer. I was able to take most of the class online, but I still had to go in for the test. And I swear it wasn’t the pork. I was the only one who got sick, so it had to be that drink you made." Simon turned to Julia to explain. “She made this awful drink that had raw eggs in it.”

  “A prairie oyster is a known hangover cure. You were bitching all day about how much your head hurt and snapping at everyone, so I had to try something. Besides, I told you to drink it at your own risk.”

  “No, I believe you said stop being a pussy and drink it. Then you proceeded to complain about Peter for the next twenty minutes. I only did it to shut you up.”

  “Whatever. Peter was being an ass. The first day we were there he wrapped me in a beach blanket and carried me back to the house. He didn’t approve”—she used air quotes——“of the bikini I’d bought.”

  “I wasn’t being an ass. I was trying to keep yours covered. The frat boys in the house next to ours kept snapping photos of you with their phones. I didn’t want you to end up on some kiddy porn website.”

  “I was nineteen! If I wanted to display my assets, I was well within my rights. It’s not as if you guys weren’t going all shirtless every time the girls came out to sunbathe.” Peter tried to argue the point, but Megan held up a hand in front of his face. “Don’t start. Manwhore doesn't begin to cover it with you guys. Did you even bother with names that summer or did you just give them numbers? I’d be surprised if there was a woman left on the island who one of you didn’t sleep with. You guys forget, I had to share that house too, and those walls were thin.”

  Julia was a little uneasy about the current topic. It wasn’t anything that Megan hadn’t told her before. But now, hearing about Simon’s past conquests made her queasy. She put down her fork and started to gather the dishes. Not wanting to bring down the mood, tried to sneak out while Megan was distracted. And it almost worked. She’d made it all the way to the kitchen when Megan caught up with her.

  “Sweetie, you know that was a long time ago, right? They were stupid boys,” Megan said, frowning. “From what Peter tells me, or more like whines to me, Simon's taken a vow of celibacy since they acquired their new office. That was back in January.”

  “It’s fine.” God, there was that word again. Julia was going to have to come up with a different word. “I never thought Simon was a saint. It doesn’t matter. Go back and finish eating. I’m just going to clean the kitchen.”

  “Like hell you are. Come back,” she said. “I’m sorry if my teasing made you uncomfortable. I promise to stop. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you’re with my brother. I’m happy for you. Cross my heart."

  “I’m not with him. Not really.” Julia set her plate down and sagged against the counter. All the tension from the night spilled out in a messy verbal train wreck. "This is all so complicated. Nothing was supposed to happen between us again, but after the Luke thing at the party…” Julia waved off the excuse. The reasons didn’t matter. "And then to find out he’s your brother. Megan, you’re my best friend. I never want you to think I’m using you. Besides, he’s leaving for New York. Not that that’s even a bad thing. I don’t need a relationship right now. This is the first time I've ever lived alone. I’m just starting to discover myself again. What am I supposed to do?”

  Megan slid up beside her and bumped her hip. “You’re supposed to come back to the table”—she tapped Julia’s forehead—“and don’t let that brain of yours get too far ahead of the situation. Of course I know you’re not here because of my brother. I was the one who wanted to set you two up, remember? And as for the other stuff? That’s life, Julia. It’s messy and unpredictable. If you have a chance at something, take it. Because you never know what tomorrow will bring.”

  Julia sighed and rested her head on Megan’s shoulder. “When did you get so wise?”

  “Sweetie, I’ve always been the wise one. You just never listen.”

  They went back to the silent dining room. Simon stood up and she waved him off. “I brought back pie,” Julia said with a weak smile.

  “Oh, my God. It’s apple,” Peter said, taking it out of her hands. “I think I’m in love.”

  “Hey, Julia might be able to cook, but I have the wine. Where’s my love?” Megan pouted.

  “You know you’re my number one girl,” Peter said, kissing her on the cheek.

  “I better be. So, I was thinking maybe we could do a trip to Reno over Thanksgiving break. I mean, now that Matt’s gone all family man on us, I don’t expect he'll make it, so it would be even, now that Julia’s in the fold. Finally I won’t be drowning in testosterone.”

  “I don’t think I can,” Julia blurted.

  “That sounds great,” Simon agreed.

  Julia and Simon spoke at the same time. Julia glanced over at Simon, who looked away. What did he expect? They hadn’t even figured out if this was going to work. It was too early to start thinking about making plans to vacation together. But Megan would have probably invited her even if there wasn’t something going on with her brother. God, the whole situation was confusing.

  Megan pressed the issue. “I know you have your mom, but you can slip away for a long weekend.”

  “Maybe,” Julia hedged. “Thanksgiving is a long way off. We’ll see how things go.”

  Megan shrugged and tossed her napkin on the table. “Looks like everyone’s done. Why don’t we take the pie into the living room and play Scrabble?"

  “Not Scrabble,” Peter groaned. “It’s never a fair game. You have an MFA in English. I barely passed business writing.”

  “Come on. We can play on teams.”

  “As long as I’m on your team,” Peter said.

  “Sorry, you’re on your own. I think we should have a battle of the sexes.”

  “I’m in,” Julia said. A game sounded like a great idea to Julia. She knew once they got started, Megan would focus all her attention on winning and completely forget to needle Simon.

  “I don’t really want to play,” Simon said.

  “Please,” Julia looked over at Simon, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

  “Fine,” he sighed, obviously not thrilled by the prospect of playing Scrabble. “If that’s what you want to do.”

  They cleared the dishes and set up the board in the living room. Peter opened another bottle of wine. Everything seemed normal. There was no more awkward tension in the air, and Julia started to relax. After the rocky start, spending time with Megan and Simon wasn’t as bad as she imagined it to be.

  “Are each of us going to play our own hand and combine scores or do we work off the same letters?” Simon asked.

  “Let’s use the same letters. That way it’s more of a team effort,” Megan said. She tapped her finger on the board before passing the bag of tiles. “But you know Peter is right. I do have an unfair advantage. So I’ve got an idea. Let’s play Dirty Scrabble.”

  “What do you mean, Dirty Scrabble?” Julia asked.

  ”All the words you place have to be dirty,” Peter explained. “If a word isn’t inherently dirty, then you have to explain why it’s dirty.”

  Julia sagged against the sofa. She should have guessed something was up the minute Megan suggested the game. “Why can’t we just play normal Scrabble?”

  “Come on, Julia. We used to play it all the time in college. It will be fun, I promise,” Megan begged. She leaned in and whispered, just for Julia to hear. “It's not like you’re a prude. I’ve heard you swear. You’ve got quite the colorful vocabulary. And besides, you know what I write. I know all the best dirty words.”

  “Fine. But you have to promise to be on your best behavior.”

  “Swear.”

  Julia probably should have checked for crossed fingers, because it just took a few words for things to go downhill. The ga
me started out as expected with the usual words like penis, tits, and fuck. But after a few glasses of wine, everyone was more relaxed and the words got dirtier.

  “Fingered.” Peter placed the tiles. “That’s on a double word score, so we’re ahead.”

  “Queef.” Megan put down the tiles. “So much for your lead.”

  “Classy,” Simon said. He rearranged a few letters on his rack. “Finally, a word I can get behind. Climax.”

  He knew a thing or two about that word, that was for sure. Julia suppressed a smile and played her tiles.

  The game play went on for a few more rounds before things went downhill again. An evil grin spread across Megan’s face and she looked right at Peter when she placed the letters on the board. “Spank."

  “That’s not sexy,” Peter said.

  “The way I do it, it is,” Megan said. “I’d be happy to demonstrate."

  “Wow. I so didn’t need that image in my head,” Simon said and put his hands over his ears.

  Peter ignored her teasing and stared at the board for a long time. Julia thought he might pass, but he finally placed suck off the K in spank.

  It was their turn again, and Julia looked at the rack. They had crap for letters: two G’s, two I’s, an F, an N and a Z. She could use a T in tits and spell out gift. It wasn’t very sexy, but she could argue that it was a euphemism for sex. Fit? Giz? Was that even a real word?

  Megan rearranged the letters and pointed to the word she’d spelled out. “Use the G in vagina for the last letter.”