Operation One Night Stand

by Christine Hughes

  “Well, that is the recommended ending for such a thing.”

  Laughing, I was reaching for the shot when Brian’s hand covered mine. “Nope. No hands.”

  “No hands?” I really should have gone out drinking more in college.

  “Ooh! Blow Job shots!” Melody and Sarah appeared on either side of me, slapping their hands on the bar. “Make it three and make it snappy, barkeep!”

  I locked eyes with my target. He was staring at me like this shot was going to be the one that put the nail in the proverbial coffin. I make this work and I win the bet. He made his way through the crowd until he stood behind me. Sarah and Melody exchanged a look I couldn’t interpret.

  “My name is Ryan.” He stuck out his hand over my shoulder and I shook it.

  “Caroline,” I said as I pointed to myself.

  “Having a good time?”

  “Yeah. You?”

  “Yeah, sure. What do you say we get out of here?”

  I looked at Sarah and she shook her head. Melody dropped her forehead to the surface of the bar. Brian stood in front of me with his arms crossed and an unreadable look on his face. Three shots were lined up in front of us.

  Fuck it.

  “What do I do?”

  Melody piped up, “Put your hands behind your back like this.” I mimicked her demonstration. “Lean down, wrap your lips around the glass, and lift. Drink the shot.”

  “Swallow. Don’t spit,” Brian chimed in, his eyes locked on mine.

  Holding his stare I replied, “I never do.”

  “Let me hold your hair,” Ryan offered as he gathered my curls into a manageable mess.

  “Ready, girls?” Sarah asked.

  Closing my eyes, I leaned down, wrapped my lips around the cool shot glass, and threw my head back. The shot glass was pulled from my mouth before I could think about it and Ryan’s mouth crashed down on mine. By the time I came up for air, Bartender Brian had moved to the other end of the bar.

  I wasn’t quite sure why I was so disappointed to see him go. Not like we were a thing. Regardless, a lump formed in my throat. I grabbed Sarah’s drink and downed it like it was my last.

  “Easy. You okay?” Sarah whispered.

  “Yeah, fine. I’ll be at our place.”

  “You’re going to our place?”

  “Yeah. Safer there than his, considering I don’t know him, right?”

  “You know, so many people go through life without having experienced a one night stand. You don’t have to do this.”

  “Sarah. I haven’t had sex in two months. Two months! Do you have any idea what that does to a woman’s vagina?”

  “Um, no. But I know what it does for the battery business.”

  “Ha. Ha. Really funny. I’m at the precipice of becoming an old maid! Look around! All the girls here are young. I am old. Old!”

  “Seriously, Caroline. It’s not that big a deal. You’re just going through a dry spell.”

  “Dry spell? There are days I have to check and make sure my lady parts are still there. Dry spell my ass. Ladies, I’m getting fucked tonight. My door will be closed. I will be screaming. Don’t come in.”

  Melody spit her drink on the guy standing next to her. Then she yelped. Of all the people in the world, she spit her drink on my ex.

  “Steven. Nice to see you.” It really wasn’t.

  “Uh, Care? You drunk or something?”

  “Not really, why?” Actually, I kind of was but he didn’t need to know that.

  He grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. “Care, do you know this guy?” He thumbed toward Ryan.

  “I’m sorry. I lost the memo. When the fuck did that become your business?”

  “I still care about you.”

  “Right. That’s pretty funny. You really seemed to care when you were fucking Betsy.”

  “That was a mistake. I am so sorry. I want to make it up to you.”

  “Ha! It wasn’t a mistake until I found out!”

  “Look, can we talk somewhere else? I was hoping that, you know, since we don’t work together anymore that maybe…”

  “Maybe what? That we’d have another go? That we’d ever be something again? Fuck off Steven and take your dictating intern with you.”

  “Everything okay over here?” Brian’s voice made me jump. I realized I had yelled loud enough to cause a scene and a number of people had stopped their chatter to hear the exchange between Steven and myself.

  “Yeah, we’re good. Why don’t you mind your own business?” Steven responded to him with his usual air of snobbery. God, what did I ever see in this guy?

  “Don’t talk to him like that!” I slapped away his grip on my arm.

  “What, are you fucking this guy, too?”

  “Too? Too? You should talk, Steven! You make me sick, you lying fucking bastard. Fuck you.”

  “Knock it off, Care. You’re making a scene.” I saw him scan the bar.

  “Get the hell away from me. I wear heels bigger than your dick. Take it somewhere else. No one here cares.”

  “That’s enough! I think it’s time for you to leave.” Brian miraculously appeared between Steven and me; Ryan stood next to him. I thought I might faint when he reached behind him and placed his hand on my stomach, effectively shielding me from Steven’s jerk-face rhetoric.

  “Fine.” Steven threw his hands up in the air. “This isn’t over, Caroline. You can’t throw away five years on a pretty boy and a fucking bartender.” He spat the word like it was beneath him.

  “No, but you can throw it away on Betsy the Intern. Just go away. I don’t want to see you ever again.”

  Steven walked out with his entourage of assholes. I felt both defeated and liberated.

  “I’m a bit put out that I’m not the pretty boy,” said Brian. “You okay?”

  “I’m good. Thank you.”

  “No problem. You’re awfully feisty.”

  “That’s just the new me.”

  “You ready?” Ryan put his hand around my shoulder.

  “Huh?” I was a bit disoriented by the previous display and more than slightly embarrassed. “Oh, right. Sure.”

  I grabbed my coat and handed it to Ryan. He obviously didn’t know what to do with it, so I took it back and shrugged on my coat.

  “You sure about this?” Sarah looked at me with equal parts “go get ’em” and “what the fuck are you thinking?”

  “Yeah. It’s just sex, right? Not like I’m looking for a relationship with Tall Blond and Dumb, right?”

  “I just don’t want you to regret anything in the morning.”

  “Then I’ll sleep till noon.” I smiled.

  “If you’re sure. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Will do.” I leaned onto the bar. “Brian!”

  “Yo!” He turned around, delivering a drink to a thirsty patron before making eye contact.

  His gaze was so penetrating, it felt like a thousand gymnasts were using my stomach as a trampoline.

  “Thanks again for that. Sorry you had to get involved.”

  “That’s what I do.” He rapped his knuckles on the bar. “Take care of yourself, Caroline.” What’s with the tone?

  Effectively dismissed, I watched as he pulled another beer and took an order from an overly flirtatious girl who looked like she was barely out of high school. Not my problem.

  “Let’s go, Ryan.”

  Chapter Four

  I nearly dragged Ryan out of the bar. Snowflakes fell steadily, sticking to the already slick sidewalk. I realized my shoes, no matter how cute, were not going to make it through the night.

  “Hey.” Ryan stopped. “I left my coat in the bar.”

  “Oh, right. Um, I’ll wait.”

  “You sure?”

  “No. I want you to freeze to death in the snow.” He looked at me and cocked his head. “I’m kidding. Go get it.”

  He laughed and pulled me in tight. His thumb slid across my cheek and he lifted it up to show me a single drop of wat
er. “A snowflake fell from your eyelash to your cheek. I think it’s good luck.”

  “Do I blow on it?” I kept eye contact as I leaned in. I closed my eyes and blew the tiny drop off his thumb. I raised my head, smiled, and said, “Hurry.”

  He grabbed my face and kissed me hard and I felt it in my panties. “Be right back.” He pulled away and jogged the half block back to the bar.

  I found a bare wall between apartment entrances and leaned against it, hoping the overhang would shield me from the weather a little bit. My feet were wet, my toes were cold, and I hadn’t thought to bring gloves or a hat. I rolled my eyes at the thought. Sure, I was cold, but Hello, Caroline! Hopefully you are about the have amazing sex with a superhot guy. Smiling, I closed my eyes and imagined his lips on mine again. Only when I imagined the lips they weren’t Ryan’s. They belonged to Bartender Brian. And the thought of Brian’s lips on mine soaked my panties as much as the real kiss did with Ryan.

  Ryan.

  Brian.

  Someone was going to have to change his name.

  Rifling through my purse, I found my lipstick. My fingers were cold and when I pulled the cap off, it slipped from my grip and fell to the sidewalk.

  “Fuck.” I squatted down and looked around me; it couldn’t have gotten far. I was sure it was hiding by my feet in the slushy snow.

  I didn’t spend too much time looking. My fingers were bright red from feeling around the cold snow and my toes felt like frostbite was going to take over.

  “Lose something?”

  I looked up to see Ryan standing in front of me wearing weather appropriate outerwear.

  “Yeah. I dropped the top to my lipstick.” I held up the tube to show him.

  “It’s freezing out and you’re worried about lipstick?” He stepped closer. “I don’t think you need it.”

  “No?” My back was pressed against the brick wall.

  “No. But if you need them warmed up—” He slid his hand under my ear and threaded his fingers through my hair. And then he kissed me.

  His lips melted into mine and I moaned softly. Our mouths parted slightly and he gently pulled my bottom lip into his mouth. He sank his teeth in for a moment before pulling away. He rubbed his nose along mine.

  “Warm?”

  “Fuck.” The word tumbled out of my mouth and I slapped my hand against it. “I meant,” I mumbled through my hand, “yes.”

  He chuckled before offering to carry me home on his back.

  “Hop on,” he said as he squatted down in front of me.

  “What?”

  He looked at me over his shoulder. “Your shoes are soaked, your lips are blue. There isn’t a taxi in sight. You said you lived close, now hop on.”

  I hiked my purse up on my shoulder, wrapped my arms around his neck, and hopped up as his arms hooked around my legs.

  “So, where are we going?”

  “Huh?” I was momentarily distracted by his stubbled jawline.

  “Where do you live?”

  “Oh, right. Next building.” I pointed and he headed for the stoop.

  I fumbled for my keys and dropped them, like I had the lid to my lipstick. We both knelt down at the same time and bonked heads.

  “Ouch.” I rubbed my head.

  “Sorry.” He rubbed his.

  Time stopped for a moment as we stared at each other. He held my keys and my hand reached up to his face. He leaned in and kissed me slowly as we stood. He stepped forward and backed me against the door as he fumbled with the keys. When he finally opened the door, he stepped over the threshold and lifted me up at the same time. My legs wrapped around his waist and my arms circled his neck. His hands held me up by my ass, his fingers gripping tight. The kiss was deep, rough, and needy. He stepped forward clumsily, knocking my back into the wall, and my fingernails dug into his coat.

  “Stairs,” I directed between kisses. Instead of climbing them he sat, with me straddling his lap. One hand splayed wide and pulled me into him while the other snaked under my hair and grabbed a fistful. He gently yanked back and ran his tongue along my exposed throat.

  He shifted his leg over so it was between my legs. He continued to pull me in and I rocked back and forth. The seam of my jeans hit me in just the right spot. Our kisses were sloppy and consuming; he wrapped both arms around my waist and I ground down onto his leg.

  “Oh my God,” I whispered.

  “Don’t stop, Caroline.” He wrapped his arms tighter.

  I buried my face in his neck and thrust until I could feel my panties being soaked. I let out a breathy moan.

  “Ryan. Holy shit!” An orgasm racked me and I held on to him tight until the wave passed.

  After a few minutes he chuckled and asked, “Are you okay?”

  “I’m great. Just very, very thankful for the seam of these jeans.” I leaned back with his arms still wrapped around me.

  “You wear them well.” He leaned in and kissed the corner of my mouth.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’d like you to take them off.”

  I climbed off his lap and kicked off my shoes.

  “I didn’t mean here.” He leaned back on the steps and smiled.

  “Oh, so I shouldn’t do this?” I unbuttoned my jeans and cocked an eyebrow.

  He ran his finger along his lips. “I didn’t say that.”

  I laughed, reached down, grabbed my shoes, and ran past him up the stairs. He jumped up and chased me. I had only half a flight on him. I was glad I was only going up to the third floor.

  “I have the keys you know!” he yelled up to me.

  “I know!”

  He and I hit the third-floor landing at the same time and he followed me to my door.

  “Tease.”

  “I need to open the door.”

  “The keys are in my pocket.”

  I reached in and found something other than keys and mentally thanked the one-night-stand gods for gifting me with such a well-endowed target.

  “Those aren’t keys,” he whispered when my hand gripped him through the pocket of his jeans.

  “I know.”

  He produced the keys and handed them to me. I turned to unlock the door and I could feel his excitement press up against me as he kissed my neck. It felt like unlocking the door took forever but when I finally did, he stumbled into the apartment behind me before he slammed the door closed and turned the lock. For a few seconds we stared at each other. The sexual tension was palpable, like tiny sparks of electricity flying through the room. One tiny word slipped from his mouth.

  “Fuck.”

  We collided in a tangle of hands and lips and tongues. Our coats dropped in a heap on the floor. The buttons on my shirt were too much for him and he ripped it open instead as I unbuckled his belt and whipped it out of his pants. I tossed it across the room and it hit a lamp, knocking it over to shatter on the floor.

  I.

  Did.

  Not.

  Care.

  “Ryan,” I mumbled before sinking my teeth into his lip. He responded by sliding his hand down the back of my jeans and squeezing my ass. He picked me up again and started down the hallway.

  “Wrong room.” My hand shot out to the doorjamb as he tried to enter Sarah’s room. “Across the hall.”

  He turned around and used his foot to shove my bedroom door open. He dropped me on my bed and leaned down to unbutton my pants. He slid them over my hips hard enough to lift me off the bed.

  “Panties off.” He was already dropping his pants to the floor and stepping out of his boxer briefs.

  I froze. In my whole life I’d never seen anything so girthy. Instinctively my hands flew to cover my lady bits.

  He reached down, pushed my hands aside, and dipped his fingers inside me. “You okay?”

  “Better than.” I placed my hand behind his head and pulled him into a kiss. We both crawled back on the bed until he was able to settle between my legs.

  I heard a wrapper open, then it was a few seconds befor
e he positioned himself above me. Need took over and I thrust my hips toward him, feeling the tip of him hit me. Ryan pulled my right leg up and grabbed my ass as he pushed deep inside me. I cried out. I’d never felt anything so completely. He filled me, stretched me, and I couldn’t get enough.

  “More,” I demanded and quickened the pace.

  “You want more?” He smiled and pulled out before slamming back into me.

  “Brian!” I yelled, and he stopped for a minute and his eyes widened. It was a second before I realized I’d said the wrong name. I tried to play it off. “Oh, Ryan! Fuck me harder!”

  I am pretty sure he caught the flub but he picked up the pace and banged me until I thought I would pass out. The bed rocked and the headboard hit the wall so hard I thought pictures would fall off the wall.

  “God damn Caroline. You feel so fucking good.” His voice was gruff and sexy.

  I shifted position and we rolled.

  I smacked my head on the nightstand. “Ow, fuck!”

  We both stopped our frenzied fuck fest to laugh.

  “Sex injury?” He chuckled.

  “It fucking hurts,” I said between tears of laughter and pain.

  “Do you need ice?”

  Fuck no, I didn’t need ice. I needed sex. “I’m good.” I rolled my hips.

  “You sure?” He thrust into me.

  Instead of answering I kissed him and he leaned back so I was sitting in his lap. He kicked out his legs and held me steady. Once I got my rhythm, he reached around and unhooked my bra. I slipped it off and he tossed it.

  “Caroline.” He grunted my name. “Caroline. Slow down. I’m going to come.”

  Instead of slowing down, I held on and sped up, thrusting and rolling like a porn star. I was owning this motherfucking one night stand.

  “Caroline.” His hands grabbed my hips. “Caroline.” His fingers dug into my skin. “Oh fuck!” He grabbed me and pulled me in tight as he thrust up. The muscles in his shoulders and arms tightened. I could feel his legs tense under me. “Fuck.” He dropped his head to my shoulder and shuddered.

  He let go of me and fell back. I climbed off him and slid off the bed.

  “Where are you going?” He reached for me.

  “To get a drink. Water. You want some?”

  “You have anything stronger?”