Page 25 of One Night

"Why?"

"Because Dylan's here!" I yell at her. I didn't mean to yell but I'm panicking right now.

"I don't get it. How do you know him?"

I glance at Dylan, then back at Kira. "I slept with him."

"You what? When?"

"Last May. At a party."

"You never said you were dating anyone last May."

"We weren't dating."

"You had a one-night stand?" she asks, practically yelling over the music.

"Shh!" I check that Matt is still at the bar. "I'll tell you about it later. For now, we have to get out of here." I shove my chair back. "Unless you want to stay. I could come pick you up later."

"No. Let's go."

We meet up with Matt at the bar. He's still waiting in line to get drinks.

"I'm not feeling well." I tug on his arm. "We have to go."

"You're sick?" He looks confused because I was fine just minutes ago.

"It's my stomach. It came on really fast. I need to get home."

"Yeah, of course." He puts his arm around me and the three of us leave the bar. "Wait here. I'll be back in a minute."

He takes off, practically running to the car.

"Okay, explain yourself," Kira says as we wait by the building.

"Not here. Wait until we get home."

Matt's car pulls up and he gets out and opens the door for me. I feel bad making us leave and I feel even worse lying about it, but what was I supposed to tell him? That we left because I just saw the guy I had my first and only one-night stand with? The guy I can't stop thinking about? The guy who's the reason Matt and I still haven't had sex? The guy Matt waited on at the suit store who's the reason we're even here tonight? I can't tell him that. For one, it'd take all night to explain it, and two, it's best if he doesn't know. He doesn't need to. Dylan and I are over. It was one night. And now it's over.

When we get to my apartment, I tell Matt I need to rest. He insists on staying with me but I talk him out of it, telling him I really don't want him around me when I'm feeling like I might get sick at any moment.

Once he's gone, I stand by the door in shock, still not believing this happened. How did I not know Dylan was part of Vandyl? Last May, I tried looking him up online but I didn't know his last name so I didn't get very far. I should've researched local bands. If I had, I would've seen his photo with Vandyl and known he was part of it and never gone to the concert tonight.

"Since when do you have one-night stands?" Kira asks as she sits on the couch.

"I don't."

"You just said you did."

"Yes, but it was just one time and I'll never do it again."

"Then why'd you do it?"

I sigh, not wanting to tell her but knowing she won't give up until I do. "I was taking this speech class last spring, and this girl gave a speech about the psychology of fear and how the things you fear are often the things you really want to do. But you don't admit to it because you don't want the pressure of actually having to do it."

"Are you saying you secretly always wanted to have a one-night stand?"

"Yes. I mean, no, not really." I go sit next to her. "It was more like, I've always had this fantasy of meeting a guy who I have instant chemistry with, and then just acting on my desires and doing it. You know, like in the movies, when people meet and instantly want to rip each other's clothes off? That pure, undeniable passion that can't be controlled?"

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