Page 7 of One Night

Tonight was a dream. A fantasy. A chance occurrence that can never be replicated. I'll be thinking about this night for the rest of my life. I'll store it in my memory and go back to it years from now. Dylan will be the handsome stranger I saw across a crowded room and instantly connected with to the point that we couldn't control our urges.

If I were to date Dylan, he'd no longer be the handsome stranger. Tonight wouldn't be a magical encounter, but just sex in a frat house. And if Dylan and I became a couple and then broke up, my memory of tonight would be ruined. Tainted. I'd see it in a totally different light. That may sound crazy but it's true. When your opinion of someone changes, your memories of them do as well. What used to be good becomes not so good, or even bad. You remember it differently.

I don't want to remember tonight differently. I want to remember it the way I do now. As a hot, sexy, perfect night with an extremely handsome stranger.

"You still there?" Dylan asks since I haven't said anything.

"Yeah." I push out of his arms and sit up. "I should go."

"Go?" He sits up as well. "Why would you go?"

"I have things to do."

"It's one in the morning. What do you have to do at one in the morning?"

"Take the dog out?" I cringe because that was probably the least convincing lie ever told.

"Amber," he says, holding my hand. "What's wrong? What did I do to make you want to leave?"

"You didn't. I just..." I take a breath. "I'm just not looking to get into a relationship right now."

"It doesn't have to be a relationship. We can start slow. As slow as you want. I just want to see you again."

I can't do it. I want to, but I can't. I won't. Tonight was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences and I'm not going to risk ruining the memory of it by dating Dylan. I don't have the best track record with relationships, probably because I expect too much. And then there's the fact that Dylan is the lead singer in a band so likely doesn't date a girl very long before moving on to the next.

Whatever the reason, our relationship would eventually end and then this night would mean nothing, or worse, it would become a memory I'd want to forget.

He tugs on my hand. "Come on. Lie down."

"I have to go."

"Please. Just stay with me. Just a little longer."

Against my better judgment, I lie down and he holds me in his arms.

"So tell me about yourself," he says.

I panic, not wanting him to know about me. If he does, he'll track me down and insist we go out.

"There's not much to say."

"I'm sure you could come up with something. I know nothing about you other than your name. Are you in college?"

Shit. What do I say?

"Um...no, not anymore. I just graduated." I hate lying, but in this case, I feel like I have to. "And I already have a job lined up. It's in New York. I'm moving this week."

The words come out of my mouth so fast I'm sure he'll know I'm lying. Plus, my rapid pulse is making me sound breathless, another sign I'm not telling the truth. I'm such a horrible liar.

"You're moving?" he asks, lifting my face up to his.

He actually believes me? Then I guess I'll guess go with it.

"I got the job a few weeks ago."

"In New York City?"

"Yeah. It'll be a big change, but I'm looking forward to it."

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