Editor's Note: "Patricia King" is a pen name to protect the writer's anonymity.
I wake up naked, a red blanket is draped over me and I'm lying on a couch in an apartment I've never seen before. As I attempt to open my eyes, I see a shadow hovering over me.
"What are you doing out here?" the shadow asks. As I begin to make out who the person is, I think, Shoot, I know this person. I had broken one of the cardinal rules of one-night stands.
I am no stranger to 'one and done' or 'hit it and quit it.' It's not like I go out at night seeking a stranger to accompany me to my bed, but when it happens, I've decided to embrace it for what it is instead of regretting my drunken promiscuity.
Casual sex is a contentious issue, especially during college. Some students take the 'they won't buy the cow if the milk is free' approach; others apply the 'You Only Live Once' mentality to their decisions about sex.
But one time, after a breakup, I decided to partake in the latter.
It had been two years since I was single, so I was a little rusty. Being out of the game for so long, I wasn't sure if I still 'had it.' But it wasn't long after I switched my status from "in a relationship" to "single" that I found I never really lost it.
After about a month of being single, I found myself talking to two men. One was an old friend and the other was a friend of a friend who was also dealing with a recent breakup. They were aware I was on the rebound and wasn't trying to commit to a serious relationship.
One night, my friends and I were pre-gaming with our guy friend, whose brotherhappened to be visiting for the weekend.
I took one look at his brother and had my goal for the night.
Plopping down on the couch next to him, I immediately started chatting. He had quick wit and a sarcastic sense of humor. As my friends were leaving for our next stop of the night, I went to say goodbye but couldn't find him. His brother was in plain sight, so I said, purposely, "Tell your brother I said bye."
We went to the next party and encountered one of the guys I was talking to, whom I will call Rebound. After about 10 minutes, my friends deemed the party boring and decided to go to the party where Brother was. I was excited to get a chance to see him again but was set back when Rebound came running after me.
As I entered the party, I was able to evade Rebound and find Brother. We chatted for a bit. About 20 minutes later, my friends decided it was time to go to the bar. So I left, hoping that I'd see him there later. Unfortunately, Rebound got a hold of me first. I waited 15 minutes for Brother to show up at the bar until I gave up and went home with Rebound.
Two hours later, my guy friend texted me: "Are you alone?" He wanted to come by with my best friend (his girlfriend) and his brother to see if "I was down."
"Give me two minutes," I responded, as I racked my brain for excuses to get Rebound to leave. I decided to say I was growing too attached to him and didn't want him to sleep over because things were getting too serious between us. He rebutted for a bit, but ultimately ended up leaving.
Ten minutes later, Brother came over with my friends. Brother ended up staying the night.
A few weeks later, I was pleasantly surprised to hear from Brother again. He texted me, saying, "If I was home, we probably would have went on several dates." We made plans to get together over Thanksgiving break. After break, we talked more frequently and made more plans for winter break. When it was time to go back to school, he asked me to be exclusive.
I agreed, breaking another cardinal rule of one-night stands.
We're told to adhere to all these rules when it comes to "casual sex" and "one-night stands." What I've learned through my own experiences is that every situation and person is different.
Maybe you wake up the next morning to an empty bed and a note saying, "It was nice to meet you." Maybe you wake up on your family friend's couch, and he gives you $20 for the cab ride home because he knows you have a family breakfast to get to.
Or maybe - just maybe - that one-night stand turns into the guy introducing himself to your parents as your boyfriend.
Until next time, stay gorgeous.
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