Stranger

We were complete strangers. Well, that's how almost every story begins, isn't it?

I had just broken up with my boyfriend of three years and was ready to smash my way through my hoe phase. (You may interpret that as figuratively as you'd like.) My best friend invited me to a model networking event, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to find a beautiful one-night stand. (Not withstanding the fact that I've never even had a one-night stand before.)

I'm walking around this event, and I already feel like collapsing in on myself. I've been told I'm pretty, but imagine having to weave through a party full of gorgeous giants. Anyway, I was pretending to listen to a group of models debate about the meaning of their horoscopes when I spotted a gorgeous man in the corner. He was nonchalant. His jaw looked like it could cut steel. And I was wanting badly to make a move. I eyed him carefully from the other side of the room, just to see if he would take any notice of me as well. He didn't. Well FUCK. I don't believe in horoscopes, but I was hoping our stars might align tonight.

I nudge my best friend and nod my head in his direction. She turns back to me with widened eyes and says, "OOOOOH. I've got this." She grabs me by the arm (no mind that I have absolutely no say in what we're doing. I'm a blind man being led into battle, and my sergeant has no intention of sharing his war plans with me.)

He's even more gorgeous up close. And my brain just sort of stops working. But, no worries, my friend does all the talking for me. She's like my personal PR manager, really. She mentions that I'm an avid climber (I'd only climbed twice before meeting him), that I'm going to Oxford for my masters, and that I'm half Indian-half Dutch (he seemed to really like this last detail). Now, he turns to me, eyes wide, and says, "Really? You like to climb?"

His eyes are so blue.

"I do ballet too." (Another white lie.)

He flashes a smile.

His teeth are so white...

And so we explored my little white lies in further detail until we decided to head to the bars.

Funny thing is that he's not even a model.

He mentions he's traveling to Cali the next morning, but there's no place for us to stay for the night. So, we make do with a steamy kiss in the lobby of a karaoke bar. A girl high-fives me on her way out as I'm pressed up against the wall, legs wrapped around his torso.

Skip ahead to two weeks later.

We walk through the front door of my apartment. I'm too nervous to look at him, so I head to the bedroom without a word. He follows and gently kisses me on the mouth. It feels so good. Just the right amount of tongue and lips. He picks me up, and gently lays me down onto the bed. My heart is beating out of my chest. My fingers fumble with the buttons on his pants. I laugh nervously but am finally able to get them off. Eventually, all clothes end up on the floor, and he's hovering over me. My breath leaves my body as he lightly kisses the side of my neck.

"I'm nervous," I admitted.

"I don't want you to be nervous," he replied.

"Easier said than done," I said as I rolled my eyes.

He smiled and kissed my mouth, my breasts, and my stomach. Then, he gently guides himself into me, and a gasp escapes my mouth. I clutch his back as he rocks back and forth inside of me. His hands are on either side of my head as he leans down to kiss me again. It's so intense. More romantic than I thought it would be.

We're suddenly changing positions, and I'm on top this time, rocking to the same rhythm as before. He grabs my breasts, thighs, stomach. I balance on his chest, my hair swinging above his face. His body is amazing. Everything is amazing.

We switch again, so he's on top. But, this time my legs are in the air, and he's perpendicular to my torso. In my head I'm thinking, how does he know this position? Does he do this a lot? Am I any good? Wtf.

He comes inside of me and immediately walks away to wash up. Am I disgusting? Does he need to wash my germs off of him?

I stay where I am and huddle underneath the blankets. He comes back with underwear on again and smiles. I flash a smile too so he doesn't detect that anything is wrong. We spend another 70 hours together, but we're going out in the city, drinking, and meeting each other's friends. He tells me he has to go back home. To home home- 3.5 hours away. But, it's too late. I already really like this guy. He didn't end up just being a one-night stand to me. I can't take back the last 70 hours that allowed me to know he's a genuinely nice person. Funny. Down-to-earth.

Skip ahead to a week later.

I'm at his place this time. (I know. I drove 3.5 hours for sex. Judge me all you want.) But when he finishes this time, I stare into his face, and he stares into mine. And something's changed. His eyes are softened as if he's trying to tell me it'll be alright, that he cares. And he lowers himself onto me so that his entire weight isn't on me, but he's still inside of me. I can feel his breath tickling my ear. He sighs and looks up at me with those bright blue eyes. I stare back, trying to read him as best as I can. He rolls over and holds me from behind. (No getting up to wash off this time.) His hands are stroking my stomach, my hair, my hand. It's more... loving rather than sexual.

My heart begins to pour out into the room. I confess some of my insecurities, my secrets, my fears in life. He listens and nods and is willing to share some of his own as well. And both of our words are mixed in the air, hanging above us. I watch them hang there and smile. Because what was supposed to be a one-night stand ended up being, if anything, a special connection with an ex-stranger.