Love And Bullets

The One Night Stand

Ana's POV

I decided to take a break from work. I never had and I needed it. I wasn't suffering any heartbreak, don't get me wrong. But I was exhausted. I didn't exactly love what I was doing. I only took over my father's company when he fell ill, because he asked me to and even though my heart was set on something else, I had to give it up.

I don't know exactly why, or if every daughter feels this way, but my biggest fear was letting my father down. Anything I could do that would make him look at me with disappointment, I would regret. I couldn't bear it.

Becky and I were going to go shopping for wedding dresses that day, so I was waiting for her to knock on the door any minute. Finally she does. And then she bursts in, happy as the day before.

"You're never going to guess who's coming tomorrow, An!!!" - she yells from the hall.

"Nicol?" - I shout back.

"Ok, you guessed, but next time don't take all the fun out of it, please."

Nicol was our other best friend. It had been so long since we last saw her, but we kept in contact. She ran off to Europe a few years ago and has been traveling, drinking and having sex with random guys ever since. Which we are completely fine with, as long as she's keeping herself out of trouble.

"Well, you're getting married! Of course she would come!" - I said as soon as she entered my office, - where is she coming from?

"Paris, Rome, Monaco, who knows? You know Nikki."

I smiled, because I did. It was part of why the three of us were best friends. We were all so different, but we worked together. We didn't ask for explanations, we didn't try to change each other. We just accepted one another as we were and whenever one of us needed the others, they would be there no matter what.

The rest of the day went by, wedding dress after wedding dress, planning and more planning. Thank God Becky's mother was with us. Late at night, they drove me home and we parted to meet again the next day.

But I didn't want to be alone. And I didn't want to be home. So I took my car keys, headed out, came back, left the car keys and headed out again. I realized I didn't want to come home at all that night. And I would go to whatever bar my feet landed on, and sleep with whatever man the night would throw in front of me.

"Tequila. More. Again." I don't know how many times I said those words that night. But I wasn't drunk enough. And I wouldn't stop until a handsome, tall, dark man came up to me. Even if that meant passing out and never waking up again.
I knew it before but I hadn't quite realized... How unhappy I was.

I wished my body wouldn't tolerate alcohol as much as it did. I wished my vision had started to blur already.

While my eyes were fixed on the tequila shot, I sensed a man sit right next to me. I decided to do the shot first, and then turn to him. When I reached for it, the man reached for it too, cupping the glass and my hand with his. His hand was warm.

"I think that's quite enough, amore", - I heard his voice.

I looked at him, his face was in my memory, somewhere in the back of my mind. I didn't recognize him, but I'd seen him before. He wore a very expensive suit that did not belong at a bar like that.

"I don't see why it is any of your business, how much I drink," - I blurt out.

"Well, it would be a shame wouldn't it? You don't look like you frequent places like these very often." - he observed, light sarcasm in his voice.

"Neither do you" - I replied.

"Fair enough, - he said, looked at me for a few seconds and then added - But tell me, what reason would have a beautiful woman like you to be so unhappy."

And I look at him. Piercing dark eyes. Dark as the night sky. What kind of untrustworthy man could ever have those eyes?

" You don't have to listen to me. We can go straight to your place. Is that how it works? "

He smiled, genuinely.
"What is your name, amore?"

I thought about it, I didn't know exactly what people did in these situations. So I just said:
"Tonight you can call me amore."

He smiled again. No, he smirked.

"Very well, it suits you."

He was a very attractive man, probably the most attractive man I had ever seen and I realized I wanted him with no clothes on, right at that moment.

"Do you always talk this much when you pick up women?" - I asked.

He made a face of sheer arrogance.
"I don't usually pick up women. They always come to me."

"Yeah, well, not always," - I replied and moved closer - tonight you came up to me, but I'm prepared to leave this place with you."

This is me. Most of the time I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, I just pretend that I do.

I got up, moved my lips towards his ear, letting him inhale my perfum, and whispered:
"There's no take it or leave it with me. You always take it"

And then I lightly slid my hand from his neck to his pocket. He let me do it, he just kept looking at me with lust in his eyes, smirking.

Jackpot! I look down and smile. With his car keys in my hand, I look at him one more time before I take my leave.
"Don't take too long. And pay for my drinks, will you?"

I press the car key and I notice lights at the end of the sidewalk.

Pure luck. That was pure luck. I don't know if I should drink more often or never even come close to alcohol, ever again.

A black Chevrolet Corvette classic. You've got to be fucking kidding me.