Blood Oleanders

3- Girls Night Out

Was I good enough for a one-night stand?  That was the question that Lola kept asking herself as she looked at herself in the mirror. Turning her face from one side to the other.  “I’m putting in way more effort then I’m suppose to.” She mumbled to herself as she analyzed her make up. Leaning in, she wiped away a bit of mascara from the edge of her right eye. “f**k it,” she said throwing down the tissue. “Lets do this.”

She straightened and sighed. “God, I look like a tramp. Maybe I should change?” She thought for a moment. She thought the shimmering silver blouse that was tied around her neck and showed her back, was a bit so much. She liked the rest of her outfit though, the black tights that showed off her toned legs and firm yet round ass and her silver ankle boots.

“Maybe a darker less shiny top.”  she thought, taking a step toward the walk-in closet of her apartment. But she stopped herself shaking her head “No. If you're gonna do this, you're gonna go all the way, looking like a slut and all. You want this. f**k, you need this. Just one night of anonymous s*x with some hot guy you don't even know and will never see again . . . yep. The perfect thing to get over Parker.” She coached herself. Yes she needed this and she was going to take it.

With a last, apprehensive look in the mirror, she flicked off the light and left the bathroom.

* * * *

The moment Lola entered the nightclub, she knew if it wasn’t for her best friend Yana, she would have turned around and left. It’s been a full five years since she stopped with the party lifestyle. After all she was in a committed relationship. And Parker wasn’t really the partying type, he was more conserved and stayed to himself, so she adapted to his lifestyle.

"This is going to be the best f*****g night ever!" shrieked her best friend Yana, maintaining an iron grip onto Lola’s arm as they threaded their way through the sea of bodies. Yana's over excitement for her friend's return to the meat grinder of the social scene was almost annoying for Lola.

"You gonna find some hunky stud, seduce him with your moves on the dance, then take him back to the love pad and f**k his brains out!"

Lola rolled her eyes, reevaluating her decision to go out for the hundredth time. God, this is such a f*****g mistake. She knew it, but now that she was here, there was nothing that she could do. Yana would never let her leave without getting laid. So, f**k it.

A couple of strong mixed drinks served in purple fluted cylinders later, and all Lola's negative thoughts were melting away. Despite having added on a few extra pounds during her now failed relationship, she remained a lightweight when it came to alcohol. Her inhibitions were slowly draining away, but not yet enough to give in to the numerous invitations. Most from drunken men who slurred their way through clumsy cheesy come-ons, but she was tipsy, so she endured it.

"Oh, come on, Lola, that boy was sexy as f**k!" Yana exclaimed after Lola had turned the last drunk that was somewhat attractive. Lola just rolled her eyes. She knew Yana was here for her, the way Yana proudly and often flashed her recent engagement ring to every man that came 2 inches close to her. Yeah her role was clear: she was here for Lola, not for herself.

Lola shrugged, sipping the last of her second drink. "I didn't like his cologne. Or his face" She whispered the last part to herself.

Yana fixed her friend a look. "Who the f**k cares about cologne or his face when you're sucking a guy's balls?"

Lola grimaced. "What if he puts it down there, too?" she challenged. "Some guys do, you know. Then I gotta smell it and taste it. No thanks."

Her friend huffed in exasperation. "Okay, girl, I get it: you ain't too thrilled about putting the p***y on parade. But f**k, Lola, you been sitting home eating Oreo Ice cream and watching Musicals every single nigh--"

Lola glared. "There is nothing wrong with musicals,'" she countered defensively. "So what if Sweeney Todd is, like, my favorite movie of all time, the singing is awesome and Jonny Depp is so hot?"

Yana gazed up at the dark ceiling of the nightclub, as if seeking strength from some higher power that hovered somewhere beyond. After a moment, she leveled her eyes on her friend. "Look. Parker seriously f****d you over. He did some trashy little b***h--"

"Thanks for reminding me, Dr. Phil," Lola interrupted sourly.

"--and now you're thinking you ain't all that anymore," Yana continued, with a roll of her eyes. She laughed ironically. "Which, obviously, is a bunch of f*****g bullshit, since you been getting so many eyes since you waltzed that tight little booty of yours in here."

Lola looked dejected. "It's not that easy, okay?" She breathed out heavily over her drink. "I can't just . . . f**k some random dude. I gotta . . . feel something, know what I mean?"

Yana softened. "Okay, I get that," she said with an empathetic nod. "Hey, look. If you wanna go, we can go. It's no big deal."

Lola shrugged, stirring the last bits of slush in her glass. "Go get me another drink," she ordered with a rakish smile. "And we’ll see how I feel after it.."

* * * *

After downing another round of drinks, Lola finally got all her frustrations off her chest, all herself pity all her hatred all of it. ". . . all this time, he's telling me he likes my t**s, there's nothing wrong with them . . . and what does he f*****g do? Bang some f*****g stripper with the fakest f*****g balloon t**s I've ever seen, and it wasn't even a good boob job. I swear one was bigger than the other!"

Yana laughed uproariously, slapping her hands to the tiny table between them. "Tell it, girl!"

Lola grumbled, took another sip of her drink. As she had done several times during the previous several minutes, she stole quick glances toward a particular corner of the horseshoe-shaped bar. "Hey," she said, garnering her friend's attention.

Yana leaned in; her drunkenness clear across her face. "What."

Lola nibbled her lip a moment, smiling around the tip of her straw. "Don't get your hopes up, and don't look, but . . . I think the guy at the end of the bar's been checking me out. And I think he's kinda hot."

Yana instantly whipped her head around. "What? Who? Where?" After a few moments, she returned her attention to her now-glaring friend.

"I said, 'don't look.'"

Yana chuckled. "Okay, okay. I promise I won't look. Where is he? What's he look like?"

Lola's eyes darted toward the end of the bar, catching glimpses through the moving throng of party-goers. She couldn't help but smile. "He's at the far end of the bar," she said. "Kinda fit, thick brown, f*****g sexy-ass eyes . . . ."

Yana cackled. "Oh, listen to you, girl!" she exclaimed. "Go for it! Go get him!"

But Lola blushed. "I don't know," she began, and then her face fell. "s**t. He's gone."

A sly smile spread across her friend's face. "You said thick brown hair and to-die-for eyes?" she asked.

Lola read Yana's face, noting the other woman's gaze was fixed on something behind her. She turned, seeing the same man she had been stealing glimpses of, approaching cautiously.

Yana leaned across the table. "Oh, he's a cute one," she said, then slipped off the bar stool. "You have fun, now."

Alarm flooded Lola's face. "What? You're going? Wh--" She sputtered with sudden unease as her friend strode away. Heat flooding her cheeks, Lola stared down at her half-finished drink, afraid to focus on anything -- or anyone -- else.

"Excuse me."

She looked to her left. The man with the gorgeous eyes now stood beside her. He wore a white silk shirt with the top couple of buttons undone, revealing a smooth, fit chest. Naturally dark lips contrasted with both his pale skin and thick, shaggy brown hair. In any other situation, Lola would have assumed such a man to be gay.

He raised his hand and smiled disarmingly. "If you're going to shoot me down, just get it over with."

Lola gave a blushing smile. "Is it that obvious?"

He shrugged. "Well, when a beautiful woman turns away every single guy who approaches her, it kinda makes a man nervous, you know?"

Her eyes drifted down his body. Nice jeans, she thought. Just tight enough to show off your package. Assuming it's not a rolled-up sock, anyway. "Not too nervous, obviously," she said as she returned to his eyes.

He grinned. "I figured I'd take my chances. Can't be any worse off than I already am, right?" He offered a hand. "My name's Jedidiah."

She hesitantly accepted his hand with a dubious look. "'Jedidiah?'" she asked with a small chuckle. "Like from Star Wars?"

He leaned briefly to kiss her fingers, then straightened with a wry smile. "Yeah," he chuckled. "But it's really my name. Wanna see my driver's license?"

Lola chuckled. "No, that's okay."

He gestured to the vacant seat. "May I?"

She pursed her lips in thought. The fact that Jedidiah was gorgeous she could not dispute. But Parker had been a hunky stud, and she did not want to get caught up in a similar situation. But then, if all I'm gonna do is f**k . . . .

"Sure," she said.

His smile broadened as he took the chair. "Okay, step one accomplished."

"What's step two?"

Jedidiah shrugged. "I have no idea. I didn't think I'd get this far."

His humility made her chuckle, and for the first time in months, she felt a slight twinge of arousal in the pit of her stomach. She bit her bottom lip as she realized one thing, she wanted more.

* * * *

It's been hours and all they've been doing was sitting there talking. The music was booming loudly making them lean closer across the small table between them, faces mere inches apart, just so they could be heard.

"I can't hear what you're saying!" Lola blurted at one point with a laugh.

Jedidiah grimaced, looking around at the oppressive crowd surrounding them. They had both been shoved several times as partiers crowded the nearby bar. "Hey!"

"What!"

"Why don't we go somewhere else?"

Lola stared at him for a moment. This was the tipping point, she knew. She could not deny the insistence of her desire, which had been sparked, then fanned, then fueled into a full-blown inferno the more she spoke with Jedidiah. The fact that she wanted s*x was not up for debate. But, was she willing to give in to this gorgeous, smooth-talking, well-dressed man?

Heartbeats passed. Lola found herself licking her lips. The alcohol she had consumed made her braver than she would otherwise have been. She answered with a nod and a coy smile.

Jedidiah smiled back, slipping from his chair and extending his hand. Lola took it and settled her feet to the floor. She swayed for a moment as the rush of inebriated blood coursed through her. But Jedidiah was quick to steady the young woman with an arm around her waist, and he guided her through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd toward the door.

Once outside, the cool air and sudden freedom of movement made them both emit gratified sighs. Fanning away the cloud of cigarette smoke from a dozen or so nearby smokers, they made their way to the parking lot, with Lola taking out her phone on the way. The sudden clarity of the air as welcoming.

"I gotta tell my friend I'm leaving," she said, even as she started tapping on the screen.

"Sure," Jedidiah said with a smile.

Lola paused, looking up at Jedidiah. "Um . . . where are we going?"

He took a step past, then turned and faced her. "It's your call," he said. "We could, uh, grab something to eat, hit a little coffee bar just up the street, or . . . ."

Lola arched an eyebrow. "Or?" she prompted.

He smiled rakishly. "My hotel's just down the block," he said, punctuating his statement with a suggestive look.

Again, Lola couldn’t help but blush. She sucked in her lips a moment, thinking about her options. The fog of alcohol parted only for her desires to invade her mind. "Can I be honest with you?"

Jedidiah c****d his head. "Haven't we been all night?"

She smirked. "Okay, but, what I meant was, um . . . ." She trailed off, unsure of how to say what was on her mind.

He reached out and touched her cheek, brushing his thumb along the soft skin beneath a hazel-hued eye. "Before you say anything else, can I just tell you that I think you're incredibly beautiful?"

Briefly, Lola felt her knees wobble. She emitted a strained sighed. "Oh, God, don't say things like that," she said in a quavering voice.

"Why not?"

She huffed and stepped back. "Because I . . . I mean I'm not looking . . . I don't want . . . I mean, I just wanna . . ." She expelled deeply in frustration. "f**k!"

Jedidiah chuckled. "Okay, I can do that, too."

She looked back at him and let out a short, rude laugh. "Are you looking for a girlfriend?"

Jedidiah licked lips which had become somewhat dry from the two cocktails he had imbibed. "You want me to be honest?"

She nodded vehemently. "Yeah."

He shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said. "I know I like you, and I'm not gonna lie and say I haven't been undressing you all night with my eyes, but . . . if this is gonna be a 'first date' kinda thing, I'd be willing to go the distance."

Lola smiled sweetly. "God, why can't all guys just be honest like that?"

Jedidiah laughed. "'Cause if they were, I wouldn't have a chance?"

She echoed the laugh, then suddenly stepped close, nearly pressing her body to his. Her eyes, despite being dulled by alcohol, blazed fiercely. Her expression was one of seductive sincerity. "You have a chance," she breathed. "Look. I don't know if I want another relationship right now. I got f****d over by my ex and I'm feeling kinda shitty about myself. But I do know . . . ."

He lifted a hand and smoothed back a few strands of thick, curly brown hair from her face. "What do you know?" he asked, powerful dark eyes staring down into hers.

She trembled slightly. Blush rose hotly to her cheeks. "I know I wanna f**k you," she said at last.

He smiled, then lowered his head and lightly, wetly, slid his lips across hers. "My hotel it is, then," he whispered.