Beautiful, Stranger

Becky, 22 years old, red headed, wearing jeans, hat, mittens, a scarf and all the tops she had brought with her, met Gillian at Mrs Bean's, their favourite café from university days. It seemed like so long ago, and yet the reason Becky was back in town was for graduation, so it really hadn't been that long at all. Gillian was already there, the skinny, bespectacled brunette was dressed in her office gear as it was her lunch break, and looked out of place among the students in their mixture of ski jackets, woollen jerseys and layers of polypropylenes and t-shirts. She was reading from a manila folder, her highlighters lined up tidily next to her notes. Becky sat down opposite her and carefully picked up the green marker from the end of Gillian's neat row. With just as much care, she moved the orange and yellow ones a little and placed the green highlighter between them.

"Don't do that! You'll ruin my system!"

"Oh no!" Becky cried in mock panic, "What if you highlight a case in green and a precedent in orange?"

"Well the precedent wouldn't be a problem, they're supposed to be orange," Gillian explained, fully aware that Becky was making fun of her, but standing up for her colour system anyway, "But if the case is in green I'll think it's an appeal and get all confused!"

"So the big scary law firm hasn't made you change your system?"

"No, but I got into a big argument with the other intern about using red. He uses it for important sections, but it totally shouldn't be used at all. Red is blatantly a bad colour for highlighting."

Becky laughed, "Sounds like you fit right in."

"I love it," Gillian replied, "It fulfils all my nerdy needs."

Becky gave her a sly look, "But what about your other needs?"

Gillian's face lit up, "Actually!" She leaned forward and said in a low voice, "I saw Mr Red Highlighter at Heaven, a new bar, last night and we only just made it into work on time this morning!"

Becky raised her eyebrows and smiled, "And?"

Gillian's eyes closed in bliss, "I think I found my soul mate!"

"Really? That kinky?"

Gillian hushed Becky, "Jeez, don't tell the whole world! But yes, that kinky," she whispered.

Becky couldn't help but laugh as she eyed Gillian sideways, "You actually found the male version of you... obsessive compulsive geek by day, wild nympho by night."

"Don't tell anyone, but it might be love," Gillian giggled.

The dreadlocked, many-pierced waitress smiled at the two women and asked if they were ready to order. They asked for coffees and a bowl of nachos to share. Screw the diets, it was too cold to pretend a salad would be enough today.

"So what about you? I bet it's great being single again after all this time. I mean, it sucks about Blair and everything, but it's good to mix it up a bit, no?" Gillian had that look in her eye that Becky knew meant she was thinking about the wildest sex imaginable. It had been a talking point between them for months before Becky discovered Blair was sleeping around that Blair was only into the vanilla stuff, same thing every time and nowhere near often enough for Becky's liking. And Becky had thought it would be great to get out and try new things once she got over the hurt of being cheated on by the man she had thought was the one. However, despite some crazy nights with her old friend Hamish a few times, Becky felt strangely unsatisfied.

She sighed, "Well, you know I've always got Hamish to fall back on when I want something... creative, but I don't know..."

"Oh my god, I love Hamish. I swear I was considering flying up for the weekend just to pay him a visit - and you, of course. I was planning it for next weekend, actually, but then... Mr Red Highlighter," Gillian's eyes closed again and her satisfaction with the previous night's activities was evident in the smile on her face.

Becky laughed again, "What, he doesn't have a real name?"

Gillian's eyes opened suddenly and she cringed as she said with obvious disapproval, "Jono. Not John, not Jonathan, not even Johnny, but Jono. No, I much prefer Mr Red Highlighter. I just called him God in bed." That last was said with a wink and a grin. Becky cringed too when she'd said Jono. That had been the name of Gillian's first boyfriend, who'd freaked out when he'd discovered her wild side and told everyone she was a dirty slut. He'd not helped matters by taking part in an orgy a month after he'd dumped her, footage of which had made it onto youporn; so he was not only an asshole, but a hypocrite, too.

"Ugh, who could live with that name?" Becky pulled a face, but smiled her thanks at the waitress as she placed their coffees on the table.

"I know. I reckon I can get him to change it," Gillian giggled, "But seriously, I can't believe you're implying that Hamish, of all people, is not satisfactory. He's the most reliable go-to guy I can imagine for anyone needing a good fuck," she lowered her voice at the last word, although the café was noisy enough now that it was unlikely anyone would overhear their conversation.

"I know, and it was good, and he's definitely imaginative, which is what I thought I wanted, but it just didn't feel... complete. I don't know, maybe I'm still in love with Blair and just can't admit it."

"Aw, Becky-Beck, Blair's an asshole. A boring-in-bed asshole in fact."

"I know, but I was in love. Maybe sex can just never be the same after you've been in love like that."

"Really? Wait, no way, I've been in love before and I still love sex."

"Well, I don't know! The whole time I was with Blair I thought the only thing missing was a little kinky sex every now and then; but now I just want to make love again. I don't want a relationship, but to be honest I can't stand the thought of just being fucked. It makes me feel dirty. I want... I wish there was, like, some kind of system where you could just order exactly the kind of sex you want and get it, just like that, no strings, no ulterior motives, no emotional baggage."

"Um, I think you're talking about prostitutes, hun."

Becky stared at Gillian for a moment, thinking about paying someone for the sex she wanted, then shook her head, "If I paid for it there would be emotional baggage. I just don't think I could."

Gillian laughed in disbelief, "Oh my God, Becky-Beck just seriously considered hiring a male hooker!" Becky couldn't help it, she laughed, too.

In the midst of their laughter, their nachos arrived and the waitress smiled at the fact that they seemed happy. Gillian closed her folder and put it in her handbag along with her pencil and highlighters. Becky took a corn chip and dipped it first in the beans and then the sour cream. It was deliciously warm on such a miserable day.

"I hope the weather's going to be better for the graduation parade tomorrow," she said with her mouth full.

"Mmm, me too," agreed Gillian. "Oh that reminds me, I made reservations at The Turkish Place for dinner and Amy and Hillary have taken over Baden and the boys' flat for a graduation party." She was about to take her first bite - unlike Becky, she was always tidy and proper and never spoke with her mouth full (except maybe in bed), when her face lit up with an idea, "Maybe you could hook up with Baden tomorrow night!"

Becky grimaced, "Baden? That would be like having sex with my brother!"

"Your brother's hotter than Baden."

"Shut up." They laughed and Gillian finally began to help Becky with the nachos. Becky told Gillian about the magazine she was working for, the new tablet she'd bought for her computer, how she was actually enjoying living on her own after two years with Blair. They gossiped about what everyone else from their first-year law class was doing now. They suspected that they were the only two who were actually happy with their jobs, and Becky thanked goodness she'd realised law wasn't for her early on and had switched to graphic design.

After a while Gillian said, "Okay, so you don't want to hook up with Hamish, or Baden, or anyone like Blair or Mr Red Highlighter, or your brother-"

"Gillian!"

"So who do you want? You must have someone in mind."

"Oh, I don't know. No-one I know already. I want to make love, nothing kinky, just nice, sweet love with a tall, dark, handsome stranger, no strings, no drama."

"Jeez, you don't ask much, do you?"

* * *

Luke was suffering from a terrible hangover. He'd been out the night before and gone home with a cute blonde university student who'd kicked him out of her room as soon as the dirty was done. He'd gotten outside only to find his wallet missing. He turned around and knocked on the door but there was no answer. He called out all kinds of horrible things to no avail. He cursed himself for being so careless and wasting his time with just another blonde tramp who wanted it quick and dirty and would probably take all the spare cash from his wallet to boot, even if she did return it. With no means of getting home, he'd walked to his sister's flat and found a small gathering of people playing drinking games and smoking pot in the living room. They'd encouraged him to join in and he hadn't gotten to sleep until after four. At seven he woke up in a panic and tried to wake his sister to ask her for money. She refused to wake up and he resigned himself to calling in sick to work and went back to sleep on her couch.

Just after midday he awoke again to find the flat empty except for a big Samoan guy using the computer in his sister's room, who explained he was her boyfriend and was using her computer to start and finish an assignment that was due in five hours. He didn't have any money but he told Luke his sister was at work as she didn't have any classes on Fridays.

Luke was glad for his coat, but wished he had taken one of his sister's millions of scarves as he walked to the café where she worked. It was lunch time and busy when he entered, and he almost turned straight around again to avoid the noise that hit his already hammering head, but he spotted his sister's dreadlocks and made his way over to her. She smiled sweetly as she always did and handed over her ATM card and scribbled her PIN number on an old receipt.

"There's only forty dollars on there and I need to pay my library fines, but use what you need and pay me back tomorrow, I'm working here again from eleven to six."

Luke kissed her cheek and promised to pay her fines for her. As he was leaving, he saw a gorgeous redhead in a green woollen hat and scarf, and paused as he passed her table long enough to overhear a part of her conversation with her suited brunette friend. He smiled to himself and walked on, thinking what a great snippet of conversation to overhear. He went to the nearest ATM and withdrew his sister's money, but the red-head's sentence kept replaying in his mind, even as he tried to remember where the blonde from the night before lived. He started off towards the street he vaguely remembered from the previous night, but after half a block stopped suddenly. He turned around and walked back towards the café On the way he passed a stationery store. He bought a pen and scribbled out his sister's PIN number from the back of the receipt. Then he wrote a note and hurried back to the café. He arrived just in time to see the redhead and her friend hugging goodbye on the footpath outside.

"I'll meet you at nine tomorrow morning," the brunette said and walked away. The redhead turned and almost bumped into Luke.

"Oh, sorry," she apologised and went to walk around him. He held out his hand and touched her shoulder to stop her, then smiled down at her and pressed the tattered old receipt into her hand. He stood there just long enough to see her return his smile and look bewildered that he was giving her something, then he dipped his head as if tipping his hat and strode away, not daring to look back.

He found the blonde's place and a different blonde opened the door. She grinned when he asked if Jenny was in.

"Jenna isn't here, but said she was going to take your wallet to the police station, stud."

She closed the door before he had time to apologise for getting the girl's name wrong, but he realised she didn't care. He picked up his wallet, sans cash as he had expected, and went to reserve a room at the Highlander Hotel after stopping by the university library and paying his sister's fines.

The next day on his lunch break, he battled the graduation crowds on the main street to reach the café and return his sister's card and money. After work, he had a few beers with his colleagues, grabbed dinner at Minami, his favourite Japanese restaurant, spent an hour or so at the gym and made his way to the Higlander to wait, slightly nervously, not really expecting her to show, but hoping she would.

* * *

Becky said goodbye to Gillian and turned to go back to her motel, where she was staying with her parents for graduation weekend. She'd barely taken a step however, when she found herself about to walk into a tall dark man in a blue coat.

"Oh, sorry," she apologised and went to walk around him. He held out his hand and touched her shoulder to stop her, then smiled down at her. He had liquid brown eyes and dark stubble across his jaw. He looked slightly dishevelled, but Becky couldn't help but smile back. She frowned a little when he pressed something into her hand, but then he dipped his head as if tipping his hat and was gone. Becky blinked, confused, and looked at the corner where he'd just disappeared. She opened her hand and unfolded what looked like an old receipt. It was faded and she couldn't make out what it was for, but then she turned it over and saw the numbers 7010 crossed out, and the following words:

"Just nice, sweet love, no strings, 10pm tomorrow, Highlander Hotel"

Becky was confused for a moment, then her eyes widened in disbelief. Someone had overheard her and Gillian's conversation! How embarrassing! But then... did that cute stranger actually want to meet up with her? She smiled excitedly and felt a stirring between her legs as she looked up in the direction he'd walked off. She skipped a little as she made her way back to her parents at the Gardens Motel.

The next day she and Gillian giggled like schoolgirls as they discussed the note and the mysterious stranger, who Gillian said she hadn't seen at the café, either, while they collected their graduation regalia and greeted friends all around campus. They paraded in a big group of ex-flatmates and classmates and study buddies and drinking buddies along the main street to the town hall where the graduation ceremony took place. Their parents met for the first time and toasted their futures with the complimentary wine in the marquee beside the town hall as a light rain fell. In the evening they went to The Turkish Place for dinner, then the parents all went home to their Saturday night television and the girls met Amy and Hillary and a whole lot of others at Baden's flat.

Becky was still not sure she was going to go to the hotel, but she had prepared herself and her handbag with everything she might need, just in case. Gillian was all for it and encouraged her to take the leap, promising to answer her phone and be prepared to respond to the coded signal for help they had arranged in case anything went wrong. Becky would text her the room number as soon as she found out, and Gillian would show up with their biggest male friends at midnight if she hadn't heard anything.

Becky made sure only to have a little wine, but found herself getting more and more excited as the evening went on. At 9.45, she didn't even need Gillian's pep talk, but said goodnight to her and they both had secret smiles on their faces. She caught a taxi to the Highlander Hotel and approached the reception nervously.

"Um, hi, has there been um, a tall dark man check in?" she mumbled.

The receptionist seemed to have been expecting her, "Mrs Bean?"

Becky almost laughed out loud, and was glad she could think fast enough to recognise the name of the café outside which she'd bumped into the man the previous day. "Yes, that's me."

"Room 312. He's already up there." The woman smiled and nodded in the direction of the elevator. Becky thanked her and quickly sent a text message to Gillian: "Rm 312. Goin up nw." She thought the man must be at least somewhat intelligent, if not altogether calculating, to have pulled this off. She felt a familiar stirring deep inside her as the elevator arrived on the third floor and she walked up the corridor.

Room 312. She paused outside the room and almost turned around and left, but instead took a deep breath and knocked lightly. She heard movement inside the room and her heart beat fast. Becky eyed the emergency staircase at the end of the hallway and stood ready to kick off her heels and run. She couldn't tell if the dampness she felt in her underwear was from nervous sweat or sexual anticipation. The door opened. Inside the room was candle-lit. The dark-haired man stood there in a light blue shirt, dark blue jeans and bare feet. He had shaved and when he smiled, Becky felt her legs weaken beneath her. She smiled back.

"Hi," she said, unable to take her green eyes off his deep brown ones.

"Hi. I'm glad you came," he said, and his voice was smooth and sounded like the colour of a good red wine. He took a step forward, lowered his head and pressed his lips lightly against hers. He paused a moment and felt her breath on his skin, then kissed her tenderly but deeply, closing his eyes and placing his left hand on her upper right arm. He felt her raise her head back and when she began to return his kiss, he felt his pulse in his groin and almost forgot to breathe. This was really going to happen.

Becky kept her eyes open at first, but soon gave in to the kiss, tilted her head towards him and felt herself relax. She kissed him back and touched her hand to his elbow. With her other hand, she reached up to feel the skin on his neck just below his ear. It was soft and she felt a thick curl brushing against her hand. She ran her fingers up through his hair and stepped forward at the exact same moment as he stepped back. Lips locked, they entered the hotel room and he closed the door behind them. Then his right hand was on her cheek, they broke the kiss and looked into one another's eyes. They both smiled and they kissed again, lightly, twice, before he took her hand in his and led her to the bed. He sat down and pulled her into his lap. She let herself be pulled and pressed her chest against his, reaching her face up for another kiss. Her arms went around his neck and his hands held her just below her shoulder blades, then he rubbed them down her sides and felt her waist curve in through her long woollen coat. He reached her hips and slid his hands upwards again, kissing her with a gentleness that belied the burning desire he felt rising within him. He felt her arms retreat from his neck and didn't feel them reconnect with his body. He stopped kissing her and pulled his face back enough to see she was trying to undo the buttons on her coat. He slipped one arm around her back, under her arm to support her, and helped her undo the large green buttons on the black coat. Beneath it he saw she wore a silky low cut dress of a bright light green. Her pale chest moved with her breath and he couldn't help but stare at her cleavage as he pushed back one side of her coat to reveal a milky shoulder, bare but for the thin strap of her dress. She leaned in and kissed him again as she stood and dropped her other shoulder so the coat slid off, into his lap and then onto the floor between his legs. He felt the combination of her warmth and the chill air from outside as it fell on his bare feet. Her hands were on his cheeks and she was standing just to the side of him, leaning down to kiss his lips, and he placed his large warm hands around her cool shoulders, pulling her close to him as he leaned back slowly.