One-Night Stand...

I've never experienced this. More to the point, I have very strong objections of the notion, and skepticism over the fact that this could happen in the first place. I literally screamed at the TV screen each time I watch this developing story line, and glowered at the opened book when I read a similar thing, busily thinking to myself, "your conscience should kick in right about now!" I refused to believe that a) first of all, you could be that wasted past all coherence, thrill and excitement notwithstanding; and b) that even if you are more than midly intoxicated, that all your coherence will go out the window - clouded, granted; lowered, yes; but nonexistent?

It doesn't mean, however, that my characters share the same conviction; one of the good things about creating fictional characters is that you can put them through whatever, and control the outcome (or not... sometimes my mind just runs off with a storyline, and my hand would write as fast as it allow me to do, and voila! Even I was surprised at the end result).

So here's a bit of a snippet I've been working on, about Evelyn, the character of my latest novel (yet to be titled), the always calculated, careful girl, making a slip of a judgement and finding herself, unexpectedly, in the arms of her ex-boyfriend-slash-good-friend...

Driven by inexplicable impulse she could only describe later on as having consumed way too much booze, therefore clouding her coherence and otherwise sound judgment, she stretched both her arms out, shuffling closer as soon as Eric helped pull her up to a sitting position, coyly placing her head on his chest, her mane rustling against his cotton shirt as she nuzzled her head further, trying to find a comfortable, hollow spot.

Quickly recovering from his ultimate startlement upon witnessing the most forward, almost bordering on flirtatious gesture his demure ex-girlfriend had ever given him throughout their seven-year friendship, Eric wrapped his arms around Evelyn’s hunched shoulders, a palm gently stroking the length of her silky chestnut hair, the effect on the girl growing more and more inert was rather hypnotising that Evelyn’s head began to nod off.

“Eve?” Eric called, shaking her lightly.

“Mmm,” came the mumbled answer from Evelyn’s unmoving lips.

“Eve!”

“Huh…? What?” She pulled back and blinked groggily, staring at him in utter disorientation as if she had just met him.

“Perhaps… you should… uh…”

Eric couldn’t understand why he was suddenly shy at the thought of suggesting to his close friend that she should have a proper lie down, his head jerking vaguely to the direction of the hallway, where her bedroom door stood ajar at the opposite end, his cheeks burning.

As if they had forged a silent truce Evelyn wanted to honour, she simply nodded, putting all her weight on Eric as he offered his support, giggling helplessly as she toppled off-balance, landing in a rather undignified pose on top of Eric.

“Oof!” both of theme exclaimed in unison; Evelyn for bumping her head onto her friend’s sturdy chest, and Eric because the girl, in an effort to break her fall, had braced an arm out, her hand pressing on the sensitive spot of his thigh.

Evelyn’s hilarious cackle disappeared as she looked up, brows furrowing as she met Eric’s eyes; he was regarding her with an extremely foreign expression she had never seen before; not even during their brief romantic relationship in high school.

“Eric…”

Cradling the curve of her skull firmly on his broad hands, Eric pulled her up, aiming his lips on hers, the heat of his passion burning through her skin.