THE ONE NIGHT STAND(1)

Sophia's POV

I stormed into my room, slamming the door behind me.

What had just happened? Mom slaps me, and now she just sends me away? Really? The anger welled up inside me, and then it seemed like something broke inside me. I began breaking everything in sight. I smashed my vase, ripped my posters, and kicked my bed. I screamed and cried, but I did not care.

"How could she do this to me?" I yelled at the top of my voice. "How could she just slap me and not even apologize?"

My room was a mess, and I didn't even bother cleaning it up. I didn't care.

It seemed as if my whole world had come crumbling, and I didn't know what to do.

Just as I was about to break something else, I remembered I was supposed to meet up with Emily at the club downtown. So quickly, I wiped my tears and began freshening up: applied some makeup to cover up the redness of my face. I put some music on and started dancing just to get my mind off things.

I was working my way out the house and heard my mom's voice. She was on the phone, and she was giggling. I froze, and crept closer to her door to eavesdrop on her conversation.

"Oh, baby, I miss you so much," she cooed. "I wish you were here right now."

My heart sank, and she was speaking to that mystery lover of hers. A wave of rage swept over me.

"She doesn't even care about me," I thought to myself. "She would rather talk to him than apologize for hitting me."

I stood there and listened as my mom would further her conversation, getting more upset by the second. How could she do this to me? How could she just so easily not even care? I thought of how much I needed to get out, how much I needed to be away from her.

As I walked to the club, my head was full of my mother. I couldn't believe she had done this to me. I couldn't believe she would rather talk to her lover than come to apologize for hitting me.

"I hate her," I thought. "I hate her so much."

But by the time I actually reached the club and saw Emily waiting for me, I did try to shove those thoughts aside. I tried to enjoy myself and not think about Mom anymore, but it wasn't easy. The anger and hurt were still there, bubbling along just below the surface.

I stumbled over to where Emily and Jack were seated, my high heels clicking on the floor. Jack's face contorted into concern as he took in my appearance. "What's wrong, Sophia?" he asked, his voice low and soothing.

Emily was now whispering softly to him about my mom's sextape scandal and my parents' divorce. Jack's face fell, and Emily laid a warm, comforting hand on mine. "Don't worry, Soph. We'll get you drunk and forget all about it."

I nodded, my throat lumping. The hours after that went in a daze of drinks and screams while my body found itself swaying to the music.

The lights around flashed and swirled in colors that seemed to make my head spin. I laughed with Emily and joked with her while feeling my worries fly off my shoulder with each minute that passed by.

But suddenly, Emily was off and running out of the club like her life depended on it, hair flying behind her like a banner.

Jack took off after her, his broad shoulders disappearing into the crowd. "Hey, guard! Stay with Sophia, I'll be right back," he called out as he left.

I nodded, but I was too drunk to care. I stumbled out of the main area, my feet carrying me on a journey through the club. I wandered down a dark hallway lined with velvet curtains tugged open. I was looking for the bathroom, but instead, I found a room that seemed to pulse with its own rhythm.

Inside, the strippers were dancing on some raised platform or dais, dancing like snakes . The music played a driving, insistent beat that somehow caught into my heartbeat, which was already pretty slow sbd sensual. Mesmerized, I watched the spinning and twisting display before me, skins agleam with sweat and oil, maybe both.

But my gaze fell on the man in a seated position, back to the couch, watching strippers with an expression of utter boredom. He was a study in contrasts-chiseled features and a well-defined jawline with the lazy smile that played at the lips, the cigarette he smoked, its fumes curling themselves around him.

I tripped over some wires, and the music died, the sudden silence after it a slap in the face. He looked up, his eyes narrowing as he took in my disheveled appearance. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

I giggled, feeling reckless. "I didn't expect you to react," I said, my voice slurred. "I thought you were just a statue or something."

The man raisedan eyebrow, his face dry. "Why would you think that?" he asked with drizzling sarcasm.

I mocked him, my hand waving in drama. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because you have a room full of strippers dancing for you and you are not even sexually excited. What is wrong with you?" I asked, my eyes stuck down there.

The man's face didn't change, but there was a hint of mischief in his voice. "No one can excite me," he said, low. "They're just here to entertain me." He said, lifting my face up with his index finger.

I arched an eyebrow, feeling a challenge. "Oh, really? Well, I bet I can excite you."

His eyes met mine, and for a second, I thought I saw a flicker of interest. Then his face went to neutral, and he said, "I'm not interested in playing games with you little girl."

I just smiled, feeling confident. "We'll see about that," I said, my voice a purr.

I undressed, bit by bit, the cool air stroking my skin. The man's eyes followed my every movement, his expression unreadable.

"I bet," I said, my voice slurred, "that I can make you aroused. If I win, you have to do whatever I want. But if I lose.I'll do whatever you want."

His eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other.

Then he nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Very well," he said. "Let's play."