Prologue

"One glass of Jameson, please." He raised up his index finger, calling the attention of the bartender as he sat alone on the counter. 

He fished out for his phone from his jeans' front pocket, opened Clix from the home screen and started swiping left and right.

"Here you go," the bartender slid the cool, round glass in front of him. 

"Thank you." He looked up for a second, then returned his gaze and attention to the photos of different lovely girls on his screen, one swipe after another. Asian, Persian, Caucasian, Latina, European, African-American. He's been through them all, in all shapes, colors and sizes. Different girls for different occasions, just pure hook-ups, no strings attached.

He pleasured himself with the littlest things in life, sex included. He refused to live in a world with control, with limitations. He decided, he wanted to make the world his oyster, his own universe. 

A hedonist, he considered himself.

Swish, swish. Swipe left. Swipe left. Swipe left. 

He was starting to get impatient, waiting for his fuck-buddy, his match from the dating app. 

Loud music was banging through the entire area, intermingled with the heady scent of smoke, alcohol and sweat from the perspiring, gyrating, horny bodies on the dance floor. It assaulted his nostrils as he inhaled deeply.

Smoke rose and dissipated up in the air as he drew out a breath, followed by profusely long and huge drags off of his Newport cigarette.

Shot, drag, swipe. Inhale, exhale.

A ping on his phone distracted his thoughts, stopping him halfway from taking a puff from his cigarette. A message notification from the Clix app.

Stephanie

<09:34PM> I'm here. Where u at?

<......>

Finally. He left his cigarette hanging in between his lips, promptly typing a reply.

Jesse

<09:36PM> I'm seated by the bar, black and white checked shirt.

He darted his gaze around the bar, looking for his catch.

And there she was, long blonde hair, big blue eyes and crimson-painted full lips. 

Fuckable.

She was already making her way to the counter towards Jesse, sweaty bodies pressing and rubbing up against her.

Moments later, she took the seat beside him, touching his shoulder as she sat on the bar stool.

"Hi," Stephanie greeted and smiled, looking up at his blue and brown-speckled irises.

He looked at her quickly from head to toe. She was real pretty, but nothing exceptional, he thought. For him, she was just like all the other blonde girls he hooked-up and had sex with. Fresh from college, fresh in New York, he assumed. He was checking out her profile before he went off to the bar. 

He noticed she just started using Clix, and had probably gone in just two or three dates based on her profile's statistics. He even asked her if she had gone out to real formal dates with the previous guys she met via the dating app. Apparently, she was looking for someone serious. When he told her he wasn't up to any type of relationship, she still took the bait. Jesse was just too hot and delicious to be ignored and swiped left, especially for a one-night stand.

Jesse smiled stoically, he knew he's going to fuck her up real bad - being that it was her first real hook-up using Clix. They're just going to have sex, have some shallow, detached conversation, and then he'd leave. 

It was just always how it was, how he was. 

He didn't like dealing and toying with girls' emotions. It was too... complicated, and unnecessary. He was just there for the pleasure and not for any type of connection. He shuddered at the thought. 

"Hey," Jesse greeted her back. "Wanna do some shots?" He enticed, already calling for the bartender with his index finger up in the air. Jameson, he mouthed at at him silently.

"Oh, you've started without me," She remarked, her brows furrowed in surprise though quite amused. "Yeah, sure. Let's do some shots first."

"Let's cut to the chase," Jesse muttered, reaching for the shot glasses on the table and handing over the other one to her.

"What?" Stephanie asked, baffled.

"Let's cut to the chase," he repeated, then took a shot of his Jameson. "That's what's written on my profile's description."

"Uh, yeah, I noticed," she affirmed. She paused for a few seconds, trying to understand what he meant by what he's just said. "Um, are you trying to say-"

"Let's cut to the chase." He interrupted her and stated a third time, almost a suggestion. "I didn't come here to be your boyfriend, or whatever."

Stephanie raised her eyebrows at Jesse and twitched her lip into a shocked smile. "O-okay," she muttered. "So... shall we go to your place or mine?" She pouted and looked at him suggestively.

"Where's yours?" He asked, taking another puff from his cigarette. 

"I live just around the block, up on 11th and Mason," she bit her lower lip, trying to hide her excitement. She could just devour him right then and there. 

"Alright," Jesse was already reaching for a few dollar bills from his wallet. "Let's hit it up at your place."  

She took the shot glass, tipped it against her lower lip, and slid the amber fire down her throat.

He stood up, and Stephanie followed pursuit.

---

"Fuck, don't stop," Stephanie was crying out as Jesse relentlessly thrusted in and out of her. "Don't stop, don't stop! Don't stop!" She begged, moaning and gasping for air in between.

He stopped, finding his release. He grunted and groaned, cussing against her ear as he exhausted himself into one last thrust.

Jesse rolled to his side, out of breath, sticky and sweaty from sex. 

"Fuck," he muttered, his heart racing. He lifted his hand to his forehead and brushed his dark hair to the back of his head, trying to drag air into his lungs.

"Let's cuddle," Stephanie whispered. She was also panting. She lifted her head and rested it on Jesse's arm.

He sat then stood up abruptly from her bed, wincing as he pulled out the latex off of him and tied it at the open end. He quickly disposed of it at the small bin beside the door and hurriedly picked up his clothes on the floor.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, pulling the blanket up on her chest to cover her modesty. "Already?"

"Yeah," he replied nonchalantly as he straightened the waistband of his boxers, then hoisted up his foot to jump into his jeans. "I made you come, right? Three, four times?" 

Her jaw dropped, flustered with what he's just said. "Yeah, but-" 

"But I don't do the shit you're looking for." He stopped her mid-sentence. This was it. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

"That's it?" She lashed out, disappointed.

"I would have wanted to share a cigarette with you," he uttered, void of all emotions and not making eye contact. "But definitely not cuddles and kisses."

"Okay, asshole," Stephanie stood up, wrapping her fully naked self with the sheets. "Get the fuck out!"

"Gladly." Jesse smiled sardonically. He still hasn't buttoned up his checked shirt, but was already making his way out of her door. He reached down for his sneakers and just held them against his chest. He decided he'll just wear them on his way out.

"Fucking asshole!" She pushed him out of her apartment, violently banging the door at his face.

"Yeah, you're welcome!" He shouted from the outside. Dogs from the other units started barking, disturbing the stillness of the wee hours.

 He scooted down to wear and tie-up his sneakers. He stood up after a minute, then reached for his jeans' back pocket for a cigarette.

Jesse placed it in between his lips, and started walking downstairs.

He then paused and reached for his phone, opened Clix and started swiping. Again.

Swish, swish, swish.

A match! The app notified.

A smile crept up on his lips.