One Night Stand With The Alpha

Sunday 23rd June 1991 - Marlene

Accepting Daniels offer had seemed so obvious at the time, and I hadn’t regretted it at all during the day, but as soon as I got back I had to face Biata’s judgmental stares and the way she made snide comments every time I was in the same room with her.

It had been such a strange concept to me when Daniel asked me to consider a relationship with him knowing that it couldn’t last any more than a few weeks, but I hadn’t considered it seedy and I didn’t think it made me a slut to give myself a chance to be happy with this guy who had already made me feel more alive than Theo ever had.

I should have known better than to let Biata get to me.

She didn’t even know about the deal I had made with Daniel - she was still annoyed at me for the one-night stand, and I don’t think she could let that drop even if she wanted to.

I spent most of the day in my bedroom in an attempt to avoid her. She always seemed to know when I was about to come out of my room, though, and it was impossible to ignore her because she went out of her way to make me aware of how disapproving she was.

My only saving grace was Elizabeth. She didn’t let Biata bully her or make her feel ashamed for normal teenage behavior, and I felt significantly less guilty about my own situation when I heard the things that Biata was mad at her for.

I knew that she wouldn’t judge me, and that I could talk to her if I wanted someone who might understand.

Maybe she had been in a relationship like this before, and she would have advice about how to handle it or to stop myself feeling way too much for a guy who had made it perfectly clear this could only last for a few weeks, because… because the more I thought about it, the more I was thinking how stupid it had been for me to agree to it.

I liked him.

I didn’t love him, but I liked him in a way that was far more meaningful than anything I had ever felt for Theo.

Daniel had been right - we had a connection that was more than just physical attraction.

Even if it was only a physical thing, there was nothing to be ashamed about. He was an attractive man, and he seemed to think I was attractive, too.

Biata sneered at me as I made myself a cup of coffee.

It made me groan.

The coffee wasn’t as good as the expensive stuff I had when I was with Daniel yesterday, and it really wasn’t worth the look I was getting from Biata.

I ended up tipping it down the sink rather than finishing it, because I just couldn’t stand to be around her.

I was happier than I could have imagined when Elizabeth came bounding down the staircase as I was about to leave.

She was always so full of joy, and she was not going to let Biata ruin that now.

She threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek as if we were sisters - or at least people who had known each other for more than a week.

“And just where were you last night, huh? I was going to send out a search party if you didn’t get back when you did.”

I blushed. That was the only answer she needed, even though she had clearly known exactly where I was.

Thank f**k I had been with Daniel and not some other guy. That would not have been a good look, and I would never have lived it down.

Not that I would have gone back if it was another guy. Daniel wasn’t just a guy, either. He was my boyfriend… sort of… in our own, weird way.

We hadn’t decided on a name for our weird non-relationship, but I guess boyfriend was not an unreasonable thing to call him. We were exclusive to each other for the time being, and that meant that we were definitely more than nothing.

“I would love to hear all about your adventure… I think you have had a far more satisfying first week than I have and it would be nice to live vicariously because I have definitely not had anyone rich and handsome showing up at the house to ask me for lunch… perhaps you can give me some tips?”

I was cringing, and Biata looked like she might strangle Elizabeth, but she angrily pushed her chair back from the table and stormed out of the room.

I thought that Elizabeth might have done that deliberately to get her to leave, but she continued her friendly questioning when Biata was gone and I realized she did actually want me to tell her about everything I had done with Daniel.

Things which I should definitely not be talking about at the kitchen table with the world's biggest prude moderating our every word…

“So… are you going to tell me who the hell this guy is or am I going to have to ask you another hundred times? Because he is clearly loaded and I am desperate to know what it is he does, and what the hell it is you did to make him so desperate to see you again… not that you aren’t attractive and charming, but… you must know what I mean. The guy is almost inhumanly hot.”

“I really don’t know how to respond to more than half of that… he told me his dad is funding this, and mentioned some stuff about taking over a family business. I guess they have a company or something? I honestly have no idea.”

“I don’t suppose you spent a lot of your time talking…”

“Elizabeth!”

I hissed her name rather sternly, but she was not bothered by that.

“Look - I am not judging you, OK? And if you would rather have a heart to heart about how stunningly beautiful his eyes are, that is also fine with me. I can just see how excited that guy makes you and I know it drives me mad when I am falling for a guy and no one wants to hear about it.”

I looked around just in case Biata had come back downstairs to lecture us, and then closed the door to the kitchen.

Elizabeth made coffee, which still tasted terrible compared to the stuff I had been treated to when I stayed with Daniel, and we sat down at the kitchen table together to have the kind of conversation I had never even imagined I might listen to, let alone have a starring role in…

I tested the water a little, telling her about the place he took me for lunch.

She wasn’t bored, but she had definitely been expecting something more interesting than a recommendation for somewhere to get coffee.

“Can I ask you something?”

I was almost whispering, and I leaned forward slightly.

She grinned as she realized I was about to reveal something that was actually worth paying attention to.

“Of course.”

“Is it wrong of me to do this?”

She raised one of her eyebrows and folded her arms across her chest.

“Marlene - I have no idea what ‘this’ is. Will you be offering him your services as a dominatrix, or robbing a bank at gunpoint?”

I groaned and ran my hands down my face.

I did not want to give her all the gory details, but she was right - she had no idea what I had agreed to and so she couldn’t offer her honest opinion.

“It’s nothing that drastic… I don’t think so, anyway. He asked me if I wanted a relationship, but he has to go back to take over from his father in a few weeks and it can’t last any longer than that. It felt like the right thing to do at the time, but since I got back last night I have been questioning myself and I don’t know if it is the stupidest thing I have ever agreed to.”

“Stupid?” she laughed. “Marlene, agreeing to a short-term relationship like that is far from stupid. You’re a first year medical student - you are not going to have time for serious relationships and love for a long time. I honestly think an arrangement like that is my dream scenario right now. He’s cute, he likes you, and maybe if things work out, you’ll decide you want to find a way to make it work in the long term… if not, it probably won’t be something you regret. There’s a reason there are loads of stupid movies and stuff about summer flings; it is nothing to be ashamed of.”