One Night, One Line
It's been nearly four weeks since the night she had sex with a total stranger.
Tessa Bloom has done everything she can just to forget that night ever happened. She knew very well whatever happened that night was reckless and inasmuch as she tries to blame everything on the alcohol she took, she knew she was responsible.
The feeling of loneliness enveloped her. For some time now she's been waking up nauseous. Maybe she's down with the flu.
Food lost its appeal and coffee only made her stomach hurt. She thinks she's just emotionally drained. The heartbreak was having a toll on her.
She told no one, until Maya showed up unannounced on a Sunday morning, with Chinese takeout in one hand, and a bottle of wine in the other.
“You look like hell,” Maya said, as she stepped into the living room. She dropped the paper bag on the coffee table and stared at Tessa. “Girl, you look pale, don't tell me that scumbag got you sulking.”
“No, I just haven't had much of an appetite, and I think I'm down with the flu or something.” Tessa muttered, hugging a throw pillow to her chest.
“The flu? Why ain't you in the hospital already?” Tessa could see Maya was genuinely concerned.
She didn't want her to worry about her, so she decided to spill some tea.
“I had sex with some guy at the club the last time we were out?” Tessa felt lighter sharing her not-so-secret secret with her friend. “The night you kept calling, I was in his bed.”
Maya looked like she's going to have a stroke. “Thirsty Bitch!!” She mouthed.
“Girl, how dare you keep such juicy information from me?” Maya teased, nudging Tessa with her elbow.
“I knew you were going to make it weird.”
“Now I'm hurt, but we're here now, I want you to tell me every single detail.”
Tessa recounted the events of that night, how the night blurred from too much drinks, to reckless kisses and sex. Just the feeling of being wanted for the first time in weeks got her tripping.
“I wasn't thinking,” Tessa admitted, eyes fixed on the floor. “He was just there, I needed to feel something else. Anything but what I was feeling.
“Tess, I don't blame you. Girl you needed it, but tell me you used protection.”
Almost immediately Tessa's face fell. She could swear they were too carried away to think of that. Now she was visibly shaking.
“Noooooo, Tessa this is the biggest fuck up in the history of fuck ups.” Maya gave Tessa her signatory reprimanding look.
“I wasn't thinking.”
“Hello yeah, you weren't.” Maya stood up and walked to the coffee table. She needed a drink, almost immediately something struck her.
“When was the last time you saw your period?” She turned to face her not-so-careful best friend.
Tessa stiffened, caught off guard by the question. And she remembered missing her period, but that wasn't the first time. It always happened whenever she was stressed.
Reading her friend's reaction Maya knew her worst fear was about to happen.
Picking her keys from the table, Maya stormed out of the house, without saying a word to her friend.
Thirty minutes later, they were in Tessa's bathroom.
The pregnancy test kit sat on the sink counter like a secret waiting to break.
Tessa was nervous, she knew she couldn't be pregnant. She was just stressed and all she had to do was rest. Her hands were visibly shaking, she couldn't wait for the result so she could rub it on Maya’s face.
When the timer beeped, neither of them reached for it, they both looked at each other.
“I can't do it,” Tessa said.
“Fine.” Maya stepped in, picked up the kit and Tessa didn't need to be told what the result was. That one single line was going to change her life forever.
She broke down, and cried. Tessa felt her world tilting, like gravity had been reaped from beneath her feet.
“I don't even know his name,” she murmured. “God, Maya I'm such a fool. Who gets pregnant for a stranger?” Tessa was being hysterical.
“I know, but I want you to know that you'll be fine. We'll come up with something. I'm here for you, always.” Maya held her, trying to pacify her. “So what do we do now?”
“I’m not keeping it. Never.”
“Are you sure about that?” Maya asked, her voice masked with concern.
“I don't know.”
.
.
.
That night, Tessa sat in her bedroom, legs pulled to her chest. She was staring into nothingness.
Somewhere out there, a man she barely knew, was walking around clueless of the result of a one night stand he had at his hotel few weeks back. He left a piece of himself inside of her.
She felt so stupid, what if he was a robber or even a serial killer. Is her baby going to turn out to be just like its father, whoever he is?
As the city lights blinked against the night sky, Tessa rose from the bed and wandered to the window.
She pressed her palm against the cool glass, staring into the world that felt too big for the secret she now carried. And in here was a heartbeat that would change everything.
She remembered the depth of his rasp voice, the strong scent of sandalwood and cinnamon from his cologne, the way he handled her like she was fragile and wild at the same time. He made her cum multiple times leaving her raw and now heavy.
Behind her, the silence of her apartment hit her hard. Turning to her reflection on the glass, she whispered.
“I don't need him.”
But even she wasn't sure if she believed that.
Her phone buzzed, bringing her back to reality.
I can't wait to meet our little angel, guess what….i need to start shopping for matching outfits because you'll be birthing a mini-me.
I love you friend
Maya
Tessa smile
d, she didn't know what she'd have done without Maya.
She's decided to have the baby.