Chapter 3 One Night Stand

　　Sebastian POV

　　New York

　　Five Weeks Earlier 

　　I sat alone at the bar, nursing a glass of whiskey as I surveyed the wedding reception before me. The festivities were in full swing, and the room buzzed with laughter and joy. My brother's wedding was a grand affair, a celebration of love and commitment, and I was supposed to be reveling in the moment. But truth be told, I didn't want to be here.

　　My only sibling, my brother, had always looked out for me. He had been the protective older sibling, the one who stood up for me when I needed it most. It was only natural that I should be here to support him on his big day, to witness the union of two souls who had found love in each other's arms.

　　But as I watched the happy couple, my heart felt heavy with a sense of obligation. Attending this wedding was not something I truly desired, not because I wasn't happy for my brother, but because it felt like an intrusion into my meticulously constructed world of work and money.

　　The invitation had specified that I could bring a plus one, a thoughtful gesture that most guests had embraced. Yet, I had arrived alone. There simply hadn't been time in my busy schedule to seek out a suitable companion. My life revolved around work and money, and I had convinced myself that those were the only constants I needed. They were reliable, steadfast, and would never stand up and leave me one day.

　　My career had demanded my utmost dedication, and I had willingly given it. I had scaled the corporate ladder with ruthless determination, accumulating wealth and success along the way. But now, as I sat in this room filled with love and happiness, I couldn't help but feel like an outsider.

　　The guests around me were a sea of unfamiliar faces, friends and family members of the bride and groom whom I had only met in passing. They chatted animatedly, sharing stories and laughter, while I remained detached, an observer in a world that felt foreign.

　　My thoughts drifted to the string of failed relationships I had left in my wake. I had never been able to fully commit to any of them, always choosing work over love. My girlfriends had come and gone, each one worse than the other, as I struggled to find someone who could fit into my rigidly structured life.

　　Until she came into my line of sight.

　　She sat there, bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. It was as though time had stopped and in that suspended moment. 

　　"Sebastian," I said. Loud enough for her to hear. 

　　Her answer was feisty. 

　　In her eyes, I could see a fire. Behind her words, I could hear the hidden meanings. The burning questions. 

　　For this beautiful woman, I would do anything. And if that was fucking her in a bathroom stall at my brother's wedding then so be it. 

　　Her body fitted perfectly in my big hands. She was like a puzzle that had finally found its missing piece. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of mystery and vulnerability, and her smile held the promise of countless untold stories. Her presence alone was intoxicating, drawing me in like a moth to a flame.

　　I realized that seeing her beg was the hottest sight a man could ever witness.

　　I could sense from her body language that she was longing for something, something that eluded her grasp. She wanted to forget something. And in this moment the only thing I wanted her to forget is her name.

　　And then, just like that. The condom snapped. "Fuck!" I groaned as I was trying to pull away. Mia, however, pulled me closer. "Don't stop. I can't have kids anyway."

　　Her voice was barely above a whisper. In any other situation, I would've apologized and comforted her. But now I was only driven by lust. So I slammed my lips on her and continued. 

　　I will ask her when we're both not fucking each other's brains out. 

　　The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a warm and inviting glow into the room. As I slowly stirred awake, my hand reached out instinctively to the space beside me. It was then that I realized Mia was gone, leaving nothing behind but the echo of our passionate night.

　　For a moment, confusion washed over me. Had she stepped out briefly? Perhaps to grab breakfast or coffee? But as the seconds ticked by, it became evident that Mia had not just stepped out temporarily - she had disappeared without a trace, leaving no note or message behind.

　　A sense of disorientation washed over me. The memories of the night before flooded back into my consciousness, fragmented and hazy. After our passionate encounter in the restroom, we had somehow ended up here, but the details were a blur. I couldn't recall whether I had driven us to the hotel or if we had taken a cab. It was as if the night had cast a spell over my memory.

　　Half of the enthusiasm and warmth from the previous night seemed to extinguish within me. It was as if a flame that had briefly flickered to life had been snuffed out, leaving behind a sense of emptiness.

　　I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. Mia was beautiful - drop-dead gorgeous, in fact. Her presence had ignited something within me, something that I hadn't felt in a long time. It was as if her beauty had thawed the icy barrier around my cold heart, if only for a fleeting moment.

　　But now, as I lay in the quiet solitude of the hotel room, that heartfelt colder than ever. The warmth and connection we had shared had vanished along with her, leaving me with an ache of longing.

　　It became clear to me that Mia had no intentions beyond our one-night stand. She had been an enigmatic and alluring presence in my life, a passing comet that had briefly illuminated the night sky before disappearing into the darkness.

　　As I slowly got out of bed and began to gather my belongings, I couldn't help but wonder about Mia's motivations. Had she been seeking an escape from her own reality, just as I had? Or had our encounter meant nothing more to her than a momentary distraction from the complexities of life?

　　Although somewhat disappointed, I convinced myself to treat the encounter as a fleeting romance, a brief and passionate interlude that had no lasting consequences.