music recommendation: Houdini by dua lipa

After going through an awful breakup and losing her only paying job in the same week, Rebecca wanted nothing more than to drown her sorrows in the sweet embrace of liquid courage. She had come to numb her pain, to forget the past, to escape the remnant of a love now in tatters.

And her friends had planned to do everything within their power to get their friend back to her old self!

"ohh! You know what you should do?" a tall red haired woman dressed in a flamboyant furry jacket and a slutty black dress that pulled up all the way to her thigh and sliver stiletto heels, leaned over to a not so sober Rebecca who had on a red latex dress that hugged her body tightly, extenuating the curves of her breast and hips, her cheek was rosy from all the drinks she'd had that evening as she leaned over to hear what her friend was trying to tell her over the loud music played by the DJ which pumped through the large room like a heartbeat.

"what?" Rebecca asked.

"you should totally get laid by the next guy you bump into!" the red-haired woman said, much to the excitement of the other woman with the leopard print leather pants and a corset vest, that had been sitting at the round booth with them, except for Rebecca who could barely fathom what her friend had just said.

"what?! I'm not gonna sleep with some random stranger, Anne. Why would you even suggest that?" Yelled Rebecca over the loud music with a frown. But Anne just rolled her eyes, dismissing her friends shock with a wave of her hand.

"why not?! It's really not a big deal! Loosen up a bit, would ya?" She took another swing from the glass of cocktail in her hand as she leaned back in the leather chair, laughing.

"yeah baby! Anne is right. Since we got here, you've barely managed to keep a conversation with a guy, come on!" said Jacklin who was sitting to the left of her, her eyes sparkling with trouble.

"you too, Jacklin?!"

"it's just for one night, come on."

"but what about – "

"...Jacob? probably off somewhere getting his freak on with some whore…" the very mention of that low life had Jacklin wishing she could driver the spikes of her heels into his crotch for what he did to her dear friend. "…forget about him baby! Tonight, is all about you!"

Rebecca rolled her eyes, annoyed at her friend's insistence, but deep down she knew they were right. A small voice inside her whispered that maybe it was time to move on, to embrace the future. She took a deep breath, swallowed the remnants of her wounded pride with the shot of whiskey that sat idly on the glass table, and let herself give into the music and the liquor.

"Fine!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "one night, just one night. No strings attached!"

The two women whooped in excitement as they took their final shots, laughing and giggling as they pulled their friend to her feet. The neon lights of the club pulsed around them as they weaved their way through the throng of bodies on the dance floor, pulling Rebecca with them. They moved to the beat, carefree and uninhibited, laughter spilling out of their lips and into the air.

Anne, with her wild red hair bouncing in the strobe lights, raised her hands above her head, her body moving in perfect sync with the music.

Jacklin, with her dark hair and smoldering gaze wrapped her arms around Rebecca's waist, whispering in her ear, "loosen up, baby! You deserve this!"

Rebecca, her long brunette locks flowing freely as she surrendered to the rhythm, closed her eyes and let the alcohol course through her veins. For a moment, she forgot about her shitty life, about her shitty ex-boyfriend, Jacob. She let the music take hold of her, guiding her movements as her friends danced around her, forming a protective cocoon of laughter and love.

They danced as if the night would never end, as if tomorrow would never come. And, for just a fleeting moment, it seemed as if it wouldn't.

Rebecca, her head still spinning from the cocktails and the dancing, excused herself to go find a bathroom, weaving her way through the crowd. Suddenly she found herself lost in a sea of bodies, the throbbing music and flashing lights making it impossible to find her bearings.

As she turned a corner, a tall broad-shoulder man in a well-tailored suit seemed to materialize out of thin air, blocking her path. She bumped into him, a bit harder than she intended, nearly toppling over from the force. But before she could fall, she felt a pair of firm strong arms wrap around her small waist, pulling her closer, steadying her and preventing her from falling. She could feel the warmth of his body, the firmness of his grip, and the scent of his cologne filling her senses. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized what was happening, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"oh god, I…I'm so sorry" she stuttered as she tried to pull herself away from his grip, but he didn't let go, at least not immediately. The hard expression on his face smoothened over as it was then replaced with a playful smirk at her apology.

"no need to apologize, I'm much harder to knock over than you'd think," he replied with a hint of flirtatiousness in his gaze as he eyed the attractive woman he had caught hold off earlier.

His unexpected response threw Rebecca off guard, but she quickly recovered, regaining her footing, both figuratively and literally. Although her cheeks still tinged with a rosy blush, she decided to play along with him, after all he was incredibly handsome.

"well, I'm glad I didn't knock you over," she giggled, "that would have been quite the first impression."

The strange man laughed in response, his laugh a rich, deep rumble that sent shivers down her spine. "trust me, I've seen worst."

When their eyes met again, Rebecca felt her breath hitch in her throat as he held her gaze, his ebony black eyes dancing with a mix of mischief and intrigue.

"I would have offered to buy you a drink, but something tells me you might be well over your limit…hm" the stranger teased her again, causing the blush on her cheeks to return again. Was it that obvious that she was drunk?

"ahem…and what about you?" she starred at him with a hint of suspicion in her brown eyes. feeling the scrutiny of her gaze, the stranger put both hands up in defeat, chuckling at how bold she had been as to ask if he too were drunk.

"alright, you got me. Actually, m'lady…" he started again as he took a step closer to Rebecca, closing the gap between them, she gulped softly, wondering what he wanted to say when she noticed him lean in a bit closer to her, his hot breath climbing up her exposed neck, sending a wave of electricity throughout her body. "…maybe you could accompany me for the night, something tells me that we both need to…blow off some steam…"

Rebecca's heart raced as the handsome stranger closed the distance between them, his words a tantalizing invitation that sent shivers down her spine. She could feel the heat of his breath on her neck, igniting a fire deep within her. And it might have been the alcohol coursing through her veins, but tonight she felt incredibly bold. She knew she should have said no, that she shouldn't get caught up in something to carnal. But the words of her friends echoed in her mind, and for just one night, she wanted to forget everything, to lose herself in the passion and intensity of a man and just forget about her lousy ex.

"maybe I will," she replied, her voice husky and low, matching the seductive smirk that stretched across her lips. Her heart was beating fast! Was she really going to sleep with a stranger?

The man's eyes darkened at her reply, a hunger flashing in their depths. His hands reached up, cupping her jaw and tilting her head to meet his gaze, his thumb gently brushing against her bottom lip. And without any prior warning, he captured her lips in his, kissing her like a starved predator would after being presented with fresh prey.

At first Rebecca hadn't expected him to do that, and panicked internally, but as his kiss grew more intense, she began to match his pace. The slender fingers on his right hand curling up in her hair, while the other rested on her waist, pulling her closer to him, she let herself let loose in the moment. His lips were soft and supple against hers. He sucked and bit her lips, simply relishing the moment, that when he pulled back, both of them were panting for air. He smirked.

"not bad," he said, "…how about we take this somewhere more private."

The stranger offered, after all they were in a hotel, and being a regular patron of the establishment, he already had a room in his name. the same room he had planned on taking her too.

Rebecca's head was spinning as she reeled from the intensity of the kiss, her heart beating wildly in her chest. His words sent shivers of anticipation as she realized he wanted to take her back to his room.

"I'm not that kind of girl.," she said, her voice a mix of playful seductiveness and innocence, challenging him a bit more. She knew she was playing a dangerous game with this stranger, and he, for one was definitely up for a little cat and mouse tonight. Taking her hand in his once more, he planted a long kiss on the back of it.

The man chuckled, his eyes brooding with raw untamed desire. "I never said you were. But maybe, you're the kind of girl who needs to let loose. That needs to feel…" his hand that had previously been rest on her hip, slid down her back, eventually rest on her bottom. She blushed shyly.

She dared to make another move, leaning in closer to his ear, her red lipstick brushing against the tip of the lobe, "maybe I am…"

And that was all the confirmation he needed, capturing her lips in his again, he plundered the caverns of her sinful lips again, prying them open with his tongue as he slipped it in again. And this time, Rebecca let it flow naturally, dancing to the rhythm of their tongues colliding, each trying to dominate the other, but she was no match for his experience. When he pulled back again, there was a string of saliva dangling off their tongues, like sweet nectar from a forbidden fruit.

Grabbing her by the hand, the stranger guided her down the long stretch of carpeted hall, and as they turned down the corner, leaving behind the vibrant sounds resonating from within the club she had just come from, they approached the elevator doors. Rebecca had totally forgotten about her friends who were still back in the club. But if they were being honest, this had been their idea in the first place, she was just seeing it through to the end.