Julie didn't believe in rebound guilt. If anything, she believed in reclaiming energy.
So after waking up way too aware of how Elias's lips felt on hers the day before, she looked in the mirror, gave herself a wicked smirk, and pulled out her phone.
> Julie: "You still curious, or just shy?"
She didn't wait long.
> Tariq: "Shy? I'm five minutes from knocking."
She bit her lip and tossed her phone aside, heart beating not from nerves—but from the thrill of being wanted, again. Craved, again. Seen as power, not complication.
Tariq was easy to text and even easier to flirt with at the gym. There was something dark and careful about him—quiet swagger, smooth voice, muscles for days, and eyes that said I can handle trouble if it's you. He didn't chase, but he watched. And Julie loved being watched.
Tonight, she didn't want good conversation. She didn't want another look that made her feel... seen.
She wanted distraction. Control. A moment that didn't come with feelings.
And five minutes later, it knocked.
---
Julie opened the door wearing nothing but an oversized graphic tee and boy shorts—casual, but calculated. Tariq stood there in a fitted black jacket and joggers, his hood still up, like some kind of sexy thief.
He looked her over, slow and appreciative.
"Didn't know if this invite was real," he said, voice low, like it only came out for her.
Julie leaned on the doorframe, letting him take in the view. "You came anyway."
"You text like someone who means what she says."
She smirked. "I do. Come in, stranger."
---
Tariq stepped inside, quiet like he belonged there. His eyes scanned the space—dim lamp, soft trap-soul playing in the background, and wine already open on the table. But he didn't mention any of it.
Instead, he turned to her and said, "You live like someone who doesn't expect company."
Julie grabbed his jacket collar and pulled it down, revealing his face fully. "Maybe I only let in the ones I want."
He didn't smile.
But he didn't move away either.
She could feel the energy building between them. The silence. The restraint. It was hot—charged.
She grabbed one of the glasses and handed it to him. "Wine?"
Tariq took it without breaking eye contact. "If I say no, do I get kicked out?"
"You'll miss the full experience," she teased, sipping her own. "But I'm not hard to impress. Just hard to forget."
He chuckled. Finally.
"I'm not trying to forget you," he said.
Julie tilted her head. "That's the smartest thing you've said all day."
---
They sat on the couch, not quite touching. The air between them buzzed, daring one of them to break the tension.
"So, what made you text me?" he asked, swirling the wine in his glass like he cared.
Julie licked her bottom lip slowly. "Because I wanted you here. I don't believe in waiting games."
Tariq nodded, watching her. "And now that I'm here?"
She turned toward him fully, crossing one leg over the other. Her bare thigh brushed his. Deliberately.
"Now I want to see how bold you are when you're not hiding behind gym mirrors."
His breath caught just slightly—but his hands didn't move. He didn't reach for her.
He made her come closer.
And Julie, in full control, did just that.
---
She leaned in and placed her glass down. Her hand slid up the side of his thigh—not too high, not too low.
"You talk less in person," she whispered, voice soft like velvet. "But you look like someone with things to say."
Tariq's eyes met hers. "You look like someone who already knows what I'm thinking."
"Maybe I do," she said. "Maybe I'm waiting for you to stop overthinking and just—"
He kissed her.
No warning. No hesitation.
Just heat.
Julie gripped his hoodie with both hands and deepened the kiss instantly, her body folding into his lap like she belonged there. His hands finally moved—one on her waist, the other sliding up her back and under her shirt.
His touch was firm, grounding, but never rushed.
Their mouths moved in sync—his lips hot, teasing, but skilled like he'd been thinking about this too long. Julie moaned into his mouth, shifting against him, letting him feel just how soft, how close, how intentional this moment was.
She was the player. But tonight, she wanted the game to last a little longer.
---
Tariq pulled back just enough to speak, voice husky. "You sure about this?"
Julie didn't answer with words. She pulled her tee off in one swift motion and tossed it aside, leaving her in just her shorts, skin glowing under the lamp.
"I don't do things I'm unsure about."
Tariq exhaled through a smile, eyes trailing down her chest, then back to her face. "Noted."
She pulled his hoodie up, revealing a chiseled torso, tattoos lining the edge of his waist. Her hands ran down his chest, appreciating the view like art.
"You're trouble," he said, breath shaky.
"You came to my door," she reminded him. "You wanted to play."
"And now?"
Julie leaned down, kissing the side of his neck, her voice hot against his skin.
"Now we play."
---
Their bodies tangled on the couch, the air hot with teasing and gasps. She didn't rush. She let him take his time exploring her skin, while she marked him with fingernails and kisses. Every touch was a move. Every move was a dare.
Julie didn't think.
She didn't drift.
She was here.
Completely present in the moment. The smell of his skin, the strength of his hands, the way he looked at her like she was both answer and problem.
There was no Elias in her mind.
No feelings.
Just fire.
Just a body against hers that wanted nothing more than what she wanted, too—a moment of forgetting. A moment that didn't ask questions or carry meaning. Just need.
---
Later, much later, they lay on the couch—both quiet, breath finally slowing. Julie stretched, hair a mess, lips slightly swollen, and entirely unbothered.
Tariq looked over at her.
"You're good at this," he said.
She raised an eyebrow. "At what? Distractions?"
"At being unforgettable."
Julie rolled onto her side, cheek resting on her palm. "Flattery works better before round one, just so you know."
Tariq smirked. "I'll remember that for round two."
She didn't smile—but the glint in her eyes was enough.
He got up, grabbing his shirt. "I'll let you sleep."
Julie didn't move. "You don't have to go."
"I wasn't planning on staying."
She liked that answer.
Clean. Simple.
He got to the door, then paused. "You gonna text me again?"
Julie shrugged. "Maybe. If I get bored."
Tariq grinned. "Goodnight, Julie."
And just like that, he was gone.
---
Julie stayed on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Her skin still buzzed from the tension, her lips still warm from the kiss.
But her mind?
Blissfully blank.
No thinking.
No regret.
No Elias.
Just silence.
And it felt exactly like what she needed.
For now.