One night stand, p.1
One Night Stand, page 1
One Night Stand
Kathryn Reign
Published by Lena Ma, 2022.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
ONE NIGHT STAND
First edition. January 22, 2022.
Copyright © 2022 Kathryn Reign.
ISBN: 978-1952716447
Written by Kathryn Reign.
One Night Stand
One Night Stand
One Night Stand
© Copyright 2022 Kathryn Reign
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination.
Cover Design by Temptation Creations (Quirah Casey)
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Prologue
SOCIAL MEDIA IS A GREAT WAY to stay in touch with friends, family, and fans. We see it as a way of life, our main source of connection, and for some of us, our income revenue. Every day, we strive to not only upload and stream content of our own, but we also keep in touch with those we admire, those who admire us, and even those we hate.
We film ourselves doing things people do every day, such as shop, eat, and work out, hyping up these simple and ordinary activities as things people should pay attention to and congratulate us for. We even go as far as to film our homes, every room, every door, every crevice, until there’s no privacy left in our lives anymore, our entire existence on display for the world to see. It’s become our way of life, our addiction, and most of us don’t know to get out until it’s too late.
But what happens when social media becomes deadly? What happens when dangerous people see the privacy of our lives online and do more than just watch us and relish in our luxuries and pride? What happens when the very fabric of our lives become exposed to people who want to take advantage of us?
That’s exactly what happened to Tara Bardot, a rising social media influencer who only wanted the world to like her, who wanted to share every part of her life with her fans and become completely transparent. And while many of her followers relished in her success and enjoyed the honestly she shared with them, others turned dark, becoming so overly obsessed with her that they don’t know how to unleash it in a healthy manner, seeing her as an attainable object that they must have or no one can. Seeing her as someone who belonged to them.
This is the story of Tara Bardot, a young woman fighting for her life.
Chapter One
TARA
“AND… THAT’S A WRAP FOR TODAY! Thank you all so much for joining me today and for subscribing to my channel. Your support truly means the world to me, and I wouldn’t be here today without you. I love you all, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow at seven! Remember, I’m here every day, and you guys are my life! Bye!!”
Tara Bardot turned off her stream and stepped away from her camera. It was getting late, and she was supposed to meet up with her husband, Rowan, in midtown to celebrate their six years together as husband and wife. He had to work late tonight, telling Tara he’d meet her there instead so he wouldn’t have to rush home first to change. And besides, 7pm was usually her time in the evenings. It’ll only disturb her if he came in while she was online.
Stripping off her online persona, she hopped into the shower and turned on the water. The steam filling up the bathroom was just what she needed to end her day. As water soaked through her dark blonde hair, she looked over at the mosaic owl sitting on her marble sink. It made her reminisce on her last video, just two days ago, when she gave her fans a tour of her bathroom. From the hand-stitched towels to the gold-framed mirror, all made possible because of her loyal followers, and she couldn’t ask for a better life. Her life just seemed so perfect.
As she washed the shampoo off her hair, she wondered what present Rowan had in store for her tonight. He usually went all out with their anniversaries, surprising her each year with a more lavish gift than the last. Last year, he got her a diamond necklace that was worth more than most people’s cars. And she was just so ecstatic that the first thing she did was show it off online. She had to share with the world the joys of her life. Otherwise, she didn’t see the point in experiencing any of it.
A few minutes later, she turned off the showerhead and walked into her closet to get dressed… but not without some help. She grabbed her phone and turned her camera live, grabbing five different dresses she was debating between and holding each one up to her body while the votes poured in.
“Emerald green it is, thanks guys!”
Then her phone rang. She picked it up, and Rowan was on the other line.
“Hey, babe, I’m getting ready now. I should be there in about forty minutes.” Her voice was cheerful and upbeat, like she didn’t have a worry in the world.
However, the same couldn’t be said for her husband. “For… forty minutes? You were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago! I made reservations, remember? Everything’s getting cold!”
“Relax, babe,” she said again. “Just order another glass of scotch or something. I’ll be there soon. Besides, you know I can’t leave the house unless I’m absolutely perfect.”
“Whatever, just hurry the fuck up.”
Then he hung up, without even saying goodbye. If Tara didn’t know any better, she could swear he was rolling his eyes at her before he hung up.
Typical Rowan, she thought. Always in such a rush. He just doesn’t understand how important my lifestyle is to me. Without it, I’m no one.
She finished dabbing on the rest of her makeup and pinned a pair of diamond earrings onto her lobes before tucking her petite feet into her heels and heading out the door. The sound and smell of the Big Apple never seemed to stop amazing her. She grew up in the small countryside of Wisconsin, so when she moved to the bustling city that never sleeps, she just couldn’t get enough. From the quirky people to the delicious food to the never-ending shopping and Broadway shows, there was always something waiting for her outside her door.
“Hey, Tara, over here! Over here!”
She whipped her head around and saw a young girl running in her direction. She was wearing a pink tutu, with her hair in pigtails, and a face full of makeup. Her glittery pink backpack tossed from side to side as she ran. Her mother wasn’t far behind her as she pounced over.
“Tara! Tara Bardot! I can’t believe it’s you! You’re my idol. I LOVE your channel!”
“Aw, that’s so sweet. Always a pleasure to meet my fans.”
The girl reached into her backpack and pulled out her phone. “Can I get a picture with you, please? My friends will never believe that I met the Tara Bardot!”
Tara smiled. “Of course, um…”
“Jessica. Jessica Simmons. And that’s my mom!” She pointed behind her as Tara waved.
Six snaps of a camera later, Tara made a quick stop at one of her favorite local coffee shops to grab herself a sugary treat before heading toward the subway. The restaurant was a twenty-minute ride away, and she couldn’t bear the thought of sitting through the entire ride without having something to sip on.
As she walked, she carefully tried to snap a picture of her cup against the city skyline, something for her, and her fans, to remember the day, her focus so attentive toward her phone that she failed to notice the man walking in her direction.
“Oops, sorry!” he said when he bumped into her.
“Hey, watch it! You almost made me spill my drink. This is a five-hundred-dollar dress, you know?” she loudly exclaimed, barely looking up.
“Oh, trust me, I do know.”
“What?”
But when Tara looked up, she didn’t see the scruffy drug addict she had expected to see. She didn’t see a homeless man with ripped clothing and torn shoes. Instead, she saw a god, with his dark hair, deep eyes, and toned chest. She could barely keep her eyes off him.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Tara.”
“Declan.” He reached a hand out to shake hers. “Sorry again for knocking into you. I guess they don’t call me ‘clumsy two shoes’ for nothing.” He laughed, his smile so affectionate that it made her smile.
Tara shook her head. “No, it’s my fault. I should’ve paid attention to where I was going.” She placed her phone back into her purse and tucked it close to her.
“So, where you headed? What do you say I make it up to you by buying you dinner?”
He was definitely as charming as he was handsome, and if Tara wasn’t married, she would’ve definitely jumped at the chance.
“Sorry, I can’t. I’m actually meeting my husband for dinner. And I should really get going. I’m running late as it is.”
His face fell; a look of disappointment washed over. “Aw, shucks, I should’ve known a pretty girl like you was taken. Well, shit out of luck, I guess. At least, let me give you my number. If you ever change y our mind, you’ll know who to call.”
He smoothly pulled a pen out from his pocket and wrote his number on her coffee cup. “Such a shame, such a shame.”
“Sorry,” she said with a meek smile. “It was nice meeting you. I gotta run.”
“Nice meeting you too, Tara Bardot. I’ll see you around.”
Tara scrunched her face when she walked away. She couldn’t remember telling him her last name, and it was odd that he knew. But maybe she had. Maybe she introduced herself as such and had just forgotten. That could’ve very well been possible. Either way, she didn’t have time to focus on it now. She needed to get there before Rowan murdered her.
Nearly thirty minutes later, she finally arrived. It didn’t take long for her to spot her husband after walking in. He was sitting in their usual spot, with at least six empty glasses in front of him.
“Hey, babe, I’m sorry I’m—”
“Save it, Tara,” he interrupted her, holding up a hand. “It’s always the same excuse with you. You were supposed to be here two hours ago. Where the hell were you?”
“It’s not my fault. I swear! The subway was running late, and it was so packed that I had to wait for the next train. I tried to get here as fast as I could. I promise!”
Rowan raised a brow as he took a sip of his drink. “Oh, is that so?”
“Yes!”
“Because it’s way past rush hour. You shouldn’t have been fighting with anyone.”
“Well… I guess it’s just a busy day today. It is Thursday night, after all. Everyone’s probably getting a head start on their weekend.”
“Uh huh, sure. Anything else you wanna lie to me about?”
“Babe, Rowan, what do you mean? I’m not lying to you! Let’s just move past this and enjoy our anniversary.” She reached her hands across the dinner table and grabbed onto his, holding them tight and running her finger across his wedding band. “So, what’s my surprise this year? A diamond ring? A new purse? Ooo, did you get me that bracelet that all the celebrities are wearing? Imagine how popular I’d be if I wore that on stream.”
But instead of gripping her hands back, he pulled his away. “No, Tara, you’re not getting any of that. And frankly, I’m sick and tired of you spending all your time on social media. It feels like your relationship is more with your followers than with me. I don’t even feel like your husband half the time, always being pushed aside when you need to stream or record. Can’t you just put down the camera for once and live? Not everything in your life needs to be recorded, especially not our home.”
“You know I can’t do that. It’s my lifestyle. It’s how I make money. Of all people, you should understand that.”
“Yeah, but can’t you take a day off once in a while? Do you really need to be on every day?” He was now cutting into his steak, scarfing it down like he’d been waiting all day to eat. “Even now, you keep glancing over at your phone. Just put it away for the rest of the night. We’re having dinner.”
“I… I can’t. Please don’t hate me, but I’m actually supposed to live stream our anniversary dinner. Everyone’s expecting it.”
Rowan’s eyes when she said that turned into flames. The calm expression on his face turned almost demonic, and he gritted his teeth so vigorously that she was afraid his teeth would pop out from their sockets. He pulled the cloth napkin off from his lap, wiped his mouth, and tossed it against his plate.
“I’m done, Tara. We’re done. It’s over.”
She quickly turned off her camera and shot a look up at him. “What? What are you talking about? Are we leaving already?”
“No, I am. I’ve been having doubts about us for a while now, and this dinner was supposed to remedy that. But all you seem to care about are people you don’t even know. I’m divorcing you, Tara. And truth is, I’ve actually started seeing someone else.”
“What?!” Her scream was so loud and disruptive that half the restaurant turned to look at them. “You’re cheating on me? What the fuck, Rowan?! Six years, and you’re just going to throw it all down the drain?!”
“Oh, Tara, don’t act so surprised. You knew it was happening, so much that you’ve turned your attention to other men. We’re not good for each other. Never have been. I’m just sad it took me this long to figure it out.”
As he walked away, Tara grabbed onto her husband’s arm. “Stop! I’m not seeing other men. I’m not even interested in them.”
“Really?” He nodded his head toward her cup, Declan’s number written in large letters across it. “Say hi to Declan for me, and let him know how full of shit you are.”
“HEY, WAKE UP, SLEEPY HEAD!” A pillow landed on Tara’s face the next morning. She groaned and pushed it aside, her head pounding from the bottle she drank directly from last night.
After Rowan left her, he forced her to move out. She tried to fight it, but eventually had to accept that since she didn’t have a hand in paying for any part of the house, she didn’t deserve to keep it. Nor did she get to keep all the gifts he had gotten for her. Not the designer shoes. Not the luxury handbags. Not even the Gucci dresses taking up residency in her closet.
Though, she did manage to convince him to let her keep her camera setup. She needed her equipment more than she needed anything in her life. More than she needed him. And she wondered why he threw her out.
Luckily, her roommate from college was able to take her in, temporarily anyway. She was getting ready to move to San Francisco soon, but offered to help Tara find a place before she left. Ashley Simms had always been a party girl, taking Tara out right after the breakup and ordering her an entire bottle service before taking her back to her place and letting her crash on the couch. And though it was usually more than Tara could handle, it sure beat crying over a man and sleeping on the street.
“Are you ever going to stop throwing pillows at me? We’re not in college anymore.”
Ashley paused for a second. “Hmm, nope!” And she threw another one, this one much rougher than the last.
“Ouch! Dude, that hurts!”
“Oh, stop being such a baby. Come on, get up. It’s way past noon. Let’s go get some food. Sleeping all day isn’t going to make all your problems go away.”
“No!” Tara grabbed her blanket and pulled it over her head. “I’m not sleeping. I’m mentally preparing for my stream later tonight. I need to get ready to tell my followers about my divorce.” She yanked the blanket up further. “Ugh!! It’s too stressful.”
Ashley sat down beside her and tried to tug the sheet off, but with no luck. “Hey! I have an idea. Why don’t you not stream for one night, especially not about something as personal as a divorce? I always thought Rowan was an arrogant jerk, and as much as I hated him, he does have a point. You spend way too much time broadcasting your personal life. Maybe keep a few things private.”
That’s when the sheet shot off. “Time off? Time off?! You’re just like him. You don’t understand. None of you do. This is my lifestyle! I’m an influencer, remember? I have to stream and go live every day, share my life even if I don’t want to. It’s my livelihood. If I don’t, I lose it all. You just don’t know what it’s like having the world follow you. It’s a lot of pressure.”
Ashley rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Tara. Not my thing, and will never be my thing. It’s just not real enough for me.” Then she jumped on top of her friend. “But you know what is real? That stack of pancakes waiting for me at Denny’s. Come on, let’s go!”
Chapter Two
DECLAN
“HELLO?” DECLAN HAYES ANSWERED his phone while crossing the busy streets of Times Square.
Thursday evenings were usually his most hectic times. He worked the night shift as a tech specialist at one of the largest social media corporations in the country, overseeing all the daily interactions and ensuring that the platform doesn’t come crashing down again like it did just three months ago.
He was already late as is. Being the most eligible bachelor in all of New York City was no easy task. The women he saw always wanted to go to the same places at the same time, and he struggled just keeping up with two, let alone five. And of course, they never wanted to leave when he needed them to.
