Bright lights hit Alissa's eyes as she groaned and turned away. She slowly opened one eye and then the other. She looked around the unfamiliar room and tried to figure out where she was and why she was naked. She looked over to the man beside her, still asleep. The man from last night. His black hair covered one of his closed eyes. She noticed his broad shoulders, muscular chest, and defined arms. As her eyes dawdled down his tan naked body, it clicked.

Alissa creeped out of bed, picked her clothes off the hardwood floor, and dressed. She tiptoed out of the man's studio apartment and then grabbed her cell phone out of her silver sequined clutch. Her phone read 8:00. She called her college town's local taxi service and told the driver her apartment address she shared with Catherine and Katie.

Alissa scrolled through Facebook on her phone while she waited for the taxi. The guy had said it'd only be ten minutes. She sat on the salted concrete stoop to the brick apartment building behind her and pulled her winter coat collar up around her neck. How she remembered to bring her coat back with her, she didn't know, but she was grateful as a frigid breeze blew through the street causing her to shiver. She scrolled upon a video of cats knocking cups over and smiled before a tan car pulled up in front of her.

Alissa slid into the tan velvet backseat and welcomed the heat blasting from the vents.

"It's a cold one today, huh," the gruff taxi driver said.

Alissa nodded as she looked out the window and watched the buildings and snow-covered trees pass by in a blur. She wondered how many 'walks of shame' the driver usually saw each morning in a college town.

As Alissa stepped out of the taxi and rushed up the stoop to her building, she tried to remember what had exactly happened last night. She remembered getting another drink at the bar and then dancing with Katie, and that was it. It was too out of reach for her to remember.

She unlocked her apartment door to silence. Everyone was still asleep. She quietly climbed up the forest green-carpeted stairs and slipped into her room. Her bedroom door creaked as she closed it and she mumbled a curse. She crawled into bed and pulled the violet covers over her head, hoping to escape into the darkness.

Alissa woke up to the smell of banana pancakes. Catherine loved curing a hangover with banana pancakes. She sat up in bed and stretched, rubbed her eyes, and let our a large yawn. As she stepped out of bed, she realized she was still in her party clothes from last night. Then, everything came back to her. She woke up next to a naked stranger at his house this morning.

I think... I think I cheated on Marc, she thought.

She plopped back down on the bed with her feet hanging off the side. She stared at the hardwood floor, not blinking.

There was a bang from downstairs in the kitchen and Alissa heard Catherine curse.

She slipped on sweats and a t-shirt, then headed to the bathroom to wash up. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her brown hair was messy and all over the place. It hurt to think it, but definitely sex-touseled hair. Her mascara from last night was smudged in the corners of her hazel eyes, and then she noticed her tan neck. Hickeys, all over. Her eyes went wide and she grabbed the cover-up that had been left on the counter. She quickly applied it to the appropriate spots and then washed up. She brushed her knotty, painful hair and quickly put it into a loose bun.

In the kitchen, Catherine was at the stove. Catherine smiled at her. She tried to muster a smile back as Catherine plopped one pancake onto a plate.

"Your second one is still cooking," she said.

Alissa nodded and got herself a cup of coffee from the brewing pot. She sat down just as her second pancake found it's way to the plate.

"So, how was everyone's night?" Katie asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Well, Katie had sex at the club, so she didn't need to bring anyone home," Catherine smirked.

"I know. I heard." Alissa tried to chuckle and act like nothing was wrong.

"My night was amazing." Catherine explained, "I met this guy, Will. We danced the whole night and then he walked me home. He's so sweet." She sighed.

"Aw, that's nice." Katie smiled.

"How was your night, Alissa? I assume you went to Marc's place last night?" Catherine asked.

What was she supposed to say? Should she even tell them about the stranger?

Alissa paused and took a deep breath to calm herself down, "Guys, I didn't wake up in Marc's bed or my own this morning."

"You're joking," Katie said. "You wouldn't do that to Marc. He's your fiancé!"

Alissa stared blankly at her plate. The pancakes didn't look quite as appetizing anymore.

"I mean, why would he even approach me? Didn't he see my ring?" Her bottom lip quivered.

"Uh, Alissa, what ring?" Catherine asked.

She looked at her left hand and saw it bare. She panicked.

"Oh my god! Do you think I left it at his apartment? Or the club?" Her breathing sped up, "Oh no! Where could it be?" Tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Alissa, take a deep breath. It'll be okay." Katie said looking at her warily.

"Maybe that's why he approached you? Because he thought you were single? You need to figure out what happened before you tell Marc," Catherine advised.

Katie nodded her head in agreement. Alissa looked at the floor, trying to focus on her breathing, and nodded too. Katie handed her a tissue to wipe her tears.

They started to eat, and even the deliciousness of Catherine's banana pancakes couldn't mask the emotions she felt. She couldn't believe she could do that. It was going to break Marc's heart. She was going to break Marc's heart. What was she going to do? She needed to tell him. She owed that much to him after being with him since the beginning of college.

After breakfast, Alissa went to her room and saw a text message from an unknown number.

Hey, last night was great. We should do it again sometime. Are you free tonight by any chance?

She replied,

I am free tonight. Same club? 10 good?

Maybe if they saw each other again, she could tell him how much of a mistake last night was and that it could never happen again. Plus, she could look for her engagement ring at the club. Maybe she left it there? For some reason, she had a gut feeling she did.

After a few minutes, he replied,

Sounds good. See you there, sexy.

Oh my god. He sounded like a total tool. Great, not only did she cheat on Marc, but she cheated on him with a tool, she thought. The least she could have done was cheat on him with a nice guy who would feel terrible when he found out she was engaged. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.