The Checklist (Explicit Version)

Chapter 1

"So, it's not hard to do!" I exclaimed loudly, catching some bystanders attention. "Keeping a penis out of another vagina. Who knew?"

"And I know what he's going to say. I didn't celebrate his birthday with him. That will be his excuse, you know? That I prioritized school instead of him, which is completely not true." I threw my arms up in frustration before moving my eyes everywhere but to the man next to me. "I had a weekly assignment due for my ethics class today. And I couldn't do it any other day because she gives us before midnight to finish it. Class ended at six. I told him I had to finish it. It wouldn't have taken me the whole night. I was going to surprise him."

"Instead, he surprised me." I laughed, but it tasted sour. "With one of my friends. With my roommate, to make things even more complicated."

In the back of my mind, I knew I was dumping all of this information to a stranger, but I was tipsy enough not to care.

"And what's funnier? He is terrible in bed!" I could feel more eyes on me, but I ignored them. "Like I'm talking vanilla flavour. So vanilla that you couldn't even taste the flavour. It tasted like cold air. With no satisfying taste. No satisfying finale."

"Before we had sex, I swear it felt like he'd just read an article on some," I rotated my hips, "new moves. Terrible, horrifying execution though."

Not bothering to read his reaction, I turned to my best friend—the bartender—and grinned. "One more?"

He sighed but gave in. "Last one, girl." I watched with glee as he poured me a shot, but I quickly frowned when I saw it was a single.

I was about to argue, but he must have known that because he hastily moved to the opposite end of the bar to serve three women.

With a dragging sigh, I took my last shot of vodka for today. For some reason, it burned more than it was supposed to. I hissed through my teeth before lowering the glass.

"You know what," I said to no one in particular, but something told me my neighbour was listening, "I'm making a sex list. I owe it to myself after all the long-lost orgasms."

Somewhere, I could hear some hushed laughter, but I was busy fumbling with my phone once I took it out of my jacket pocket. I hadn't even taken it off.

I caught a whiff of a spicy, masculine scent that smelt strongly of cedarwood. Absently, I peered to my side and saw the man watching my phone with curiosity.

"What are you doing?" Not used to the gruffness of his voice, my cheeks flushed, but I quickly blamed it on the alcohol before fixating on my phone again.

Opening the Notes app, I made a new note before frantically typing SEX LIST.

The man let out a short, deep laugh before I rambled, "A sex list. I wasn't kidding. I'm tired of vanilla. It's not even my favourite ice cream flavour. I like caramel cookie. I was always a caramel person, but I was stuck with vanilla for two years."

At my scrunched nose, the man hid another amused laugh. I didn't pay him any attention. I was already on number six on my list. My typing was getting more aggressive while I ignored the red lines underneath most words.

He didn't reply, but I also noticed that less people were talking now. Confused, I let myself lift my head, only to watch in surprise as the stranger glared at the people who were watching me. His expression was frightening, and I wasn't the only one who thought that. Everyone hurriedly avoided his gaze and got back to their drinks, but I saw tension lingering on their shoulders before the man studied me.