Resequencing DNA

Ashleigh awoke the following morning feeling rather nauseated as usual. However, the difference this time was she couldn’t distinguish between whether it was due to her pregnancy, the alcohol she had consumed the previous evening or the strange blend of tastes that lingered in her mouth.

She blinked, trying to focus, a throbbing ache pulsing in her head. Her gaze swept across the room, landing on the cheap, worn furniture, the stained carpet, and the overflowing ashtrays overflowing with cigarette butts. The air hung heavy with a potent cocktail of marijuana, stale cigarette smoke, and alcohol – a scent that brought back memories of her days working in a bar.

A wave of nausea washed over her, and she sat up, clutching her head. The room spun slightly as she looked around at her surroundings. Her eyes fell on her discarded clothes, crumpled in a heap in the corner. She was naked. Panic clawed at her throat.

“Ashleigh…what the fuck have you done?” she thought, the words echoing in the silence. She had never been this reckless, this out of control. She had never smoked anything but regular cigarettes, never even considered drugs. And now, here she was, in a stranger's bed, her body aching, her mind a fog of confusion and fear.

She gingerly climbed out of bed, her head still spinning as she began to gather up her clothes.

“I need to get home,” she thought, “What the fuck was I thinking….Elijah…Sofia…my…my baby,” she thought with a huge amount of guilt, placing her hand on her stomach as if to apologise to her unborn child.

Ashleigh buttoned up her blouse with shaking hands as the bedroom door creaked open. In walked J.D., the tall, handsome, mystery man from the bar last night, she remembered that much.

“Good morning beautiful,” he greeted her with a smile, approaching her in nothing but boxer shorts. “No time for another round?”

Ashleigh's heart sank. She had never intended for things to go this far. She had succumbed to a moment of weakness, a reckless desire to escape the current problems in her life. Now, she faced the consequences of her actions: a night of regret, a betrayal of her values, and a profound sense of shame.

“Erm…what…happened…last night?” asked Ashleigh, “After we left the bar…I mean?”

J.D. smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement,

“You were pretty keen on getting to know me, sweetheart. We had a great time, didn't we?”

Ashleigh swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry,

“I…I don’t remember…much,” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper as she zipped up her skirt.

“Hey…it’s okay,” said J.D. as he walked across the room and picked up a thong from the floor, “I think these also belong to you,” he added with a smile, holding out Ashleigh’s underwear.

Ashleigh grabbed her underwear out of his hands, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She then began sliding them up her legs beneath her skirt.

“So…about last night…” she uttered sheepishly, her voice barely above a whisper.

J.D. smiled and sat down on the bed,

“Well…to be honest, when I first met you…I thought you were one of those… stuck-up…rather uptight bitches,” he replied with a chuckle. “But fuck…when we got here…I was pleasantly surprised…babe, you know how to have a good time. How can someone who looks so classy, be such a bad bitch?”

“So…we…erm…” muttered Ashleigh, her cheeks still burning.

“Four fucking times,” stated J.D. with a chuckle.

Ashleigh sat down on the bed and began to put on her boots,

“Urgh…my head, the rooms still spinning,” she uttered as she fastened up her boots, “I need to get home.”

“Well, you did say you’d never smoked before…however…you wouldn’t think it,” said J.D. “I did warn you on how you’d feel today,” he added, “And that thing you did with your mouth…where the fuck did you learn that,” he trailed off.

“Smoked?” muttered Ashleigh, “Oh…you mean…”

“Yup,” replied J.D. “I’ll get dressed and drop you off at home,” he added, “You aren’t in a fit state to drive.”

“No…I’ll be fine,” Ashleigh quickly replied, she couldn’t be seen getting dropped off outside her home by some guy she had just had a fling with. The risk of Elijah finding out would be too much.

J.D looked at her, surprisingly his eyes were filled with compassion and understanding,

“Babe…I’m not stupid…I know the drill,” he stated, “You don’t want your fiancé knowing how much of a bad girl you are deep down…I’ll drop you off close enough for you to walk…that’s all.”

His words hit her like a punch to the gut. He was right. The secret life she had lived for one night had to remain hidden, buried beneath the carefully constructed facade of the perfect fiancée. As she reluctantly accepted his offer, Ashleigh couldn't help but wonder if this fleeting moment of rebellion would forever haunt her, a whisper of what could have been, a secret shared with a stranger who saw her vulnerabilities and accepted them without judgment.

Ashleigh used the bathroom as J.D. threw on his clothes. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and a sense of regret washed over her, as she observed her smudged makeup. She had acted on impulse, and now the consequences were bearing down on her. As Aaron, she had observed countless women leaving bars with men they barely knew, engaging in fleeting encounters. In fact, as Aaron, she had been guilty herself of taking girls home for a no-strings-attached, one-night stand. So realistically, she had always known things from the same perspective as J.D., girls who’d argued with their fiancé, even their husbands, Aaron had nights of fun with both. And yet this time, she was the one with a fiancé waiting for her back home. It was she who had been unfaithful, having a fling with a guy from the bar.  

She quickly cleaned herself up and gathered up her belongings, leaving his apartment, her cheeks still burning with embarrassment, unable to be cooled by the wintery chill. The day was clear with not a cloud in the sky, as the winter sun hung low, in the sky, its unforgiving presence, seemed to mock her with its unwavering light causing her eyes to ache, leaving her with a reminder of her antics the previous night.

“Was this what girls always mean by the walk of shame?” she pondered as the pair made their way to J.D’s motorcycle.

As she climbed onto J.D.'s motorcycle, the wind whipped through her hair, and the world blurred into a kaleidoscope of emotions. Shame, regret, and a flicker of defiance fought for dominance within her. The walk of shame, once a spectator sport, had become her personal reality. It was a stark reminder that even the most carefully constructed facades can crumble, leaving behind a trail of broken promises and shattered illusions.

She clung to the back of this man, who was essentially still a stranger, as they made their way through the city streets and towards the place Ashleigh called home. a place where she knew she belonged and yet the prospect of returning filled her with dread.

As they neared Ashleigh’s home, she tapped J.D on the shoulder,

“Here will do,” her voice barely a whisper above the roar of the engine, instructing him not to go any further.

J.D. nodded and pulled over at the side of the road, still a distance away from her house, that she couldn’t even see the gates to her home just yet.

J.D. jumped off the bike, helping Ashleigh to climb off.

“So…will I ever see you again?” he asked, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and concern after taking off his helmet.

A moment of silence stretched between them as she contemplated his question. With a flicker of defiance in her eyes, she looked up at J.D.

“I don't know,” she said, her voice steady, “like I said…I’m to be married…and…I know I may be upset at him…I do…still love him…you know.”

J.D. nodded,

“Yeah…I get that,” he replied, “He’s a lucky guy, let me tell you that,” he added, a smile on his face.

“I…I’m sorry, for getting you caught up in all of this,” said Ashleigh, a look of remorse in her eyes, “You…you seem like a sweet guy, you deserve someone you can call your own…”

“Thanks,” replied J.D. “but the whole settling down thing…it’s not me…just yet,” he chuckled. “But as I said, your fiancé is a lucky guy, you’re such great company, Ashleigh, I had a hell of a night.”

Ashleigh smiled modestly, even though she felt shame and guilt, it wasn’t quite the same as the day after Pippa’s wedding when she had spent the night with Warren.

“I know I may be asking too much…but do I at least get a hug…a kiss…something to part ways with?” asked J.D.

Ashleigh paused for a moment before she leaned in for a hug.

“You…you have my number…just in case,” he whispered to her softly as he kissed the top of her head.

As the pair parted, Ashleigh watched as J.D. replaced his helmet, climbed back onto his rather large, black and chrome motorcycle and started up the engine.

With a wave and a roar of the engine, he pulled off on his way, leaving Ashleigh lost in her thoughts as she watched him disappear out of view before she made the walk home.

As she walked, she pulled her mobile phone out of her handbag. There, on the screen, she was met with hundreds of notifications, messages and missed calls from both Elijah and Pippa, stating their concern for her well-being. Apologies from Elijah, stating how he wished he would have acted differently and told her straight away, what was going on, begging her to come back home.

As she reached the gates of the house, she took a deep breath and pressed the keyfob on her keys opening the gates before her, allowing her to enter and make the long slow walk up the driveway.

As she made her way towards the house, the pain in her feet from the long walk in heeled boots registered in her mind. She noticed Pippa’s car as it was parked outside the house.

“Plan of action,” she thought to herself as she slowly made her way towards the rather grand house. “Enter as quietly as I can, go upstairs, shower and change clothes,” she plotted, taking a whiff of her clothes, a cocktail of smells still clinging to her.

As she reached the door, she opened it as quietly as she could. Looking around the hall, there was still nobody in sight who had witnessed her arrival. With a silent prayer, she tiptoed across the polished marble floor, her heels clicking faintly against the silence. Each step was a gamble, a silent plea to avoid detection. The stairs beckoned closer, a sanctuary meaning she would have time to shower before encountering any questions about where she had been.

However, before she could make the first step up the stairs, she heard footsteps coming from the living room and making their way towards her with rapid haste.

“Mummy, Mummy, cried out Sofia, coming to a stop right behind Ashleigh.

“Oh…shit…” thought Ashleigh, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before turning to face the little girl who now stood right behind her.

“Hey…sweetheart,” said Ashleigh rather sheepishly.

“I missed you,” said Sofia, “You promised you would come back,” she added softly, sounding rather upset as she held out her arms, beckoning for her mother's embrace.

Sofia’s words hung in the air like a heavy shroud, suffocating Ashleigh with the weight of her broken promise.

“I…I know…sweetie,” she muttered softly before crouching down to hug her daughter, “I…I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Ashleigh quickly broke their embrace and stood upright once more,

“Mummy…you smell funny,” said Sofia, pinching her nose as if to block out a smell she disliked.

“I….I…” mumbled Ashleigh, before her eyes darted towards the living room door, where Elijah stood, a stoic expression etched on his face. Beside him, however, were, Grace, Pippa and Mrs Henry,  each with a mixture of concern and disapproval written on their faces. Ashleigh’s only hope was they had only just arrived there and not witnessed the whole exchange.