Friday night. Brain spent, body underworked. I wanted to forget and I wanted to relax. Those are the moments when we all turn to our substance of choice to chase altered states of consciousness.
My drug of choice back then were Craigslist personals.
A guy in my area replied immediately. We exchanged no pictures; we barely exchanged messages at all. I unlocked the door, turned off the lights, and lay in bed naked. I had no idea what to expect, but the anticipation was all I needed to get my body going.
He arrived and asked if he could turn on the light. His voice was soft. He was in his 40s, slim. Probably married but I did not ask. I only remember him unzipping his blue fleece jacket before he turned the light back off, the sound of the condom snapping on him, and his soft voice asking me questions.
“Have you done this before?”
“A few times.”
“Why do you want to keep the light off?”
“Sensory deprivation.”
His cold, naked body moved in bed with me, his hands immediately running over my flesh. His hands were soft and his movements were bold, but with a hint of shyness.