The Flip Side--Installment IV: Are One Night Stands Over?

by Julie Robinson
  The fourth installment to The Flip Side--a series of short interview questions and answers about dating, relationships, and sex--is one close to my heart and a favorite topic to write about . . . .  the one night stand.

  The short answer to this question is: Not for me.  The long answer to this question is a bit more complicated.  I am one of those women who occasionally find hidden value in a one night stand.  Don’t get me wrong—most of the time I prefer a regular lover, but I have been known to seek out and enjoy a one night stand from time to time. I am not alone.

One night stands provide a certain thrill that only comes from spying a man across the room, getting his undivided attention, and taking him home.  Many women find pleasure in this sort of pursuit and include it in their sexual arsenal.  While it’s also true that many of these would-be one night stands turn into booty call relationships, the no-strings-attached mentality built into the arrangement has its own appeal. 

 As women become more and more open about what they want as sexual beings, one night stands continue to play a much-needed role.  Rather than seek out tenderness during a one night stand, women get to explore their freakiness.  For some women, for instance, it is only with a stranger that they can open up about their fetishes and fantasies.  Who cares if he judges you if you’re never going to see him again?

While the one night stand isn’t for every woman out there, for those of us with a strong sexual appetite and a willingness to enjoy men without trying to domesticate them—it may be an option worth exploring.