ONE NIGHT

A chance encounter leads to one night of passion—and spiritual redemption—between strangers.

Down on her luck and two months behind on her rent, Jackie needs to make money fast, before she’s evicted from her apartment. Approaching a well-dressed man while he’s pumping gas seems like a good idea. Maybe she can convince him the box in her hands truly contains a laptop; maybe she can convince him it’s worth $700. But she hadn’t counted on the man from Orange County being not only wealthy, but also charming. Soon she’s sold the box for $2,000 and discovered that she really doesn’t want to con this man. Although he drives away, sleet, sirens and a traffic snarl give both of them time to reconsider. Jackie uses his business card to call and invite the man to meet her at a local diner. Set against a newscast in the background—a woman has killed her three children, and a businessman has been found beaten, likely the victim of a home invasion—their conversation turns very personal indeed. Continually distracted by the newscast, the man from Orange County is reluctant to return to his unfaithful wife, who he has discovered is visiting sex clubs. Neglected by her current, rather deadbeat boyfriend, Jackie needs something or someone to help her deflect the memories of a daughter lost years ago to a Christmas-tree fire. Seeking solace in each other’s arms at an upscale hotel, the pair succumbs to a brief, raw, passionate affair. Dickey (A Wanted Woman, 2014, etc.) creates an erotic tale of acceptance and forgiveness marred by clunky phrasing and coarse attitudes toward women.

Unflinching in its acceptance of bad behavior by likable characters, Dickey’s latest will thrill his fans.