According to a recent study, 70% of Americans have admitted to having at least one, ‘one-night stand’ in their lifetime—not to mention how many of the remaining 30% were lying. This study is a blatant reminder that all of us (our parents included) have been about that hoeish life at one point or another.

Well typically…

Two strangers let their libido take the wheel and after a little conversation (and maybe a few drinks), go home together.

 One-night-stands are typically followed by a “walk of shame”, as you exit your hook-up’s house wearing the same outfit you had on the night before. If you’re lucky, your ‘bae for the day’ might even request your uber or give you a ride home before never contacting you again.

You know the mornings I’m talking about, when you happily saunter to your Uber wondering, “Was that random sex or the beginning of something real?”

Some argue that romanticized one-night stands send mixed signals, while others argue that it’s just a matter of being polite. Personally, I’d say it’s a combination of both. When one-night stands get too romantic, or spill over into the next day, typically one of the following things happen:

1. You both take it for what it is and enjoy a great breakfast with a new friend.

2. One of you takes the morning cuddle/breakfast as a romantic gesture while the other was just hungry.

3. Since life is JUST like an episode of Sex & The City, you both realize that the stranger laying next to you is future bae and love blossoms.

While breakfast, cuddling, and extended conversations are arguably indicative of romantic interest, how do you know FOR SURE which direction things are headed?? The answer is, you don’t. The only way to find out where a connection will lead is to be: Patient, Reasonable, and Open.

• You have to be patient with the timing of a potential new romance; don’t rush it. If someone is telling you that they want to date you after a one-night stand, there’s a 50% chance that they’re crazy, which leaves a 35 % chance that they’re lying, and a 15% chance that they are sane and genuinely smitten by you. So trust me, the waiting game is essential in scenarios such as these.
• You also have to be reasonable. In being reasonable you have to think about how many one-night stands ACTUALLY turn into successful romantic relationships. I mean, weirder things have happened so I would never rule it out but to be honest, it’s pretty rare.
• And lastly you have to be open. Be open to all of the possibilities and live in the moment. Be open to the idea that you may have just hooked up with the love or life, but also be open to the idea that you might never see this person again; and that’s okay.