Sex Not-so one-night stands Life Our coach is right here!

When ‘no strings attached’ turns into true love. Life coach Kirsten Long advises on love, work and more.

With sex on tap just a right swipe away, it’s easy to feel like we’re in the middle of a dating apocalypse (thanks, Tinder). But all is not lost: research shows that 27% of one-night stands lead to successful relationships. And while alcohol may play a part, these women found that a casual hook-up can turn into more.

“I met Scott in a club. I was, shall we say, ‘accustomed’ to one-night stands back then, so after we’d kissed on the dance floor, I said, ‘Are we going back to yours or what?’ He called me the wrong name for the whole taxi ride and back at his place, we had to stop mid-act to throw up. It was awful! The next morning, I left with nothing but an instruction to find him on Facebook. Good thing I did; it’s our four year anniversary soon.” – Aimee, 28 “I was staying in a hotel in Australia one night and met Sam, who was staying there, too. We drank, flirted and ended up in a bunk bed in an empty room. I snuck back to my room, but the next day he came to ask if I wanted to hang out. We ended up travelling together. And seven and a half years on, we’re married.” – Mel, 28

“I had just got off a flight and was totally jet-lagged, but my friends insisted on dragging me out for a night on the town. We took the train into the city and I saw a hot guy sitting in our carriage. Buoyed by Dutch courage, I told him he had ‘mysterious eyes’. He laughed, we got talking and he joined us on our night out (then we ended up back at his). The next morning, he made me eggs, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.” – Sarah, 26

“On a varsity night out, I saw Jake – the guy I’d had a crush on all term – and I finally made a move. We ended up back at my res and got down to it. The next day, I woke up at 9am, nicked some caffeine tablets and went to my part-time job, thinking I’d never hear from him again. But the next evening, the intercom buzzed – it was Jake. And 13 years on, we’re married with a baby.” – Caroline, 33

Q“I’ve hooked up with a colleague a few times and now I’m developing feelings for him. What should I do?”