by Magan Vernon
I whimpered as Jay pulled his fingers out of me, already missing the feel of him. He placed his hand on my stomach and broke our kiss. "I guess this means we have to move?"
I sighed and opened my eyes, not wanting to ever move. Not sure if I could even move with my legs that felt like jelly. "Yeah. I guess."
He kissed the tip of my nose and whispered, "Don't worry. We have plenty of time at the hotel before we have to be anywhere."
***
When the plane landed, I was still coming down from the greatest high I ever felt.
I couldn't concentrate on the California sunshine or the scenery. All I could think about was Jay's hand holding on to mine and where that hand had been and possibly would be again soon.
A private car took us to a hotel downtown Los Angeles. I should have expected there to be a herd of people outside with cameras, but it still took me by surprise when we pulled up.
Everyone in the wedding party was arriving and the whole thing was going to be a part of some reality TV special I guess, so every entertainment reporter in the area camped out in front of the hotel.
"Just keep your head down and you don't have to talk to them," Jay whispered, squeezing my hand.
"Yeah. I can totally do that. Let's just hope I don't trip over anything or do something else equally embarrassing."
Jay smiled and kissed my forehead. "If you do, I'll be there to catch you when you fall."
Another warm sensation went through me. This time it wasn't the turned on kind, but the feels kind. The one that had me thinking that if this guy didn't catch me, I was sure to break.
Jay opened the door and a sea of people approached the car, barely parting for us to even stand up.
Cameras and camera phones waved in our faces and Jay just smiled and waved as everyone threw out questions.
"Jay, are you ready for your sister's wedding?"
"Jay, have you and the other groomsmen took bets on how long the marriage will last?"
"Jay, is this the waitress you were seen with in Texas? Sweetheart, can we get your name?"
That one took me by surprise.
I looked up and saw a very bubbly looking blonde, holding up a recorder. "Can we get a name? A quote? Anything?"
I just stared, blinking, unsure of what I should do next.
Jay put his arm around me and looked straight at the reporter. "Her name is Lia Conti and she's my girlfriend."
With that, another slew of questions came out of different reporters’ mouths and cameras flashed, but Jay turned me around and we walked into the grand hotel lobby.
We didn't even have to stop at the front desk, a man came to us with a plastic card, and Jay took it, without missing a beat, then breezed past him to the large elevator.
As soon as we got in and the doors shut behind us, Jay slid his key into a slot above the buttons. Then he turned, cupping my face in his hands before putting his lips on mine. Ravishing me. Tasting me. Making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
I didn't even want the elevator ride to end, but when the doors dinged, Jay broke our kiss with an eager grin on his face. He took my hand and pulled me out of the elevator.
With one fell swoop, he had the key out of the elevator door and into another door.
Holy. Balls.
This wasn't a hotel room. This was like a freaking apartment.
Floor-to-ceiling windows faced us and looked out onto the skyline of the city. In front of those windows was a large seating area with plush furniture and off that was a large, formal dining room.
I barely had time to look over everything because Jay was pulling me toward another door that led to a large bedroom with an even better view than the living room and a king-size bed.
Jay sat down on the bed and pulled me down with him, his lips back on mine, and his hands exploring every part of my body as he rolled over so that he was on top of me.
This was the first time I'd ever felt so wanted and even sexier than seeing myself in lingerie.
"I’ve been thinking about having you in this bed since I first heard your little moans on the plane and felt you come on me," he murmured between covering my neck with kisses.
I stiffened. I'd never had a man want me this much or been this close to sex.
Jay stopped kissing me and sat up, hovering over me. "Babe, if you don't want to do this, say the word. I'll understand. I may need some alone time in the bathroom, but I'll understand."
I mustered up all of the courage I could and sucked in a deep breath before I sat up slightly and pulled my t-shirt over my head.
This was it. This was the moment I was going to give all of myself to a man I had fantasized about before I'd ever met him and now that I'd gotten to know him, I was falling head over heels for.
Jay swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as his eyes roamed over my body before his hands slid underneath my bra, his thumb gently caressing the curve of my breasts.
With one fell swoop, his other hand was at the back of my bra, unclasping it and throwing it to the ground. My nipples perked, hitting the cold air, but then they were immediately covered by Jay's hands then his mouth.
His tongue swirled around each little bud and I leaned back, my body shaking and so close to the brink of eruption from every new sensation.
Jay's mouth moved down to my stomach, leaving small kisses down to my belly button before he sat up and peeled his shirt off.
Damn the man has an impressive body. Every ridge and tightened muscled. I couldn't help but lean forward and run my tongue along that eight-pack, which unleashed his own shivers.
I moved back, meeting those crystal blue eyes of his and that brilliant smile.
He licked his lips before pulling my legs out so I fell on my back and he quickly unzipped my pants, tugging them off with my shoes and socks.
There I was spread out for him to see. Nothing between us but his jeans and my underwear.
He leaned over and lightly kissed each one of my thighs then a trail to my center, before he tugged off my panties and threw them to the ground next to us.
This was it. This was the moment I was going to lose my virginity.
Jay stood at the end of the bed and spread my legs, his finger tracing a line down my ankle to my center. I was so ready for that finger to be somewhere else, but he stopped and put my legs together.
"Um, Lia?"
Shit. He knew I was a virgin and didn't want to be with me.
"Is everything okay? Am I doing something wrong?" I tried to sound confident, but my voice broke with each word.
He shook his head slightly. "No, it's just, you're bleeding."
I sighed. "Okay, I guess this is probably the time to tell you that I'm a virgin. I haven't had anything inside of me from the opposite sex. That time on the plane was my first time for...anything..."
He smiled slightly. "As flattered as I am to hear that, no matter how long my fingers are, that wouldn't cause you to bleed. Um, I think you got your period."
Holy. Mother.
I sprang from the bed and didn't even bother gathering my clothes as I ran into the bathroom, and closed the door behind me. I tried not to focus on all of the white around the room with the tile, sinks, and toilet. That only made me think of the white bedspread, which my damn body probably ruined.
No. This couldn't be happening.
I sat on the toilet and sure enough, there was my Aunt Flo to greet me.
Holy Hell.
I didn't plan for it. My period was always off, so I never exactly knew when it was coming and now it was here at the worst time.
Tears pricked my eyes. I didn't want to cry, but it wasn't like I had anything else to do. I was naked, still a virgin, and sitting in the largest bathroom I'd ever been in.
A knock came at the door.
Oh, God, Jay. I'd probably mortified him. He was probably going to tell me that he chartered a plane for me to go back to Texas.
"Hey, babe, um, I'm going to go for a swim down in the
hotel pool and let you have some alone time. Do you, um, need anything?"
I didn't answer. I didn't even know what I was supposed to say, so I just stayed silent.
I waited forever before I finally decided I had to leave the bathroom, get dressed, and probably find a drug store to get tampons.
I had just finished washing up and getting dressed when a knock came at the door.
I thought it might be Jay and I wasn't sure I was ready to see him yet then a voice yelled, "Room service!”
I ran and opened it, seeing a man in a suit with a wheeled cart. Our bags were delivered and sitting near the couch, so he steered the cart next to them. I didn't know what I was supposed to do since I'd never had room service before so I kind of bowed and said "thank you".
The man nodded and then left.
Slowly I walked toward the cart and looked at the array of covered silver dishes and a large brown bag, sitting next to them.
Oh God, I hoped it wasn't a giant box of condoms and things to use for sexual foreplay and now Jay was very turned off by my lady parts.
I kept staring and psyching myself up until finally I opened the bag. Instead of condoms, it was a variety pack of tampons. The good kind, not the cheap, cardboard ones I always ended up buying.
"What the hell?"
I set them down and then opened the different silver trays, which revealed every single chocolate dish I could imagine from cake to crepes.
The last tray I opened was a chocolate tart with an envelope on the top with my name written sloppily on it.
I opened it and read it slowly.
Hey, Lia, wanted to make sure you had what you needed before we head to USC then my parents. See you soon. -Jay
I held the note close to my chest. It wasn't what I expected. I shouldn't have been so emotional, or maybe I should’ve since I was on my freaking period.
But I held that note to my chest and let the tears fall from my eyes.
Holy Hell.
I wasn’t just falling in love with Jay Morningstar, I was there.
And maybe, just maybe, he was too.
Chapter 17
When Jay came back up to the room, he was in a sweat suit, his hair still wet from the pool.
I was camped out on the couch.
Jay glanced at the tray of chocolate then back at me. "So...I hope that didn't piss you off."
I stood up, shaking my head. "No. That was probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you. I figured you would’ve just left and instead of chocolates there would be a plane ticket home."
Jay stepped forward, closing the space between us. "I would never do that to you, Lia."
He tipped my chin up and gently kissed me. "But I’m going to have to leave you to shower. I don't think you want to walk around USC's campus with a boyfriend who smells like chlorine."
"Wait. What? When are we going to USC? When did you plan this trip?”
"You said you wanted to go there, so we're going to check it out and you can see your future home for the next two years. And I thought I'd go with you, unless you're embarrassed of my smell."
I kissed him again. "I like the smell of your chlorine."
He grinned. "If you ever want me to get in that shower, you'd better stop that or I'm going to take you down on that bed."
I blinked, stammering and trying to gather my words.
He kissed me again before squeezing my hand and stepping back. "Don't think too hard, okay?"
I just smiled. That was easier said than done.
***
The entrance to USC was even more beautiful than the pictures online. All of the cardinal red and gold flowers were in bloom, surrounding the cement sign that read "University of Southern California."
Jay held my hand, not saying a word as I kept staring at all the Roman architecture of various buildings.
I'd dreamed about going to school for music business for years. I didn't want to be in front of the microphone, but behind the music? That was what I wanted. To make the magic happen. To discover those new artists and bring them to everyone's ears. And USC had the best program.
"Not too bad, I guess. There aren't as many cows here, though," Jay said, nudging my side.
"I think I've seen enough cows in Friendship to last a lifetime."
I couldn't help but marvel at everyone around me. They just walked along doing their normal business, not realizing they were literally walking in footsteps that I'd wanted to walk in for so long.
My senior year of high school, I faked a call in sick to school and drove into Dallas to go to an information session on USC. The first time I talked to a counselor, I knew it was where I wanted to be.
Of course my parents didn't agree.
Dallas did have its great amenities and it was a lot closer to home. But I didn't want to live in my parents’ house and under their rules for my entire life.
The option was also thrown out for Nicky’s alma mater of UT in Austin, but that was where Christy went and just about everyone else from our small high school that went on to college.
No way in hell I wanted a repeat of my sucky high school years in college, no matter how big the campus was.
"So...what's the plan? Do you want to keep walking around? See any of the buildings?" Jay asked.
"Maybe I could talk to one of the admissions counselors? See when is the latest I can get signed up for fall classes as a transfer? Then maybe they can give me something that I can bring home to my parents so they won't hate the idea of me going here so much."
Jay grinned, letting go of my hand and putting his arm around me. "I think that sounds like a great idea. I'd like you staying here. Maybe you could even get a co-ed dorm so I wouldn't have to sign in all the time to come visit you."
A lump formed in my throat.
I'll admit that I had some brief moments where I thought about a future past this weekend with him, but I didn't think he was actually planning on it. Thinking about my dorm and seeing me in the fall.
This was a big deal.
And I had no idea how to handle it, so I just stayed silent, mulling over everything while we walked to the building.
A bubbly looking, younger girl around my age sat behind a desk, looking at her lap.
"Um, hi." I approached the desk.
The girl looked up then did a double take, setting her phone on the desk. "Oh, hi! How can I help you?"
But she wasn't asking me. She was looking right past me at Jay.
"I'd like to speak to an admissions counselor about my transfer. My name is Rosalia Conti, hopeful transfer student for the fall semester."
The girl still didn't look at me as she twisted toward her computer and furiously typed on the keyboard. "Okay, it looks like a lot of our counselors are busy today with fall semester sign ups this next month, but I can move around some appointments and squeeze you in."
She twirled back to us and looked right at Jay. "Are you going to be signing up for classes as well?"
Jay smiled that megawatt smile and shook his head. "Nope. Just my girlfriend."
She nodded, her eyes flitting back to her phone. "Okay. But think about it. We have a great swim team!"
Jay just kept smiling and nodding. "Okay."
Obviously she recognized him, but didn't do her due diligence in Olympic stalking or she'd know that he'd have to give up his endorsement deals if he were to swim for the NCAA and those were probably what kept him in Speedos and private planes.
With that we walked over to the little cardinal red chairs in the waiting area. There were a few other students who mostly stared at their phones. USC was known for having celebrities and dozens of movies filmed on campus. It wasn't like Friendship, Texas, which is the hometown of country superstar Eddie Justice, but mostly we are just known for cattle.
"Rosalia Conti?"
It wasn't even five minutes when a door opened and a very young-looking woman with wavy brown hair called my name.
I stood up and so did Jay.
I didn't think he'd want to come with me, but by the way the girl at the front desk was taking not so stealthy photos, it was probably better to get him out of her grasp.
The woman who called my name smiled as I approached her and stuck out my hand. "Yes. I'm Rosalia, or Lia, and this is my boyfriend, Jay."
The woman smiled, shaking both of our hands. "I'm Reina Stowe, and of course I recognize Jay Morningstar. Our student secretary even put his name on the appointment notes. I wasn't going to see any more prospective students today, but for you two I can make an exception."
I was going to correct her that it was just me signing up for the fall semester, but she went on talking and led us down a small hallway to a dimly lit office that was piled with different books and papers on just about every surface.
"Sorry it's such a mess. I've been trying to get everything together before spring break." She moved a few papers off the chairs. "I'm sure you two are busy as it is with what, is Worlds coming up?"
Jay shook his head. "No just a pro meet in Charlotte next week. I'll have some more coming up in the winter, though."
Reina smiled, sitting behind her desk and typing a few things into the computer. "That would be perfect if you wanted to start this summer or even in the fall and we could see about some online classes for the spring or winter session."
"I'm just here to support my girlfriend. She’ll be transferring this fall." Jay put his hand on my knee.
Reina smiled a tight-lipped smile. "Well, maybe Rosalia can convince you to become a Trojan."
I swallowed hard, thinking of the other Trojan we almost used, but was failed by my damn period.
"Um, yeah, my acceptance letter came in, but I just wanted to know the next steps and see what kind of financial aid is available for a transfer student or anything really that I can take back to my parents to help convince them that I should be here."
She didn't even look up from her computer as she answered. "Have you filled out the FAFSA forms? There are also local church and non-profit organizations that offer scholarships."