He shrugged. “I don’t. At least, not that often.” He sat on the edge of the bed near the footboard as I ate, staring absently at the TV. After a while, he spoke again. “Did he call?”
I paused, the spoon halfway to my lips. Of course Christian had filled him in on what happened at the party. They’d been teasing me about it for days. “Not yet,” I replied, trying not to let on how disappointed that made me.
Luke leaned back against the mattress, half laying half sitting. His head was practically in my lap. “He’s stupid if he doesn’t,” he said. This is why people love Luke. He always knows just what to say.
I smiled. “Thanks. It’s okay if he doesn’t, really. We only met the one time and … well, I don’t care if he doesn’t call.”
“Jenn?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
I reached out and tugged one of his curls. Hard. “Jerk.”
“Spaz.”
“Man whore!”
He sat up, holding his hands up defensively. “Whoa, whoa. Harsh!”
I laughed. “The truth hurts.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “Jealous?”
“No, I don’t like girls.”
“I meant, jealous of the girls.”
I scoffed. “Not likely.”
Suddenly, my phone chirped and lit up. I nearly dove across the bed trying to grab it. The area code was local, but the number wasn’t familiar. My pulse jumped. “It’s him!” I said, my voice high and squeaky.
Luke stood, shoving his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants. “Not so stupid after all,” he said.
I took a deep breath and fought to steady my voice as I answered. Luke left, sliding my door closed with a silent click. “Hello?”
“Hey gorgeous,” said Dain’s voice from the other end.
I couldn’t help the audible sigh of relief that escaped my mouth. “Hey,” I replied, trying to sound casual.
He sneezed on the other end. “Sorry,” he murmured, and for the first time I realized that he sounded stuffy, too. “I’m sick.”
I laughed, but it turned into a cough. “Me too.”
“Talk about ironic,” he said. His voice was deep, deeper than I remembered. Dain sounded sexy with a cold. I could just picture him lounging in bed with the phone pressed to his ear. “Dive into a lake to rescue a pretty girl and this is what I get.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“Hey, it was worth it,” he said quickly. “So worth it, I was wondering if you were free this weekend. Hopefully by then, my nose will have stopped dripping. I wouldn’t want to gross you out during our date.”
My cheeks hurt from my face-splitting smile, but I just couldn’t stop. “This weekend?” Midterms were in two weeks and I was supposed to be studying, but one night off wouldn’t hurt. Plus, I hadn’t forgotten about my mission. A date was a step in the right direction. “Sure, I’m free. As long as we stay away from large bodies of water, I’m good.”
“There won’t be a drop of water in sight,” he said with a chuckle. “Not even a puddle for you to step in. I swear.”
“That sounds great.” Walking barefoot in a snowstorm would be great with you, I thought.
“Good,” he answered. “Friday night at eight?”
I nodded, but then remembered he couldn’t see me. “Sure,” I added. “I live on campus, I’ll text you the address.”
“Perfect. I can’t wait to see you again, Jenn.”
My stomach turned a little flip. I loved the way he said the shortened version of my name. It sounded so smooth on his tongue. “Me either,” I said. “I mean to see you. I can’t …”
He laughed. The sound was warm. “Bye, Jenn. Feel better.”
“You too.”
I hung up and muffled my squeal of happiness in my pillow. I fell back onto the bed, a dopey grin stretching from ear to ear. It had been a while since I’d dated anyone. After my last relationship ended six months ago—remember creepy art guy?—I’d pretty much given up on the idea of a steady boyfriend. Even my mission to lose my virginity wasn’t contingent on getting a boyfriend. I’d been content with the idea of going on a few dates with a guy, doing the deed, and going our separate ways.
Dain was an unexpected and delightful complication. With a guy like him, I could dare to hope for more.
***
Day 11
Dain showed up for our date ten minutes early. I was just touching up my lip gloss when the doorbell rang. Kinsley and Chloe were in my room, one on the bed and the other in my swiveling desk chair.
“That outfit is tragic,” Chloe commented. “You should have let me dress you again.”
“We’ve been over this,” I said. “If I’m going to date this guy, he needs to get to know me. Not some girl he thinks dresses in Louboutin. Besides, when I wear your shoes, bad things happen to me.”
“Don’t blame the shoes, blame the wearer,” Chloe said. “I guess it’ll do for a first date.”
I thought my soft pink sundress and jean halter vest were perfect. My strappy sandals showed off Chloe’s fuchsia nail polish. I’d decided I kind of liked it, and kept it. My makeup was minimal—eyeliner, blush, and gloss. My only jewelry were a pair of small silver hoops and a diamond pendant my parents got me for graduation.
“You look great,” Kinsley said. “Where are you guys going?”
I shrugged, reaching for my bag. I could hear Dain’s deep voice from downstairs, mingling with Christian’s. “I don’t know, he didn’t tell me. Do you think I should have asked?”
“Definitely,” said Chloe. “You said his dad is a CEO, which means he’s rich. Maybe he plans to take you somewhere upscale.”
I bit my lower lip and looked down at my dress. Anxiety assaulted me, when I’d been feeling so confident while getting ready. I’d always liked this outfit. “Crap, I didn’t think about that.”
“Poor people seldom do.”
I shot Chloe a look and slung my purse over my shoulder. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“You will,” Kinsley replied. “You’ll have a great time, then come back and tell us all about it.”
“Definitely.”
I paused at the door, wiping my sweaty palms on the skirt of my dress before reaching for the knob. My heart was hammering as I went down the stairs. Anxiety swelled in the first moment that I laid eyes on Dain. Then, it abated when I took in his jeans, white T-shirt, and leather jacket. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
“Hi.”
He smiled back and came forward, those piercing eyes raking me from head to toe. I shivered, feeling like he was peeling back the layers of my clothes. My lower lip disappeared between my teeth again—a nervous habit.
“You look great,” he said. “Looks like you’re feeling better.”
“Yeah, good as new.”
The doorbell rang again and I reached to open it, revealing Kara, one of Luke’s guitar students. Friend with benefits was a more fitting description, but Luke liked to let us think he was teaching her to play guitar. Lessons were how he paid the rent, but with Kara we knew there was more to it. We all knew what was happening when that door was closed and Christian was banished to the living room for a few hours. If the warbled chords coming from under his door were any indication, she was a crappy guitar student anyway.
“Hi Jenn!” she said in that loud, grating voice of hers. For some reason, the fact that she’s screwing Luke makes her think she’s friends with all of us. We barely tolerate her. “Ooh, cute dress!”
“Thanks,” I murmured, standing aside to let her in. “Luke’s in his room.”
She made her way past me, toting her pink guitar case. “Who’s the guy?” she whispered, a little too loud. Dain pretended not to hear and kept talking with Christian, but I could see amusement pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“That’s Dain,” I said, not really comfortable discussing him with Luke’s pillow partner. “My date.”
Her eyebrows shot u
p. “Wow. Lucky you.”
Somehow, her tone indicated disbelief that a guy like Dain would be interested in little ole me. I frowned. “Maybe lucky him,” I retorted.
“Oh, I’m definitely the lucky one,” Dain said, snaking an arm around my waist as he came up beside me. “Ready, Jenn?”
I smiled at Kara’s open-mouthed expression. That felt good. “Sure am.”
“Have her back by ten, Peterson.”
Dain laughed. “Don’t wait up, Carver.”
The door slammed behind us and Dain led me to the black Ford F-150 parked at the curb. He opened my door and then held my hand as I stepped up into the high cab. A few minutes later, we were navigating the city streets.
He leaned back in his seat, his hands relaxed on the wheel. I released a shaky breath and told myself to calm down. This was a casual first date and Dain was a nice guy. I’d already embarrassed myself in front of him once, and he still called me.
“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“You’re going to think it’s dumb,” he said.
“Why would I think that?”
He shrugged. “It’s a little corny.”
“Dain, you’re talking about a girl who sings the songs from Hairspray into her brush while watching the movie and performing the choreography. Corny is my middle name.”
The corny place turned out to be Blue Starlight Mini Urban Drive-In. Dain pulled into the parking lot in an area designated for trucks and SUVs, parking so that the bed of his truck was facing the huge screen. Once he opened the bed, he pulled a large blanket from the back of the cab and spread it out in the back of the truck. He grabbed my waist and lifted me up onto the bed before going back to the cab. He came back with a large, brown paper grocery bag from Whole Foods.
“Dinner,” he said.
He leapt up into the bed with me and went rifling through the bag, spreading out plastic containers from the deli—sandwiches, fruit, and sinful looking chocolate cake. “Looks good,” I stated.
He lifted the two plastic containers holding the sandwiches. “BLT or chicken salad.”
“Chicken.”
He handed me the sandwich and opened his BLT. This theater played old movies and tonight was a double feature. Sixteen Candles started up as we ate, but I barely paid attention to it. Dain lay back in the bed, propped up on one elbow as he plucked fruit from the second container with his fingers.
“So,” he said, “how are classes going?”
“Midterms are coming up,” I answered. “I’ve been busting my ass studying all week.”
“Glad I could convince you to take a break.”
I snuck a glance at him from the corner of my eye. “Me too. Trying to study in a house full of stressed students doesn’t make it any easier. By next week we’ll be at each other’s throats.”
Dain laughed. “Man, I do not miss that at all,” he said. “I’m glad my years of college roommates are behind me. I’ve never been happier than when I was finally able to move into my own place.”
“Well, it’ll probably be a few years after graduation before I can afford a place on my own. My parents can’t afford to put me up in a nice apartment.” I clapped my hand over my mouth the second I’d realized what I just said. I closed my eyes, my cheeks heating in embarrassment. “Oh my God, Dain … I’m so sorry.” I swallowed bile and told myself I would not throw up. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
He laughed again, louder this time, drawing stares from one of the SUVs nearby. His shoulders shaking, he reached out and put a hand on my knee. His hand skimmed up a bit, grazing my thigh. I sat, lost in his stare, watching glee dance in his eyes. “It’s okay,” he explained, around spurts of laughter. “You’re right, actually. My dad did pay the deposit and first couple months’ rent on my apartment until I got my first few paychecks and took over on my own.”
“Oh,” I murmured, staring down at my lap. Dain’s hand was still on my leg. “Still, I feel bad for saying it.”
“Don’t. You’re not like other girls I’ve dated, Jenn. I knew the second I met you at Christian’s party that you weren’t one of us. A rich kid. That girl in the borrowed clothes was cute, but I like this Jenn better. She’s beautiful, honest, and funny. I like her.”
My breath caught in my throat and I looked back at him, hypnotized. The moon hit his hair just right, causing the short blond strands to gleam like a halo. There was a bit of stubble on his jaw, too. Suddenly, I wanted to touch it, to run my fingers over it and feel its rasp. Heat suffused across my skin from the palm of his hand.
Just like that, the hand was gone and Dain was reaching for dessert, leaving me flushed, hot and bothered. He was an assault on all my senses, causing every nerve ending in my body to respond as if someone had pumped my blood full of pubescent hormones. I swallowed and took a deep breath, painfully aware of the throbbing between my thighs.
We watched the movie in silence for a bit longer, polishing off the cake. I chugged water from the bottle Dain gave me, hoping it would cool me off a bit. The night was pleasantly warm, but I was burning up inside, like a horny teenager. How embarrassing.
We chatted some more during the movie and I learned a lot about Dain. He had gone to college in Oklahoma on a football scholarship; he and Christian had played together in high school, Christian playing second to Dain’s first string until he graduated two years before Christian. He’d majored in business because his father wanted him to, but his real passion was art. He showed me pictures of some of his drawings on his phone. His favorite color was blue. He was a neat freak and hated to cook.
I told him about my boring, small town childhood and my average parents. When he asked me if I had any hobbies, I told him reading, if that counted as one. I didn’t have any talents aside from being good with kids—thus my desire to be a Peds nurse. By the time Sixteen Candles was over, we were laid back on the bed of the truck, side by side, trying to find the Little Dipper.
“Is that it?” he asked, pointing up. I closed one eye and followed his finger. “Right there.”
“No, that’s it over there. See the big dipper, there? There’s the little one.”
“Oh yeah, there it is. What was that I pointed out?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe yo mama.”
He rolled to his side. “Oh, that was low.”
I giggled and turned to face him. “I couldn’t resist.”
“Smartass.”
He reached toward me and I squirmed as he poked me in the ribs. His hand lingered, though, and his touch went from teasing to seductive. He walked his fingers along my ribs, as if counting them, down toward the curve of my waist. He paused at my hip, his hand grabbing me there as he scooted closer, and his other arm cushioned my head as his face hovered inches from mine.
His breath whispered across my cheek as he kissed me there first, his lips grazing my jawline toward my mouth. I shivered in his arms and he wrapped them around me, pulling me closer. Our mouths brushed in a feather-light caress first, then Dain’s tongue stroked my lower lip. I opened my mouth to him, reaching out for his tongue with mine. They tangled and dueled as his lips moved over mine skillfully, causing electricity to race through me, and end in lightning strikes low in my belly. My arms came up around his neck, pulling him close as Dain washed over me, overwhelming me with his scent, his hard, male body, and his taste. When he pulled away, I was breathless. His breathing was swift, his chest rising and falling rapidly against mine. His eyelids were heavy as he leaned down for another, shorter and sweeter kiss.
He smiled as he went back to his side, propping his head in his hand and staring at me. “You are full of surprises, Jenn,” he said. “I’m looking forward to uncovering more of them.”
I snuggled into the crook of his arm as Breakfast at Tiffany’s started. This was ridiculous—falling for a guy so hard and fast—but I couldn’t help it. It was Dain. He was magnetic and charming and I wanted him to be the one so badly. For a girl whose love life had bee
n one disaster after another, things were finally starting to look up.
Chapter 5
Day 15
Four days after my date with Dain, I was ready to tear my hair out. Not because of him, of course. He’d called me every night since our date and our talks lasted late into the night. Midterms were what had me ready to kill someone. In fact, everyone in the apartment was antsy. Fights broke out between us over the most random crap. The coffee pot never stopped percolating, and our trash bins overflowed with the wrappers from power bars and empty Rockstar cans. We were wired, snippy, and tired, and it took everything I had to focus on my studies and not Dain.
He made it damn hard, texting me here and there to ask how it was going, inviting me to a movie this weekend, dropping by with burgers and shakes from Moo-Yah for dinner and sitting by unobtrusively as I studied—pen in one hand burger in the other. It counted as a date, he said, even if I hardly looked at him while we ate. God knows I wanted to throw myself at him; sitting across from me looking yummy in his blue T-shirt and jeans, those glittering green eyes fixed on me. Unfortunately, school was more important than my mission, and I had plenty of time to make things happen with Dain. I’d roped a guy way quicker than I’d planned, so now I could relax and enjoy the next forty-five days with Dain.
Although, if I were being honest with myself, I wanted something beyond the sixty days I’d given myself to lose my virginity. Especially since I’d found a guy that was more than passably likeable.
“Earth to Jenn!” I snapped out of my daydreaming and blinked, finding Kinsley’s annoyed face across from me. She rolled her eyes at me.
“What?”
Kinsley sighed and tapped the neon-colored flashcards in her hand against the table. “Seriously, if you’re going to zone out on me, I’d rather study without you.”
I smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Sorry, I’m here, I swear. Repeat the question?”
Since me, Kinsley, and Christian were in the same World Religions class, we’d decided to study together for the midterm. When I’d zoned out we were going over Taoism. Now, apparently, we were on Buddha.
“Siddhartha Gautama,” Kinsley said. “Tell me about him.”
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