“Okay everyone lets go sit in the living room, its present time!!” Tess exclaimed excitedly.
We all settled in surrounding the birthday girl. “Ashton open mine first,” Tess said, handing her a beautifully wrapped package. Ashton opened it so slowly and delicately; it was like she didn’t want to rip the paper. Tess had given her a set of journals, each one was a different color and had really cool designs on them. She hugged them to her chest and looked at her roommate.
“I love them Tess thank you.”
Tess smiled at her, “you are very welcome. Okay Zach, you give her yours now.”
I looked at Zach, surprised he had gotten her anything. I am sure Tess made him. He handed Ashton an envelope. It was an ITunes gift card.
“Thank you Zach.” He smiled at her while chewing his second piece of cake.
Noah pulled something from his pocket and set a small wrapped package in front of Ashton on the floor. It looked like it was a ring box. This kid had to be messing with me, no way had he gotten her a ring. Ashton must have felt me tense beside her because she gave my hand a small reassuring, squeeze and began to open Noah’s gift. It wasn’t a ring. It was a small golden charm. The kind you can wear as a necklace or put on a charm bracelet. Ashton picked it up from the box and examined it more closely and then burst into a fit of laughter and so did Noah. It was hairdryer. What the hell? Why would he give her a hair dryer charm? She rose and hugged him. He hugged her back, holding her a little longer then I liked.
“Thank you Noah, I love it. Whenever I look at it I will think of you.” Oh well that’s just great.
My mom chose that moment to jump in. “I actually have one more gift for you, well actually I like to think of it as a gift for both you and Charlie.” I stared at my mother in confusion, she hadn’t mentioned anything to me about a gift.
“Oh Anna I wish you didn’t, you have already done way too much.”
She held Ashton’s face in her hands. “I was happy to do it for you. My gift is that I am leaving for a couple hours. You and Charlie will have the house to yourselves so he can give you his gift in private. But I will be back so that means no funny business you hear.” Pointing a finger at me.
My mouth fell open, I was floored my mom was doing this for us.
We bid everyone a goodnight after that, I was ready to give my girl my gift. As Tess was walking out the door she yelled, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” We both laughed at that. Closing the door I turned and looked at her standing in my living room. After she had opened Noah’s gift and liked it so much I was even more nervous to give her mine. They obviously shared a little inside joke just between the two of them and I couldn’t help but hate that.
“You all are so wonderful, this was the best day of my life Charlie.” I walked over and held her in my arms.
“It’s not over yet, I still have my gift for you.” She began to pat me down, her hands roaming all over my body. I chuckled, “What are you doing? Not that I am complaining or anything, feel free to feel me up all you want.”
“I’m looking for my present.” She answered me like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“It’s upstairs babe, but if you want it, you have to wait down here while I get it ready.”
“Okay but don’t make me wait too long, I think you guys have created a monster, I could really get used to all this birthday hoopla.”
I laughed and kissed her lips. “Give me ten minutes.” I dashed up the stairs to my room.
I HAD planned on getting Ashton away and giving her my gift in private anyway but since my mom had surprised us and let us have the house to ourselves, I decided to up my game plan a little. I had lit a bunch of candles and placed them all over my room. I hadn’t wrapped her gift but she would soon see why. I put my hands over her eyes and led her into my candle lit room. “Okay open.”
Removing my hands from her eyes, she gasped and put both hands over her mouth. “Charlie this is so beautiful.”
“You like it?”
“I love it, who knew you were a romantic Charlie Ingram?”
I pulled her to my bed sitting down and kissed her softly.
“Are you my present?” She said into my mouth in between kisses.
I would have loved to be her present but I shook my head no. “No, but if you want me to be your gift I am sure that can be arranged.”
“Hmm I don’t know, that depends, how lenient is your return policy?” She said with a mischievous grin.
“HA-HA you’re so funny, maybe I will just keep your gift for myself?”
“No! Please I want it. I promise to be good.” Here goes nothing.
Reaching from behind me on the bed I pulled the folded sweater out and placed it in her hands. She looked at it and then looked at me with a confused look. She unfolded it.
“This is your hockey sweater you made me wear that night at the pool hall right?” I nodded. “I gave it back to you, why are you giving me this Charlie? For one, it is way too big for me and…” I cut her off.
“That was the night we had our first kiss. It was a pretty memorable night for me and I just thought you would like to have it.”
“Charlie that’s so sweet.”
“Smell it.”
“What??”
“Smell it.” She raised it to her nose and breathed in.
“It smells like you,” she said, smiling.
“Well you always tell me how much you like how I smell so I just thought you would like it. Just let me know when the smell fades away and you can bring it back to me and I will rub it all over myself.” With that she attacked me. We both fell back with her on top of me.
“Best most incredible gift I have ever gotten Charlie,” she exclaimed, then she enthusiastically started kissing me all over my face making us both laugh.
“I am glad you like it but there is more.” She sat up quickly and tucked her legs underneath her.
“More? Charlie how can there be more?”
“Reach in the pocket.”
She picked the sweater up again and reached in the large pocket in the front. Pulling out a sterling silver chain that had a silver letter “A” hanging from it. She held it in her hand studying it for a long time. The dancing candle light made the silver gleam.
“Do you like it?” She looked at it and then looked at me. Her eyes were glossy. Had I made her cry?
“Baby what’s wrong?” I went to hold her but she stopped me putting her hand up still staring at the necklace in her hand.
“I just need a minute okay.”
I was lost. Why was she reacting like this? I thought it was pretty; I thought she would like it. I waited a couple minutes while she just sat there staring at the damn necklace. I thought I had totally fucked up, but then she finally spoke softly.
“Will you please put it on me?”
Handing it to me, she picked her hair up off her neck and held it out of the way. I fastened it and took a chance kissing the back of her neck where the chain laid. She shivered. I chanced another one, and another one. Her breathing was getting unsteady as her hands started rubbing up and down my legs. I turned her to face me and captured her mouth with mine. She hugged me grabbing the back of my shoulders under my arms. I was so turned on I wanted to keep going but I had to know she was alright.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes I am perfect, just emotional. I have never experienced things like this from people, I just got a little over whelmed. I love the sweater and the candles and my necklace. You make me so happy.”
She started kissing me again and this time I didn’t stop us. I wanted to feel her body against mine again. Skin to Skin. I held the bottom of her shirt letting her know I wanted to take it off. When she raised her arms up over her head, allowing me to peel it from her body, I almost lost it. She was flawless in each and every way, sitting there in a white bra. I kissed and licked her flat stomach causing soft little moans to escape her lips. I wanted her so badly it hurt. I reached ar
ound and unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the floor. She reached for my shirt and I was more than happy to oblige, I ripped it off over my head and took her in my arms. As we lay down on my bed, we had never gotten this far before and I was more than ready to take the next step with her. Just as I was reaching down to unbutton her jeans she pushed against my chest halting us abruptly.
“Charlie I’m a virgin.”
I so didn’t see that one coming.
I HAD been thinking for a while, what would be the best way to tell him, then I just go and blurt it out when we are messing around. Good going Ashton. He sat up on his bed leaning his back against the wall. I grabbed his comforter and covered myself up, I wasn’t sure where my shirt and bra was at the moment so this would have to do. Charlie had his hands interlocked behind his neck. I looked at him but he was staring blankly at anything but me.
“It’s not a big deal I just thought you should know.” I said quietly. His eyes flickered to mine.
“So how far exactly have you gone before?” He didn’t seem upset, just genuinely curious.
“I have done everything except actual sex.” He looked away from me. A giant knot had formed in the pit of my stomach. He was an eighteen year old guy who had more sexual experience than most grown men. How could I possibly think that he would want to have a relationship with a virgin? He was going to break up with me no doubt about it.
“I am sorry if I pushed you into doing things you didn’t feel comfortable doing. If I had known this before now I would have handled things differently with you. I guess I just assumed that you had…you know, done it already.”
“It’s not like the opportunity never presented itself. I have messed around with guys but when things reached a certain point, I would always stop. It just never felt right…until now.”
He raised his eye brows, “and you think you’re ready now? With me?”
I nodded my head, “I do, I have never felt this way about anyone before you Charlie. I want it to be with you.”
He rubbed both his hands over his face. “Ashton I have never felt this way about anyone else either but I have never taken a girl’s virginity before. I don’t know if I should be the one, what if I hurt you?”
I moved closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder. “The first time always hurts, no matter who it’s with, but I trust you and I want you.”
“I want you too.” The room fell quiet as we both digested the conversation.
“So when do you think you want to?” He said kissing the top of my head.
“I don’t know, it doesn’t have to be special or anything.”
Yes it does, you have waited eighteen years and it never seemed right for you until now and I am not going to ruin it for you.”
“So you’re not going to break up with me?”
“Break up with you? Because you’re a virgin? Hell no. Did you really think I would do that?”
I shrugged, “I wasn’t sure how you were going to react. The thought had crossed my mind that this might be a deal breaker for you.”
“Well it’s not.”
I slid my hand out of the blanket and began to run it across his hard stomach brushing across the top of his exposed boxers. “You know just because I am a virgin doesn’t mean we can’t do other stuff. We do still have the house to ourselves for a little while longer.”
His eyes hooded over with that evil gleam in them and I knew he liked what I just said. “Come here birthday girl,” and he pulled me on top of him.
TO SAY that my birthday was amazing would be an understatement. I knew when I made the choice to come here that my life would be better but I could never have imagined this good. My grades were awesome. I was one of the best volleyball players on the team. I had a roommate that I was crazy about and then there was Charlie. For two people that had never been in a committed relationship before, I thought we were doing pretty damn well. He stunned me when he didn’t mind that I was a virgin. Not only did he not mind, but he wanted to make it special for me. Most guys with the reputation that Charlie had would have either broken up with me, or pressured me. Not Charlie. I was falling hard for him, but after my birthday he had me convinced that maybe that was a good thing.
Two weeks later Charlie had the first game of the season and I was so excited to be able to watch him in action. It was just a scrimmage match against the neighboring town to see where both teams were at but still it was exciting and it sounded as if the whole school was planning on attending. The varsity team was wearing their jerseys all day at school and Charlie looked so handsome in his. I could practically feel his enthusiasm for the game running through him when I held him in the hallway by our lockers. As usual I had my arms wrapped around his middle and my hands were up the back of his jersey touching his back. I loved feeling his toned skin. He was resting his arms on the tops of my shoulders looking down at me.
“You and Tess going to see your men in action tonight babe.”
I rested my head on his chest and breathed him in. “Yup, you going to win for me right?”
“Of course, I can’t lose with my girl in the stands cheering me on.” Leaning up on my tip-toes, I kissed him quickly on the lips and under his jaw.
“Okay I have to go back to the dorms but we will be back before the game starts.”
Releasing me he dug his hand into his pocket and pulled his truck keys out; holding them out to me. “Take my truck.”
I gaped at the dangling keys, he was going to let me drive his truck. It was his baby. “Are you serious? You love your truck what if I dent her or something?”
He shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at me. His gaze was full of an emotion I hadn’t seen from him yet. “It’s just a truck beautiful girl, and I do love it but I lo…” he stopped mid-sentence, like he decided not to say what he was going to say. I just stood there waiting for him to continue. He rubbed his hands up and down my arms and let out a soft sigh. “Just be careful with her, I will see you in a bit.” He kissed me once more, then walked off in the direction of the boy’s locker room.
Getting behind the wheel of the large truck felt odd. I was usually in the passenger seat or snuggled up close to Charlie’s side while he drove. I put her in drive and prayed to the truck gods for the best driving skills I was capable of. A short ride later I parked safely at the dorms. Tess was in our room spraying her hair with a whole can of hair spray it seemed. I coughed as I walked past her waving my hand in front of my face.
“You about done there? I’m getting high from the fumes and I can’t be high while I’m driving my boyfriend’s beautiful truck,” holding up his keys and jingling them. She turned from the mirror and grabbed them from my hand.
“I can’t believe he let you take her, Zach doesn’t even let me drive his car and his car is crappier then yours.” I snorted a laugh, always the exaggerator. Zach’s car was nice but let’s face it, nobodies car was crapper then mine.
“Come on let’s go.”
I parked Charlie’s baby safe and sound in the student parking lot and turned her off. Heading into the rink, Tess found us seats as close to the ice as we could get. Warm up music was blasting from large mounted speakers and both teams were flying around the rink doing some sort of hockey warm up. Tess had painted Zach’s number on her cheek and was sporting school colors; she looked adorable. She had tried to talk me into it but I declined, I just wasn’t that type of girl but I did want Charlie to know that I was supporting him, so I had worn his sweatshirt that he had given me for my birthday. The digital clock on the wall was counting down the minutes to the start of the game. I spotted Charlie skating to the edge of the rink and stepping out he waved me down. I got up and jogged down the bleacher stairs meeting him. He raised his helmet guard so I could see his handsome face. His lips and cheeks were pink and flushed but his eyes were the greenest I had ever seen them.
“Kiss for good luck?” He asked a little out of breath, he was so cute.
I was only too happy to do so, a
s I leaned in and planted a kiss on his mouth. “Kick their butts!”
Pushing his helmet back down, giving me a smile and a wink, he got back on the rink skating away to join his team. On my walk back to my seat I had spotted Anna sitting with a few other older ladies on the other side. We waved to each other and in that moment I felt a little embarrassed that she had just witnessed me kiss her son like that.
The game was high energy and I found myself really enjoying it. Charlie was amazing on the ice, he skated like he was born to do that instead of walk. He was fast and moved the puck with ease. Zach was the total opposite his nickname “Beast” fit him perfectly because he truly was one on the ice. He smashed into the other team like it was nothing.
“Nice check baby!” Tess yelled when Zach smashed another guy into the side of the rink with a loud bang, I swear the entire place shook when Zach got a hit. We were up 2-1 with only 4 minutes left to play.
“Tess sit,” I said, pulling her back down to her seat
“I can’t, I’m too wound up. Did you see what my man just did? Oh he is so getting laid tonight.” I was about to answer her when a voice from behind us chimed in.
“Ewe that’s my brother, can you please not talk about having sex with him when I’m right here.” We both turned to find Zach’s little sister Jaimie sitting with two other local girls directly behind us. I felt my face instantly turn red. This was the same girl that had asked Charlie to go to bed with her that night at the party.
“Oh hey Jaimie, sorry I didn’t know you were sitting within earshot.” Tess said and then turned her attention back to the game and I did the same.
“Tessa aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” Tess looked at me apologetically before turning around.
“Of course, this is my roommate Ashton. Ashton this is Zach’s little sister Jaimie and her friends Camille and Samantha right?” They both nodded their heads in unison. I gave them a small smile, “Hey.” My eyes flicked through the players until I found Charlie. He squirted water into his mouth from a large water bottle. His eyes scanned the bleachers at the same till he found me I gave a small wave and he winked his eye at me again. I loved it when he did that.
Getting Out Page 11