“You’re using acredit cardfor a sex week?” they asked.
“It’s not a sex week. It’s a singles’ week.”
“Where you’ll be having sex,” Bradley pointed out as they walked up the stairs to Carrie’s second-floor apartment.
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
“Come on, Carrie. You came out. You did the hard work. Now, you should enjoy the part of being gay that includes sex with women. Well, it doesn’t for everyone, but–”
“I want to have sex with women, yes.”
“Then, this is perfect. It’s just also expensive. You really put it on a credit card? You know you’re gorgeous, right? And smart. Funny. You probably could’ve hopped on an app and gotten laid that night. I’d offer my own services, but I have a lady.”
“Gross.” Carrie laughed. “No offense, but you’re not my type.”
“Fine,” Bradley replied and ruffled their short hair when Carrie arrived at the door and pulled out her keys.
“I can’t believe I leave tomorrow. I still have to pack. I applied, like, three months ago, and the company warns you thatit could take a minute, so I thought it would take forever. You know I don’t just want to get laid, though. I want more.”
“I know. But do you really expect it to happen after a week?”
“I don’t know. I just thought it might be worth a try to take some of the pressure off it. I’m thirty years old, only just recently came out, and I’ve never even been with a woman, so the women you think would want to sleep with me on those apps might change their minds when they find those things out. These women are all there looking for something more. Sex is part of that at this event, so there’s a chance I might at least sleep with a woman I like and that it goes well after that, but even if it doesn’t, I probably would have had a good time, and then I wouldn’t be the lesbian who’s never been with another woman before, right?”
Bradley followed Carrie inside her apartment and said, “Look, I want you to have fun. Just don’t do anything you’ll regret, you know? If you don’t want to have sex, don’t. Just because you paid for this whole week in part for that doesn’t mean you want to have a shitty first time you wish you could change later.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s not a requirement; we don’t have to sleep with each other. And we’ll all have our own rooms.”
“Good. If you need me, I’m one phone call away.”
“No phones,” Carrie stated.
“What?”
“We can’t have our phones there.”
“I’m sorry; they take your phones away for the whole week?”
“The instructions say that they want us to be focused on the reason we’re there and not on anything else. Plus, they don’t want pictures or videos taken that someone doesn’t consent to. We’re allowed to check our phones a couple of times a day, but they stay locked up other than that. I know that if we really needto get our phones, we can. It’s just not supposed to be part of the week. No distractions, you know?”
“Well, call me when you’re checking your phone if you need me.”
“Thanks,” she said. “And I’ll be okay. I need this, Bradley.”
“I know. I’m in your corner, okay?”
“Yeah,” she said and pulled out her suitcase.
“Which is why I’m telling you to put that thing away and get out the small roller I know you have in your closet.”
“What’s wrong with this one? I need a big suitcase. It’s a week.”
“That thing belonged to your parents before they gave it to you. It looks like it should be in a dumpster. You cannot go with that thing. Get the small roller and a backpack. You’ll be good with that. I’ll help you pack.”
“Fine,” she said and put the old suitcase back.
CHAPTER 7
Jennifer
