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Chapter 1
Charlie
Sensible underwear, check. Sports bras, socks, pretty lace thong and matching bralette (just in case)—check, check… never mind. I almost put the last two back into my suitcase, but I heard Sally’s voice in my ear telling me to pack them, so I did. After going over the contents of my luggage, including my sporting gear, everyday wear, and other necessities, I closed the large bag and set it next to my other one, which was home to my shoes and accessories.
I stared out the window at the Rocky Mountains and sighed. Late spring in Colorado was one of my favorite times of year. Seeing the freshly bloomed flowers always brought a smile to my face. I couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholy at the thought of leaving the beauty of it behind.
Moving to Virginia was, on its own, nerve-racking enough. Toss in playing on a men’s professional football team and those same nerves frayed even more. It wasn’t as though I thought I couldn’t do it… well, on some level, I supposed that was true. But feeling the entire weight of the female population on my shoulders had me second-guessing my choice to take the chance. Thankfully, my friend Sally’s brother, Collin St. James, played for the team, the Virginia Thunder, as their starting wide receiver.
Collin. The boy, now man, who had fueled all my adolescent fantasies. It hadn’t mattered that I was nine when I met him, or that he was a senior in high school and I hadn’t even hit double digits. He still owned my heart. I smiled at the memory of eavesdropping on him and his friend—something his sister and I wove into our sleepover itinerary. I’d heard things, so many things, and even to this day, I still didn’t know what half of those things meant. Sally and I would laugh at their antics, yet at the same time my crush on him grew. Worse yet, my stupid adolescent heart declared that it belonged to Collin.
Stupid, I know.
Guys like Collin—football superstar and homecoming king, voted best looking in the class (which made Sally gag and me swoon)—dated girls who were cheerleaders and who were popular, two characteristics that had never, and would never, describe me. It wasn’t that I thought I was wretched looking, but I didn’t fit into the mold of most of the women who caught his eye. Where they were perfectly shaped with measurements often referred to when describing a “brick house”—as the song went—I was more of a stone cottage. Not too tall, and I definitely didn’t have the curves that tune (which happened to be one of my mom’s favorites) boasted.
I would never forget the time he came home on one of his college breaks after a friend, who happened to be on the high school’s cheerleading squad, asked him to prom. All the couples met at Sally’s to take pictures, and I happened to be there that night. As though he were a movie star, Collin wore a black tux and light-blue tie that brought out his eyes, and despite the formality of the event, his hair looked as though his hand had run through it multiple times.
Sally had rolled her eyes when his date appeared wearing a dress that reminded me of a nightgown. She was tall and pretty, with boobs that looked like melons—and definitely fit the Commodores’ criteria. Meanwhile, I was only a tween and still hadn’t gotten my period, let alone anything to warrant me wearing a bra. I remembered going home and reading the bookAre You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,by Judy Blume, and I’d prayed that puberty would come… and soon. Little did I know what a mistake that would be. Why girls wished for cramps and bloating was beyond me.
Sighing at that memory of the last time I’d seen him, I hoisted the strap of my bag onto my shoulder, grabbed my suitcase, and rolled it out into my living room. I snagged my keys and my phone just as it began to ring. A goofy picture of me and Sally appeared, bringing a smile to my face.
“Hey, girlfriend,” I said.
“Hi! Are you at the airport?” Her harsh whisper made me laugh. Sally had been sworn to secrecy about Reese’s offer. She knew not to say a word to anyone not related to her.
“I’m heading out now. I assume you’re at work?”
“Yes, but my tyrant of a boss is in a meeting. Regardless, I had to call, because this is beyond cool. I still can’t process it all.”
“Tell me about it.” Still a bit on edge about everything, I had to ask, “Are you sure it’s okay that I stay with your brother? What did he say? Should I call him?”
Barely finished with my question, she blurted, “It’s fine. His house is massive. Trust me. When I visit, I hardly see him. He’s cool with it.”
“Okay, so you did tell him, then?”Did I pack deodorant?I needed to check, because my pits were already dampening.
“Will you please stop worrying? This is Collin, my big brother. You know he’d do anything for me, which, in turn, means he’d do anything for you. It’s all good. I sent you his address, and his four-digit gate code passkey is my birthday month and day.” She sighed. “Wait, you still don’t have a crush on him, do you?”
Crossing my fingers behind my back, I quickly lied, “Of course not.”
“You can uncross your fingers. I know you better than you think. He really isn’t that great, you know. Although I’m sure he’ll be shocked when he sees how gorgeous you are. You have no idea how much I wish I could be there to see his reaction.”
I wanted to ask her to please go with me, but I knew that she’d feel horrible because she couldn’t. Making my best friend feel guilty wasn’t in my vernacular.
“It’s been a long time” she continued. “When’s the last time you saw each other?”
Sally claiming I was gorgeous was something a best friend said. I’d been told I was pretty, but it wasn’t as though guys were falling over themselves to get to me. “Thanks to me having mono and missing your graduation, it has been a long time. The last time we communicated was at your thirteenth birthday party. And the only shock he is going to get is the fact that I am joining his team. It’s not like we’ve engaged in conversation. I’d say hi, he’d smile. My brain would malfunction and forget how to formulate words, and that would be the end of that.”
She sighed. “Trust me, conversation with Collin revolved around his sport and girls.”
I crinkled my nose at the latter. Much as with other stupidly good-looking jocks, their reputation preceded them.
“And I don’t care what you say, you’re stunning.” She paused long enough for me to sigh. “Let’s not forget your plan. You are still going to go through with it?”
Yes, my virginity. Another reason men weren’t rushing to date me. When it came to sex, I wanted it to be special. Except I thoughtspecialwould have happened already. I’m starting to lean toward thefunaspect of it.
Correcting her, I quipped, “That’syourplan, remember?”
“Ourplan,” she insisted. “You’re going to be in a sea of testosterone. Losing your V-card before the season starts will bring you relief, you’ll see.”
