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“What’s that supposed to mean?” Norah snapped.
“It means that you’re fighting this way too hard. You keep saying that you’re happy on your own, but you obviously aren’t. You flit from one relationship to another, making excuses about the guys you’re dating not being good enough, not being attentive, and my personal favorite, not being smart enough. I’m wondering if you’ll ever find anyone who can measure up to your standards, Norah.”
Norah’s gasp filled the room. It felt as though Ginger had personally attacked her rather than stating obvious facts. “There is nothing wrong with having standards” Norah spat. “It’s something that was taught to me at a very early age, and I won’t shove them all aside now just because you and Savannah want me to settle for Colter.”
Sure, she sounded like a snob, and maybe she was one. After her parents died in a car accident, when Norah was just two, she was sent to live with her wealthy grandmother. She used to feel like the luckiest kid on the block growing up the way that she did. She never wanted anything, but all of her bobbles and trinkets bestowed upon her by her grandmother came with a price. Each one carried a lesson and the very first one that Norah learned was never to settle. Norah guessed that lesson had carried over to her dating life, and maybe that made her a little bit choosey about whom she dated, but there was nothing wrong with that.
“Your grandmother was wrong to teach you that, Norah. She taught you never to waver in anything and sometimes, that makes you pretty tough to take. You can’t ever be wrong and that makes the rest of us feel like we’re always wrong. It’s hard to be your friend sometimes, Norah. Maybe while you’re away this week, you should think about that.” Norah didn’t get another word out before Ginger stormed out of the room. She hated leaving things with her friend that way, but she had a plane to catch, and sometimes, it was just better to leave things unsaid.
Colter
Colter McAdam wasn’t sure how he was the one to get roped into the job of driving Norah to the airport, but here he was. She was quiet most of the ride, and he was sure that had everything to do with the conversation that he overheard between Ginger and her. It was one that he wished he hadn’t overheard. Was she really a virgin? The only way to find out for sure was to ask her, but that was the last thing he really wanted to do.
“I have a small confession,” Colter admitted. He wasn’t sure if he should even bring up the fact that he had overheard their conversation or the fact that he heard Norah say that she wasn’t going to “Settle” for him. Honestly, overhearing her say that was a bit hard for his ego to take.
“What’s that?” she asked, not bothering to look at him. She had kept her eyes trained on the scenery as they drove through the little beach town that would eventually lead to the highway that would take them to the airport. It was about an hour’s drive, and they were more than halfway there, giving Colter the perfect window of opportunity to ask her about her conversation with Ginger. If it didn’t pan out well for him, he would only have thirty more minutes in the car with Norah.
“I overheard your conversation with Ginger,” he admitted.
“How could you not?” she asked. Norah’s sigh filled the car. “We were pretty loud. I’m sorry if anything I said upset you, I’m just sick of them all trying to fix us up. Just because they have all paired off doesn’t mean that we have to.”
“Agreed,” he said, although, if he was being completely honest with her, he’d admit that the thought had crossed his mind on more than one occasion. “But that’s not all that I overheard. Um, are you really a virgin?” he asked.
“Oh God,” she breathed.
“You know what—forget that I asked. It doesn’t matter,” he quickly covered.
“Well, it obviously does if you’re asking me about it,” she said.
“Why do your friends care so much about you being a virgin?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” she muttered. “I guess it has something to do with the fact that I’m twenty-five and still haven’t found a guy that I want to have sex with. Ginger likes to tell me that my standards are too high, but at least I have standards.”
“Hey—she is happily involved with one of my two best friends,” Colter reminded. “I’d say that she has some pretty high standards if she’s with Jude. He’s a good guy.”
“I’m not saying that he’s not,” she insisted. “I’m just pissed off at Ginger right now. I didn’t mean to involve Jude in my tirade against her. I just hate that they put their noses into my business, you know. My sex life is none of their business.”
“Then, tell Ginger and Savannah that,” Colter said.
“Easier said than done. The three of us have always shared everything. I’m guessing that they just want me to be happy, as they are, but I am happy by myself, you know?” she asked.
“Yeah, I get that,” Colter agreed. “I feel the same way. I’ve always been kind of a longer and the guys have just never understood that about me. I get it though.”
“Thanks for saying that,” she said. “I’m betting that you aren’t a virgin though and that your friends aren’t hounding you about losing your virginity.”
“Um, no,” he agreed, “they are not.” Colter looked her over and it was as if an “Ah-ha” moment went off in his head. “Maybe we can help each other out and get our friends off of our backs at the same time,” he said.
“Please don’t tell me that you’re willing to help me lose my virginity to help me get my friends off of my back, Colter. While I’m sure that most women would be pleased to have your offer, I’m not,” she insisted.
“Right, because you don’t want to settle for me, I get it,” he said, tossing her words back into her face.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“You told Ginger that you didn’t want to settle for me, and I understand. I’m not your type,” Colter grumbled.
“Oh, and what is my type?” she asked.
“You’re really going to make me say it?” he asked.
