AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’s silent for about thirty seconds. Finally, his chair scrapes, and he gets to his feet. I lower my hands and watch as he tucks his chair under the table. My heart sinks. He’s going to leave. Nice one, Alice. Way to screw up a wonderful evening.
But he doesn’t leave. He walks around the table, picks up my coat and hangs it over the back of his chair, then slides onto the bench seat beside me. Turning a little, he leans on the back and props his head on a hand. I’m now nestled against him, almost under his arm. I tingle all over at the sensation of being so close to him. Oh my God, he smells amazing. His neck and jaw are so close I could lean over and kiss them.
I look up into his warm brown eyes.
“Hello, crazy girl,” he says, and smiles.
I know my face must still be scarlet because it’s burning.
“Let’s go back to the beginning,” he says. “So you’re a virgin. So what? It’s no big thing. It’s just a state of being. It’s like saying you haven’t bungee jumped or driven a car.”
“It’s a little bit more complicated than that.”
“Not really. We’ve all got things we haven’t done.”
“Yeah, but when you get in a car with a twenty-five-year-old, you normally expect them to know where the handbrake is.”
That makes him laugh. “I do get it,” he says.
I feel a surge of frustration at his understanding, so immense it’s as if I’ve swallowed a rock that’s lodged in my throat. “If I’d not told you I was a virgin, and you’d realized it while we were having sex, would you have been angry?”
“Angry? Of course not. Sad that you couldn’t have confided in me, and worried that I’d hurt you, maybe. But not angry.”
“Aaahhh… dammit. I shouldn’t have said anything. It feels like a chicken and egg situation, you know? I can’t go with a guy because he’s going to expect me to do stuff, and I can’t learn stuff until I go with a guy.”
“Well, I’m sure most men prefer to take charge anyway, and they probably wouldn’t even notice you were inexperienced. Technically, you’re right, if all you want is to get it done, any guy will do. Tab A into Slot B, as you so colorfully put it—it’s pretty simple, on the surface. But that’s taking a very basic, pessimistic view of sex.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not just about what goes where.” He studies me for a moment, and then his lips curve up. “Don’t sulk.”
“I’m cross that you’re having to educate me. I hate being naïve.”
“Yeah, I understand. Bear with me. I’m trying to say that it would be a crying shame for your first time to be with a random dude from Tinder that you had no connection with. I’m so glad you didn’t sleep with that guy yesterday.”
“So am I.”
He laughs. “Not everyone wants to go steady, and you shouldn’t be ashamed about wanting a one-night stand. We live in a free country and in modern times. Providing everyone consents and uses protection, what the hell does it matter who does what with whom? Nobody cares. But it’s not just about scratching an itch. It’s about sharing yourself with someone you find attractive. Exploring each other, and giving each other pleasure.”
My face warms. “You’re obviously an expert,” I say, a little tartly.
He shrugs. “I like sex. I’m not ashamed of that. And I’m sure you will too, once you’ve tried it.”
My face heats, and his lips curve up.
“Look,” he says softly, “you can go on Tinder, and any man you swipe right on is going to be as eager as hell to take you to bed, whether they know you’re a virgin or not. But I’m the lucky guy you chose. And you’re attracted to me, right?”
“Yeah…”
“And I’m attracted to you.” He sighs. “I would’ve liked to have seen you again. But if you’re only offering one night… Why don’t you spend it with me?”
My eyes widen and I stare at him for about thirty seconds. He waits patiently, looking into my eyes, trying not to laugh.
“Are you serious?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“You want to go to bed with me?”
