Page 17 (1/2)

Chapter One

I took a deep breath

You are awesoain Awesome You are so awesome

If hts, she’d tell otten me nowhere

Bliss Edwards, you are a freaking catch

So then how did I end up twenty-two years old, and the only person I kneho had never had sex? Somewhere between Saved by the Bell and Gossip Girl, it becae with her V-Card still in hand And noas standing in e to admit it to my friend Kelsey She reacted like I’d just told her I was hiding a tail underneath my A-line skirt And I knew before her jaw even finished dropping that this was a terrible idea

“SERIOUSLY? Is it because of Jesus? Are you, like, saving yourself for him?” Sex seemed simpler for Kelsey She had the body of a Barbie and the sexually-charged brain of a teenage boy

“No, Kelsey,” I said “It would be a little difficult to save o”

Kelsey whipped off her shirt and threw it on the floor I hed

“Relax, Princess Purity, I’ shirts” She stepped into h my clothes

“Why?”

“Because, Bliss, we’re going out to get you laid” She said the word ‘laid’ with a curl of her tongue that reht commercials for those adult phone lines

“Jesus, Kelsey”

She pulled out a shirt that was snug on ht scandalous on her curvy frame

“What? You said it wasn’t about him”

I resisted the urge to slam my palm into my forehead

“It’s not, I don’t think… I o to church and all, well, sometimes I just… I don’t know I’ve never been that interested”

She paused with her new shirt halfway over her head

“Never interested? In guys? Are you gay?”

I once overheard raduate college without a ring on er, ask my father the same question

“No Kelsey, I’ your shirt on No need to fall on your sexual sword for me”

“If you’re not gay and it’s not about Jesus, then it’s just a ht sexual sword”

I rolled uy? Why didn’t someone tell me sooner?”

She pulled her blonde hair back into a high ponytail, which someho even uy toTo mental, hyperactive brain and think with your body instead “

“Bodies can’t think”

“SEE!” She said “Analytical Judgmental”

“Fine! Fine Which bar tonight?”

“Stumble Inn, of course”

I groaned “Classy”

“What?” Kelsey looked atthe answer to a really obvious question “It’s a good bar More iuys, it’s a bar we like”

It could be worse She could be taking me to a club

“Fine Let’s go” I stood, and headed for the curtain that separated my bedroom from the rest of my loft apartment

“WHOA! Whoa” She grabbed my elbow and pulled o like that “

I looked down at my outfit—flowery A-line skirt and sie I looked cute I could totally pick up a guy in this… maybe

“I don’t see the problem,” I said

She rolled her eyes, and I felt like a child I hated feeling like a child, and I pretty much always did when talk turned to sex

Kelsey said, “Honey, right now you look like souy wants to screw his little sister And if he does, you don’t want to be near him”

Yep, definitely felt like a child “Point taken”

“H off that overactive brain of yours Good job Now stand there and let ic”

And by ic, she meant torture

After vetoing three shirts that made ings, and a skirt so short it threatened to show the world my hoo-hoo in the event of a ht low-rise denim capris, and a lacy black tank that stood out in contrast to my pale white skin

“Legs shaved?”

I nodded

“Other… things… shaved?”

“Asto be yes, now move on” That here I drew the line of this conversation

She grinned, but didn’t argue “Fine Fine Condoms?”

“In my purse”

“Brain?”

“Turned off Or well… dialed down, anyway”

“Excellent I think we’re ready”

I wasn’t ready Not at all

There was a reason I hadn’t had sex yet, and now I knew it I was a control freak It hy I had done so well in school er—no one could run a theatre rehearsal like I could And when I did get up the nerve to act—I was always more prepared than any other actor in class But sex… that was the opposite of control There were emotions, and attraction, and that pesky other person that just had to be involved Not my idea of fun