Page 2 of Fiona
This is the one thing I’ve managed to keep from her for years and one book club meeting and my virginal house of cards comes crumbling down.
“Know what?” Jess asks.
I finally look at Michelle, trying to tell her without words to shut her flapping gums but she blurts out—
“She’s a virgin.”
The table goes quiet. And I close my eyes, unable to look at any of them.
“Here are your lemon wedges,” the waitress says, choosing this moment to show up. “Can I get you anything else?”
“We’re all set,” I hear Courtney say.
“Don’t worry about it, Fiona.” Quinn says, after the waitress has walked away. “There are tons people who wait and hold on to their V-card.”
I finally open my eyes and give her an incredulous look. “Really? Who?”
“You know, umm—” she swallows hard and looks to Jess. “Go on tell her.”
Jess stares back at Quinn, her eyes going wide like she’s a deer caught in head lights.
“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “Nuns?”
Courtney chokes on a snort of laughter but grabs my arm when I try to stand up to leave.
“I’m so sorry. I was not laughing at you.” She says, sincerity evident in her expression. “I’m laughing at Jess. I promise.”
I slump back down in my seat and pick up a lemon wedge off the dish. I squeeze the hell out of it into my now lukewarm tea.
“I was really awkward in high school,” I say. “And by the time I got to college, I was so focused on my grades that I hardly ever went out.”
“And now?” Quinn asks.
“And now, I feel like the train has left without me and I don’t now what to do.”
“There’s only one thing you can do,” Jess says. “You’ve got to get out there before that hole closes up.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “I’m not entirely sure I know if you are kidding or not.”
Jess shrugs like she doesn’t know if she’s telling the truth either.
I glance over at Michelle. She’s been weirdly quiet throughout most of this revelation. She is staring at her phone and typing at a speed that doesn’t seem humanly possible.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
She doesn’t look up from her phone. “I’m signing you up for that dating app Tryst.”
“What? You can’t.”
Michelle smiles for a selfie and the camera flashes. “I just did.”
“What was that picture for?”
“Because I knew you’d never agree to this and you are physically incapable of keeping your eyes open when you take a picture. When you try to keep them open, your eyes get all big and you look like you just sat on a tack.”
She’s not wrong.
“It’s kind of like you are Cherry in the story.” Quinn smiles. “Life is about to imitate art.”
