Page 49 of Finding Romance
“He sucked on her nipples, and then in a scene later, he licked them, but the character really didn’t explain which felt better, so now we’re discussing what we think,” Hutch elaborates.
“Isn’t it…subjective?” Gray asks as he walks into the back of the store.
“I mean, sure, but…Roxy, we need input,” Hutch calls out and Roxy walks over from the front desk.
“Guys, I’m not Dr. Ruth. Please try out whatever you like on your own partners and then ask their preference or ask their preference first, even better,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “Now, can we talk actual plot?”
Everyone grabs a drink and we set up in our book club corner. I’m not nearly as weirded out as the last time I came to this, but it still feels a bit awkward. I decide I need to get over feeling self-conscious and just get their opinion. I hate feeling this way. I’ve worked hard my entire adulthood to appear calm, cool, and collected, to never need any help.
“Can I ask a question?” I say, raising my hand, then dropping it immediately because I feel stupid.
“Of course, Kasen,” Roxy says with a warm smile. “I’m glad you’re joining us again.”
OK, now this does feel like group therapy.
Pushing aside my feelings, I sit down and turn to everyone. “Can we, uh, talk about the dynamic of the relationship in the book?”
“Sure. Did you like the story?” Roxy asks as she picks up a wineglass and pours herself some more.
“I did. I wasn’t so sure about the age-gap part and the part where she was his goddaughter was a little weird, but I ended up really liking it,” I state as I look around. The other guys nod their agreement.
“I wasn’t sure if the way he chose to take her virginity was realistic,” I say as I recall a scene about it and how frenzied they were to be with each other physically.
“Weren’t you in a frenzy your first time?” Hutch says with a laugh.
Roxy looks around at all of us. “Did you all lose your virginity in high school?” she asks. We all nod except Bray.
We turn to look at our friend. “Freshman year of college,” he says with a shrug. I can tell Hutch was unaware of that but I had known this after Bray told me three drinks into a guys’ night a few years ago.
“So, you probably were more focused on your pleasure. How many of you lost it to another virgin, like your first girlfriend or something?” Roxy asks.
Hutch and Gray raise their hands. My high school girlfriend had a boyfriend before me, and I know Bray’s college girlfriend had dated before him.
“What? I’m missing virgin talk!” Drew says from the door.
I groan. “We’re talking about the plot,” I say with a clenched jaw.
“Oh, I mean, I thought it was pretty realistic,” he says with a shrug.
I turn to him. “When did you lose your virginity?” I ask.
“Damn, Kase! Let me have a drink first,” he says with a smirk.
I glare at him as he pours himself some of Roxy’s wine and sits down next to her. “Believe it or not, I didn’t come out till college. I dated one girl in high school and we were each other’s first.”
I raise an eyebrow. I hadn’t known that about Drew, but then again, like a dick friend, I never asked him.
“OK, we’re talking about the virginity aspect of the book, and I think Kasen had questions,” Roxy offers as she motions for me to continue.
“Do you guys ever think about if you had to do it over, what would you do differently?” I ask.
There’s silence for a few seconds. And I wonder if my friends can see through me. Do they know I’m about to sleep with Piper? No, they wouldn’t, would they?
“Well, I wish I had been more attentive and not so rushed,” Bray says with a shrug.
“Shit, I think we all feel that way. I wish I had lasted longer than thirty seconds,” Hutch says with a laugh.
“Same,” Gray says.
