Page 116 of Confessions of a Virgin on a Dating App
“Why are you here anyway?”
Devin stood up, digging into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. “I forgot this. It was next to my desk since I was ordering stuff online last night.”
“What made you come back for it now?”
“Well, I didn’t pack a lunch, and I’d like to be able to eat today,” he chuckled. “I’m starving. But I may just grab something here.”
“There’s leftover stir fry in the fridge.”
Devin leaned down to give me a peck on the cheek. “Sounds good. I’ll take that with me. Now, I’ll be on my way, unless…” He suggestively raised a dark eyebrow.
“Devin Alexander Lancast—”
“Alright, alright. Don’t have to go all full name on me. I’m leaving. Have a good afternoon, sweetheart. Love you.”
“Love you too, you pain in the ass.”
He flashed me one last cheeky grin as he disappeared down the hallway. I heard the front door open and close with a soft bang, followed by a firm click as he twisted the lock in place.
I shook my head at Devin’s endearingly obnoxious behavior. I readjusted my bathrobe so I was no longer half-naked and picked up my phone. I unlocked it, and the video I’d been watching earlier was still active on my screen.
I was tempted to slip away to the bedroom again, but I thought better of it and closed the tab on my phone. I knew it would be better to practice with Devin later. But… the videodidgive me a feeling I’d never felt before. Practicing with Devin was one thing.Seeingwhat we were trying to accomplish was another.
It was decided. I’d explore this more with him when he returned from work.
A few hours later, we did exactly that.
And the best part?
It worked.
We got the third dilator in that night.
Thebig day was finally here.
Devin and I had just walked in the door to his townhouse, our feet sore and our limbs weary after walking around all day, and we were both ready to collapse.
We did so in his bedroom, enjoying the warmth, darkness, and solitude of being bundled up in the sheets together. I pressed my face into his soft sweatshirt as those familiar, colorful tattoo-adorned arms locked themselves around me. It was Christmas Eve, and we’d been together nearly six months. But his embrace would never cease to lull me into a calm, dreamy state.
For the first time in the five years since I’d left college, my parents decided to spend the holiday down in Orlando. And not just to visit me. Adam and Allen, my two teenage brothers, wanted to go to Universal Studios. And to my amazement, my parents agreed, and we all went together as a family as an early Christmas present.
In addition to me, my parents, and my brothers, Devin took the day off to join us. He usually closed Critical Games early on Christmas Eve, but decided this year to close it entirely for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It made me happy and relieved: I knew how much the shop meant to him, but he also rarely took time off and never had both holidays to himself.
Plus, the idea of going to a theme park, something he hadn’t done in years, enticed him.
We also had another member of my family join us: my cousin Evelyn and her two-year-old daughter Sadie. I hadn’t seen Evelyn in years, but we’d spent a lot of time together at family events in our youth since we were less than a year apart in age. Her husband, who I’d never met, couldn’t makeit, but Evelyn had heard about my parents’ Orlando trip and wanted to tag along. She’d never seen the parks before. I wondered if she’d ever even left the panhandle.
Sadie was precious; a plump, soft, smiley baby with wispy brown hair and shockingly blue eyes. She loved being on her feet, and could run impressively fast for a two-year-old, even if she did tend to bump into things. But Sadie stayed in her stroller for most of the day, and Devin happily volunteered to watch Sadie when Evelyn wanted to go on rides.
I thought it was a sweet gesture, but as I hung back with Devin while my family rodeVelociCoasterfor the second time, I noticed it wasn’t just for Evelyn’s benefit.
I knew that Devin loved children, but I’d never seen him around babies, and the way he interacted with them made my heart melt into a puddle. Sadie was getting fussy in her stroller, so Devin picked her up and propped her on his hip so she could watch the coaster from a distance. He cooed and baby-talked her with ease, his eyes lighting up just as much as hers did.
My parents had never been to a theme park before. While my mother wasn’t too fond of the more intense rides, my father surprisingly loved them. It was a wonderful bonding moment for the four of us. On the two-seater rides, Adam and Allen would sit together, and I would sit with my dad. When we made the initial plunge onVelociCoaster, I was shocked that my normally reserved father threw his hands up in the air and cheered like the rest of the tourists. It made my own shouts mix with laughter and the adrenalin pump through my veins even faster.
I hadn’t had an experience with my family like this in a long time. And I didn’t want the day to end.
But my favorite moment wasn’t the rides, or the scenery, or even the parks themselves. My favorite moment waswhen we went back to my family’s hotel, a beautiful tropical resort on the outskirts of Universal Studios. We were all admiring the towering ceilings and glittering chandeliers when we entered the main lobby, but Devin’s eyes were locked on something else.
