Page 33 of The Mountain Man's Virgin
I did not want to go. “I have plans tonight. Maybe someone else in your club would be happy to give me the details and have Mick Brady as their recruit,” I said, trying to call his bluff.
“Listen, Mr. Brady. We are sworn to secrecy, and I’ve already told you too much. If you are serious about learning more about the benefits to being an AFC member, you’re gonna have to show up at our meeting and be approved by the seniors.”
My stomach knotted, but I plastered a big smile on my face.
“I suppose I can reschedule my appointment and go with you.”
Lenny slapped the arm of the chair, “Trust me, Mr. Brady, you’re not going to regret it. The Founder’s Club is the best thing I’ve ever done. Bar none. I’ll pick you up here at 7 p.m.”
“Sounds good. Looking forward to it,” I said, and then added, “Buddy.”
He smiled and stood to shake my hand. “Get ready for one epic night.”
What had I gotten myself into? I had the feeling I was going to be in for the toughest sobriety test of my life.
Chapter 23 – Lucy
Mick didn’t even say goodbye.
Then he punched Lawrence in the face.
Over the past couple of days, I had seen Mick waver between being a thoughtful and kind man, to a cold and detached one. But a violent man? That just didn’t seem like him. I guess Lawrence was right, how could I possibly know the man after only a couple of days.
I wasn’t expecting a tearful, emotional send-off, but a goodbye would’ve been nice. Deep down, I wondered if I would’ve been able to hide the fact that I was more attracted to Mick than my own fiancé. When I heard his snowmobile rev to life and then growl off into the distance my heart sank deep into the pit of my stomach.
Now, sitting in the car next to Lawrence, his nose stuffed with gauze, I paused to think. My reunion with Lawrence had been disappointing. I mean, his hug was obligatory at best, and he practically pushed me out of the way to chase down Mick. But, the worst, by far, was Lawrence’s interrogation of my time with Mick. Wasn’t he supposed to just be happy that I was alive in his arms? Immediately he went to sex. Lawrence and I had been together for six months and we hadn’t made love yet, how could he think that I would give up my virginity to a man I had only just met?
Maybe he knew something that I didn’t know about myself. I had to wonder, if I had spent one more day with Mick, would I have slept with him? I grew angry and disgusted with myself because I knew the answer. I wanted to. I was a college virgin, saving myself for the right moment, not necessarily my wedding night, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the right moment had just passed me by.
Lawrence’s jealousy had cast further doubt in my mind about spending the rest of my life with him. I also wondered if I should be looking for someone who made me feel the way I felt when I was with Mick.
I dragged my nail along the frost on the inside of the passenger window and stared at the snowbanks as they rushed by. Could I live a simple life if the mountains? Would Mick ever consider stepping foot back into reality?
I sighed, and my breath melted a small circle of frost on the window.
“So, you’re being straight with me?” Lawrence said out of nowhere. We hadn’t spoken for the last hour, his tinny trance lounge music the only sound in the car.
“What do you mean?” I asked but knew exactly what he meant.
He sighed and turned the music down, “I need you to be honest with me.”
I turned to face him. I could feel my hands start to tremble. I wasn’t going to lie to him. If he asked me if Mick and I had kissed, I would tell him the truth - even if it meant losing him forever. If he asked if Mick and I had a connection, I would tell him the truth. If he asked if I was thinking about marrying Mick instead of him, I would say yes.
His hand rested on the gear shifter and I gently rested my hand on top of his, “I will tell you the truth.”
“Finally,” he said, tearing his hand from beneath mine to grip the steering wheel.
But he didn’t ask me any of those questions. He stared straight ahead and asked again, “Did he fuck you?”
When I realized that I had been holding my breath, I let out a sigh of relief, “I already told you. No.”
“So, you’re still a virgin.”
Again, I didn’t have to lie. “Of course, I am.”
Lawrence turned to me and grinned his huge perfect veneered teeth grin. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. This was my first real relationship, but something deep down inside me told me that this was wrong. I had been prepared to tell Lawrence the truth, but he didn’t seem to care about anything, other than the fact that I was still a virgin.
