Page 1 of Fumble

Chapter One

FAITH

I’m ready.

I can do this.

There’s only one thing I haven’t managed to check off my list of accomplishments this year—losing my V-Card. I’m one of those girls who was drilled on the subject from a young age.

Be a good girl.

Why would a boy want the cow when he can get the milk for free?

Sex before marriage is a sin.

If you come home pregnant, I’ll die of shame.

I’ve heard every reason in the book why I should remain pure and innocent until the day my Prince Charming rides in on his trusty steed to rescue me from my life of woe. While I’ve been patiently waiting for that to happen, my vagina has been growing cobwebs. Sure, I can flick the bean like the rest of womankind, but I have it on good authority that not even the best vibrator on the market can compare to the real thing. Every time I got close to popping my cherry in college, the good old Catholic guilt set in, and I just couldn’t go through with it.

So, I’ve decided this is going to be the summer of my sexual awakening! I’m going to lose my virginity before my elusive G-spot curls up and dies of atrophy. I finally got my own apartment away from the prying eyes of Mom and Dad. They tried to buy me a bigger place, but I’m determined to do this on my own. In saying that, my dad set me up with a once-in-a-lifetime internship opportunity for the next three months, and I intend to grab it, shake it, and fuck the ever-living shit out of it.

My dad used to coach the Titans, and this year his protégé is being entered into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The badass of NFL has a full schedule of press interviews and television appearances before the big event, taking him all over the States. If I can’t find a willing penis to fuck me in any of the twenty states we’ll be visiting, then I’m destined to die a virgin and will accept defeat gracefully.

Today will be the first time I’ve seen Hunter Vaughn since I was in high school, and I want to put my best foot forward. I’m dressed to impress. I’ve heard so many stories about him over the years—conversations that weren’t meant for my ears. He’s the greatest NFL player in history, there’s no denying it, but he’s just as famous for being a player off the field. His exploits with women have been chronicled alongside his career. Even in college, the camera followed his every move. He’s magnetic.

Dad was coaching college football at Stanford when he and Hunter first crossed paths. The way he tells it, a cocky freshman came in thinking he knew everything. Dad soon put him in his place and became his mentor. He continued to follow Hunter’s career after he got drafted by the NFL. He quickly became a superstar, racking up endorsements and multi-million-dollar contracts. When Dad took the job as coach for the Titans seven years ago, his first signing was, you guessed it, Hunter Vaughn. The most expensive signing in NFL history, but my dad knew Hunter would be worth every penny. I remember meeting him a couple of times when I was about fifteen. Once I went to college, I lost interest in anything other than the results, but I’d always message my dad to commiserate or congratulate him. It became a ritual.

Being at Stanford was the best four years of my life, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little apprehensive about my future right now, but I think this summer is going to be good for me. I can build up my confidence by working with someone familiar, and travel is always a great life experience. It’s not easy to be confident in my position. Dad is at the top of his profession, and my mom is successful in her own right. She’s one of the best divorce lawyers in the country. My brother, Ben, followed in her footsteps and has just passed his bar exam. He’s getting married in August, and his fiancée just found out she’s expecting their first child.

How do I compete with all of that? I’m a twenty-one-year-old virgin with no boyfriend prospects on the horizon, and I have a summer job my dad got me. As amazing a college experience as I had, I was always going to be Coach Fairchild’s kid. Even though he’d moved on by the time I arrived, his legend lives on.

I’ve always been the outsider in our family—the underdog—the black sheep.

“Hey, girl. You ready for your big adventure?” My best friend and roommate, Zoey, appears in the doorway.

“Honestly, I’m a little nervous.”

“Why? You’ve known this guy for years. Your dad was his mentor. You’ve got this.”

“I want to earn it. I hate that my dad had to set this up.”

“Nepotism is part of business. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be. Everyone needs a leg-up now and then.” Everything about this makes me feel uncomfortable, so I decide to change the subject in a futile attempt to calm my nerves.

“I have other business I plan to take care of this summer. I’m going to pop my cherry.”

“You realize it’s not a solo sport, right?”

“I’m not clueless, Zoey. I’ve done a lot of stuff, just not the actual deed.”

“Really? The Deed?”

“The penis in the vagina.”

“I know what The Deed is, you goob! But how do you expect to do it if you can’t even say it? It’s sex. It’s not a dirty word.”

“Not for you, maybe, but I have years of programming that says otherwise.”

“Okay. So, tell me your plan. Why now? What happened to holding out for marriage?” I busy myself packing for the first leg of the trip.

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