Page 49 of The Attraction File

TWENTY

Evaleen

“I always wanted to travel.” Tiffany gazed dreamily off into the musty distance of the bar.

“It’s for work, so I won’t be doing a lot of sightseeing.” I leaned back against the black leather booth and tipped back a bit of my drink. The cool, wet glass a sharp contrast to the dry burn of the gin.

Just one for me tonight since I leave for London tomorrow. It’s Saturday, and Morgana was having dinner with her parents. Aria, Tiffany, and I were having a makeup SWIM Meet since Morgana and I won’t be here next week.

“But you will find some London men to go out with?” Aria leaned forward on the wobbly cheap wooden table and appeared as serious as I had ever seen her.

“No. I will be working. And when I am not working, hopefully, I will be sleeping.”

“How much do they expect you to work over there? Fourteen hours? Come on, Evaleen, live a little. We want to live through you and Morgana for the next week.” Aria wrapped her arm around Tiffany’s shoulder causing Tiffany to spill the beer she was sipping down her chin.

“Aria is right. It’s not often you get to travel overseas. Do you know I haven’t even been to Canada?” Tiffany gazed at us as if a trip to Canada was on everyone’s bucket list.

“Winnipeg is only a thirteen-hour drive. We should all go on a road trip there. Just the ladies. It would be fun. I love road trips.” Aria clapped her hands.

“Now that David is getting stronger maybe I can take a few days off for some me time.” Tiffany nodded, and the ladies bounced up and down excited over a non-existent trip to Winnipeg.

“Well, now that we got that out of the way, can I be honest with you ladies?”

Their heads snapped at me in unison. The way they reacted you would have thought I just told them I was President Abraham Lincoln back from the dead.

“Yes, Evaleen. You can tell us anything, you know that, right?” Tiffany scooted closer to me, rubbing my back in comfort. It felt good. I hated that I shied away from affection from my friends. It wasn’t that I didn’t like to be touched or that it didn’t feel good, it just always felt awkward. That if I reached out to them, they would think I was being a nuisance and they would feel put upon.

I never wanted to be a burden to my friends or anyone I cared about.

“There is this guy—”

“You fucked him and now he wants to date you?” Aria said.

I shook my head. “No.”

“You fucked him and now he wants to introduce you to his mother?” Aria tried again.

“No, Aria.”

“You fucked him and now—”

“Aria, I haven’t fucked anyone ever, okay,” I said a bit too loud.

Not only did everyone at the table stare at me, but so did half the bar. It seemed like the dim lights brightened and shown a spotlight on me. I glanced around at all the twenty and thirty somethings sitting at small square tables and could feel their focus on me, even if I couldn’t see their eyes.

I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. Even Tiffany’s soothing touch halted. It’s not as if she was a virgin.

“But, I don’t . . . wait a minute. I can’t understand . . . what is . . . Evaleen, are you a virgin?” Aria’s face twisted into a cross between shock and pity.

I knew that would happen. That’s why I didn’t tell anyone. Even my mom believed I lost my V-card at some point. The one thing I have kept from her.

Aria got out of the booth and came to the other side to sit beside me. Tiffany rubbed my back and Aria gave me hugs.

“You act like being a virgin is some terrible disease.” I threw my hands up.

“No, it’s not,” Tiffany announced just as Aria said, “Yes, it is.”

I glared at Aria. “I was just kidding.” She held up her hands in surrender before she winked at Tiffany and mouthed the words, “Yes, it is.”

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