Page 2 of Holiday Flame

As we settle into the booth, a sense of contentment settles over me. I feel good and truly at home now that I’m surrounded by my friends. We ate lunch together every day at school—hence our nickname. We went through everything together. Brutal teachers. First boyfriends. Our hopes and dreams.

We all kept in touch when we scattered away during college. We met up whenever we could and have a novel-length text thread. But this is the first time we’ve all been in the same place at the same time in years.

How have I stayed away from my people for so long?

We grab another round of drinks, which prompts the official start of our catch-up session. After filling everyone in on the details of my grad program and graduation, the conversation quickly switches to a recap of everyone’s dating life.

At least, almost everyone’s dating life. Considering how long it’s been since I’ve been out on a date—let alone been in a relationship—I don’t have much to add beyond listening to my friends. Often while trying to keep my jaw from dropping.

I nearly choke on my beer as Mabel finishes a story with, “… And I swear—hand to Bible—he nearly blinded me with a rope of cum to the face.”

The rest of the girls burst into laughter while I gape. A rope of… How is that even possible? Is it like silly string or something, spraying all over the place?

Whatever it is, it doesn’t sound healthy.

“You haven’t said much, Jade,” Piper grins at me over her green cocktail dubbed the Grinch. “You must have lots of stories about the guys you dated in Seattle.”

“Oh, yeah. You know how it is…” My cheeks have to be burning as I look around for something—anything—to help me change the subject. “Just… buckets of cum everywhere,” I toss out with a wince, remembering another comment Mabel once made in our text thread.

Piper’s jaw drops while Astrid and Paisley burst into laughter. Maxine looks at me thoughtfully. And Mabel frowns.

I avoid making eye contact with anyone, hoping it’ll be enough to make everyone lose interest. “My brother says the smokejumpers are having a Christmas party this weekend. I could probably get you all invites if you like.”

“Mav already invited us,” Mabel says dismissively as she cocks her head to the side. “When we talked last month, you said you weren’t dating anyone.”

I swallow past a sudden lump in my throat. “I wasn’t.”

“So who has been leaving buckets of cum all over your place?”

“Oh, God.” I bury my face in my hands.

“It’s okay,” Maxine says quickly. “We can talk about something else.”

“No—no. It’ll come out at some point.” Dropping my hands into my lap, I stare at a scratch on the table. “I—I—I haven’t ever… done it.”

There’s a collective gasp. I desperately wish there was a trapdoor under my seat—or an ejector button. Anything to help me disappear immediately.

“But you’re almost twenty-five,” Paisley says. When I frown at her, she quickly adds, “Not that there’s anything wrong. I just… I had no idea. That’s all.”

“Are you waiting until marriage or something?” Piper asks.

“Or maybe you aren’t interested in sex, and that’s okay too,” Maxine says, giving a warning look around the table.

“It’s not like I’m waiting for marriage, or that I’m not interested.” I chew on my bottom lip, trying to figure out how to explain this to the women I’ve always been able to tell everything to before. Well, everything but my lack of sex life. “I… I guess I was waiting for the right guy. When I didn’t meet him, I focused on other things. Before I knew it…”

I was a 25-year-old virgin.

When I finally muster up the courage to look at my friends, I see them all eyeing me with sympathy. As if they understand better than I do why I’ve waited so long. Relief washes over me. I don’t know what I expected to see.

But their understanding means more than I can put into words.

“Okay, how about this?” Mabel leans forward. We all follow suit so we can hear her lowered voice above the bustling crowd. “I say you’re overthinking the whole sex thing. I say you give yourself a little Christmas present and seduce the next man who walks into the bar.”

We all pull back in varying shades of disgust.

“She can’t do that,” Astrid protests. “What if the next guy is married?”

“Or a total dog?” Paisley asks.

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