Page 65 of Family Bonds: Coy & Angel

“I’ve dated,” she said. “You know that. It’s what I said. It hadn’t felt right with other people. I think when I first started college and was dating, I’d told myself I wanted to wait until marriage.”

“Not everyone thinks that way anymore. I’m going to assume you changed your mind?” he asked. Otherwise this made no sense to him.

“I did. Years ago. But then I was dating someone and whenever we’d get close to it, I’d get cold feet. It didn’t feel right and I just wanted that first time to be special. Sometimes the person I was dating didn’t like that I was pushing them off. Then the older I got, some guys were uncomfortable with me being a virgin and that I had all these expectations of marriage when they wanted to have fun. I didn’t have expectations of marriage to have sex anymore, but in their mind they thought I did because I hadn’t had it yet.”

“So it started one way and then turned into being a virgin not really by choice?”

“I guess that is a good way to say it,” she said. “Though I could have gotten rid of it, I’m sure.”

He wasn’t sure he liked the way she’d said that. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Me too,” she said. “But now it feels like you’re carrying some burden and I don’t want that. It’s just a piece of skin.”

It was the way she’d said it that had him laughing.

But in his mind, it was more than that.

“You might be right,” he said. “But it’s a piece you held onto for a reason.”

“And that reason passed. I’m happy. I really am. I would have jumped you weeks ago, but the reason I waited had more to dowith how you might feel about it. I didn’t want you to feel like other men I’ve dated.”

“I’m not like other men you’ve dated,” he said firmly.

“You’re not,” she said. “You’re exactly as I thought you’d be.”

Coy didn’t want to be put up on some pedestal that he wouldn’t be able to balance on.

“How about we don’t think about those dreams that you had for years that I knew nothing about and just focus on the present?”

“I can do that,” she said, kissing him. “And presently you need another shower. You’re covered in sweat. Not a very attractive look.”

“Maybe you should look in the mirror when we get to my room,” he said, laughing.

Her hair was falling out of her ponytail, his shirt was sizes too big, had sweat spots on it, the socks on her feet were his and too big, so they were pulled up so that the heels were showing out of the back.

She was a hot mess and yet so beautiful at the same time.

“Guess no one else would want us right now then,” she said. “Though that is wrong because everyone wants you.”

“And you got me,” he said softly.

She turned to look up at him. “I did.”

19

HAD TO MAKE THE MOVE

“How is everything going with work?” Angel’s mother asked her midweek. She was home by herself. On Tuesday she’d gone to Coy’s for dinner and they’d had sex again.

She never thought she was a needy person, but he just brought something out of her she’d never felt with another man before.

Maybe because she always knew who she wanted and no one else could measure up.

“It’s great,” she said. “I’m learning so much. I’ve done a lot of procedures. More fillings, and pulling teeth than anything. I did my first root canal last week. It was Coy’s patient, but he gave it to me and he watched and assisted.”

Angel was glad the patient was okay with that. She expected the older woman might have had an issue thinking there was someone inexperienced working in her mouth, but Carolyn had just said that she knew Coy was there if need be and everyone had to learn somewhere.

“That’s great,” her mother said. “I hope I never need one.”

---