Page 43 of Fielder's Choice

So I’m free

Ella

Josh can hang by himself for a bit

Count me in!

Olive

I’ll see you soon, then

I met the girls at a cafe in Tribeca a little bit ago. So far, they’re easing my anxiety by not talking about why I asked them all to meet. They’re taking my mind off it, and it’s helping.

But I do still need to talk to them.

“So,” I say, sipping my water, “I need some advice.”

“Is everything alright, Liv?” Rory asks.

“Yeah,” I sigh. “I’m just a little nervous about something.” I take a deep breath and calm myself. “Lane asked me to come over tonight because Sage wants to have a slumber party.”

“Oh my God!” Harlow shrieks. This girl is always so damn happy. “That’s seriously so cute!”

“It’s so sweet that Sage already adores you,” Ella smiles. “I know how important that is to Lane.”

“Right,” I mutter. “That makes sense.”

Lucia eyes me. “Why does it make you nervous to go see Lane and Sage?”

“Because he’s admitted to flirting with me.”

“Ha!” Rory laughs. “We all fucking knew he was flirting.”

“We agreed to be friends, but if he’s flirting with me, what if that’s not what he actually wants? What if he expects something from me tonight?”

Harlow rests her hand on top of mine in reassurance. “We know Lane. He’s asking you to come over because he and his daughter want to see you, not because he’s expecting sex or anything more.”

My nerves and discomfort must be far too apparent because Lucia immediately takes note. “It’s the thought of sex that makes you nervous, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I admit, voice cracking. “Please don’t make a big deal out of it, but I’m a… virgin.”

I hate the way that word feels as it falls from my lips. It’s not mine, but I don’t know what else to say.

“We would never make a big deal of that,” Rory says. “You know that we’re open about our sex lives, but we also believe everybody gets to decide when they’re ready for that. It’s okay if you aren’t ready for sex yet.”

“I’m twenty-three, though,” I sigh. “Isn’t that weird?”

Ella cocks her head to the side. “Why would that be weird? There’s no set age you have to lose your virginity. Honestly, Josh and I were both virgins when we met. I was twenty-one; he was twenty-two.”

Rory smiles softly at me. “Lane won’t expect anything of you, Olive. He has a past, but he’s still a really great guy. He’d never force you into something you’re uncomfortable with.”

“I think I know that,” I admit. “But with him already having a kid, it’s hard not to think about the fact that I haven’t had sex.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Lucia shrugs. “He’s not going to judge you for it, and he won’t care either. You guys are still just getting to know each other anyway.”

“Did you guys all take it slow with your guys?”

They all laugh uneasily, and Harlow is the first to speak up. “Knox and I pretended we were still just friends when we first slept together.”

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