Page 103 of The First Time
"You get used to the idea of people spanking it to your image," Joel says. "All four of us have been nearly naked in magazines."
"Why?" I ask.
"When you look like this, the camera begs you to strip." Joel chuckles. "If you were a Dangerous Noise fan, wouldn't you want a half-naked picture of one of us on the wall?"
"Ethan and Mal are my brothers," I say. "You do realize that."
"Okay, say Sinful Serenade." Joel cocks a brow. "I've seen you checking out Pete. Tell me you wouldn't want a poster of him giving youfuck meeyes on your wall."
I shake my head. "He'd be watching me study and sleep and... do other things in my bed."
"Masturbate?" Joel offers.
Mal shoots him an incredulous look.
Joel shrugs.
"Yes. It's weird," I say.
"They sold well." He looks to Kit. "What do you think. Did your virgin have one? That's got to be quite the fangirl win, fucking a guy who's poster was on your wall."
Mal looks to Kit. "Do I want to know?"
"Of course." Joel jumps in. "Kit bailed the other day. Claimed some virgin was booty calling him. Never did say if he popped that cherry." Joel's eyes fix on mine. "What do you think?"
"Have you ever considered that nobody wants to share the details of their sex life with you?" Mal asks.
"Oh, Malcolm, I just know that isn't true." Joel shakes his head with mock outrage. "The things you've told me about what you've done—"
Mal motions to me. "This is Piper's party. How about we save my sex life for another time?"
"Oh, you want to talk about Piper's sex life?" Joel teases.
I try to stay cool. The drummer is fucking with me. With us. That's normal for him. What's not normal is me having something to hide. "Why would I have an opinion about Kit taking some girl's virginity?"
"You're a girl. You were a virgin once." Joel leans back, effortless. "Just making conversation." Joel raises a brow. He shoots me anI know you're hiding somethinglook.
"I don't see what a big deal it is being a virgin," I say. "If it was a girl who'd had sex even one time, you wouldn't think anything of it."
"She's got you there," Mal says.
"No. It's a big deal, being the guy to introduce a woman to getting off with a partner. That's a huge responsibility," Joel says.
Mal shakes his head at Joel. His cell's ring interrupts Joel's laugh.
Mal's expression shifts as he pulls out his phone. He frowns. "Order your first course. I have to return this call."
Mal makes a point of keeping business out of his free time.
This call must be urgent and personal.
But Mal isn't close with anyone except present company and Ethan. I guess he has his fuck buddies, but they don't usually call unless they know Mal is in town.
Who the hell is he calling?
Joel makes a show of treating Mal's now empty chair as a footrest. He looks to me. "See, this virgin booty call, at first, I thought it was a lie, a bad lie. No offense Lockhart, but I've been through this rodeo before. Even six months out of rehab, people fall off the wagon. Lie to cover shit up. Throw everything away to stay high. But I've been watching Lockhart like a hawk and he's still clean as a whistle."
I clear my throat. "Do you have a point?"
