A Virgin in L.A.

A Virgin in L.A., Chapter 2: Baby Steps

Chapter 2-Baby Steps

     I needed to reform. That was my one goal.

     Somehow I had to leave slutty virgin behind and regain my true self. My dignity. My innocence of mind, body, and spirit. My courage. God, help me, my courage. I needed to finally come out of the virginal closet!

     Tonight I was dining with two of my closest friends. Both married. Both new mothers. This was the first step. I targeted an understanding audience and I had a plan.

     "You got up to 'the line'!" Lin slammed her palm down on the table with force.

     I jumped. Kate reached out to steady three dubiously shaking wineglasses. "And you stopped?" Shock and confusion marked Lin's face.

     Kate and Lin had listened to my tale of wanton woe. In the back of my mind, I thought it might be a good segue into finally coming clean. My first step to redemption and all that.

     "I think I've been married too long. What's 'the line'?" Kate asked, running her fingers through her dark ponytail. She always did that when something wasn't clicking. I felt warning hairs nervously tingle on the back of my neck.

     "You know..." I waved a hand over my lap to describe and distract. "The line between a good friendship and a really screwed up relationship."

     "Ah." Kate breathed out, enlightened.

     "And you stopped?" Lin still struggled with this.

     "We're friends. I couldn't." I put my fork down, rapidly losing my appetite. Coming clean was not all it's cracked up to be.

     "Oh-mi-gosh. You are such a tease." Lin sounded genuinely appalled.

     My story was clearly a revelation to her. "I know. Don't say it. Some words just shouldn't come out of a woman's mouth."

     "What words?" Kate followed vaguely, caught up in her own analysis of my behavior.

     "The type of tease I am." As if I needed to point out the obvious. Thankfully people didn't brand it on your forehead. "If you don't know, you have been married too long." I looked back to Lin. "And it would have been a one night thing."

    "So?"

     "So, I've never gone in for one night stands."

     Lin slammed her palm on the table again. "You haven't?!"

     Kate grabbed the glasses. It was like I had just said I didn't drink bottled water. It simply wasn't a life choice in L.A.  Kate slowly released the stemware after eyeing the bug-eyed Lin for the "all clear." Lin still gaped at me. If her red, spiky hair wasn't already styled to stick out, you would guess it stood straight up from the shock.

     Kate turned her perfectly groomed head my way. "Never?" She asked like a prosecutor trying to catch me in a lie. I felt goosebumps shiver up my arms as she zeroed in on me. I could see her thinking. She ran an unconscious hand down her ponytail again, going over the past. Trying to put two and two together. Of all my friends, I thought she'd be the one to out me.

     "Never," I stated calmly, like it really wasn't a big deal.

     But it was. Sweat trickled down my back and my cheeks warmed under their curious and bewildered inspection. I downed some ice water and waved for a server to fill me up again. It seemed like I couldn't get enough water lately. I took another gulp, summoning the courage to tell them right now. Just spit it out, Riley! My mouth opened the same time as Lin's, only she vocalized her deepest fear first.