Chapter 06
Virginia: Lucky Number Seven
I took the bus home and sat feeling like absolute trash. The worst part is, I knew I'd have to forgive Tom, and we'd be back together by the weekend. He'd already texted me. "Sorry, are we cool?"
I replied. "Yes, I'm sorry too. See you next weekend?"
He hadn't replied yet. God, I hated how he always kept me dangling by text. I always replied to him instantly. I needed to learn to keep him waiting.
I texted. "Was I really #7?"
He didn't respond, so I busied myself looking at memes on my phone. My mail was still sticking out of my bag. I sighed and put my phone away. I pulled out the mail stack and looked at the first envelope. Credit card offer. The next? Something about health insurance. I'd have to open that one later. Next? Something for Quinn. Next. Quinn again. Next. A postcard? Who sent a postcard with a picture of New York?
My phone dinged. I stuffed the mail back into my purse and hurriedly looked at the text.
"Yes, but the other 6 meant nothing, some were before you, some when we were broken up. I swear. You're my lucky #7, and I never want to meet #8."
I sighed angrily and replied. "You swear there's no more, just the other 6? I can't keep hearing about more girls with you. It seriously hurts."
I stared at my phone for five minutes. Lord, he fucked faster than he texted. I was about to look at my mail again, but my bus stop came up. I got off and headed down the street and toward my apartment building. My phone dinged again.
"I swear, I love you #7."
I smiled to myself. He so rarely said he loved me. I remember the first time. I must have been 15. Having a 17-year-old boy tell me he loved me was the greatest thing in the world. Of course, I told him I loved him back, and then I started telling him all the time. Sometimes, I'd get lucky and he'd say it back, but this was one of the very few times he said it first. Well, texted it first. Same thing.
"I love you too, #1." Okay, number one was a lie, but the ceremony didn't count. It was a deep secret that my family never spoke about, and Tom would never know about it. Hell, he kept so many girls from me for so long, I could keep Beau from him.
I felt better as I reached my apartment. I tried chatting with my boyfriend again, but I didn't get another response from him, except, "Trying to sleep. Goodnight."
I rolled my eyes and put my phone away. I took out my mail as I pressed the button in the elevator. Oh yeah, the mystery postcard. I started to turn it over.
The elevator dinged and someone stepped in, an old man I'd seen around the building before.
"Hello there, young lady."
I put my mail in my bag. "Hello."
"You look lovely this evening," he said.
I smiled politely. "Thanks."
He didn't say anything else and neither did I, but he ogled me. I hated that I wasn't wearing panties right now. Finally, the elevator stopped, and I got out.
"Have a nice night, sweetheart," the man said.
"You too," I said without a glance back.
I went to unlock my door, but it was already unlocked. I went inside and put my jacket away in the closet and hung up my bag. I took the mail out and threw it in the pile next to the door. I'd tackle it later. The bathroom door was cracked, and I heard the shower running.
"It's me!" I called.
"Shit, you scared me!" Quinn called. "What are you doing here?"
"Failing at life. Where's Sergio?"
"Ran out of cigarettes. He'll be back in half an hour."
I stepped into the bathroom. "You're lucky I'm not raping you right now, because he left our door unlocked."
"Damn it, again? I'll yell at him."
I took my pantyhose down and sat on the toilet. "I'm peeing," I announced.
Quinn opened the shower curtain. I saw her big breasts and dark nipples staring at me.
"So, what happened?" she asked, raising an arm and shaving under it.
"The night ended early."
"No sex?" she said.
"We had sex."
"Really? Congrats."
"I need a shower," I said, wiping and standing. I'd flush later.
"You can jump in," she said.
"Thanks," I said.
Quinn and I had been showering together forever. We grew up in the tub and had the pictures to prove it. Also, in a family where we watched each other have ceremonial sex, we had fewer inhibitions. We were both hetero though, so it was never sexual. I did think she had a nice body though, and I was definitely envious of her bigger boobs, but I think she was envious of my wider hips.
"How was sex with Sergio? Did he last more than five whole minutes?" I asked, taking my pantyhose all the way off. Then I pushed my skirt down.
"Tom was that quick?"
"Quicker."
"Where are your panties?"
"He ripped them in half."
"Fucking men," Quinn said, shaving under her other arm.
"You didn't shave before having sex?" I asked.
"I did last night. He felt stubble, made a comment, embarrassed me."
"Fucking men," I said, taking my top off. I unhooked my bra, tossing it in the hamper, leaving me nude. "They're lucky they have dicks, or I'd be a lesbian."
"Spit that truth, sister."
"Assholes."
"Ever since your ceremony, you're swearing all the time," she said.
"Losing my virginity made me world-weary. Scootch." I moved the shower curtain aside and stepped under the water. "Ahh, you and your ice age showers."
"Go take your volcano showers alone, freak."
I rubbed my face with the water and felt a little better as the sweat and feel of sex washed away from me.
"So, were the five minutes any good?" she asked, handing me the poof. She put some soap on it for me.
"Three minutes, actually, but I would've given him a pass. It was our first time. But then he sent me home, said his mom would be upset if I slept over."
"Well, don't you think she would?" she asked, now running the razor over her legs.