The Virgin Ceremonies

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.

"I don't know. I don't care. I only know he pissed me off. I wanted to spend the night and bond, you know? Now I feel cheap, like he fucked me and dumped me."

"But you're still together, right?"

"Yes," I said, rubbing the poofy sponge across my breasts and neck and tummy. "Actually, he said he loved me."

"Wow, that's rare."

"I know. He texted it, to be clear."

"Ah, well, Tom will be Tom," she said, switching legs. I rubbed the sponge between my legs. It felt rough against my pussy.

"He didn't make me cum though," I said. "And get this, I asked him to eat my pussy, and he told me straight to my face, in all seriousness, he does not and will never do that."

"Are you kidding?"

"No. Like, is that an unrealistic expectation, that your boyfriend slash potential future life-mate eats your pussy?"

"Hell no. I'd be furious if Sergio didn't eat my pussy."

"He does eat you then?"

"Sure, he did earlier."

"I'm so disappointed. Maybe one day I can change Tom's mind, but I doubt it. Damn it, and Beau ate me so good and made me cum so well."

"Don't do that. Don't compare them. Beau was practice. He's not a real person."

"He was a real person. He's just not an attainable person. And what the hell was the point of having sex with him if not to learn and expect a certain level of sexual satisfaction?"

"True, but Beau was obviously a very good lover. Not all men are like that. You can't hold other men to that standard. It's like how men expect us to behave like porn stars. It's unrealistic."

"Yes, but I don't think it's too much to expect my boyfriend to kiss me after I suck his dick, to lick my pussy, to cuddle with me after he fucks me for three minutes."

She gave a consenting nod. "That's fair. Sounds like Tom needs to learn some new tricks. Maybe he just needs practice, you know? He didn't have a ceremonial first time."

"No, he had six."

"Huh?"

"He admitted tonight, six girls before me, six. I'm lucky number seven."

"Oh, wow. He told you that?"

"Yeah. Can you believe it?"

"Did he say who the six were? I mean, did he give you names? Other than those two bitches who shall not be named."

"No, of course not. He said some of them were when we weren't together, like on a break, and fine, I knew he was unfaithful. I didn't realize how unfaithful, but I'd already forgiven him for it, and it's not like I can pass judgment. I had sex with Beau."

"Yeah, okay, true. So, you're okay with it?"

"I've accepted it. But my point is, he should know how to please a girl a little bit better, right?"

"Unless he only thinks about pleasing himself," she said, putting the razor down. She climbed out of the shower, drying herself off, running the towel down her long legs, putting it between her thighs to dry her shaved pussy, rubbing it across her breasts and then wrapping it around her hair and throwing her head back. She took a second towel and wrapped it around her chest.

"I guess," I said, increasing the hot water. "I'm just going to have to, like, train him, you know? Train him to do what I like. It's just such a big job, and I don't know if he wants to learn. It sucks, because I had the most amazing lover---"

"Stop that," she said. "You didn't have Beau."

"Damn it. I wish I was ignorant, honestly. I'd be so much happier with how tonight went if I wasn't expecting an amazing romantic encounter like I had with Beau."

I finished scrubbing my body and turned off the water. Quinn tossed me a towel. I caught it and ran it down my back and legs, across my pussy, patting it, and then up to my chest, drying my breasts and arms, wrapping the towel around my head. Quinn handed me another towel, and I wrapped it around my chest.

"Can you check if Sergio is out there?" I asked.

She stepped out, calling, "Sergio? Nope."

I stepped out of the bathroom, sighing tiredly. "Tell me, does Sergio make you cum?"

"Oh, yeah, every time."

"Lucky you," I said. "I'm tired. I guess I'll go to bed, so you and Sergio can go on having an amazing night."

"Come on, cheer up, Ginny."

"I know. At least I have more time to study tomorrow for my test."

"There's the bright side," Quinn said. "Oh, did you grab the mail? My mom sent me something I have to sign for taxes."

"Yeah, it's in the pile. I think someone sent you a postcard."

"Who?"

"I forgot to look."

"I'll see it tomorrow. I'm tired. Sergio fucked the hell out of me, and he's probably going to do it again when he gets back."

"Oh, fine, rub it in," I said. "At least one of us is sexually satisfied. I'm going to bed."

She laughed. "It'll get better with Tom. The first time is always the worst, trust me. You two will find your rhythm."

"Then why was the first time with Beau---"

"Hush about him."

"Fine."

I was up until midnight, eavesdropping on Sergio and Quinn while they laughed and partied. I fell asleep drooling on a book, and woke up with a pain in my neck. Why did life suck lately?

In the morning, I texted Tom, saying, "Good morning, you sexy man. I'm feeling so satisfied after an amazing night. Hope you slept as well as I did."

I checked my phone throughout the day as I studied. Could this guy not even bother to respond to me? I mean, I gave him my pussy. He could at least say good morning. What the F-bomb?

"Such an asshole," I said. And since the house was empty, I said out loud, "Fuck you, you fucking lame fucker, fuck!" I took a breath. "Okay, that's out of my system."

It went like this all week, sporadic texts from my boyfriend, oppressive homework from my professors, annoying thoughts about Beau. I felt overwhelmed with everything.

Friday morning, I woke up to the smell of coffee. When I opened my eyes, Quinn had a mug under my nose.

"Coffee?" I said, smiling.

"I gotta run to my morning class. I'll be back."

"Have fun," I said, taking the mug. I sipped. "Yuck, bitter much?"

"You need less sugar," she said as she left.

"Was that a weight comment?" I shouted after her, but the door closed.

I sighed, lying back in bed, taking a sip of coffee. It burned my tongue. I checked my phone. No messages. But I sent Tom a message anyway.

"Are we still on for tomorrow?" I secretly hoped he'd say no. I didn't much feel like having sex again, especially not if he was going to kick me out five minutes later. But I decided to be nice anyway and texted, "I miss my well-hung big boy."

I rolled my eyes to myself. Why did I feed his ego like that? But what else was I going to say? He didn't respond, naturally. I pulled out my books and old tests, reading them and studying for a quiz I had later.

Soon, I had a bagel, and then went back to studying. I was feeling pretty confident about my quiz, but that was never good enough for me. Getting perfect scores through high school is why I graduated a year early. I'd been taking college classes since I was 16. I liked being the smartest person in the room. Of course, as my mother often reminded me, I wasn't as smart as I thought I was.

Soon, it was past 11:00am, and I had to start getting ready. I cleaned up in the bathroom, brushed, did my hair, and picked my outfit. I decided to go with a cozy turtle neck and some tight pants. I didn't want to feel too sexy today. I wanted to focus on my work.

I squeaked in surprise when someone knocked on my door. I hurried to it, saying, "Who is it?"

"It's Sergio."

"Oh." I unlocked it and opened it.

Damn, Sergio was a sexy guy. He always dressed in slacks and nice button shirts, which were always halfway unbuttoned, showing his chest, with his leather jacket open. And he always wore sunglasses, but never over his eyes. He kept them in his slick brown hair. It was just part of his style, even as the weather became colder. He must have been an amazing lover from all the moaning that came through Quinn's bedroom door. I admit, I was jealous of her.

"Hi, there."

"Hey," he said, hands in his pocket. "What's up?"

"Nothin'," I said. "Quinn's not here. She had class."

"Seriously?" he said, looking at his watch. "We're supposed to meet for lunch."

I looked at the clock, it was 11:30am. "Maybe she's on her way back."

"Can I come in and wait?"

"Sure," I said, stepping back.

He strolled in, putting his hands in his pockets, looking around. "How's things?"

"Good," I said. "I have class soon, and a quiz, and I wanted to grab some lunch first, so I was about to go..."

"Yeah, I feel you. I had a quiz this morning."

"Yeah. You have what, two more years at NYU before you finish your degree?"

"Yup," he said. "You know, I dig your look. You're very well put together."

"Oh? Thanks."

He walked around, stopping at the tray near the door where the mail was overflowing. I assume Quinn had added to it, because it had really grown. He picked through it, which I felt was a little invasive, especially since I was dropping the hint I needed to go.

"You got an admirer?"

"Huh?" I said. He held up the postcard with a picture of New York on it. I had forgotten all about it. "Oh, I think that's for Quinn or something."

"Hm? It's got both your names on it."

"Oh. Maybe it's a family thing then."

"Right," he said, tossing it back into the pile. "Let me ask you something."

"Okay?"

"Quinn tells me you two do everything together."

"Pretty much."

"You shower together?"

I flushed red. "I mean, if we both need the shower at the same time, I guess."

"Sleep together?"

"Like in the same bed? Once in a while. We both hate lightning and thunder and windy nights."

"You two ever sleep with the same guy?"

I gulped. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "Just something I mentioned to her the other night."

"Huh?"

"You know, if you two do so much together, you might like doing other things together, new experiences and stuff."

My eyes started to spread. "I have a boyfriend."

He chuckled. "And I have a girlfriend. I'm not asking you out on a date."

Thankfully, the door opened and Quinn stepped in. "Oh, hey," she said. "You're here."

"Yes, I'm here, I live here," I said defensively.

Quinn gave me a weird smile. "I was talking to Sergio."

"Oh, right. Well, I was just about to offer him coffee. Want some coffee, Sergio, while you wait for Quinn? Oh, look here she is. She can make you some. Oh, my God, I just remembered, I have to go. I have a quiz in a couple hours. And I haven't eaten lunch. And you two probably want to have a quickie or something, so I should go. So, I'll do that now, be gone. I'm going."

I put on my jacket and then my shoes.

"Okay, I'm going, and have a nice time, Sergio and Quinn, before the, uh, or whatever. You know, text me if it's not safe to come back. Not that it's unsafe now, just don't want to be in the way. I'd never get in the way. I mean, you know, we give each other space, so if you need me to be gone, I'm gone, and if I need the apartment, you're gone, because we both have boyfriends and stuff."

"Ginny, what the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, my God, you're right, I need my books. I have to study. Cuz the quiz."

I hurried into my room and gathered my books and old tests, stuffing them in my backpack with my laptop. I came back out and Sergio was still silently smug. Quinn gave me a confused look.

"Well, I'm off! So, you know, that's me gone."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, good. I'm gone now. Bye bye." I stepped out and closed the door, taking a deep breath. The door opened, and I spun around, yelping. "Ah!"

"Ginny? Your keys?"

"Oh, yeah, I need those," I said, taking them. "Thanks. Bye."

I left, hurrying to the elevator. Had that just happened? Maybe I misunderstood, but it sounded like Sergio invited me to a threesome. I was probably confused. Yup. English was Sergio's second language. Why would he suggest that? No way. It was actually funny now that I thought of it, the ridiculous miscommunication I'd just had. I laughed out loud.

"Haha, so ridiculous."

Now that I'd calmed down, I jumped on the bus and headed across town. I planned to get lunch and finish studying on campus. But then, I really needed a caffeine boost for my quiz. Maybe I could settle in for a couple hours at a coffee shop and do some studying there.

No, that was no good. I needed a quiet atmosphere to concentrate. Although, Quinn had mentioned that little coffee shop with the dead rats was pretty quiet. I searched the internet for the location and found it easily enough. I was going to Starstruck's.