Confessions of a Virgin Sex Columnist! (2 page)

I am sort of in love with Oliver McDonough—no wait, I was! No, I am. No, I was. Am? Was? Crap!

I haven't seen him in four years. In fact, I've actively been avoiding him for four years. And now he's here. In my kitchen. Drinking my milk—from the gallon no less! Did I mention he looks completely and utterly gorgeous? Maybe even hotter than I remembered…if that's even possible…

Okay, I'm veering off track.

"Ollie?" I gasp. "What are? Why are? When?" Great reporting, Skye… I swallow, stilling my racing words and form an actual sentence. "What are you doing here?"

"Here in New York or here in your kitchen?"

Here pretending to be your sister while I confess my deepest secrets? Here looking at me with that infuriating half-smirk smile thing you do? Here pretending like the last time we saw each other wasn't the most horrifying moment in my entire life?

I don't say any of that, of course. Instead, I shrug. "Um, both? Either?"

He puts the milk back in the fridge and closes the door. I can't help but notice a toned bicep below the sleeve of his white T-shirt—the same bicep I used to fantasize about during chemistry class, the bicep of the most popular guy in the school, the bicep of the quarterback. Six years since he stopped playing football, and crap, he still looks good.

"I'm guessing Bridget forgot to mention that I got offered a job at a new steakhouse opening on Fifth Ave? As a sous-chef?"

I shake my head. "Nope, she didn’t mention anything."

He licks his lips, biting back a wider grin. "So she probably also didn't tell you I accepted the offer and just moved to New York?"

"I don't recall ever hearing about that…" I trail off as my palms begin to sweat. I have a very, very bad idea where this is going.

Astronomically bad.

Iceberg straight ahead bad.

Ollie's eyes brighten a shade, crystal aqua, clearer than any Caribbean water I've ever seen. He leans against the wall, crossing his arms, looking at me through a side-glance, the hint of a dimple on his cheek. My rapid heartbeat has nothing to do with my panic attack anymore.

Oh yeah, this is bad.

"So," he says, lifting his brows and looking at me apologetically, "she probably also didn't tell you that I'm moving in for a few weeks until I can find my own place?"

"You’re the new roommate?" I shout and then clamp my hands over my lips. I've said enough to him tonight—too much. In fact, all of that information is crashing back down around me.

Ollie is my new roommate.

Ollie knows I'm a virgin.

Ollie knows I'm a sex columnist.

And right now, Ollie is looking at me like he can read every panicked thought racing through my mind, like he's thinking about the same thing I'm thinking about—the night that we are to never ever speak of. The reason I've been avoiding him. The thing I never want to even think about again.

He reaches out his hand, fingers an inch from mine, but I step back, crossing my arms and cocking my hip, pretending to be cool, to be unfazed. I've gotten really great at pretending not to care about him.

"Awesome," I murmur, trying to smother the crack in my voice.

Where is Bridget? Because I am going to kill her.

Ollie opens his mouth, looking at me with distinctly downcast eyes, and I know what’s coming next. The apology—the one I don’t want to hear. The one he never said then, and the one I won’t let him say now.

But I'm saved by the sound of jingling keys right outside our door.

Bridget's home.

I glance back at Ollie, but his eyes aren't on me anymore. They've retreated.

"Skye, are you okay? The doorman was worried, he said—Ollie!" Bridget cries. All I see is the bright red blur of her hair as she rushes past me and flings herself into his open arms. "You're here! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming today?"

Ollie wraps his arms around her waist, picking his little sister up in a bear hug. "I wanted to surprise you."

He holds her for a second longer, but Bridget squirms to get out of his arms and turns to me, eyes wide, mouth open in horror. "I forgot to tell you Ollie was moving in. Shit. I'm so sorry, Skye. But it's perfect, right? Just like old times, the three amigos together again."

Before you ask, no, Bridget has no idea what happened with Ollie. And yes, I'm the worst friend ever. But she can never—and I mean never—find out. So I force a smile and lighten my tone, panic attack completely forgotten. "Just like old times."

Bridget looks at me, then looks at Ollie, and back to me—grin growing wider with each glance. Her excitement is palpable, and the last thing I want to do is ruin it. "This is going to be perfect," she finally says and leans against the counter.

"Perfect." Ollie grins.

"Perfect." I grimace.

"Good, we all agree. Now I can get out of these shoes," Bridget says, reaching down to rip off her high heels, and I can't help but smile. My best friend, the one I saw only in paint-stain-covered outfits for the majority of my life, has become posh. Black heels. Stockings. Tight-fitting dress. A blazer. Her hair is even pulled back in a not-at-all messy bun. Well, at least it was until she just started ripping out the bobby pins, letting her curls fly free.

"We just got a new artist at the gallery," Bridget continues, still removing pins from her hair, "and you would love her, Skye. The opening is next week, and I want both of you to come."

"Okay." I shrug, trying to ignore the fact that Ollie is looking at me. Staring at me. A flush warms my cheeks and suddenly I'm hot. Like, burning hot. Sweating. Pull it together, Skye. I squirm. It's not like he has freaking laser beams in his eyes! But he might as well…

My eyes start to shift closer and closer to meeting his gaze. But at the exact moment I almost break and sneak a peek, his eyes shift and I can breathe again.

"Sorry, sis, I'm guessing the opening will be during prime dinner hours. But I can meet you out after for celebratory drinks?"

"Okay." Bridge sighs and opens the fridge, grabbing a bag of carrots to munch on.

"So, Skye had something she wanted to tell you before," Ollie drawls.

This time I can't help it, my eyes immediately find his, narrowing in the best angry look I can muster. All it does is deepen the humor in his expression. And in that moment, I know he knows—knows that I've completely lost my nerve. Now that I made the confession once—you know, the virgin sex columnist thing—I'm not sure I can do it again. Especially with Bridget so happy, and so excited. I really don't think I can handle her being mad at me, not now, not while I'm emotionally traumatized by Ollie's surprise return to my life. Now more than ever, I need my best friend.

Alarm bells go off in my head.

Retreat!

Retreat!

I step back, swallowing. "No, it's nothing we can't talk about later. I'll, um, just let you guys catch up. I'm wiped anyway."

Ollie won’t release me so easily though—of that I'm sure. Ever since we were kids, he's never let me get away with anything. Ever. One time I stole three of Bridget's peanut butter cups on Halloween night—I mean, they’re the best candy, let's be real here—but anyway, he saw me take them. And the whole night, he kept thinking of ways to bring peanut butter into the conversation, grinning at my every flinch, laughing at how much it ate me up inside. Until finally, I confessed, practically shrieking and crying to Bridget. Her response? She gave me three more. But still, Ollie's always loved to push my buttons.

But not this time, buddy.

Not this time.

So I'm not at all surprised when he casually says, "Not so fast, Skye."

"Yeah, come on. Hang out," Bridget joins in, pouting.

"No really, I—"

"Come on, Skye, weren't you just saying that you needed to tell Bridget something?"

I stare at him pointedly. "No."

"Oh, wait," Bridget says, turning to me with a curious gaze. "Yeah, the doorman was worried about you, he said you looked really panicked when you came home. I totally forgot about it when I saw Ollie here."

My avenue of escape is getting narrower by the second. In fact, I think the doorway behind me is literally shrinking. Does the room feel more cramped to anyone else? I swallow, heart pounding again. I'm too young to experience so much anxiety in one night.

Bridge sees the impending panic, but all it does is make her narrow her gaze, zeroing in on me. I need new friends—these people know me too well.

"I just had a bad day at work," I mumble and then look at the floor.

But crap, no! Why did I look at the floor? That's like the most obvious clue that someone is lying ever. Stupid, stupid mistake. Quickly I fix my gaze, throwing my head back up, but it's too late.

They saw.

"Well, it's really great actually," I say, mouth dry, pitch way too squeaky. "I got offered a full-time position working for the newspaper. They even want to give me my own little weekly column, nothing huge, but still, it’s pretty exciting."

Before I even get the words out, Bridget is squealing and running to throw her arms around me. "I'm so happy for you, Skye! What are you writing about?"

"Um, nothing really, just same old, same old," I murmur into her hair, hoping Ollie won't hear. But over Bridget's shoulder, I meet his stare.

Big mistake.

He's a balloon about to pop, his cheeks are so full with held in laughter.

I shake my head, motioning no.

He crosses his arms, shrugging just slightly.

I widen my gaze, pleading.

And then I wait.

And wait.

And—

"She's the new sex columnist," he says.

Jerk.

"What!" Bridget pulls back, blocking my view of her brother as shock fills the space between us. "I thought you were working in the arts and literature section, for the book review editors?"

"I was, but a new position opened up in the lifestyle section and they wanted me, so…"

"Hey," she chastises, sensing my self-conscious tone. "It's a real job as a real reporter in a real newspaper. You have your own column! This is amazing—we need to celebrate!"

Bridget releases me to rummage through the cabinets. I refuse to look anywhere but the floor. Is that a dust-bunny in the corner? I just cleaned. How is that even possible?

"Aha!" Bridget cries. "Tequila. Mix. We're making margaritas."

"You know," Ollie says in a hesitant voice, stretching his arms over his head. Terror floods my system as I wait for his next words. "I have to stop by the restaurant tomorrow morning."

I breathe a sigh of relief.

"So?" Bridget asks.

"Better make mine," he pauses, letting the words hang there for a moment. But he wouldn't… He won't… Oh, but he would. And he will. "A virgin."

No. I will not let him do this to me again.

But then I feel the heat of his gaze from across our shrinking kitchen. "You know the plane I flew today was really amazing. Outstanding snacks. Great service. But I can't remember the name of the company. It was Atlantic…something Atlantic…"

"Virgin Atlantic?" Bridget supplies as she searches for the blender. My stomach leaps into my chest, flipping like a freaking Olympic gymnast. "Yeah, I heard they were great."

"Yeah, they were playing this special on that singer, Madonna—you know,
the
Madonna?"

I refuse to give in.

Refuse.

I won't do it.

"And—"

"Okay, okay!" I scream. "Bridget, I'm a virgin. I'm a virgin sex columnist. I'm a total professional sham. Are you happy now, Ollie?"

"Would it be wrong to say yes?" he asks.

But Bridget drowns him out by dropping the blender. "But you told me you and John, freshman year…"

"I know," I say and bite my lip, "I know I did, but it wasn't true."

"You guys were together for three and a half years in college, why not?"

"Well, he comes from a really Christian family and he wanted to wait until marriage, and that was fine with me, and—"