FLIRT

  FLIRT

  CALLIE COLE

  Contents

  1. Boston, Massachusetts

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  A note from the author:

  Boston, Massachusetts

  I sat the box of photographs and picture albums down on the window seat and stared out the window of the third-story apartment. The apartment I had shared with Ali Tucker, my best friend from childhood and throughout the last four college years. The first place I’d ever lived away from my parents. It wasn’t much by some standards, but Ali and I had made it ours.

  I leaned forward, inhaling the hot summer air and smelling the sweet aroma of the honeysuckle plant that bloomed directly below the window. It was August and summer was well underway in New England. Things won’t be much different in Maine. It’s not that many States away, after all.

  I let my eyes trail down to the people on the street for a moment as a wave of homesickness assailed me. I knew a lot of those people, passed them on the sidewalk every day, and even knew many of them by name. Everything about this place was familiar to me. It was home.

  I can’t believe after tonight I won’t live here any longer. I won’t have Ali as a roommate, and I won’t even be in Boston. When I felt tears start to fill my eyes, I shook my head and forced myself to move away from the window. I had already indulged in a good cry earlier that morning, and there was no time to do so again. I still had things to pack and a new life to prepare for.

  Tomorrow morning, I – Kelly Porter, would be setting out on a brand-new adventure – moving to Maine. Moving in with my boyfriend of the last eight months - Brian Sullivan. I was both excited about this new chapter of my life and apprehensive about taking such a big step. Not because I didn’t consider myself in love with Brian; I did. Brian was my first serious boyfriend, and I’d taken things very slowly. Moving in with him meant that our relationship would be changing, both emotionally and physically. The last, being a source of much apprehension and anticipation.

  Ali was always teasing me about being the only twenty-two-year-old virgin left in Boston. Something I neither felt the need to deny or defend. It simply was what it was. I wasn’t holding onto my V-card out of some misplaced sense of morality or anything, I just had never met a guy I was willing to trade it in for.

  I grabbed the roll of packing tape and started to secure the box closed, but I couldn’t resist taking one last look at the photo album lying on the top. I withdrew it and one other and then padded on bare feet towards the floral bamboo sofa Ali and I had picked up at a second-hand store just a few weeks after moving into this apartment. I brushed my hand across the overstuffed cushions.

  “If this sofa could talk…,” I murmured to no one in particular.

  “We’d get arrested,” Ali fired back, having heard my soft comment.

  I laughed and then showed her the album. “I’m sure this is full of incriminating photos.”

  Ali smiled and sat down on the sofa, bouncing a little as she tucked a leg beneath her butt. “Maybe. Probably. But since you’re the keeper of the albums, I feel very safe.”

  “Don’t think I’ll turn you in?”

  Laughing at my own joke, I opened up the first album and couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face as I flipped through the pages that cataloged the last four years of my life with Ali. Ticket stubs. Pictures taken at school bonfires. Weekend getaways. Our favorite pizza parlor. Our college years had been memorialized on the pages of the album, and before I could stop it, another wave of sadness washed over me as I remembered the life depicted on these pages, was ending.

  Ali and I had known each other all of our lives and been friends for what seemed like forever. Ali was very different from my personality, in every way. Where I tended to be cautious and reserved, Ali displayed an exuberance and positive outlook on life that was contagious. Ali’s fearlessness had quickly earned her a reputation for being up for anything, especially if it involved the chance of getting into or creating trouble. I had been a leveling force, continually pulling Ali off the virtual cliff her drama always seemed to find her teetering on. We merely balanced one another out.

  I turned the page and started laughing at the picture of myself and Ali, dressed up for our first college Halloween party. “Remember this?”

  We’d both been without dates and had gone as a pair of M&M’s – I had been dressed all in red, while Ali was dressed all in yellow. It had taken nearly two weeks for the temporary red hair dye to completely wash out of my dark blonde hair. Ali’s naturally red hair hadn’t fared much better, taking on a sickly orange color. It had been the first and last time either of us had colored our hair in such a fashion.

  “Yes. Your hair was that weird pink color for weeks afterward.”

  “And yours kind of glowed in the dark.”

  I brushed a finger over several of the photos, still able to hear Ali’s declaration where the college album was concerned. “We are going to document every single experience we have over the next four years. One day, we’ll look back on these photos and have a good laugh, preferably over a bottle of wine.”

  At the time she’d made that statement, neither of us had been of legal age to drink, and so we’d raised cans of soda in the air and made a pact to remember the years to come. Of course, Ali had a problem keeping track of things, so we decided that I would be the keeper of “The Book.” Even now, as I prepared to move to another state, Ali insisted “The Book” needed to go with me. A bittersweet decision to be sure.

  We shared another laugh as I finished going through the album. As I closed it, I picked up the other album, this one from our middle school years. There were pictures of both of us growing up. Me with my shiny metallic braces, smiling for the camera. Another photo where my perpetually scraped knee was evident.

  Several pictures showed Ali wearing her favorite jacket. A multi-colored windbreaker with an attached hood. I swear, she probably slept in that thing. For over two years, it was hard to find a picture where that jacket wasn’t present.

  “Whatever happened to that ugly thing?” I asked, pointing to the jacket.

  “I still have it.”

  “Really?” I questioned incredulously. “I haven’t seen you wear it for a long time.”

  “That’s because I couldn’t get it on if my life depended on it. We’ve grown a bit since the eighth grade.”

  The honking of a horn down on the street jarred me back to the realization of how much work there was still to get done before morning, and I bounced up from the sofa and tucked the album away inside the box. After securing the top, I used a blue Sharpie to identify the contents on the side and then stacked it near the door with the other boxes I’d already packed away.

  Massaging my shoulder, I wondered if it had been a mistake to offer to be the keeper of “The Book.” Four years later, it now comprised a hefty number of pages. I rolled my head on my shoulders and then stretched my hands up above my head for a moment.

  “Who knew photo albums could weigh so much.”

  “The price one pays for memories,” Ali chimed back. “So, what’s left?”

  “Just the bookshelves and some of my clothing.”

  Grabbing the last empty box, I headed over to the wall of bookshelves. I began sorting through shelves of books and CDs. I tried to focus on all of the new things that were coming to my life,
but it was hard not to reminisce or feel sad about the life I was leaving behind.

  “So, once we finish here, we should go grab some food and maybe a drink or two,” Ali suggested.

  “That sounds good. I’m starving.”

  “You’re always hungry. We could head over to the bar?”

  I nodded. “I’m going to need a shower first, though.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. How about I go jump in the shower while you finish up in here and then we can switch?”

  “Sounds good.” I watched Ali head into the bathroom knowing I was going to miss having her in my daily life. When I caught sight of myself in the mirror that stood on one of the shelves, I could only shake my head at the look on my face.

  “Stop making yourself feel sad, Kelly-girl. It’s time to move forward. You don’t have time to look back, at least not today.” I paused upon hearing my voice echo through the apartment, knowing that if Ali were listening she’d be laughing at my quirk of talking to myself.

  Glancing at the clock on the wall behind me, I breathed a heavy sigh and picked up the pace. Ali would be getting out of the shower soon, and this was to be our last night out before going our separate ways. I grabbed the last few books off the bottom shelf and then sealed the box with a piece of tape.

  After stacking it near the front door with the others, I wiped my hands on my thighs, declaring to no one but myself, “That is officially the last box. My life here in Boston is all packed up and ready for a change of scenery. Goodbye college days; hello adulthood.”

  I looked at the stack of boxes and realized this was the same way I’d felt when I’d packed the last box of my high school possessions before leaving for college four years earlier. I remembered my parents had been standing in the doorway, my dad trying to maintain his stoic face while my mother had been openly crying.

  I remembered how much I’d hated the feeling of leaving everything that was familiar to me, including the room where I’d spent so many hours dreaming about the future and my life as a young adult. I’d wanted to jump into my twin bed, pull the covers up over my head, and hide there until I was good and ready to become an adult. A few months from having turned eighteen, I’d talked a good game about being all grown up, but the reality was more than a little scary.

  Not that I would have ever admitted that out loud. I was doing my best to give the performance of my life. To anyone who asked, I was excited about going away to college, and my parents were going to miss me more than I would miss them. Inside, that little voice we all have called bullshit.

  When the actual moment had arrived, I’d almost chickened out. Almost. Then Ali called to see how my packing was going, excitedly talking about all of the fun we were going to have at college, and before I knew it, I’d found the resolve to step out of my comfort zone.

  “I could use a cheerleader right now,” I murmured.

  Chapter 2

  “Shower’s all yours,” Ali stated as she came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel and dripping water on the floor. She ducked into her bedroom and kicked the door shut with a foot, jarring the pictures left hanging on the walls in the process.

  I watched them vibrate for a moment before they settled back in place and thought how that was pretty much how I was feeling at this moment. Unsettled. Like I wasn’t quite ready for what was coming next, but at the same time, excited that it was happening.

  God, maybe I should hide under the covers for a while. That always seemed to work when I was younger.

  I’d been feeling that longing to hide away for a while now, and wished Ali could make everything alright once again, but Ali wasn’t moving to Maine. Only I was leaving everything that was familiar. A lump lodged in my throat, a familiar sensation that always seemed to occur whenever change loomed on the horizon.

  As I’d done four years earlier when leaving for college, I squared my shoulders and remembered my dad’s advice, “Stiff upper lip, kiddo. Don’t let them see your fear. Fake it until you make it.”

  Somehow, my dad had known I was only pretending to be a grownup. I still recalled my words back to him as we’d exchanged a giant bear hug outside this very apartment. “I don’t do well with this whole ‘leaving thing.’”

  My dad had pulled me close and whispered in my ear, “You’ll be just fine, honey. But if you get lonely, you know how to reach us. Any time of the day or night, you pick up the phone, and we’ll be there for you.”

  I had held that fact close during the first few days of college life, allowing Ali’s enthusiasm for the new campus and its social offerings to keep me from dwelling on the sight of my parents waving goodbye to me through their tears as they drove away. I knew they’d been worried about my readiness to survive on my own, but as it turned out, I’d managed quite well. Ali got most of the credit for that, and I knew without her by my side, I would have spent those first few months at college homesick and depressed.

  Feeling homesick never really happened, and this was going to be no different. Sure, I was leaving my first apartment and my best friend, something I’d never thought I would be doing this soon after graduation. And while I was a little nervous about the future, I was also confident this was the right thing to do.

  I headed for the bathroom, doing my best to shuck off the melancholy that was trying to drag me down. I couldn’t help but smile as I shut the door and turned to face the best thing about this apartment. The bathroom.

  It was nearly as big as the bedrooms with a claw-foot tub against the far wall and a separate walk-in shower in the corner. Several shower heads made you feel like it was raining on you at the same time you were getting a massage. Ali and I both agreed it was a little taste of heaven. Add in the central location and the family-feel of the apartment building, and it was no surprise that we’d fallen in love with it the moment we saw the place.

  We had attended Boston University but had both balked at living in a college dorm. We’d been anticipating sticking around Boston during the summers and living on campus would have meant moving several times. I hated moving, as did Ali. This apartment had been the perfect solution. Located just fifteen minutes from downtown Boston, it was also less than a block from the edge of the campus. Lucky for us our parents had no problem footing the bill for the rent, at least until graduation.

  I took off my dusty, dirty shorts and tank top, and then turned on all of the faucets in the shower. I would have loved to spend an hour or so in the tub, but as tired as I was, that would mean falling asleep and my final night out with Ali would be gone.

  Once the shower was nicely steamed up, I stepped under the spray, letting the hot water cascade over my body for several minutes while I closed my eyes and allowed my muscles to relax and rejuvenate. I reached for the loofah hanging nearby and poured my favorite body wash onto it. I loved it’s deliciously, decadent-smell that also matched my favorite perfume. It was expensive, but my parents continually gifted me with several bottles each Christmas.

  I ran the loofah over my long legs, bringing it up and over my stomach and grazing my nipples in the process. My body instantly responded, and I found myself wondering if I would be showering alone, or with Brian, from now on. A shiver worked its way down my spine at the thought.

  Brian knew I was a virgin, and we’d had several very grown-up conversations where we talked about him being my first. I wondered what having sex with Brian would be like, knowing that my body liked pleasure, but only having the orgasms brought about by my hands to base my expectations on. According to the Internet, there was no comparison, and I was curious to make my own opinion. If Cosmopolitan was to be believed, having sex with the right guy was an earth-shattering experience and could get really intense. I was so ready for an experience like that.

  Brian was also a virgin, which was my only source of hesitation. I hoped our first few times together weren’t going to be awkward and clumsy. Brian seemed very confident in the other areas of his life, and I secretly hoped that having sex would be no differe
nt. Moving in with him was going to be about much more than just sharing toothpaste, and I was filled with anticipation.

  When I was considering the move to Maine, I wondered if it was crazy to move in with someone I hadn’t ever had sex with. I couldn’t shake the concern that we had never struggled with any sort of strain on the relationship, and I had no idea how we were as a couple once confronted with a problem. There’s only one way to find out, I thought.

  I continued to move the loofah over my body, closing my eyes as I imagined it was Brian’s hands, moving over my skin that suddenly felt too tight. I tilted my head back as I moved the sponge lower, drawing circles over my stomach, and then lower.

  A pounding on the door was followed by Ali’s voice, “Hey! Are you going to stay in there all night? I want to get a good table so that we can watch everyone who comes into the club. You might have your dreamy boyfriend, but I’m still shopping.”

  My daydream was completely gone by this time, and I turned, letting the water rinse the soap from my body. “I’ll be out in a minute,” I hollered towards the door. I washed and rinsed my hair, and then turned the water off, grabbing one of the fluffy towels from the shelf and quickly drying my body.

  I spread lotion over my body, dried my hair with the towel, and then quickly combed it out so it could begin drying. I turned to brush my teeth and caught sight of my naked body in the large vanity mirror. I cocked my head to the side and considered the image reflected back at me critically.

  I wasn’t ashamed of my body, even though my curves often left me feeling a little overweight. I had full breasts that didn’t sag, a narrow waist with only a slight bulge below my belly button, and hips that flared nicely and filled out a pair of jeans just right. I was used to receiving admiring glances and even whistles from guys as I moved about the campus. It didn’t bother me at all, and I knew Brian liked the way I looked.