I sighed. “It sure would be nice to finally get laid.” There was a pause and then I clapped my hand over my mouth.
On the other end of the line, Emma shrieked. “Do you mean… you’re not saying… Maddie, are you a virgin?”
“No!” I said instantly. “I dated that guy from work last year, I told you that. It was before you moved to town.”
“Yeah, but you can date someone without doing everything with them. Come on, you can tell me. I won’t judge.”
I hesitated and looked around to make sure no one was nearby, but I’d purposefully walked up the beach until I found a private spot.
“Come on, I tell you all about my sex life.”
“That’s because it’s so freaking exciting,” I protested.
Emma laughed. “You’re right, it is.”
She was speaking the truth. Most of the time I was happy for her, but sometimes I got a little jealous. She’d won the relationship lottery. I huffed out a breath of air and then made my decision. “All right. That guy I dated… we did some things. With our hands and stuff. But when we tried… other things, it didn’t really work. He couldn’t get fully… well, you know. And the few times he did, he couldn’t maintain it for very long. So we just touched and stuff.”
There was a moment of silence. Then Emma’s voice sounded teasing, not judgmental, when she said, “We really need to teach you the proper vocabulary for all those things you almost said.”
I rolled my eyes. “I fooled around with a few guys in high school, too.”
“But technically, you’re a virgin.”
“Yeah.” It felt better admitting it. It wasn’t like I hadn’t had any experience with men… I’d just never had the kind of encounter I’d always wanted.
“All the more reason to go for it while there are three amazing options around.”
That made me laugh. “You make it sound like it’s as easy as walking up to one and saying, hey, there’s this thing I’ve always wanted to try…”
Emma chuckled. “You might be pleasantly surprised if you give it a shot.” Her voice became muffled, and then it cleared. “I’m sorry, I have to go. My four o’clock appointment is here.”
Crap, I’d forgotten she was in a different time zone and still at work. “I understand, but I’m glad we got to talk.”
“Me too. And Maddie, while you’re there, live a little. Any one of those men would be lucky to be your first.”
I groaned. “Don’t say it like that. You make me sound like a naive teen who has no idea what she’s doing.”
“But you’re not,” Emma said firmly. “And what’s more, I bet those guys know you’re not. Oops, I have to go. Have fun!”
I lowered the phone and stared at it after she hung up. I wanted to have fun. I really did. Not with just anyone, but when it came to men like Brock, Kincade, and Jessie? Something told me that any of them would know a hell lot more about fun—and how to do it properly—than my ex.
The question was, did any of them have any interest in having fun with me?
I had a lot to think about as I made my way back to the cabin. The cabin I shared with the evil stepcousins, not the men’s cabin, unfortunately. But all my stuff was still in the one I’d been originally assigned.
To my profound relief, it was empty. That meant I didn’t have to deal with their snide remarks, and that I wouldn’t have to fight anyone for the bathroom.
I took a shower and shaved my legs. Then I put on my dress for dinner. It was another one that I’d made, and I was particularly proud of it. It was white with red flowers on it. It had a halter top that tied behind my neck. Normally, I couldn’t wear things like that, but I’d managed to sew bra cups inside it with straps that fastened behind my neck. They were hidden by the top of the halter. The skirt flared out at my hips and ended a few inches above my knee.
It was one of my favorite dresses. I wondered if the guys would like it. Technically it showed enough cleavage that most males would like it, but I had this silly hope that Brock, Kincade, and Jessie might like more than just that part of me.
With that thought in mind, I took my time doing my makeup. My lashes were long and dark, but I used a dark brown eyeliner and shadow to make my eyes look more dramatic. I played around with my hair, too. Through a combination of bobby pins and little clips, I pulled the front part up on the top of the head and let the rest cascade around my shoulders. I had a feeling the guys liked seeing my hair down. When they behaved, my curls were an asset. But one wrong move, and they’d frizz up like crazy. Fortunately, they seemed to be holding up fairly well against the light humidity tonight.