When I lost my virginity after senior prom to a guy I had been dating for two weeks, I felt disappointed and let down. When I had sex for the first time with my college freshman boyfriend, both of us had beenwasteddrunk. It was a sloppy, inebriated mess. Then there was Curt, my second serious college boyfriend, who lasted exactlytwo thruststhe first time we slept together. Suffice to say, I was disillusioned when it came to having sex with someone for the first time. Sex was like dancing—it took practice.
But Hunter?
Hunter and I dancedperfectlytogether. Everything we did was perfectly in sync, two bodies that moved and groaned together as if they were one. Even though our first time was in a car, parked on the side of a service road, it was the bestfirst timeI’d ever had.
I couldn’t wait to do it again. And again.
After I took a shower and crawled into bed, I received a prompt text from Hunter.
Hunter: You didn’t retain anything I showed you on the marketing plan, did you?
Erica: Nope. Not a single thing.
Erica: I was distracted.
Hunter: I’ll go over it again with you tomorrow morning. It’s pretty straightforward.
Erica: Thanks. I appreciate the help :-)
Erica: And I REALLY appreciate you contacting your marketing guy. Text me his mailing address and I’ll send him a thank-you card. Or one of those edible flower bouquets made from fruit!
Erica: Can I write that off as a business expense?
Hunter: You’re the one who went to business school. You tell me! And you’re too sweet. You don’t need to do anything. My marketing guy owed me a favor.
Hunter: I wish I was cuddling with you right now.
Erica: UGH. Me too.
Hunter: Goodnight, Erica. Sweet dreams.
Erica: Trust me, they’re going to be very sweet :-)
Hunter and I went over the marketing stuff after breakfast the next morning. Brad came downstairs and made a joke about always needing to explain everything twice to me. Hunter and I both laughed it off.
My shift at the brewery started at three, so I sat out by the pool after lunch. Hunter joined me not long after.
“Mind if I soak up some sun with you?” he asked casually, in case Brad could hear inside.
“I don’t mind at all.”
Hunter took the pool chair two over, so that there was one between us. For a while we both lay there, enjoying each other’s silent company without a need for words.
Some time later, the patio door slid open and Brad walked outside with his laptop. “I don’t know why I’m working inside when I could be out here, enjoying the weather,” he said.
I patted the chair between Hunter and I. “Come join us.”
Brad shook his head and sat at the table, shaded by a large umbrella. “The sun causes too much of a glare on my screen. You aren’t working?”
“My shift starts at three.”
“I meant working on your gemstone business.”
I smiled over at him, which had the added benefit of allowing me to look at Hunter’s tan, semi-nude body. “We hired a guy on Fiverr to create a bunch of image ads for the business. That’s going to take two days. Once that’s done, we will create the ads on Facebook and start targeting people. Until then, there’s nothing to do but sit back and relax.” I picked up the sunscreen bottle. “Speaking of relaxing, can you get my back?”
“I don’t want to get my hands all greasy,” Brad complained. “Ask Hunter. It’s not weird now that we’re older, and since he’s engaged.”
I winced at the mention of Carmen. “You don’t mind?” I asked Hunter, as if Iwasn’taching to feel his hands on my body.