“No, Mom, I’m not going to miss my plane. Yes, I’ll be careful. Love you, too.” I roll my eyes when I hang up. “I swear she treats me like a child still,” I tell my best friend, Grace.

“Grow a vagina, and tell her you’re a woman. Oh, wait. That’s right—you’re still a virgin.” She roars with laughter.

“Just because I’m not a slut like you doesn’t mean I’m a virgin.” I push my sunglasses to the bridge of my nose. My hair is blowing in my face from riding in her convertible at Mach 9 down the highway. I pull my tangled auburn hair into a bun.

“Yeah, name one sexual act you’ve performed. You’ve spent your college years pining for a man you met twice. Have you even had phone sex with him?” She takes her eyes off the road to look at me.

“Oh my God. Is nothing private with you?” I snort and grab the wheel to keep us from running off the road.

“That’s what I thought. You are a twenty-four-year-old virgin. Hell, honey, you’re the only virgin I know.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been a little preoccupied with my studies. Nursing school was hard enough, but I had to go all the way and get my masters in nursing. There’s been no time for extracurricular activities. I’ve already heard enough from you about all the hot doctors I could be chasing.”

“Speaking of ‘all the way and masters,’ are you going to make Luke your master when you get there?” She giggles.

“I swear you have a one-track mind.” I burst into laughter with her.

“Seriously, Kenna, are you finally going to screw him? You’ve been writing him for two years now.” A horn blares, and she’s going into road rage mode, swearing and flipping the other driver off.

I met Luke two years ago when he was home on leave from the army. Grace and I had gone on the rare barhopping night. Well, rare for me. We walked into the disco ball lit bar, and she walked right up to a table of military guys. They were checking out every girl in the bar until she walked up. She has the magnetism that men love. Either that or she has “you can fuck me,” invisibly printed on her forehead, and it can only be seen in the disco light as it swirls around. Plus, she wears her shirts low cut with no bra, and her tits are the size of soft balls. I love her, but she has no scruples.

Luke was different. He didn’t pay any attention to her. His steel-colored eyes were all on me. I could feel them roaming up and down my body. I would look away, and when I’d look back, he would be smiling at me. His broad dimples made him even cuter, trustworthy. He looked like the all-American boy with his dark flattop haircut. He was beyond clean-shaven, which made his jawline well defined. And, when he spoke, that southern Alabama drawl was so thick and sexy. He was really sweet and such the gentleman. Not at all what Grace wanted for me. She wanted someone for me to get down and dirty with. We danced until midnight, while she was God knows where with not one but two of his buddies. She bailed on me, and I never saw her again until the next morning. He put me in a cab and kissed me good night.

We’ve been writing to each other ever since. I got to see him one other time when he was on leave. He drove all night from his parents’ house in southern Alabama to my dorm room at Clemson. I was in total shock when I opened the door and saw his handsome face. It was a complete surprise because he never let on that he was in the States.

We had a pretty heated make-out session until Grace came bouncing into the dorm room. I had clinicals I couldn’t get out of, and he had to catch a plane. Short and sweet, but it was enough to get me thinking about the next time I might see him. Maybe we could take things a little further.

“Earth to Kenna.” Her hand shaking my shoulder and her words pull me out of my thoughts. “So, was that a yes?”

“What was the question?” I forgot what she asked me.

“Are you going to have sex with him?” She pronounces each word slowly.

“God, I hope so. My hormones have been raging. Must be all that porn you watch on our television.” We share a small apartment, blocks from the doctor’s office we both work at. The last thing she does before bed is turn on porn, and all I hear for hours are sweaty bodies bumping and grinding together. She’s very voyeuristic and even belongs to some Eye’s Wide Shut club she’s always wanting to take me to. I think there is a good possibility she’s a sex addict.

Her tires squeal, and she turns into the departure lane at the airport. She shifts the convertible into park and jumps out, popping her trunk. “You call me the minute you land…and the minute you’re done having sex.” She hands me my brand-new piece of luggage.

“I will call you when I land, but not about sex.” I laugh as I hug her. She stuffs something into my jacket pocket. I reach in and grab it, and a row of condoms unfolds in front of me. My face is probably as pink as one of the wrappers. I quickly fold them back up and shove them at her. “I’m not using glow in the dark condoms.

“I want to make sure you can find the one-eyed snake since you’ve never seen it before.”

“I’ve seen plenty!” I snap at her. “You traipse naked men through our apartment all the time.”

“Oh don’t be such a prude. I want you to have your own little fella.” She wiggles her index finger up and down while she shakes the condoms in front of me as people are passing by.

I snatch them out of her hand before she can embarrass me anymore and stuff them in the side of my carry-on bag. “Sometimes I really don’t like you.”

“Oh, you love me. Now, hurry before you miss your plan to Germany.”

I hug her one last time and roll my luggage onto the sidewalk.

“Don’t forget!” She holds her hand up to her face like she’s talking on the phone. I wave and head into the busy airport. At least she didn’t make some obscene gesture with her hands.

I drop off my suitcase and find my gate on the departure board and head to the long security checkpoint. No one really speaks in line. They are either preoccupied on their phones or keeping a firm grip on their kids. I pull my earphones out of my jacket and plug into my phone. My head bops to some country tunes as I look around, taking in the people waiting in line with me. A tall man about five people behind me catches my eye. He’s dressed in military fatigues. He looks a couple years older than me. I think he has to be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. I can feel my own eyes dilate lusting after him. I’m glad Grace isn’t here; she’d be all over him. He sees me staring at him and smiles. Oh, my God. My thighs bolt together. A fierce tingling sensation shoots between my legs. My vibrator doesn’t even make me feel that way.

I look down at my clenched thighs and glance back up. He’s checking me out, and here I am standing like an awkward chicken. His piercing stare is aimed straight at my libido, igniting little flames inside me. I bite my lip to control them, and his grin grows bigger.

“Miss, I need your passport and ticket,” I hear from behind me. I was so captivated by him that I didn’t see the line move. The airport employee verifies my information and sends me to the next checkpoint. I remove my shoes and place everything in the gray bin. Just as I go to push my carry-on through the x-ray machine, the condoms fall out and onto the floor. I bend down to pick them up, but a large hand beats me to it. I’m mortified when I look up, and it’s the soldier I’ve been gawking at.

He stands with the fluorescent packs of condoms in his hand. I can feel all the blood rush to my face as I straighten up. “This is an interesting item to have in your carry-on. Do you plan on joining the mile-high club…six, seven, eight times?” He counts each glow in the dark condom with a shit-eating smirk on his face.

I snatch them without saying a word and stuff them back in my bag. I can’t even glance at him. I’m totally mortified. I hear people whispering, most of them are laughing. I shove the bag through the machine. I keep my head low and don’t look back. My bare foot taps the ground as I wait what seems like an eternity for my suitcase to make its appearance on the other side. I snatch it from the conveyor belt and quickly slide on my Sanuks.

Taking one quick peek back at him, I see him still staring at me. I blow a piece of hair out of my face and stick my chin in the air. He has the audacity to wink at me. I’m mad at myself because I found it such a turn-on. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve been hanging out with Grace far too long. I turn on my heel and nearly run into a little old man right behind me. Great, now I look like a sex fiend and a klutz. Killer combo.

I rush into the nearest restroom and hide in a stall until I can get my wits about me. I have never been so embarrassed in all my life. I pull the condoms out of my bag and throw them in the little silver garbage can inside the bathroom stall, all while cursing Grace under my breath. This is all her fault.

After washing my hands, I reapply my lip gloss and straighten my hair. I don’t need blush on; my face is still pink. I slowly exit the bathroom looking like a spy trying to find my archnemesis. I’m sure security is going to throw me out at any moment. When there is no sign of him, I take off like I have wings to my gate.

Almost every seat is taken. I wedge myself between an elderly couple and a woman traveling with a small child. I’m thankful Mr. Igniting My Sex is nowhere in sight. I put earphones back in and get lost in some old-time rock and roll until it’s time to board the plane.

I splurged and bought a first-class seat, so I’m one of the first to board. I put my bag in the overhead compartment and settle into the wide, comfortable seat by the window. I shut the blind and crank up the air vent above me. I pull out my Kindle, excited about reading a steamy romance book. As it lights up, the main screen has a book downloaded that I didn’t purchase. In big bold neon green, the title reads, “I Lost My Virginity to a Beast.” The cover has a woman sitting naked, bound to a chair and a hulk of a man standing behind her with his hand on her breast, pulling at a nipple clamp. “Grace, I’m going to kill you when I get back home,” I whisper.

As I adjust my seat and power down my Kindle, I see a pair of worn army boots standing in the aisle next to me. My heart stops as I glance up.

“I think this is my seat.”

Mr. I Can’t Decide Whether I Want To Punch Or Kiss You is talking to me and pointing at the empty seat next to me. Can I just die now? My mouth hangs open as his steely eyes light up with humor. It makes me determined to not let him make me feel uncomfortable anymore.

“Sit at your own risk. You saw my eight condoms, and it’s a really long flight.” I pull back the seat belt for him to sit. I can’t believe I just said that.

He laughs and throws his bag in the overhead compartment. “I’m Decklan,” he says as he sits way too close to me.

“I’m Roxy.” I’m full of lies today. I don’t want him to know my real name.