Two years ago:

I had to question my sanity in letting my best friend and room mate convince me to make this four our drive tonight. She worked a double shift and I had been in training all day. I hoped taking these backroad shortcuts was going to pay off.

The first three hours were quite as I let Nicole sleep while I drove. I knew I would be able to hunker down for the night once we got there. She would be up all night celebrating her boyfriends birthday.

If only she could have stayed asleep.

“What the fuck, Nicole! I am not giving my virginity to your boyfriend’s whore cock for his birthday. Who asks their girlfriend for a threesome for their birthday?”

I loved my best friend Nicole, but sometimes she drove me crazy with her wild ideas.

Like this one.

“He didn’t ask, I want to give him something special. Something no one else can.”

I should have been shocked by the seriousness of her plea, yet I was not. Nicole was a free spirit. It was what I liked about her the most.

I wished she could see how incredible she was. It annoyed the crap out of me that she felt she needed to offer up a sacrificial virgin to seek Adam’s approval.

“Come on, Brin, it’s not like you’re saving it for Mr. Right.” She gave me a sideways glance. I could see the anticipation in her eyes gleaming as her ruby red lips turn upwards in one of her sinister smirks.

“You can brag you lost your virginity to a rock star.”

“He isn’t a rock star,” I reminded her bluntly. “He’s in a band that plays in shitty bars in shitty towns.”

“He may not be a rock star yet,” she flashed me a huge shit eating grin. “I’m not supposed to say anything, but, the band signed on with a legit label. They’ve cut an album and will be going on tour soon. First the US, then Europe.”

“Seriously,” I snarked. “Someone actually likes that crap they play?”

“I think Adam’s going to ask me to go with him.”

I was shocked. It certainly explained all the overtime and extra shifts Nicole had been working. She was saving, hoping that dickhead of a wannabe rock star asked her to accompany him.

I didn't want to burst her bubble. I doubted she was going to get her wish. Rock stars were like sailors — a girl in every port.

I’d watched the groupies throw themselves at the guys. I also watched the guys bring some of those groupies back to the trailers or motel rooms they stayed in.

However, Nicole was right. It wasn’t like I was saving my virginity for someone special. I spent all my free time studying. It left no room for dating.

But I wasn't going to throw it away on a whoring wannabe rock star.

“I may not be saving myself for marriage,” I sighed, “but I’m still not going to let him stick his whore cock in me. I know where that thing has been.”

“The guys call you frigid couch virgin.” She was frowning like she felt sorry for me that the guys made fun of the fact that, yes, I was a virgin and I slept on the couch, alone. “Don’t you want to put an end to all that?”

I pulled into a twenty-four hour convenience store to fill up on coffee. “Let me take over the wheel,” Nicole offered. “I’m not going to fall back asleep now and you could use the rest.”

“I can sleep when we get there, you on the other hand.” I didn’t need to complete that sentence.

“You don’t have to go straight to sleep. You could come with me to see the last set and hang out for a while. You might change your mind.”

I wasn’t going to get her hopes up. There was no way I was ever going to do what she asked. I was not a big fan of Adam’s. Even less now.

“What I want is to take a nap,” I scolded her as we switched places.

I was done discussing my lack of a sex life. I took my travel pillow and adjusted my seat.

“Wake me up when we get there.”