All I've Never Wanted(54)

“What’s the emergency?” I asked, slightly annoyed that I was going to miss lunch again. It was turning out to be a worrying pattern, and it’s not like I’ve been having the best week anyway.

“Look, guys, she’s here!” Zack announced, ignoring my question as he bounded over to where Parker, Adriana, and Carlo were seated.

Parker and Adriana were arguing furiously over something, while Carlo was lounging on the sofa, reading a worn copy of Atlas Shrugged.

Hmm, Ayn Rand, huh? I respected her as an intellectual, though I didn’t quite agree with her philosophy.

I briefly wondered where Roman was, but Zack’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Maya, tell them!”

“Tell them what?”

“Red, black, or white?”

I stared at him blankly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” Carlo spoke up, peering at me over the top of his book with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

It didn’t seem like he was annoyed at me though, more like he was annoyed by his friends.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “What are you talking about? Red, black, or white what?”

“Lingerie, silly,” Adriana informed me in a you-should-know-this voice. “I bet these two idiots—“


“Hey!” Zack and Parker exclaimed at the same time.

She pretended she didn’t hear them. “—that obviously you would choose red lingerie over black or white, because you have good taste and so you would know it sets off your coloring—“

“But black’s sexier,” Parker butted in, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “There is nothing in this world that’s hotter than black lace.” He looked dreamy-eyed at the mere thought.

“Black’s too slutty,” Zack argued. “Maya’s more innocent than that! Of course she’d go for white!”

“Don’t be silly, white’s only for weddings—“

“Red’s the color of passion—“

“I’m telling you, it’s about innocence!”

“I’m her boyfriend, and I say it’s about sexiness—“

“Stop!”

The three of them shut up, obviously shocked.

“What—“ My tongue suddenly felt too heavy for my mouth. “—are you talking about? Why are you talking about my…my—“ I felt my cheeks heat up as I lowered my voice on the last word. “—lingerie?”

“Oh, My-My, you’re so cute,” Zack cooed.

I made a face. My-My?

“Homecoming is in three weeks! Which means, you know, it’ll be time.”

Now I was even more confused. “Time for what?”

The others exchanged amused glances, except for Parker, who just smirked.

“Well, it just so happens that it’ll be your one-month anniversary with Parker, so…it’ll be the perfect time to consummate your relationship,” Adriana announced proudly.

My mouth fell open, my entire body suddenly feeling like it was on fire. No. She did not just—consummate—what?!

“Yeah, I’m surprised you guys haven’t done it yet,” Zack added, throwing himself into an armchair, a slightly confused look on his face. “Usually Parker does it, you know, the first night.”

I snapped my mouth shut. “I’m not con—I’m—you—we—“ I sputtered, unable to form a coherent sentence in my humiliation.

“Oh, honeybee, don’t think I’m pressuring you, I won’t do that,” Parker assured me, looking like he was trying not to laugh. “But, just in case, you should have your lingerie options planned out. Like I said, I prefer black—“

“I’m not having sex with you!” I yelled.

No one seemed fazed by my outburst.

“You know, I heard it’s bad luck if you don’t consummate a relationship within a month,” Adriana commented thoughtfully.

“That’s a lie. I know plenty of people who didn’t have sex within a month. That’s so soon,” I insisted.

“Oh yeah?” She gave me a challenging look. “Like who?”

“Like—like—“ I was stumped. Damn it.

“That means it’s true!” Zack seemed inordinately excited as he jumped up from his seat. “It is unlucky!”

“What’s unlucky?”

I immediately froze when I heard the familiar voice behind me.

“Hi, Rome! You’re just in time!” Zack beamed.

“For what?”

I gulped, my heart racing in nervous anticipation as I stared stubbornly ahead, refusing to look at him as he brushed past me and settled into a chair next to Carlo.

However, I did have perfect peripheral vision, which told me he didn’t even spare a glance in my direction.

Unable to help myself, I glared at him. Oh, of course. He walks in on me topless and he can’t even be bothered to acknowledge my existence the next day.

He’s probably seen too many girls topless, I thought, pressing my lips into a thin line. For some reason, the thought irked me even more.

“They’re just being silly,” Carlo sighed, flipping a page in his book.