“I love you.” Rafe hugged each of them tight. He wasn’t going to tell them that the only thing he was scared about was coming back to the states in December still avirgin.
* * *
Rafe didn’t sleepon the plane. He took advantage of the free movies and TV and made conversation with other American students in his program. But it was a long flight, the longest flight he’d ever been on, and so he had plenty of time tothink.
He thought aboutsex.
Sex with hot British guys with hot Britishaccents.
Most people he met were amazed that Rafe had come out at thirteen. He thanked his lucky stars for having loving parents and friends who supported him. But most people would probably be flabbergasted that despite being out and proud for six years, Rafe had never had a boyfriend. And he only managed to touch one other dick. There were guys deep in the closet who’d had more romantic experience than he. It wasn’t for lack of trying, though. He performed many grand romantic gestures to win the hearts of guys, but every time, he came up empty. That’s why Rafe nicknamed his study abroad semester Operation: Slut. He might fail at relationships, but by golly, he was going to succeed at sex! At least with fucking, there was no rejection. Nobody pulled out halfway through and said, “You’re a really nice guy, but I’m just not feelingit.”
And there was no reason why Operation: Slut couldn’t start now. Rafe made eyes at a pale-skinned British hottie waiting to use the bathroom. Or loo, in thiscase.
Maybe we could join the mile high clubtogether.
Once upon a time, Rafe believed in grand romantic gestures. Back at Browerton, he was always trying to win guys over with pre-planned romantic gestures that always seemed to work in movies but never real life. Except when his best friend Coop took over the library PA system to win over his now-boyfriend Matty last year. He would have to tweak his usual course of action now that he was in Operation: Slut mode.Grand ButtsexingGestures?
Pale-skinned British hottie looked back at him! Rafe tried to contain his excitement, tried not to let the heat of their eye contact set him on fire.It’s on. I am going to lose my virginity on Virgin Airlines.It seemedright.
He joined the hottie in line. He smelled so good, a mix of cologne and hand cream, like the men’s department ofMacy’s.
“Hey. Good flight so far?” Rafeasked.
“Yeah.” The guy checked his phone, which make eye contactdifficult.
“Where in England are yougoing?”
“London.”
“Cool.London Calling,right?”
The guy continued checking his phone, which struck Rafe as odd considering he didn’t get service at 35,000feet.
He heard the whoosh of the toilet flushing. It was now or never, and this trip and operation were all about thenow.
“Do they have the mile high club in the U.K.? Or is it the kilometer high club? I’m down with the metric system,” Rafe said as suavely as possible. If only the guy would look up from his phone, then they could give each other sex eyes to confirm how on this wouldbe.
But instead, as soon as the lavatory door opened, the Brit swooped in and slammed it shut. His hottie turned cold. Not the most auspicious start to his trip. Rafe returned to his seat and hoped that this was not a sign of things to come. Or things that won’t come, in hiscase.
* * *
When they landed,the first thing he noticed was that London didn’t look all that different from Virginia. Same landing strip, same air traffic guys with the wands, same trees and grass. Even the terminal wasn’t too different from the airport in D.C. Until he noticed the exitsign.
Way Out, itsaid.
He spotted an arrow pointing to theUnderground.
Ads dotted the wall for products he’d never heard of. Their prices were in pounds, and phone numbers were an odd jumble of numbers, and websites ended in co.uk. It really hit Rafe.Toto, we are definitely not in Americaanymore.
People buzzed around him. He was in a swirl of British accents. Guy after guy had one.I’ll bang you and you and you andyou.
He followed the other kids in his study abroad program to the customs line. “So what school are you studying at?” one of the girls askedhim.
“Stroude University,” Rafe said with an uncontrollable yawn. “You?”
“UCL,” she answered in her American accent, which felt extra loud. University College London. Rafe heard that UCL was mostly Americans studying abroad. He wanted the real British collegeexperience.
“Me, too,” the girl behind them said. “I can’t wait to be right in the heart ofLondon.”
