She leaned against the kitchen table, grinning with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Do you think they’re doing it?”
“Who?”
“Who? Us!” she retorted sarcastically.
My brain stalled for a second. My heart did too.
There was a pause, and I knew the same thought crossed her mind, too, because Ruby hurried to add, “Brandon and Ellie, of course!”
“I don’t know,” I said awkwardly, my mind still calculating risks and chances and odds.
“They’re not doing it right this second.” She laughed. “I meant generally.”
“Probably. I guess,” I replied.
She helped me collect leftover character sheets and printouts of our last D&D session, and we brought them up to my room.
I put them back in a drawer, and when I turned around, I found her standing there. Watching me.
Nervous, I smiled.
She smiled back.
We just stood there for what felt like a very long moment, looking at each other.
Then, Ruby suddenly crossed the room, stopped right in front of me, rose to her tiptoes, and ... kissed me. On the mouth.
It was soft. Unsure. Real.
I could taste the cherry cola on her lips.
She pulled back just slightly, her cheeks flushed. “I’ve never done this,” she said quietly.
“Me neither.” I swallowed.
Another pause.
Then, even softer, she added, “Do you want to?”
I nodded, because I really, really did. And because I couldn’t imagine a safer person to want it with.
A few heartbeats later, we leaned in and kissed again. It was longer this time. We gripped each other clumsily, not quite knowing what to do with our hands and too concentrated on what was happening with our lips.
We fumbled our way to the bed. I shoved aside my 3D model of the Apollo Lunar Module and yanked off the Millennium Falcon comforter.
Ruby’s hands trembled slightly when she took off her shirt, and I followed by peeling off mine.
My breath caught. She wore a simple, pink cotton bra, and her skin was pale in the soft afternoon light. She was beautiful and sexy. She reached out and brushed her fingers down my chest, and for once, I didn’t feel awkward about my body.
We kissed again. Deeper this time. Wetter, bolder. We still clashed teeth occasionally, but it didn’t matter.
We were a scramble of limbs, unsure palms, and ragged breaths. I didn’t know where to touch first, what would feel good for her—or how to keep from finishing before we even started. As it was, my jeans were already straining and sporting a huge tent.
When my pants were unzipped and her hand moved down and touched me, I almost came in my underwear.
“Wait, I need to ...” I managed, reaching for the condom I’d hidden in my drawer months ago—optimistic, just in case. I held it up like it was some kind of rare artifact.
“I think we better ...” Ruby said, slipping out of her shorts.
