I felt a lot better as we headed over to the party, as if Lincoln’s confession that he already wanted to see me again had given me a boost of confidence. Within minutes we had arrived at his friend’s house, the party already in full swing. Lincoln held the door for me as we entered, and I was amazed by the sight.

While I’d been to my fair share of cornfield keggers, this was my first house party. I was amazed by the sheer number of bodies packed into the house; some dancing to the loud music, others standing around laughing and talking. I could feel Lincoln next to me as I gawked at the scene before me. I absentmindedly eased my flannel off, already warm. Lincoln took my overshirt and stuck it in the hall closet with his jacket.

Before I could thank him, he leaned down and asked, “Do you want a drink?”

I nodded and followed him to the kitchen. As nice as the music was, I was thankful the kitchen was a lot quieter. I surveyed the drink selection as Lincoln asked, “What can I get you?”

Noticing a couple of people enter the kitchen, I replied, “Beer is good for me.”

Lincoln nodded and grabbed a couple of bottles for us. One of the guys that had just arrived came up to us, “Hey Lincoln, I’m glad you showed up, man.”

I watched as Lincoln acknowledged him, “Good to see you, Mark. I wouldn’t miss your first blow-out of the year for anything,” Lincoln paused and smiled at me, “This is Mark, our host. Mark, this is Calamity.”

God, I love the way he says my name. I normally hate when people use my full name, mainly because I used to be teased mercilessly for it, but from him, it just sounded right.

Mark turned to face me; he seemed to study me intently, pausing a little too long on my chest before he finally looked me in the eye said, “I hope you have a good time Calamity. To be honest, I’m shocked to see Lincoln brought a date.”

I could feel Lincoln tense up beside me as I searched for a way to respond, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, Mark. By the way, most people call me Cal.”

Before Mark could respond, Lincoln hesitantly put a hand on my waist, almost as though he was gauging my reaction, “How about we step out for some fresh air? Mark’s got a great view of Lake Champlain from the back deck… we could watch the sunset?”

Mark seemed surprised at Lincoln’s interjection, his eyes darting between the two of us, “Uh… yeah, you guys should check it out. I should get back to making the rounds.” And with that, he disappeared into the living room.

I looked up at Lincoln and, seeing the look of worry on his face, smiled, trying to reassure him, “I’d really like to, let’s head outside.” I took his hand in mine and gestured for him to lead the way.

***

Surprisingly no one was on the back deck, giving us some privacy from the party. I followed Lincoln to one of the couches and sat beside him, trying to discreetly keep my hemline from riding up as I did.

We sat in silence for a few minutes as we both watched the sun set over Lake Champlain. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Lincoln seemed distracted, almost as if he was going through some sort of internal struggle.

I reached over and laid my hand on his knee, getting his attention. “Are you okay? You seem worried…”

Lincoln sighed, set his beer on the deck and turned to face me, “I’m really sorry about what happened in the kitchen, I -”

I moved my hand to his arm, stopping him, “It’s okay, really, it’s not my business. You don’t have to explain yourself if you don’t want to.”

Lincoln hesitated for a moment, studying my face in the setting sun, before taking a deep breath. “I had a pretty bad break-up halfway through last year… She was my first girlfriend; we’d been together for a couple of years. When I came here for school, we agreed to try long distance. When I went home for winter break, I found out she was cheating on me. Needless to say, I didn’t handle the news well. Last semester I kind of became something of a playboy, I guess. I preferred hook-ups rather than dating. I think Mark was just surprised to see me on a date, I normally don’t bring girls around.”

He paused, searching my face for any hint of what I was thinking. I looked out over the water again, taking a long swig from my beer. “If you think I’m going to judge you for sleeping around, I’m not. You’re an adult, you’re allowed to make your own choices.”

I turned toward Lincoln, pulling my legs onto the couch under me so I could fully face him, “I’m really sorry you had to go through that, I can’t imagine what you must have felt… I appreciate that you felt comfortable enough to tell me.”

Lincoln visibly relaxed as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I’m glad I told you. To be honest I’d been trying to figure out the right time.”

I turned to face the view again, finding myself slightly nestled up against Lincoln, “You don’t have to worry about telling me things. I’m not one to judge.”

We both fell silent, content for the moment. I realized I had managed to curl up closer to Lincoln, his body heat keeping me warm in the cool night air. I could feel him shift so his arm was resting on the back of the couch just behind me, fidgeting slightly. Craning my neck to look up at him, I smiled, “You know you can touch me, right? I won’t break or anything.”

Lincoln blushed as he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to him, “I don’t want you too feel uncomfortable or pressured.”

Smiling, I turned around and leaned toward him, hesitantly brushing my lips against his. Time seemed to stop for a moment as I sat back, suddenly self-conscious. I was mentally kicking myself when I felt Lincoln gently take my chin, tilting my head back as he leaned in, returning the kiss. I could feel my hands grasp the front of Lincoln’s shirt as he pulled me in close with one hand, the other gently cradling the back of my head. He kissed me with a sense of urgency; firm and earnest, desperately wanting more. I wanted it just as badly; I could feel a tingling sensation between my legs again, and a soft moan escaped my lips as he pulled back slightly. His forehead rested against mine as he stopped the kiss.

“I think I hear people coming.” Sure enough, the sliding door opened as several people spilling out onto the deck as Lincoln and I separated. I realized my dress had ridden up considerably and I tried to pull the hem down, hoping no one noticed.

Lincoln stood and offered me his hand, an apologetic look in his eyes, “It’s getting a bit crowded, how about we go someplace quieter?”

I nodded, taking his hand as he helped me up, “Want to hang out in my room? I’ve got a single.”

***

The entire walk back Lincoln and I laughed and talked, almost as if our kiss hadn’t happened. I wasn’t sure if it was just an isolated occurrence, or if it was just the beginning. Soon I’d have my answer.

When we finally got to my room, I offered to let Lincoln in first, my back to him initially as I made sure the door was locked, “Feel free to make yourself at home.”

Turning, I found Lincoln taking the room in. It was rather sparse, but I didn’t see the point in decorating too much since I’d be moving into an apartment the following year. “I know it seems a bit bare… I don’t really own a lot of stuff.”

I watched him step over to my bookshelf, studying the volumes I owned and taking in the few framed pictures I had. He paused and picked up my favorite; it was only a couple years old, but it showed me hugging my pet calf from back on the farm, grinning like crazy. “Your smile is incredible.”

Blushing, I looked away, focusing instead on taking my overshirt off and kicking my shoes to the side, “Oh yeah? I never really noticed.”

I could hear Lincoln set down the picture and make his way over to me, “I think it’s what I first noticed about you. It drew me in.”

I jokingly rolled my eyes, “Oh sure, the smile lured you in. Next you’ll be saying you stayed for the top-notch wit and socially awkward behavior.”

Lincoln laughed at that, moving to close the space between us. He placed his hands on my slender waist, and I immediately felt safe and secure. He looked me deeply in the eyes, asking for permission to go further. I responded by running my hands through his hair as I stood slightly on my tiptoes to kiss him. This kiss was much softer, slower than our first one, but it still sparked that same tingling as before.

I could feel one of Lincoln’s hands begin to slide, slowly working its way down to gently cup my ass. His other hand reached up my back, his fingers tracing along one of the straps that held the dress up. I moaned softly, relishing the warmth of his touch on my skin. I felt him guide me toward my bed, gently laying me down. My legs parted slightly, allowing him to slip between them. The hemline inched further up as Lincoln leaned over me, softly kissing along my jaw and down the side of my neck. As he did this, one of his hands caressed my thigh, inching further upwards.

As badly as I wanted this, I knew I had to be upfront with him. Just as his fingers reached under the hem of my dress, I pulled away from his kiss, “Lincoln… I need to tell you something.”

Without hesitation Lincoln moved off me and sat on the bed beside me, “Are you okay? We don’t have to do this if you’re not interested.”

I sighed. Of course I want this, it’s the first time I’ve ever wanted it! I buried my head in my hands for a moment before finally looking over at him, “I’ve never had sex before.”

To be continued…