GIRL TALK (Chapter 17)

They played poker for a while, then the party broke up into little knots. Crash and Warren commandeered the boombox, programming an old-school party mix of Beatles and Motown. Some of the other guys joined them as they discussed sports. Sophia joined Mo, Ally, Tina, Kate, Cheryl, Siobhan, and Christine around the picnic table.

"All right, Sophia, spill the beans," Mo demanded. "Have you and Warren really slept together?"

"Yes."

"I could never see Warren taking a girl to bed," commented Siobhan. "He’s historically been very shy around girls. In fact, I can’t see him asking you out."

Sophia smiled. "He didn’t. Both times."

"You scamp!" said Mo. Sophia just grinned.

"I’m trying not to be judgemental, I really am, but I can’t see losing my virginity this young." Cheryl said.

"I was twelve," Sophia said.

"TWELVE?" Cheryl asked.

Sophia sighed. "Seeing as I’ve shared some of my past with you, you can understand that saying ‘no’ was not one of my strong suits. Especially with a guy declaring undying love in my ears, if only I would do it with him, at a time in my life where I was very vulnerable to that sort of thing."

Cheryl looked at Sophia. "Do you regret it?"

"Oh, yeah." Sophia replied. "I regret a lot of things. I commend you for not giving that up until you’re damn good and ready, I really do. Wish I had. Are most of you still virigns?"

Most of the table nodded assent. "Good for you. No sin to wait. Wish I had."

"So do I," commented Siobhan.

Mo looked at her in disbelief. "You’re not a virgin?"

"No."

"You never told me this," said Mo. "WHO?"

"Mike Kelly," Mo and Sophia laughed at that one, and tried to stifle it. "Go ahead, laugh, I deserve it. However, since it lasted about seven seconds"—everyone cracked up—"I have forgotten about it and have chosen to reclaim my virginity." General laugher all around, as Siobhan got a wry smile. She looked at Sophia and said, "So, are we the only fallen women at the table?"

Nobody spoke up. Sophia asked, "Ally?"

"Nope, still not deflowered." Everyone laughed. "Crash and I have come awfully damn close, mind you, but I’m not quite ready."

"Good."

Mo asked, "So how do you know that you’re ready?"

"Oh, that’s easy," said Sophia. "Make sure you want, really want to do it. That you’re not doing it to make him happy, or because he begs you to, or because you figure what the hell, or because you think all your friends are doing it and you’re falling behind. When you say to yourself, ‘I want this, it feels right’ with no hesitation, no reservations, then you’re ready."

"Have you ever felt that way?" asked Cheryl.

"Yes," Sophia smiled. "With Warren, every time. That’s how I know the difference."

"How long were you guys going out the first time?" Cheryl asked.

Sophia looked sheepish. "Three and a half weeks."

"That’s ALL?" exclaimed Christine.

Sophia blushed. "Like I said, when you really want it, when it feels right………"

"Does it still feel right?" winked Mo.

Sophia blushed deeper. "Uh-huh," she managed to squeak out.

"All right, Soph, time to spill the beans," demanded Siobhan. "Look, we’ve all known Warren Kelleher a long time. He’s the sweetest guy I know, but let’s face it—he’s a nerd, a preppy, a geek. And you’ve been hinting all night that he’s some sort of fantastic lover!"

Sophia’s blush was purple. "He is."

Mo looked dumbstruck. "You’re not kidding, are you? You’re not saying this just to get a rise out of someone, are you?"

"No," Sophia said. "Look, you ASKED."

"Yeah, I did," said Siobhan. "I just can’t square this with the image I have of Warren. Warren Kelleher, good in bed? Who woulda thunk it?"

"Look," Sophia tried another tack. "Despite that, you’re obviously very fond of Warren. You consider him a good friend."

"Yes."

"So, what do you like about Warren? What do you consider some of Warren’s better qualities?"

"Let’s see," said Siobhan. "He’s smart. Imaginative. Very funny, great sense of humor. He’s warm, kind and generous to a fault. He’s unbearably sweet at times." They all laughed. "And, as an added bonus, he’s a good singer."

"Right. That’s a pretty good list of some of his finer qualities," Sophia agreed. "And here’s a romance lesson for you all from someone who knows both sides of the fence. If you decide to start looking for a lover, Siobhan’s list contains the most important qualities. Not good looks—although Warren has a great ass"—they all laughed—"not muscles, not machismo, not the right car or how he dresses or how good a partier he is or how cool he is, or how cool your friends think he is. Kind, warm, generous, sweet, imaginative, funny—they are all far more important. Trust me. And the ability to croon a decent love song after we’re done should never be underestimated." They all laughed at that.

"Look, good technique is nice—and Warren’s got that, especially with those magical hands of his, and now I am no doubt blushing." Laughter all around. "Oh, there’s another good quality. Go to bed with a guitar player. They know how to use them fingers." More laughter. "And I’m purple now, I’m sure. Anyhow, the most important thing for a girl to enjoy sex is to go to bed with a guy who wants his partner to enjoy herself. That’s the most important thing. Look, those of you who are virgins will find out quickly enough that a guy can get himself off pretty easily. Most girls can not. It takes some patience. Warren’s patience and loving attention amazes me sometimes. It certainly amazed me the first night."

"How so?" asked Cheryl, who was now paying rapt attention.

"Well, with my previous boyfriends, if it took twenty minutes, it was a long time." They all laughed, and Siobhan interjected, "I can relate," to more laughter. "Right. Anyhow, the first time Warren and I went to bed, we were there for over three hours. And I’m not counting the hour of kissing and cuddling and love-song crooning after we were done. He spun my head around so hard that night I still haven’t recovered. And he still does."

"Yeah," Siobhan asked, "but did you spin his head around?"

"What? You kidding me? Watch this." She called, "Hey ROMEO!"

"Yes Juliet?" she heard from the darkness.

"Could you please get me another Coke?"

"Sure." They heard scrambling from across the yard, heard Warren reaching in to the cooler, and then he appeared with a Coke. "There you go." Then he noticed the uproarious laughter coming from the table. "What’s so funny?"

Sophia turned to the table and said, "Well, girls? Whipped?"

Mo laughed, "Oh, you betcha."

"Completely whipped," agreed Siobhan.

Warren got a wry smile, "Hey, I resemble that remark."

Sophia smiled at him, "The girls wanted to know if I spun your head around in bed like you spun mine around. I figured a visual demonstration would be most effective."

"Oh, REALLY. Then you wouldn’t mind me doing my own visual demonstration."

"Oh, No."

"Oh, YES." Warren sat next to her, put his arm around her, and brought his other hand to her face, and startred touching it.

The girls looked on in rapt amazement. "What is he doing?" demanded Cheryl.

"Making me completely weak in the knees, mostly," Sophia sighed. Warren danced his fingers on her face for a minute, lingered a minute on her lips, and then withdrew, standing up and saying, "And don’t you forget it!" as he walked away from the table.

"What did we just see?" Mo asked.

"You just saw my boyfriend make me completely turned on, that’s what you just saw," Sophia sighed, blushing. "He discovered early on that my face is an erogenous zone. I told you, great fingers."

"Wow," was all Siobhan could say.

Most of the girls were still at the table some time later, but Sophia and Warren had gone to sit on the grass together, cuddling and kissing a bit. Every so often, the girls heard laughter from one or both of them.

"Wow," said Siobhan. "They really do seem happy together."

"Yeah, they do," agreed Mo. "I think she’s really good for him. And, with what she told us earlier, and what I know about Warren, I have no doubt that he’s really good for her. Boy, did I misjudge her."

"We all did," said Christine.

"She’s actually very sweet," added Mo. "More damaged than I hope to ever be, but sweet all the same. And you watch her and Warren, would you ever think that they’re only 14 and 15 and have only been dating a couple of months?"

"Good sex," commented Siobhan.

"No, it’s not just that. My bestest buddy really is truly in love. And she loves him right back. Good for them."