It was a simple request, one that Adam was more than willing to comply with. I had a date with Matthew Parker, the guy I’d been crushing on for a few weeks. He’s absolutely gorgeous – he’s got the tall, firm build of a wrestler and light brown hair. But perhaps the thing I love the most about Matt is his eyes. One is a deep shade of green, and one is hazel. He had a dazzling smile and an infectious laugh. So what’s the problem, you may wonder. Well, while Matt’s not what you could call a womanizer or a “manwhore,” he was certainly experienced. Me? Not at all.

I, Cortney Victoria Blair, was twenty, nearly twenty-one, years old. I was a virgin. And not even a virgin in the traditional sense that I’d never had sex. I was a virgin in every way possible. I’d never kissed one guy, never even held hands! I’d been on one date, but that was in sixth grade so it hardly counted.

So after I came down from the initial shock of Matt asking me on a date for the following Saturday night, I realized with pallid horror that I was fucked. Royally fucked. Not in a sexual sense, obviously. But I had no desire to look like a fool in front of Matthew Parker. Which is when I approached my best friend and roommate, Kelly Lavelle, for advice.

At first, Kelly offered to personally give me “kissing lessons.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I questioned her in disbelief.

“Why the hell not? Plenty of straight girls kiss girls,” Kelly replied emphatically, her emerald eyes wide open.

“Yeah, maybe after they’ve got ten beers in them,” I retorted.

“Well then go buy a case of beer!” Kelly stated, as though it were the most obvious solution to my problem.

“I would, dipshit, but I’m not twenty-one yet, and you know that.”

Kelly’s mischievous grin told me that she had that reaction in mind when the words had left her pierced lips.

“Well then why not get someone who is twenty-one to buy you some beer?” Kelly suggested.

“Like you?” I asked.

“Can’t,” she replied with a smirk. “But you could ask Adam.”

“Why can’t you?” I demanded.

“Because I…wait a second I have an even better idea!” Kelly squealed.

“Oh, Lord,” I breathed, “what’s that?”

“Why not get Adam to give you kissing lessons?”

“No fucking way,” I hissed. “You want me to ask Adam Martin to give me kissing lessons?”

“Why the hell not?” she wanted to know.

“Because it’s Adam!” I sighed dramatically. “The strange kid that’s been our friend since freshman year! The kid who’s been calling me ‘Cort-a-lort’ since Psych 221. The kid who drinks more than I ever could, and that’s a hell of a lot. Adam? No way.”

“He’d do it,” Kelly replied, her voice suddenly taking on a serious tone. “I know he would.”

“And how do you know that?” I asked.

“I just know,” she replied. “Just ask him?”

“No way.”

Now, I know you don’t really know my best friend, but Kelly Lavelle isn’t one to take no for an answer. So as we made our way to lunch that day, she stopped Adam in the courtyard and pushed the question out of me.

And to my utter surprise, Adam agreed. Not only did he agree, but he didn’t even make fun of me when I asked. Actually, it seemed as though he were slightly embarrassed by the question.

We agreed to meet in his dorm room later that night. After Kelly had made sure I’d brushed my teeth thoroughly I walked to Buyer.

“Hey!” Adam said in a voice that barely masked his emotion – what that emotion was, I couldn’t tell, but I knew it was there. “Come in.”

“Thanks,” I replied. “Look, I know this is a really weird favor to ask, but…uh…well thanks for your…help.”

He smirked casually. “No big. I make out with girls all the time, so teaching you won’t be a problem.” Adam looked hot, like he always did. His bright blue eyes were laughing at me, but not in an unkind way. His brown hair was just as wild and curly as ever. He was wearing just a pair of (very tight) jeans and a gray and black striped sweater, causing me to feel a bit overdressed in my skinny jeans, black flats, and black blouse.

“So, where do we start?” I asked nervously, suddenly overwhelmed by the acrobatic butterflies that often took up residence in my stomach and throat.

“With the kissing?” Adam suggested with that smirk.

I laughed softly, trying to rid myself of the nervousness. “Okay then.” But I was frozen. I couldn’t move. Adam took a few steps toward me, and when he reached out, I jumped.

“Calm down, Cort,” he laughed as he reached to close the door. I felt stupid. “Just come in. Hey, let’s watch a movie or something. It’ll help you relax.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” I said shakily. “What movie?”

“The Ringer?” Adam suggested with a grin, knowing that it’s one of my favorite movies.

I plopped onto his and his roommate’s old couch while Adam set up the movie. Soon, I had forgotten all about the kissing.

The movie was almost halfway over, and my favorite scene, when Lynn finds out her douchebag of a boyfriend David has been cheating, and Winston exclaims, “When the fuck did we get ice cream?” Yeah. It’s a great movie.

I was waiting for the line, giggling while Johnny Knoxville delivers his lines, when all of a sudden I felt Adam sliding closer to me. Instantly, the movie became background noise and even though my eyes were fixed on the screen, all I could concentrate on was Adam. Slowly but surely, his body was directly next to me.

“When the FUCK did we get ice cream?”

I started laughing but I felt Adam place one of his hands on my cheek and pull my face toward him.

“Ready?” he asked in a thick voice. My heart was racing but I nodded. “Just relax and follow my lead. It’s that simple.”

I nodded again and closed my eyes as Adam moved his face toward mine. It felt like an eternity before he finally kissed me, but when he did, I started at the contact between our lips. It wasn’t what I was expecting, either.

They were warm and soft and really nice, but every time he moved them against mine, this jolt of electricity shot through my stomach. Soon, Adam had pushed me against the arm of the couch. One hand was playing with my hair while the other rested on my waist.

His lips were magical – they were clouding my brain, and it was hard for me to think straight. At some point, I found his tongue massaging mine, but I couldn’t remember opening my mouth.

But suddenly, Adam pulled his face away from mine. My hormones instantly protested, and my breath was short; I was sure my cheeks were flushed.

“If that’s what kissing is like, I can’t wait to get to sex,” I panted without thinking.

Adam’s jaw dropped and his cheeks turned bright red.

“I didn’t mean…I just…well…shit,” I stammered with intense mortification.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Adam said, recovering quickly. “If you wanna have sex with me, all you have to do is ask.”

“I think I’ll pass,” I said hesitantly. “I’ve had enough for one night. I think I should go.”

“No, wait,” Adam said. “I didn’t mean it like that, I was just trying to—“

“I know, but I should just go.”

“You don’t have to,” Adam said.

“No, I’ll just go,” I replied. I grabbed my purse.

“But I don’t want you to go. I…never mind.”

“You what?” I asked, pausing in my march to the door.

“Nothing. I hope tonight helped with your date.”

Adam’s tone of voice made me feel incredibly guilty for some reason. I walked back to Adam and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. It was amazing, and I owe you one.”

“Y-you’re welcome,” Adam replied, his cheeks again flushing for an unknown reason.

I exited his dorm and walked back to my own. It was empty (Kelly was on a date with her boyfriend, Mike), so I just went to bed.

---

“Which shirt should I wear?” I asked Kelly desperately. It was Saturday night and Matt was going to be picking me up very shortly.

“That one,” Kelly said, pointing to a black shirt with gray polka dots.

“Thanks,” I replied, slipping the shirt over my head. “How do I look”

“You look great,” Kelly said.

I examined myself in the mirror. My dark brown hair was wavy, and my blue eyes were bright and excited. I was wearing the shirt Kelly had recommended with a pair of gray skinny jeans and the same black flats I’d worn to Adam’s just a few days prior.

Suddenly there was a sharp knock at the door.

“It’s him!” I whispered.

“Go answer it, then,” Kelly replied.

I opened the door, and was blown away with how incredible Matt looked. He had donned a pair of dark wash jeans and a brown polo, but he looked beautiful and sexy.

“Hey!” Matt said cheerfully. “You look great!”

“Thanks,” I said, “you look good too.”

“So, you ready to go?” he asked. I nodded, grabbing my bag from the bureau.

“Have fun!” Kelly called as I closed the door.

“So where are we going?” I asked Matt.

“I have reservations for dinner at Olive Garden, and then I thought we could go see a movie,” Matt replied.

“Sounds great,” I said, but in my head, I was secretly let down. I’d been expecting something much more…romantic. Dinner and a movie? Not the most creative thing he could’ve planned.

We arrived at Olive Garden within twenty minutes, and I’d discovered that Matt was a very slow, cautious driver.

Our waitress, Katrina, seated us in a small booth toward the back of the restaurant.

“So do you like wine?” Matt asked me as soon as we’d been seated.

“What?” I asked.

“Wine. Do you like it?” Matt repeated.

“Well, yeah, but—“

“So can I get you two a drink?” Katrina asked us, having returned to our table.

Matt proceeded to order a bottle of expensive wine.

“I’m going to have to see your IDs,” Katrina said dutifully.

“Matt,” I said quietly, “I’m not twenty-one yet.”

“Then you can have a soda,” he said. “I’ll still take the wine.”

“For you?” the waitress asked with a sympathetic glance.

“I’ll have a Pepsi,” I said with gritted teeth, feeling very embarrassed.

I’d like to say that the rest of the night was okay, despite that one hiccup, but then I’d be lying. Matt proceeded to order for me again, chicken parmesan. He wasn’t even fazed when I told him that I’m a vegetarian.

“Just eat the spaghetti,” he replied with a shrug.

He spent the entire meal talking about himself. I’m not even kidding you. There wasn’t one story he told that did not involve him doing something funny, him somehow saving the day, or one of his “crazy” adventures. I’ve been more entertained while watching Dora with my niece.

Matt then proceeded to buy us tickets for some stupid action movie I had no desire to see. I spent most of it with my eyes closed. My (empty) stomach does not handle blood well.

When the movie ended, we got back into Matt’s car and he drove us back to campus. After what seemed like the most awkward eternity in the history of the world, he pulled in front of my dorm.

“Well, tonight was…fun,” I said, preparing to get out. “Thanks for…everything. Bye.”

“I can’t let the night end without a kiss,” Matt said with a strange grin on his face.

I guess it couldn’t hurt, I thought as Matt leaned in to kiss me, with or without my permission.

And I’ve never been so let down in my life. Sure, the date was an absolute bust, but Matt’s hot. I was expecting something twenty times better than Adam’s lesson. But Jesus, was I wrong. It was boring! Kissing Matthew Parker bored me!

He walked me to my dorm, where he kissed me again. I said goodbye shortly as I entered my room.

“So?” Kelly asked instantly. “How was it?”

“Terrible,” I replied. She shot me a confused look and I proceeded to tell her the details of the night, even sharing my confusion over Matt’s kiss.

“Well I know why you were bored,” Kelly replied with a grin.

“Oh really?” I asked skeptically. “Why’s that?”

“Because you like Adam, dumbass,” Kelly stated.

“Yeah, right,” I replied with a sneer.

“Well, you obviously liked making out with him, and I know Adam liked making out with you.”

I shot her an eye roll. “Yeah, right. I had no idea what I was doing.”

“Maybe not at first, but he definitely liked it, Cort.” Kelly’s face was serious, but I still didn’t want to believe her. Adam? He couldn’t have possibly liked it…

When I voiced this opinion, Kelly shot me a glare. “Oh shut the hell up, Cortney. I know Adam liked it, because I know that Adam likes you.”

“Excuse me?” I asked in disbelief.

“Cortney, you’re gorgeous. Adam’s a guy. He’s had a thing for you for almost a year. Now, maybe you don’t realize this, but you two would be perfect together. Why don’t you just think about it?”

I shrugged indifferently and went to bed. But as I lay there, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Kelly had said.

---

The next few days were very awkward for me. Matt asked me out again, and I had to turn him down, because not only was he a self-absorbed asshole, there just wasn’t any attraction. And when I told Adam how terrible our date was, he did a poor job of hiding his relief.

After Kelly’s revelation, I began to notice little things that I never had before. Like the way Adam found ways to make body contact, and the way his eyes always seemed to sparkle around me. But it wasn’t just things about Adam that I noticed; I realized how ever so slightly my heart jumped whenever I’d see him, and I realized exactly how much I loved being around Adam.

It was a Wednesday when I realized that I liked him. I was just sitting in my Photography class, listening to the professor lecture us about depth of field when it just hit me like a brick.

I knew Adam had a class right down the hall, so when mine ended, I sprinted in that direction, hoping to catch him. I just had to tell him.

He was walking out of the room with a friend of his.

“Adam!” I yelled. He turned and gave me a smile that caused the acrobatic butterflies to return.

“Cort-a-lort,” he grinned. “What’s up?”

“Are you doing anything right now?” I asked.

“Well I was about to go to lunch with my roommate, but you can join us if you want,” Adam replied.

“Actually, would you mind talking alone?” I asked him, heart pounding.

He looked a bit confused, but agreed. “Sure. I’ll catch up with you later, man. What’s got you so worked up?”

“Let’s go somewhere more private,” I said. “I need to talk to you about something important.”

“You wanna go to my room?” he asked. I nodded and followed him. The room was less clean than the last time I was there, but it was still remarkably neat.

“Now do you want to tell me what’s so important?” he asked curiously.

“Okay, well, first of all, I need to apologize to you,” I said, mentally rehearsing the speech I’d prepared.

“Apologize?” he asked in confusion. “What the hell for?”

“I didn’t mean to, exactly, but I used you.”

“How did you use me?” Adam asked, obviously getting more confused.

“Well, okay, don’t get mad, but…shit…”

I let my voice trail off; I was losing my nerve.

“What?” Adam pressed.

“Shit, okay here goes.” I paused for just a second or two. “I know.”

“You know what?”

“Kelly told me.”

Adam cheeks tinted pink, but he continued. “What exactly did Kelly tell you?” His jaw was clenched tightly.

“That…that you like me,” I finished.

It was then that Adam’s face turned this brilliant shade of red. “Shit. I have to go. I’m gonna fucking kill her.”

“Adam, wait!” I called. He’d started to walk away.

“Cortney I’m sorry, I have to go.”

“I’m not done yet!”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Asshole,” I muttered. I took off running so I could catch him before he left his room.

“Wait!”

I grabbed his arm and stood in front the door so he couldn’t leave.

“Would you let me finish?”

“Look, I know what you’re gonna say, and I’m extremely embarrassed right now, so if you’ll just let me go, this’ll be okay.”

“Adam Martin!” I yelled. “Shut the hell up. Right now. Don’t say another word, and let me finish.”

“Fine,” he said, stepping back from the door slightly.

“Good. Now, listen. Yeah, I felt badly for using you, but at the same time, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Why? It’s not like you got to use what I…taught you,” Adam muttered.

“No, but it helped me realize something,” I said.

He met my eyes, and though his face didn’t betray it, I could see the spark of hope behind those blue orbs.

“It helped me realize that I’ve liked you all along, I was just too dumb and inexperienced to realize it.”

And with that, I kissed him. Hard and square on the lips, I kissed him. It lasted a few seconds before Adam pulled away.

“L-look, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you don’t have to—“

“What if I want to?” I asked him.

“But do you really?”

“Adam, if I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have kissed you just then.”

“You sure?”

I rolled my eyes. “Adam, stop being an idiot. Yes.”

“Well in that case…”

This time, Adam kissed me. But it was different than the kissing lesson. This time it was….I don’t know what it was, but it was different. It was almost desperate. Adam pushed me against the door as he kissed me fiercely. His hands were on my waist, playing with the skin between my jeans and my shirt.

He was intoxicating, better than any drug. After only a few minutes, my body was on fire and my brain wasn’t functioning; I couldn’t think a rational thought – all I knew was that I needed Adam, I needed him in a way I’d never needed anybody or anything before.

He pulled away and stared at me for a few moments. Both of us were panting, and when Adam finally spoke, my brain had unclouded enough to be cogent again.

“Be my girlfriend, Cortney,” he said in a hoarse voice. Although it wasn’t phrased as a question, I knew it was. A question he’d wanted to ask for quite some time.

I grinned. “Of course,” I said, surprised at the huskiness of my own voice.

He smiled happily and then kissed me again, softly this time, and only for a few seconds.

“Come on, I’ll make us dinner.”

I never knew he was such a good cook! He’d cooked the asparagus perfectly, and his homemade veggie lasagna was delectable.

As I stuffed my face, I realized exactly how happy just being with Adam made me, and I realized that Kelly Lavelle was so totally right: Adam and I were perfect for each other.