Melanie had never been in love.
Sure she had dated, all throughout middle school and high school, and for a short time before she dropped out of college. Typical stereotypes; some boys had been nerds, some jocks, or hotties, or even all three combined.
But she was never really IN LOVE. Not like her friends.
Carrie and Alan had been together since freshman year, and now were moved in together at UCLA.
Hannah had dated more guys than anyone could count, always claiming to love each of them- up until the next day when she was suddenly back on the market. But now, she was finally getting serious with the latest one, Ben.
Stacey was about to get married, for God's sake! Her Berkley sophomore boyfriend Mark had proposed during high school graduation…
They all knew what it meant to be in love, and that was always on Melanie's mind.
Until, like some happy accident, she met Josh.
She had walked in to the huge main hall of the Hollywood Boulevard studio, book bag slung over her shoulder and signing her name on the check-in sheet. As she turned to take a seat, she had slammed right into him.
He wore an adobe red leather jacket, a silver arrowhead necklace settled on the collar of his black Motorhead T-shirt. A mess of light brown hair covered his head, semi-long bangs almost hiding his light green eyes.
"I…" She literally became speechless. Immediately, Melanie had felt something she never had before.
"No problem," Josh had said. "I get it; auditions are hectic! Can I sit with you?"
They talked for what seemed like hours between each other's audition time, about their families, ambitions and things. One thing led to another and the two of them ended up going to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.
From that night, after exchanging cell phone numbers, one would text the other regarding any free time they had so they could meet up. Apart from their minimal work schedules, Josh with the mechanics garage and Melanie doing some work on stage and a little background on TV, they always managed to get together at least three times a week. Seeing the latest movies, going to concerts or dinner, whatever worked best.
After about a month came their first kiss, sitting in the nature center at dusk, watching the sun set over the small pond. For Melanie, it couldn't have been more perfect.
Their relationship became not only romantic, but with physical affection. Not anything extreme right off the bat, merely kissing and cuddling in one's apartment or sweet pecks hello or goodbye.
They spent nearly every moment of the day together; Melanie even helped Josh find a position in the ensemble in the new production she was working in after he was laid off from the garage.
In gratitude to his girlfriend, Josh surprised her with a weekend at Disneyland with his final, surprisingly large, paycheck. Together they wandered the Magic Kingdom hand in hand, posing for cute photos and running to spot a short line at their favorite rides.
With every day following came another fun adventure for the young couple- a day cruise to Catalina for snorkeling, driving up to the Hollywood sign for a picnic, or just a night in for a movie marathon and take out.
Melanie finally understood what she hadn't- she had found love, all thanks to Josh.
...
Hannah had been the first in the group to go all the way. It was with Grant, her tenth grade lab partner, when they had a study date where her parents weren't home. They ended up dating for only two weeks.
Carrie had done it with Alan during spring break of junior year, where his family had invited her to join them on a vacation to their getaway in Lake Tahoe. She claimed that the two of them snuck to the lakeside with a beach blanket, after the others turned in for the night following a marshmallow roast in the cabin's outdoor fire pit. Since that night, Alan had been her only one.
Stacey and Mark took the plunge on senior prom night, reserving their own room at the hotel the dance was taking place.
Melanie was still a virgin.
She never thought of it as a concern during high school, though it was practically the main gossip topic throughout campus. It wasn't purely for religious reasons, though she did have a few over the top Mormons in her family.
All she thought was that it had to be with her soulmate, and he was still out there somewhere.
Was. Maybe she had finally found him. It had been almost a year now, and Josh was the only guy who she really felt in love with… But she was uncertain that it would be the one to last.
Confiding in her friends, she organized a four way cell phone conference one night to express her thoughts and feelings.
"Mel, if you know you feel that way about him, you should go for it!" Carrie exclaimed. "Totally!" Stacey agreed.
"But what if we break up?" Melanie worried.
"Well, what if you don't?" Hannah hypothesized. "Come on, you know he's The One."
Melanie hesitated. She knew how she felt- she wanted Josh to be her true love, her first. Unfortunately more uncertain thoughts crossed her mind. Her skin began to feel warmer and warmer.
"What do I do?" she asked meekly. "Will he expect me to do something?"
"Depends if he's done it yet either," Stacey said.
"You should definitely be aware of every second," Hannah added. "He'll touch you everywhere. And I mean everywhere."
"It'll probably feel weird at first, but if you let him keep doing it, it's the most amazing thing ever!" Stacey continued. "Oh, but it will probably hurt when he puts it in."
"Really?" Melanie suddenly felt her stomach tighten at her friend's words. She wasn't accustomed to a lot of pain.
"Only for a minute, though," Carrie quickly interjected. "Then it feels just like when he's touching you, only a million times better!"
"Trust me, hon," Hannah assured. "It's all the more special when you know you're in love with him."
"And we all know how much you've been in love…" Stacey muttered. "Oh shut up!" Hannah grumbled.
"I mean it." She continued. "Whenever I'm with Ben, I feel so much more alive," her voice becoming a mere whisper. "We just connect."
A blast of cool air ran over Melanie's face as she released her tightened muscles. What her friend said sounded so beautiful, and so right.
"And don't worry about when, Mel," Carrie spoke up. "It happens when it happens. Alan and I knew we were ready that night, and I've had no regrets ever since. We'll be here for you no matter what you choose."
Melanie felt a soft fluttery feeling in her chest. How was she so lucky to have friends like them?
Knowing she need time to think on her own, she wished her girlfriends goodnight and hung up on the conversation, falling back onto her bed and staring up to the ceiling.
…
Josh surprised her the morning of their one year anniversary with a box of fresh doughnuts and a bouquet of bright orange peonies. As they sat on the sofa eating their treats and sipping cool glasses of milk, Melanie showed him his first present: a twenty dollar Apple gift card and a new T shirt with a bright graffiti desgin.
Once she was dressed and had her bag ready, They were out the door and onto the streets of Los Angeles. Josh led her down a ways to which she couldn't figure out.
"Where we going?" Melanie laughed as he pulled her along faster.
"Trust me," he said, looking back at her. "You'll love it!"
"Love what?!"
She got her answer when Josh suddenly stopped. There, parked along the curb was a silver Miata convertible, the back seat filled with balloons tied to every appendage possible.
"My new ride," Josh said proudly. "Oh my gosh it's gorgeous!" Melanie exclaimed. "And balloons? You are so sweet!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek.
"Come on, we got a long drive!" He jogged around to climb into the drivers' seat, while Melanie slipped into the passenger side. They headed off to the freeway, passing through Huntington Park and Downey, Cerritos and Westminster. The mp3 plug hooked into the audio set, an iTunes playlist of an assortment of the couple's favorite songs to liven up the journey.
Finally they arrived in Newport Beach, parking along the sidelines of the peaceful community, amongst the little shops and boutiques and nearby restaurants.
"Why don't you go ahead and look around for a while?" Josh suggested nonchalantly. "I've got a little something I need to get ready..." Knowing he obviously wanted to fix up her next surprise, Melanie accepted the offer and went on her way.
About an hour, two new blouses and a short text later, she stood flabbergasted on the secluded Crescent Bay Point beach. There stood Josh underneath a billowy white canopy, red rose petals scattered on the sand. A picnic basket rested on the surface of a large bright colored beach blanket spread out in center, under the sun.
"Happy anniversary, baby," Josh smiled.
That whole afternoon was spent just the two them: swimming and splashing in the shimmering waters, running along the shoreline in a game of chase, laughing all the way. They retreated to their canopied blanket, indulging in a romantic meal of burgers and fries with root beer. Afterwards they lay back, sprawled in each other's arms, watching as the clouds went by up in the clear blue atmosphere, and as the sun was slowly making its routine descent from the sky.
Soon worn out, Melanie and Josh took apart their beachside haven, packed up their belongings and headed back to the car.
As they began the drive back to Los Angeles, Melanie couldn't stop thinking about the day so far. Josh had outdone himself with his surprises, all truly a labor of love. She had no doubts in her mind that he really was The One.
After arriving back home, the couple decided to take a rest period before their evening plans, which Melanie had insisted she take over, not wanting Josh to have to do so much for one day. So she spent only an hour and a half taking a much needed nap before she started putting everything together for that night.
Later...
The door was knocked on at exactly eight forty-five. Melanie quickly emerged from her room, wearing a new sleeveless turquoise sheath dress with silver multi beaded necklace. She smoothed out her skirt looking over at the dinner table, glasses and silverware laid out on an elegant peach tablecloth. Everything was ready.
She opened the door and there was Josh, decked out in his best dress shirt and slacks and holding a dozen red roses. With a quick kiss she invited him inside.
It was a beautiful home cooked meal: savory pork tenderloin with roasted golden potatoes and steamed broccoli, and a decadent vanilla cake with strawberries and bananas for dessert. When the dishes were cleared, cleaned and put away, they curled up on the sofa and found The End of the Tour on demand.
When the credits began rolling two hours later, Melanie ran her finger across Josh's collar, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Good movie?" she asked him. "Yeah, pretty good," he nodded. "No idea that Jason Segel guy was so versatile."
Melanie sighed and sat up.
"Josh, every moment we've spent together has been magical," she said softly. "I've been thinking about...taking it to the next level, but um..."
"Oh," Josh fidgeted slightly. "Well, I kinda have been, too."
"Really?" She was genuinely surprised. It had never seemed to her that he had been thinking what she had for the last few weeks.
"Well, yeah," he continued. "I mean, I really like you...well no, I..." Josh reached over and took her hands in his. "I love you, Mel. So much."
"Oh Josh." Melanie choked up. No guy she dated had ever said that to her. That proved it; he really was The One.
"I love you too," she whispered. They kissed, passionately. Josh wrapped his arms around her, rubbing his hand down her back. She gripped his shoulders and breathed in his scent as her lips locked with his.
Suddenly Josh swept her up from the couch, continuing the kiss. He held her close as he slid through the tiny hallway into Melanie's bedroom. She saw what was happening and swallowed hard, a lump forming in her gut.
Setting her back on her feet, he ended their embrace and looked at her intently. "Do you...can we really do this?" he asked nervously.
"I've never..." Melanie started to say, her cheeks flushing red. Josh's gaze softened. "Me either," he grimaced.
The panicked tightening in her stomach disappeared. "But...I want it to be you," Josh finished. She smiled. "I want it to be you too," she nodded.
She leaned in and kissed him, letting him hold her again and rub his hands all over her body. They fell back together onto her bed, knowing they were truly ready.
Melanie quickly reached around her neck to unclasp her necklace and set it on the nightstand. She moved herself just enough for Josh to get his fingers on the zipper of her dress. He pulled it down fast but carefully, not to get it stuck.
She slipped her shoulders out, helping him to remove everything faster. Her torso at its extent, he could see she had a light pink strapless bra with intricate lacing around the cups.
"You can touch them," she said softly.
Josh gently put his hand over them, squeezing gingerly. Melanie felt a sudden burst of heat from her core at his touch. This must be what "turned on" feels like, she thought.
She reached through his arms for the buttons on his shirt. One by one it came apart, exposing his smooth chiseled chest, not a trace of any sort of hair. She rubbed her fingers up and down, that tingling feeling inside her getting stronger as she felt his soft skin.
Josh was now finishing pulling her dress of completely, discovering the light pink panties that matched her bra. He brushed his hand down her stomach, past her belly button. Melanie giggled at the lightness of his touch, almost tickling her.
At an instant he stopped, hurriedly pulling his shirt the rest of the way off then moving to unbuckle his belt. Melanie sat up on her elbows, watching as he snaked his pants down to his ankles and stepped out of them. He climbed back onto the bed, now only in his plaid boxers.
"Mel, are you sure about this?" he asked setting himself beside her. "I mean we don't have to now if..."
"No, it's okay," she nodded, taking his hand and putting it to her breasts. "I want this, Josh. I really do."
So he continued to squeeze and massage her bosom, that warm ticklish feeling coming over her again. She slipped her hands under her back and unhooked her bra, letting it fall.
Her bare breasts were small but plump, creamy colored with perky pink nipples. Josh bit hard on his lip looking at her amazing form. Hesitantly, he lowered his head to her chest, nuzzling her with his nose. Melanie sighed heavily, the sensations coming back again.
Keeping one hand still on her breast, Josh slid his free one down the side of her body, past her hip, down her thigh. He felt her shift her weight, and looked down to see her bring her knees up.
He looked back at her, offering a skeptical gaze seeming to say "Are you sure?" She nodded and reached her hands to her waist, pulling down the silky fabric.
Josh scooted down to Melanie's feet and watched as her feet slipped out of the underwear, then looked up.
There she was, now completely naked in front of him. A powerful urge was forcing itself out of him as he looked her completely over. Her golden brown curls flailed beneath her head and neck onto the pillows, her perfect body, from her delicate face down to her long smooth legs. Josh looked straight down to see the triangle od darker hair below her belly button, and beyond that, the light pink flesh...
He felt himself starting to grow just by staring at it.
"Mel, you're so beautiful," he said softly, letting his hands drift towards her womanhood. The tips of his fingers grazed her, and he heard her gasp suddenly. He pulled his hand back and looked up to her.
"What's wrong?" he asked, worriedly. "Did I..."
"No, no Josh," Melanie sighed, staring him down. "That felt...it just feels so good! Keep going!"
"Oh, okay." Josh nodded. "But you can tell me," he quickly said. "You tell me to stop and I will."
He went back down to her and this time stroked his fingers against her, going in a sort of circle as he heard her sighs and moans of newfound pleasure. He could feel her labia becoming wet with secretions, which in turn made him feel himself growing once more.
Sparks shot up and down Melanie's entire body as Josh continued to massage her clitoris, pressing his thumb forcefully but gently enough to radiate that amazing heat from inside her, to make her even more wet.
She ran her fingers through his hair, coming to the point of feeling she might go crazy. "Please..." she moaned. "Josh, please!" He looked up at her and nodded.
Standing for a moment, he slipped his boxers off his hips as she sat up slightly. Immediately she found it, standing straight up and right at her. "Holy..." she muttered.
Picking up his discarded slacks, Josh pulled out a small foiled object from one pocket. He slid back onto the bed, unwrapping it.
"I just brought it in case," he said stammering as he tried slipping it on. "I wasn't thinking that...well I was hoping...but I know..."
"Babe," Melanie interjected, grabbing his arm. "Stop talking."
"Right." He managed to get the whole condom finally on, then settled himself in between her legs. She reached her arms around his neck.
Taking himself in his hand, he pressed against her opening. Melanie winced, feeling how tight she was. Stacey was right; it would hurt.
"Mmm!" she squeaked. Josh looked up at her. "Mel?"
"Just...try to be gentle," she whispered. He nodded, and brushed his lips against hers softly. Keeping his gaze on her face, he took himself in his hand once again.
"Ready?" he asked, pressing his tip to her moist folds once more. Melanie took a long deep breath. "Yes," she sighed. "Go ahead." She felt a strange pressure as his penis moved forward, working to enter her. Then, in one fast motion, he gave a hard thrust, and a stinging white hot pain erupted from her center as he penetrated her. Melanie cried out, tears stinging her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Josh soothed her, rubbing his hand down her face. "I'm so sorry, baby." She nodded trying too keep still, afraid any shifts would cause her more pain. "Just hold on," she managed to say. "Don't move yet, just..."
She sighed, trying to relax and adjust to having him inside her. After waiting a few moments, the aching was gone. "You okay?" Josh asked. "Yeah," she nodded. "I'm fine, it's fine now."
"Ok. I'll go slow, alright?" he told her.
With as precise care as he could muster, Josh let himself pull gently back, sliding out with slight struggle at her tightness. Melanie groaned, hissing through her clenched teeth. Then, carefully he thrust back into her, then retracted again.
Melanie could slowly start to feel the pain disappear. As Josh went on, back and forth, that familiar pleasurable sensation came back. This time, it was more intense, more...wonderful.
Josh leaned down and kissed her, still thrusting in and out of her. A soft moan snuck from his throat, and triggered Melanie to let out one of her own.
"Mel..." he whispered, taking her head in his hands as they continued to move together. "This..." "This is amazing," she finished for him, pressing her forehead to his.
His thrusts began to go faster, Melanie's breath hitching as he went. She flung her legs around his waist, locking her ankles together over his back. The heavenly sensations became stronger and faster, almost like friction starting a fire.
It wasn't long until her core began searing with the sensual heat nonstop. It grew hotter and hotter, as Josh pumped faster and faster. "Oh...oh.." Melanie couldn't hide her moans as they went on.
On and on until she felt as if her entire abdomen was about to burst with an unbelievable wave of spasms. "Ah!" she cried. "Josh!"
"Fuck!" Josh suddenly griped, squeezing her shoulders. "Mel, I can't take it! I'm...!" "I know!" she yelled. "I think...I am...too!"
Their orgasms came crashing together. Melanie felt her whole body quiver as the blast of unspeakable paradise burst from her core, as well as Josh's stiff clench squeezing the walls inside her.
He fell on top of her, then rolled over to her left side, letting her head rest on his shoulder. They lay still, panting and holding each other in their arms.
Melanie looked around her, from her boyfriend's peaceful form beside her to the crumpled sheets underneath them. She glanced down, and noticed a streak of blood smeared inside her thigh.
"I just lost my virginity," she thought to herself.
She inched closer to Josh and kissed his cheek softly. He stirred and looked over at her, smiling. "Hey, you," he murmured. "Hey," she giggled.
"What'cha thinking about?" he asked her, running his finger along her collarbone. "Nothing really," she said. "Just that...I'm so happy right now. Being here with you."
Josh nodded. "Me too."
Snuggling as close as ever, the young lovers soon fell asleep to the soothing rhythms or each other's hearts, dreaming of what they hoped would be a bright beautiful future together.