Free The Write Stuff by Tiffany King

you because he got lucky last night because of it."
    I actually appreciated how funny that was, but I still wasn 't ready to laugh. I couldn't even find a sarcastic retort. At least someone had gotten lucky last night. Not that I was blaming Olivia. This wasn't her fault. Sure, she'd been behind the blind date, but I knew she would never have orchestrated the whole thing if she knew what a dick Alec was.
    " Nicole? Are you alright?" She sounded worried, and I realized several seconds had passed since her question.
    " I mean, we didn't do the deed. He freaked when he found out I was still a virgin."
    " No fucking way. You mean to tell me he did the old enter-and-retreat ?"
    Severus , who had been snuggled up along my side, stood up and stretched. I reached over and stroked my hand down his back. "We didn't even get that far. I told him beforehand."
    " Why? Why would you mention it?"
    " Does it matter why I mentioned it? What about the fact that it shouldn't matter?" I snapped at her.
    She let out a loud breath of air. "You're right. It doesn't matter. He's an asshat. What guy doesn't want to bang a virgin? It's like the Holy Grail."
    My anger dissipated instantly as a reluctant smile spread across my face. "I know, right? That's what I thought, but not to him, I guess."
    " Did he give a reason?"
    " Not really. Truthfully, I just want to put it behind me. Trust me when I say it wasn't my finest moment."
    " I'm sorry, babe. It's his loss. I'm glad he didn't get to be your first. You deserve better. Your first time should be special."
    I appreciated her loyalty. There was a reason Olivia and I had been friends for so long. We took care of each other first, no matter what. Besides, deep down, what happened between Alec and me last night had been special until he found out my secret and freaked. Even lying in bed now, I remembered his touch on my skin. The way he kissed me. The hardness of his body against mine. It felt wrong to have those thoughts in my head. They were traitorous. Thinking about him would do me no good.
    Olivia and I chatted for a few minutes more. She even suggested she would find another model for my cover. I weighed the notion without replying. I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about it. Thankfully, Olivia dropped the subject, asking if I wanted to grab lunch. I declined the offer. My plans for the next couple days would consist of not leaving the house at all. I had several takeout menus on hand so I wouldn't starve, but I planned on submerging myself into my manuscript. I'd had enough human contact to last me awhile.
    Olivia disapproved, but didn 't push. Once we ended our call, I turned my ringer off. For the next forty-eight hours I was cutting myself off from the outside world.
    I threw my hair up into a messy bun and pulled on my favorite pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. To make sure I wouldn't get hot, I turned the AC down in my apartment. It was backward thinking, but I preferred it cold while I was writing.
    Ten minutes later, I snuggled into my writing chair with a large glass of iced coffee. It wasn't as good as Starbucks, but it would have to do. Severus climbed up on the cat tree I kept between the window and my chair. I reached out to pet him while my computer booted up. He purred, appreciating the attention before curling up into a ball as I started to type.
    Over the next couple of days , Severus and I didn't move except to scrounge for food, use the bathroom and to fall in a heap on my bed when my eyes refused to stay open a moment longer.
    This particular writing marathon killed two birds with one stone. I finished my novel ahead of my deadline, and I was able to successfully push thoughts of Alec to the far recesses of my mind. Grudgingly, I had to admit his rejection helped my story. I was able to draw from my feelings and weave them into the story. In the end I was pleased with the way it had turned out.
    Blurry eyed and more than a little dizzy from a lack of moving around, I headed to