Rush Me (New York Leopards 1)

and enough people were curious enough that when invited to join, they accepted on the off-chance of meeting distant relatives.

And the great thing about apps was that tricky little message they asked users in the beginning: Allow App Access to Your Profile and User Information?

“He doesn’t have it.” Carly sounded disappointed but not hopeless as Kate helped her locate the right Michael Wright. She clicked “Invite” and turned to Kate. “There. Now we wait. Keep going. Then what?”

“Then the usual,” Kate said glumly. “Oh, wait, I almost forgot. As we were going upstairs, I saw these three other girls from the conference in the elevator! It was super awkward. They were all like, ‘hi!’ and I had to introduce this guy as though I knew him.”

“Were you skanky dressed?” Carly asked.

“Not really. I mean, I had that black going out top on, you know the one? But we were, um, a little too close, so...”

“Yeah.” I shook my head. “Not a good sign.”

“I know!” she moaned. “Why am I such a disaster?”

“I don’t know, maybe it’s catching.” I thought of Ryan. I tossed a glance at Carly. “Except you don’t seem to have it. Maybe you were inoculated at a young age.”

“Thanks?”

“How’d you make him leave?” Madison asked.

Kate ducked her head down and squeezed the words out. “I just said ‘I’m sorry. I can’t do this.’”

We all groaned, and rolled over on the bed in empathetic embarrassment as we broke into laugher. “Then what?” Madison prodded, finally grinning.

Kate’s cheeks flamed even as she smiled. “He went the disbelief route. So I finally had to tell him that I wasn’t comfortable sleeping with a guy I had just met, because I’m waiting for a meaningful relationship, and that I’m a virgin.”

“Which he didn’t believe?” I managed to get out between giggles.

“No!” She sat back upright, looking outraged. “He didn’t! And then he said he couldn’t leave because the T was already closed, and I said, ‘Then take a taxi,’ and handed him a twenty.” She looked absurdly proud of this.

The rest of us were in hysterics. Carly, squirming on the bed, met my eyes, her own scrunched up in warm laughter. “And he left?” she gasped.

“Well, I kind of had to push him out. And throw his clothes after him. But he was too shocked to really protest.”

“Kate, you know I love you.” I moved my head so I could place it in her lap and stare up at her. “But you’re a mad one.”

She shook her head, sighing. “I know. I don’t think I’m ever I going to fall in love.”

“Not if you keep bringing strangers back,” Madison said. “You have to be careful, Kate. What if one of them doesn’t take no for an answer?”

That silenced us for a moment, and Kate hung her head. “You’re right. But I just... Ugh. I’m so bad at meeting guys. You know. Actually meeting guys. And now I’m not even going to get to hook up with anyone! What with living at my parents’ house.”

“Maybe you’ll meet someone at school,” I said. “Any hot teachers?”

“No. Besides, they’re all in their thirties, anyway. There’s one cute one, but he’s engaged, of course.” She sighed again. “Someone else talk. My love life is too depressing. Madison? How 'bout Graham?”

“Who’s Graham?” The last time we’d had a long talk she’d been dating a guy named Peter.

Madison let out a little smile. “Another one of these online guys. He’s an investment banker.”

Madison only dated rich guys, unless she wanted to provoke her family.

“And?” our horny virgin said. “Have you slept with him yet?”

She laughed. “Yeah.”

“How is he?” Carly asked.