Cherry Locked Ch. 06-10

I wake to the sound of snoring. My phone is against my chest and is still on the call. The time reads 6 hours when I hold it up. I snicker at Brad as he snores deeply. I hang up and roll out of bed. I pull off my bottoms and my cum-crusted underwear and go to the tub to run a bath.

That was fun...I usually don't get off like that. That was my first audible jerk-off. I think I'm spoiled now...especially by the noise of fapping skin.

I add my lavender body wash into the tub and lather it into the water for bubbles. Once it's high enough, I step into lukewarm water and unhook a sponge from the wall. What happened to me hitting the reset button?? I want to go slow, but my sex drive shouts go! Why? I scrub my chest, neck, and underarms, then go down to my stomach.

I sink my upper half lower into the water and move the sponge down. I shut my eyes when the rough texture scrapes my lips down there. Where is this sudden burst of naughtiness coming from? I never masturbate this much. I'm a horn ball...and it's my doing. I started this filthy fest. I will have to pump the brakes and date.

I can't be this racy if I want marriage. I feel like Brad is safe to date. He's nice enough to consider. I can picture us settling down. I wonder what Lil will think of this. Speaking of her, I need to make up with my bestie. I may have been too mean. I was slobbering over the guy nonstop. She didn't have to steal his shit, though. That can still get her fired. She risked losing her job for me. I can't deny that.

I find Lily typing on her phone at the lockers. She doesn't even glance up at me, although she knows it's me coming her way. No one else uses the lockers but us. The other workers have their phones clipped on their pants and hang their bags on a rack. Lily slings her crossbody bag inside. I open my locker and put away my phone. I'd get distracted if it was on me while I was working.

"Can we talk?" I gaze over at her. Lily says nothing. "Look, I didn't mean it...you're not selfish. A basket case, yeah, but not selfish." She sends a message, powers off her phone, and tosses it into her bag. I deliberately close my locker at the same time she closes hers. "See, we're so in sync." Lil hides a laugh; her tugging mouth gives that away. "Twin powers." I do the raise the roof dance. She looks to the ceiling and inverts her lips to fight off the urge to laugh. "Sex twins." She hackles like a hyena. "Got you!"

"Shut up!"

"No...I win. Now you have to talk to me."

My friend faces me. "Fine, what is it?"

"I'm thinking about dating Brad."

Her eyes enlarge. "What?!"

"Yeah, I like him."

"No, you like how he feels; there's a difference."

"No, I actually like him. Yeah, we started out too fast, but I think that's a perk. Right?"

"I mean...you won't be able to date normally. Sex will definitely come before marriage. Have you even told him about your condition??"

"No."

"How about talking more to see if he's into waiting?"

"Okay."

"No more clubs." Lil takes me by the arm and walks me ahead. "Go out to cafes and see movies, go bowling. You know, all the standard crap."

"Way ahead of you. I want a picnic in the park, ice cream moments, walks while holding hands, long drives." I cheese. "Watching the sunset."

"Aww." She pinches my cheek. "Look at my baby dating for the first time. I'm a proud mama." Lil puts on an apologetic face. "I'm sorry about Jace. I won't bring him up again."

"Thanks."

On my lunch break, I text Brad about having coffee in the morning. He hearts the request. Now I just have to get the day off. I go to Mr. Thompson's office and knock twice. My boss looks up from his desk, then waves me inside. "Hello, Madison. How can I help you?" He peers at me over an opened binder.

"I was hoping I could request tomorrow off?"

He mumbles. "But you're full-time, double shift; that was our agreement."

"I still am. Just give me this one day. Come on." I mope. "This will be my first missed day out of how many?"

My boss grumbles again. "That's true...not even a sick day."

"I keep up my Vitamin C."

"I suppose I can allow it; just don't miss the 4th."

"I won't, thank you."

Lily spends a night with me to be my helper. She's more advanced with dating. I'm not. I have no clue what to wear. I'd probably pick out something too revealing. She drops her duffle bag on the floor and closes the door. I forgot to clean up the bad food I had last night. I cringe when her eyes discover it and close my neck up like a turtle when she turns on me. "We agreed!"

"I know...I know! I needed emo food after we fought."

"I'll give that a pass...but no more. I've been faithful to the diet."

"I'm resetting today. I have detox tea."

"Good." Lil goes to a wall closet and pulls apart its doors. "Now...you have to wear something light and pure." She swipes hangers to the side and studies my dresses. Two are chosen, a pale blue sundress and a bright yellow one with lacy bows at the shoulders. "It's between these two."

"Yellow..."

"You read my mind. It'll go great with your hair and eyes. Nude pink is a must for your makeup." My phone rings from my back pocket. Lil whistles a catcall. "Your lover boy?"

I blush before answering. "Hi."

"Hi pretty. I missed your voice."

"Did you?" I whirl my waist around.

"I did...so much that I listened to you sleep."

"Aww...I missed yours too. I heard you snoring this morning."

"Uh oh...I ruined the moment." He sniggers.

"No, it was cute."

"Can we do it again tonight?"

"Umm...no. We have some things we need to talk about."

"Like what?"

"I'll tell you when we meet up, okay? Bye-bye." I terminate the call.

"Was I right?" Lil watches me as if she's all-knowing.

"Maybe."

"He brought it up, didn't he?"

"What shoes should I wear?"

"White sandals...now answer me."

"Only because we...both came together last night...over the phone." I twiddle my thumbs.

"OMG. Maddy! Delete Tinder! Clean your mind."

"Okay, okay, I'll do that." After tackling our face routine, brushing our teeth, and changing into PJs, Lil and I get into bed. This reminds me of our high school days. We stayed in the same bed more than our own. We were inseparable, we still are. That's why we work the same job and live in the same city.

Although sometimes I wish I had Lily's bravery, she's been with more people than me and bounces back after breakups. I'm scared about the morning, and I don't know why. When the light turns off, I move to my side to look at her. I know the fear I feel is in my eyes. "What if he doesn't want marriage?"

"Then kick him to the curb and try another." She responds nonchalantly.

"But I like him."

"He's not the only guy you'll like, Maddy. He was just your first. They'll be more, don't worry."

"Okay....but what if I get burned?"

"Heartache is growth...yeah, it hurts. But that pain is needed to toughen you up for the real world. Also, if he rejects you, he'd have to deal with these hands." She whips them around in a ninja motion. "I got you."

I snort and snuggle into my pillow. "Okay."

The cafe is a side shop that looks onto the busy streets of Cali. The place is full, which convinces me that the coffee must be good. The music is classy jazz. I'm reminded of the 1950s. In my phone's camera, I check out my face. Again, I have light makeup and slightly rosy cheeks. My eyeshadow is delicate and glittery, and my lipstick isn't too thick and gives a natural pop of pink.

My hair is bone straight and touches my back. I look okay. Well, not really. Bumps are forming on my forehead again! Why did I have all that sugar?? I zoom in on the area with my camera and frown. "Why the long face?" Brad says. I didn't even hear him come in. He sits across from me. Brad has on a nice plaid shirt and blue jeans. His dirty blonde hair is behind his ears again.

"I'm breaking out," I whine.

"You look amazing." He delivers the words with undeniable affection.

My cheeks burn. "Thank you." His chocolate eyes mesmerize me.

A waiter approaches our table. "What can I get you two?"

"Two coffees," I answer, while turning my phone down against the table.

"Anything else?"

I look to Brad. "Maybe bagels?"

"Yeah, we can do that."

"Alright, that'll be about five minutes." The waiter jots our order down; then goes to the table next to ours.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" His low voice sounds lovely in this setting; it matches the saxophone in the music.

"Let's get to know each other better." I start the conversation as if at a business meeting.

"Alright. Do you want me to start?"

"Sure."

"Umm...I have three sisters. I'm the youngest. I love dogs; walking them is the best job I've ever had. I'm into gaming, mostly Lord of The Rings, Mortal Combat, GTA, and Call of Duty. I've been playing hockey since the 5th grade and won some trophies. Um...that's all I can think up."

"Guess it's my turn now. I'm an only child. Lily is my sister from another mother. I love dogs, so that's something we have in common. The only games I play are Sims and the PS2 Bratz game."

"Hey, the Bratz game is legend."

"Sounds like you played it before." I squint at him.

"No comment." He looks out of the window beside us.

"You have! Who's your favorite? Mines Cloe."

"Oh, that's freaky!" His mouth shapes into an O. "She was the hottest one. It's freaky because you look just like her."

"So, you did play it?" I beam at him.

"No comment." He repeats.

"You're already busted. And yeah, that's my game twin. I dressed up like her every Halloween."

"I was Gandalf so many times."

"The sexiest Gandalf, I bet." I flirt. "Are you single?"

"Yes."

"How come?"

"Well...my last girlfriend cheated on me, so I took a break."

"Oh....sorry," I grit my teeth apologetically.

"That's okay. I'm over her. She was pretty toxic, my sisters warned me. I didn't listen. So now I have them evaluate who I match with since they have superpowers."

"So, you showed my profile to them?"

"Maybe..." He smirks; so does his dimples.

I grin. "Do you like to drink?"

"I love red wine; I have it once a week."

"You're just into that one drink?"

"I tried others. I haven't found my style of alcohol."

"I can help you with that; I'm a bartender."

"Really?"

"Yeah, at San Jose. I'm pretty good at mixing."

"How is it you keep surprising me??" Brad's brown eyes latch onto mine with complete bewilderment.

"Oh...there's more."

"I'm all ears."

"I have to ask you something. Umm...like I said, I'm a virgin, and that comes with a certain mindset."

"Alright...what does that mean?"

"It means I want to hold off on sex."

"For how long?"

"Until after marriage...I'd like to go about things in the traditional way."

"Oh." He sounds disappointed, his forehead crease as he computes what I've just told him. "Wow, umm...I don't know if I can do that."

I look down at my hands; my eyes begin to sting. Oh, no....it's happening! What I feared is happening! I blink away tears before they can fall. This was dumb of me. Why didn't I just call him to save myself this embarrassment? Now I truly feel like a virgin. Being turned down by a guy for denying sex. "Oh, okay...I...I guess it was nice talking." I reply bleakly.

He places his hand on mine and leans forward. "I still want to know you."

"You do??" I ask, dumbfounded.

"Yes. I like you...it's just the sex part. You kind of got me looking forward to it a lot sooner."

"I made a mistake doing that...I'm sorry."

"A wonderful mistake."

I peer up at him and am met with lethargic eyelids. A look I've only seen on love-stricken men in romance movies. I freeze in place and stop breathing. Suddenly, the table between us has too much space. My mind tries to influence me to close the distance and make out. I look back down at my hands to counteract this thought. "It can't be like that again. I called this meeting because I thought we could date. But we can just talk, since you're not into my thing."

Brad's hand caress mine. "So, you want to date?"

"I know this is all backward, but I like you. So yeah..." I shyly rub the back of my neck. "We can't get physical like we did before."

"Say if we date...will making out be allowed?"

I nod. "Yeah...but later on."

He closes the distance between us, so that we're now face to face. "How about just one kiss?"

I laugh and swoop my hair behind my ears. I'm sure I just took his breath away by the way he inhales. "Not yet." I reply, then observe his full lips.

"You say that...then you look at my lips. I'm getting mixed signals."

"I'm a tease, remember? I can't help it." Our coffee is steaming when it hits the table. I blow across the top of my cup, so the steam floats in his direction. I give a crooked smile, pick up a bagel with both hands and push my digits deep into the bread. I open my mouth to bite and chew to one side.

Brad watches my protruding jaw, parting his lips. "You're so sexy."

"I wasn't always this way. Tinder ruined me."

"I'm pretty sure guys thought that about you before Tinder."

"No...in high school, guys treated all the girls the same. They weren't thinking, "you're sexy," they were thinking, "I want sex."

"Man, I hated those dudes."

"You weren't one?"

"Hell no!" He titters. "No way was I going to treat girls like that. My sisters groomed me to be a gentleman."

"Okay...who's sexy now?" I bat my eyelashes.

"Let me guess...oh, it's still you." He jabs. I redden again. "I love how easy you blush." He dotes on me.

"And...I love your dimples."

He moves his fingers through the hair around my ear, then scroll down my cheek. The touch of his skin on mine is so warm and gentle. "Is this okay?"

"Hmm, mmm," I mumble.

Brad repeats the same motion, fingers through my hair, then cheek, back and forth until my skin tingles. "I think this will work out..."

"I do, too," I mutter eagerly.

"I mean, it's new." His fingers trail to my chin and curve across it. "But new is good. I wouldn't mind something serious for once."

"Exactly...I can't do meaningless. That's why I'm waiting."

"You're a mother's dream; you know that?"

"Yep, a good girl, suitable enough for their boy. I'm like bible sent or something."

"With a few modern modifications." I giggle as his hand goes underneath my chin and stops at my collarbone. My eyes go drowsy, and my heart picks up in pace. His palms cup the sides of my face in a blanket of heat. "This will work out," Brad reassures.

Brad and I end up spending the rest of the week going out to dinner and seeing movies. Romantic ones, of course. We hold hands a lot too. I allow him to kiss my forehead and cheek. Although, he prefers smooching my hand like a period drama suitor. I find out just how geeky he is. Brad has a Samurai sword and shelves full of collectible action figures.

This was discovered through FaceTime. I would like to visit his place, but my gutter mind can't be trusted. Somehow, we'd end up on the bed, and I'd take advantage of him. The closest we get to sharing a bed is falling asleep over the phone. It takes a lot of willpower to not repeat our last hot phone session. It's strictly talking until we nod off. The mornings are so sugary. Brad sends me messages:

Good morning gorgeous goddess 😊❤️

How'd you sleep, sweety?

Rise and shine hot stuff 🤤🥵❤️

I hope your day is as fine as you are 😉😍😍

I chuckle and wrinkle my nose every time I read his texts. The most profound butterflies I ever had seize my stomach every time I think about him...and see him. Brad drives me to work to spend more time with me. I feel he doesn't like that I work 12 hours. It's a lot of strain on the relationship. We only have a few hours alone; then I have to get rest. My workdays start at 8am and end at 7pm, meaning I have to be sleep at least by 11pm.

Today, we listen to catchy tunes on his radio and eat ice cream. The sun is red hot and melts the cream down the sides of the cones. I lick and suck on mine as fast as possible. No one wants soggy ice cream. I can tell that Brad is turned on by my mouth actions. His jaw flexes, and his chest heaves every time my lips make wet noises. I swear it's not done intentionally. At a red light, he scoops a glob of cream and dabs it right on my nose. "Nooo!" I chortle. "Why did you do that?"

"You know why." His toffee eyes fall on my lips. I lick my tongue around them in a circle. Brad swings over to kiss the ice cream on my nose. He's hesitant to do the same to my mouth. His lips hover over my cupid's bow.

I'm stunned...and don't know why I'm not saying no. A horn blares behind us; the light is green now. Good...I'm saved. Brad smooches my nose one last time and returns to driving. When his Nissan rolls up to the giant gates of the country club, I remove my seatbelt and get out. I walk to his window to peck at his nose. "See you later."

"Bye, sweety."

The gates open after I type in a code. There's a long walkway leading to the front doors. I don't mind hiking it. I enjoy getting a tour of the land...while burning some calories. The super green, manicured grounds are always a blessing to witness. It's the closest I'm ever going to get to a vacation spot. I savor the nature, trees and the landscaped golf courses. As soon as I step into the grand lobby, Lily is waiting for the new scoop on my boo. "You guys kiss yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"The time hasn't come."

"Umm...it's been a week."

"I think the 9th or 10th date would be the right time."

"Wow, he's suffering. I feel bad for him."

"No, he's not. We're having fun. We give smooches."

"Where?"

"Nose, forehead, cheeks."

"Butt cheeks?" Lily sticks out her tongue.

"Staaap..." I snort.

Lily guides me towards the employee's hallway. "Do something exciting, geez, it's your first boyfriend. You're supposed to rush."

"What we're doing is exciting, though. I'm okay with the pace. This phase we're in is so adorable, just like from romance movies."

"Which is ironically called the honeymoon phase."

"Hmm...interesting." I chug my phone into a locker and close it. "I hope we stay in it forever. I love it." My voice goes wistful.

"Oh, it will last...until you two get tired of each other."

"I don't see that happening," I say in a singsong tone.

"If you're this high, I can't imagine how Brad is."

"He's way above me. You wouldn't believe it. I always thought I'd be the lovey-dovey, clingy one, but it's him. It's so romantic."

"Okay...I don't believe you. I need proof that he's outstepping you."

"Let's do a dinner night; you can see for yourself."

"That'll be fun. It's a double date, then."

I spin around with her like a little kid. "Yay, I can't wait!" I sing,

"Oh, yeah....you're high." Lil cracks up.

I update Brad about the dinner tonight and convince Lily to order out for dinner because I'm not feeling healthy food. Shockingly, she doesn't argue. We end up getting nachos and pizza. Jessica adds candles and flowers to the table to set a tender mood. She also sprays scented oils around her modern house that smell of grapes.

When the bell rings, I skip to the door. When I open it, Brad has a hand behind his back. I tiptoe sideways to see what he's holding. I have no luck with seeing the mystery he's hiding. "What's behind your back?"

"Guess."

"Hmm...." I tighten my lips. "Candy?"

"No."

"A present?"

"Sort of." He grins.

"A flower?" Brad pulls his hand from behind his back to show me a yellow rose. "Aww! A yellow one, why?"

"Because you look wonderful in the color."

I smooch his cheek, then take the flower to sniff it. "Come in." I guide him inside and close the door. "You remember-"