Purified

"You told him?" Gianna gasped the next day over tea with Sienna. "You actually told him that you're a virgin?"

"What's the big deal?" Sienna asked. "I was being honest with him!"

"It was the second date!" Gianna replied. "You couldn't have just said that you had to go home? You had to drop to Virgin Bomb?"

"I don't know why you're so up in arms," Sienna shrugged. "I would probably have to tell him anyways. I'd rather him not want to be around me anymore because I was honest with him right at the beginning, as opposed to him leaving mid-foreplay when we're about to sleep together a few weeks into our relationship."

"I'm proud of you for sticking to your guns, hun. I just think that was really impulsive and forward of you," Gianna sighed, touching Sienna's hand. "Was he scared off?"

"No, he didn't seem that way." Sienna replied, shaking her head. "He said it was surprising, but that it wasn't a big deal."

...

"I'm a virgin," Sienna said, inspecting James' face for any sign of wanting to give up or push her out of his house.

"I was not prepared for that," James replied after a few moments of painful silence.

"Is that a problem?" Sienna asked, waiting for the 'I don't think this is going to work'.

"It's a bit of a setback and not something I'm used to," James admitted, rubbing her hips. "But I won't stop seeing you just because of that. I think we should see how this goes."

"Really?"

"Yeah," James nodded. "I just kind of need to know where you're comfortable, if you don't mind."

"Like how far I've gone?"

"Maybe not in so many words, but I would like to know what your comfort zone is," James replied.

Sienna nodded and got comfortable on his lap.

"I've only really had about two boyfriends," She stated. "One in high school and that lasted about two months, and then one in college and we dated close to a year and a few months. He was angry because I wasn't willing to have sex yet. So I eventually ended it after months of debating, it just wasn't worth it for me," Sienna replied.

"Is it your values? Do you just not want to have sex until you're married? Or what?" James asked, surprisingly intrigued by this girl. It wasn't very often he came across a virgin, one that he was interested in nonetheless.

"I think almost everyone grows up with the notion that they will wait until they're married," Sienna stated, tracing the collar of his shirt. "Personally, that's how I grew up. Then I got to high school and I started to think that maybe it didn't matter if I was married, just as long as it felt right. I've just kind of chalked it up to never being with the right person."

"I think that's a very good thing," James stated. "Very admirable."

"Honestly? Are you patronizing me? Or do you mean that?" Sienna asked, meeting his eyes.

"No, I really mean it!" James replied, eyes wide. "I think it's good that you have stayed true to yourself and what you've believed in this long. Very few people I've met can say that."

"Thank you," Sienna replied, nodding her head. "So you're not weirded out or anything?"

"It's not something I'm used to dealing with, but I can give a shot," James nodded.

....

"A virgin? Well, there's that innocence you didn't want to ruin," Peter replied over the phone. James could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Shut up," James sighed, dropping onto his couch. He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and stared at the wall.

"Can you really be with a virgin?"

"I don't know," James sighed, rubbing his face with his free hand.

"Did you tell her that you were?"

"I told her I'd give it a shot," James replied with a nod. "And I meant it, but I don't know how long I can try. I like this girl, but I don't know if I can put off sex."

"You seem to like her quite a bit," Peter replied. "You should give it a shot. Maybe the lack of sex won't matter that much."

"It'll matter," James sighed, looking up at his ceiling.

"Maybe eventually she'll give an alternative," Peter replied. "Or maybe she just wants to know that you're truthful and not a dick. I can't blame her for being cautious. Guys are jerks."

"I am truthful, though!" James replied.

"Then maybe you'll have to show here that!" Peter replied. "God, mom say that you were the smart one."

..

Sienna laid in her bed back at her apartment. It had been a long day of shopping and talking with Gianna and she really didn't want to be doing anything. All she wanted to do was lay in her bed, maybe go get a hamburger from the McDonald's down the street and watch movies all night.

She hadn't spoken to James in about two days, and wasn't expecting to hear from him. He had told her that he had practice and was going to be resting up for a road trip. She wasn't worried about it, to be honest she needed time to think about what she was going to do with this relationship. She really wanted to be with him, but was she finally ready to have sex? Was it fair to not have sex with a man who probably has more sex than she could even fathom?

The difference in experience was off-putting enough. He would know exactly what he was doing and she would have no idea what to do. Well, she'd have a bit of an idea what she was doing, but she would be nervous and wouldn't be confident.

On her nightstand her phone vibrated, snapping her out of her trance. She checked it and saw a text from James.

Next friday r u free?

Yeah! As far as I know!

Good. Keep ur schedule open. I'd like to take u to a nice dinner.

Really?

Of course! I'll text u later with all the details?

Sounds great!

Sienna felt a bit of relief. She was glad to see that James wasn't too put off by their conversation the other night. Or even if he was he was taking the high road and going to take her out for dinner before cutting her loose.

She really hoped James wasn't going to cut her loose. She was really starting to like him, and she hoped that he could see past her virginity. She wasn't ashamed of who she was and if James was going to cut ties with her because of that, then it was his fault and not hers. But she didn't want James to cut her loose. She wanted to hear him say that he was in this, and he wanted her.

That was the dream.