Sara “Hey, did you hear about it?”

“What, what?”

“That rumor that’s going around…”

I leaned in close to my two friends, Alicia and Caroline. Technically, we were supposed to be in the middle of class, but the professor hadn’t arrived yet. We were seated near the back of the room, which was virtually empty, so our conversation wouldn’t be overheard anyway. There was a quiet buzz in the room as everyone else focused on their own conversations, a buzz that would drown out our whispers if anyone did happen to be close enough to hear us. Alicia still looked around before she leaned close and whispered to us, her long blond hair another screen.

“There’s this new chat line going around school. I didn’t believe it when I first heard about it, but it’s true! Can you believe it?” She broke into giggles, her blue eyes alight with delight, and Caroline and I started to nudge her to get her to go on.

“Just tell us what it is, already” Caroline said, with a look of excitement her green eyes curious as she leaned in, her own long red hair a further shield. “I haven’t heard any strange rumors around school.”

Alicia grinned. “It’s called, ‘Sext line.’ Can you guess what it’s about?”

My eyebrows jumped up. Just from the name, I had a vague idea, but who would be crazy enough to start something like that?

“What is it?” Caroline asked, her pale skin flushed with excitement.

“So, it’s like this.” Alicia moved even closer, and lowered her voice a bit more. “You call the line or text I guess, and you get to meet up with a hot guy. You know, for sexy time.”

My jaw dropped in shock.

No way!

We were in college, but I didn’t think people would be this crazy! Was the line operated on school grounds? If it was, why weren’t they worried about the school’s staff finding out? Whoever it was. They would be in so much trouble!

“I hadn't heard that one,” Caroline admitted, her eyes a little wider, but she didn’t look nearly as surprised as I was. “Where did you hear about this? I’m pretty sure we know all the same people, but I’ve never heard about this.”

Alicia waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, you wouldn’t know who it was even if I told you. I was in the field and some sophomores were talking about it. But wouldn’t it be interesting? I wonder who’s doing it. All I know is it can’t be another freshman, maybe a senior?”

I bit down on my lip as I listened to them chat about it with lots of whispers and giggles. I wasn’t paying attention to the talk anymore. Aside from just shocked, I felt a little uncomfortable. Sex was something I thought about often, which wasn’t unusual. I was eighteen years old, I’d just started college, and it wasn’t a surprise to find out it was a pretty hot topic.

When I first came to the school, I wasn’t so naïve that I thought people would be single-mindedly focused on their school work, and the drive to graduate with good grades so they could get a job. It wasn’t like that in high school, and college was supposed to be freer. I was still surprised when the hottest topic of conversation was about sex, especially from the girls. Though if I was honest with myself, it wasn’t all that unexpected.

Even in high school, girls liked to whisper about who was dating and how far they’d gone. Only a few months had passed since I graduated high school and started college, but the conversations were so much more open.

It left me feeling a bit embarrassed.

“What about you?” Caroline asked, those blue eyes a dagger that held me in place.

I’d been lost in my own thoughts and blinked at them when I found Alicia and Caroline staring at me.

“Huh?” I blurted out, confused, my brown eyes now turned back to them.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you weren’t listening? Have you done it or not?”

I was still confused. “What?”

“Sex,” they both said, and leaned in close to whisper the word, before they broke into giggles.

“We’ve both done it already,” Caroline continued. “What about you?”

I froze. I knew the answer they wanted to hear. I forced a smile and pushed back my blush while I shrugged.

“Of course, I’ve done it,” I said confidently. “I’ve done things like that loads of times; I can’t believe someone is doing it like this. It’s for pay, right?”

I’d heard that much of the conversation, at least. I was a good actor when I wanted to be, so they took me at my word, and internally, I sighed in relief that they’d bought it.

Of course, it was a total lie. I didn’t want them to think I was a virgin, but the truth was I’d never even dated a guy before. I’d never so much as kissed a guy before. The most I’ve done was hold hands with a boy once, but I was in junior high, and it was for an activity in gym class.

In high school, it was easy enough to blow off talk about dating, the friends I had back then didn’t talk about it much so it was irrelevant, but Alicia and Caroline weren’t like that. They were the first friends I’d made in college, and I didn’t want them to change their minds about me.

They kept talking, and I realized I’d just shot myself in the foot.

“Then why don’t you try it?” Alicia suggested, her lips parted with the thrill of a new game to play.

“Yeah! I would totally do it, but I’m still seeing Brad,” Caroline continued. “You’re not seeing anyone right now, right? Try it out, and tell us who the guy is!”

I opened my mouth, but I had no words.

There’s absolutely no way I could do something like that!

That was what I wanted to say, a bold refusal, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. What if they thought I was lying? What if they stopped talking to me?

Lucky for me, the professor entered the room right then and walked to his podium.

“All right, everyone!” He said, his middle-aged voice loud through the speakers. “I know I was late, but we still have a class today, so all of you, please get seated.”

There was a scramble as everyone still outside or hanging around the room moved to occupy the seats. The conversation was cut short before I could answer but I knew they wouldn’t let it go, though. They would pick right back up where we left off and I was nervous throughout the rest of the class.

As soon as class was over, I wanted to rush out, but Caroline, right beside me, grabbed onto my arm so I wouldn’t run off.

“We’re not done talking yet,” she said with arched eyebrows.

Alicia, seated in the row ahead of us, turned back to stare at the two of us as if to make sure no one ran away.

I cried a little inside, but the three of us left the room together. It was almost lunch, so we slowly made our way to the cafeteria.

“Are you going to give it a try?” Alicia asked.

I pursed my lips and tried to play dumb. “What do you mean?”

Caroline rolled her eyes. “You know. What we were talking about before. The sext me line, are you gonna do it or not?”

I floundered. “Can’t Alicia do it? She’s not seeing anyone right now, either, right?”

Good job, I thought, mentally patting myself on the back.

Alicia smirked. “I’m seeing someone now. A guy asked me out, and we’re going out tonight. I’ll tell you guys how it goes, but this leaves you as the only one you know?”

I bit down on my lip. I wanted to get out of this. Having sex with a stranger wasn’t how I thought my first time would go.

They saw my hesitation and shared a glance between themselves. Then Alicia reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. I watched as she tapped on the screen, then held it out to me. On the screen was a number she’d saved to her phone under ‘sext me.’

“I dare you to text the number,” Alicia said, and smirked at me.

I stared at the number for a long time. They were just a few digits, but they held so much weight, I thought my heart was about to stop. We stood still outside where just anyone could walk by. If someone found out what we were doing and started rumors…

“Sure,” I said, in an attempt to sound unconcerned. I grabbed her phone and pulled my own out. “It’s not that big a deal. It’s a guy from the school, right? Then he won't try anything funny.”

“It should be safe enough,” Alivia said. “I don’t know the who, but he is part of the school. Hell, it could even be one of the professors or staff from the school, you know?”

She and Caroline started to laugh, but the idea made me feel even worse about the whole idea.

It he’s a student though, it’ll be fine, right?

I copied the number into my phone and saved it. I hesitated, though, wondering if I could use my number for this.

“Should I text this number?” I asked hesitantly. “I mean, what if it’s not safe and it’s a scam or something? The guy can find me again.”

They shared a glance, but they’d stopped giggling at least. I started to feel tentatively hopeful, then Alicia’s expression lit up like she had an idea.

“Try it on Twitter,” she offered.

I was a bit unsure, would someone be crazy enough to create a Twitter handle for something like this? Anyway, this was something I could erase and put behind me if things went south. I posted a tweet with the hashtag sext me.

Surprisingly, I didn’t have to wait long before I got a DM, a private message.

“That was fast,” I muttered as I opened the message.

Alicia and Caroline had moved to either side of me to watch what I was doing. They saw the message when I did. In it, was a date and time, and a way to make payment, including cost.

Damn.

The price wasn’t nearly as much as I thought it would be. Alicia and Caroline, though, whispered and muttered about what guy thought he was worth that much. They didn’t seem too bothered by this whole thing, though and didn’t call it off even though they thought it was too much.

“Well, I’ve done it,” I said, and shut off my phone’s screen. I handed Alicia her phone back.

“You must tell us who it is,” she said, giving me a stern look. “Don’t think we’ll let you off if you don’t, okay?”

Crap. If they want to know who it is, then I couldn’t call it off. If I gave some random name, what would I do if they went up to the guy and asked?

“Sure,” I said, lost as to what else I could do now that I’d gone this far with their game.

We continued on our way, but again, I wasn’t listening to the two of them because I was already regretting the bind I’d found myself in.

I need to get out of it later tonight, I thought to myself. If I ask for a name and promise to pay, he’d probably agree to it, right?

No one could do something like this for fun, it had to be desperation. If people were talking about it, then the guy behind it had to be someone incredible, right? If he did it for the money, I had plenty to play with, if he’d keep his mouth shut.

As we sat in the cafeteria, though, a different thought went through my mind.

I could refuse, or… Could I go along with it?

What if it is someone incredible? Someone I wouldn’t mind giving my virginity to… then I could do what these two wanted and finally be rid of the one thing I’ve been hanging on to for way too long.

The thought made me blush, but I was also a bit intrigued.

Noah I rolled over in bed after I put my phone down. It was the middle of the day, but I’d been up all night and hadn’t fallen asleep until the earliest hours of the morning. I was lucky to not have classes today, and I planned to spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Well, it had been the original idea, but clearly, I’d be busy again tonight.

“Ugh,” I groaned to myself, buried my face in my pillow and curled up.

Just because I was in my final year of school, didn’t mean I could relax. I didn’t have as many classes to do this semester as I did in my first year, but I had a lot to of major projects to get done that I didn’t have to worry about in those first years. Senior projects, they were the worst.

My phone buzzed again, and I frowned. I wanted to ignore it, but it could be something important.

If it’s another job, I’m already busy tonight…

My hand stretched out to the nightstand without looking, and I patted around until I touched my phone and grabbed it. I squinted my eyes open, only to freeze when I saw it was Dad calling me.

Suddenly very awake, I sat up and answered the call.

“Dad,” I said, the single word so full of sarcasm that he could choke on it. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I’d given up all hope on this parent of mine already.

“I’ve got some really good news,” he said and even chuckled.

My eyes narrowed in suspicion. Dad was entirely too happy for someone that should be feeling guilty.

After all, the whole reason I sold my body for sex was because of this dad of mine who gambled away all my college money. I’d come too far just to quit, and I didn’t want to wait another year to graduate, either, so I had to raise the tuition somehow. Taking on a part-time job took up too much time, and the returns weren’t worth it. Besides tuition, I needed money for food, books and other stuff.

At least part of the fault was mine, though, so I couldn’t put all the blame on Dad. He’d asked me for the money, and I should have wondered why, but I’d lent it to him anyway during the summer. He’d promised to have it back when I needed it for school, only to be left with nothing when he told me he’d lost it all.

“What is this so-called good news, then?”

“I’ll be able to give you all your money back, very soon.”

My eyebrows jumped up. “Where the hell did you get the money?”

It wasn’t a small sum by any means, a sum that had been saved up since before I was in high school. The only reason Dad hadn’t gambled it all away before was that it was under my name and he couldn’t get into it. My tuition was paid out directly to the school, while I would receive an allowance until I turned twenty-one when I would gain full control of any the funds left. Because he was my dad, and I was a good son, I gave the money over without suspicion, but I should have thought it through.

Dad chuckled. “I met this woman a while back, and after meeting up a few times, we’ve hooked up! She’s rich, and I’m sure she won't say no if I borrow a little side money. I can pay you back every penny I took from you.”

“… seriously, Dad,” I groaned, and fell back into the bed.

We were father and son, after all. I was having sex for money, and he was doing more or less the same thing, only worse. This woman probably thought they were in a relationship, right? I wasn’t sure just what he meant by hooked up, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

She would at least be close to his age, right? He was too old to be getting a sugar momma. What would I do if it was someone younger?

Crap.

“Dad, tell me you’re not doing anything illegal right now. This woman isn’t married, is she?”

He made a rough sound. “Why would you think I would do that, huh? I don’t want to start fighting with anybody’s husband, of course, she’s not married! Don’t make it sound as if I tricked her.”

Why else would you be calling me about this, I thought to myself. It’s because you plan to trick her out of her money to pay me back, right?

I threw an arm over my eyes, feeling a bit ashamed of my dad.

“Whatever,” I muttered. “I’m tired right now, and I have some work to get done, so I’ll talk to you later.”

I cut the call before he could say more, but I couldn’t bring myself to fall back to sleep.

What am I going to do about this old man?

He was my dad. While not always the best father growing up, I’d counted on him for a lot, and he didn’t always let me down. Since it was just the two of us and I had no other family, I wanted to believe him, but I no longer trusted him.

Besides, whether or not he gave me the money, it was too bad since I’d already made a date with a new client tonight. She’d agreed to pay the ridiculous price, too, so I couldn’t just go back and cancel.

This had to be someone really desperate to actually pay someone to sleep with them. I didn’t have to worry about too many people finding out, or trying it out, and with the funds, I got from my part-time job, it was enough to keep me going for a while.

I wonder who it is.

After some moments spent contemplating, I sighed and got out of bed. There was no way I could sleep now, so I might as well take a shower and start looking into those assignments. The group ones would be the most troublesome since I had to track down my group members, then come up with an agreement that worked with my current schedule.

Later, close to midnight, I left to go and meet the girl. We’d agreed on the time and place, and she’d already put in the payment. My curiosity about who it could be was even higher. I had to sleep with this girl, after all.

I hope she’s at least pretty.

Stopping in front of a door, I double-checked to be sure I had the right place, then lifted my hand up to knock. I only hesitated for a moment, before I gave a couple of sharp raps.

Do I have everything?

I patted myself down. I had my phone, keys, and wallet in one pocket. In the other, I had condoms and a small sachet of lube. It had only been a few weeks since I started doing this, and things were already getting out of hand.

Since my high school days, I’d been pretty confident with my looks. I’d lost my virginity as a sophomore, and I’d dated quite a few girls before, so I wasn’t self-conscious around women. This was hardly a normal situation, though, and I took the time between my knock and the door opening to compose myself. I’d have to be the one full of confidence the moment I walked in there. When I was sure I had everything, I relaxed. Then, I had a thought and checked my breath. I’d eaten a mint just before I got there.

The door opened, and I looked up. The girl… was not what I was expecting.

She was a few inches shorter than me, with dark hair that fell in waves around her shoulders and matching dark eyes. She was in a simple dress with flats on, and she looked dressed up for a date. Her head tilted back as her eyes met mine, and I smiled. She blinked, then cleared her throat.

“Hi,” she murmured, voice quiet as her cheek went red in a blush. “Are you the one behind the sext me line?”

I grinned. “Yes, that’s me. I’m Noah; it’s nice to meet you.”

“Sara,” she said as she took the hand I held out. She pulled hers away quickly as soon as I released it.

She fidgeted at the door for a minute, and I toned the grin down to a gentle smile. Now that I could see her, I knew she was nervous. This was, obviously, not something she was used to doing. She probably regretted messaging me in the first place, but it was too late to turn back now. While I could feel sympathy for her blatant uncertainty, I needed the money. I had just about enough funds to pay the semester’s tuition, and the deadline was quickly approaching, so I wasn’t about to give her the money back and call it all off.

“It’s okay,” I murmured, and pitched my voice to a tone that shoothed. “You don’t have to worry about anything. Do you mind if I come inside? We can talk before we do anything if it’ll make you more comfortable.”

She hesitated a little more, before she backed away from the door. I followed her inside, and she closed the door behind her.

It was a little risky meeting in the dorms. Luckily, the school had co-ed dorms, and because some overly serious students studied until the early hours of the morning, it wasn’t strange to see people out so late at night.

“Your roommate is out?” I asked and looked around.

She looked at me with wide, anxious brown eyes.

“Um, I don’t have a roommate,” she mumbled.

My eyebrows jumped up. “Really?”

That was so convenient. I shared a room with three other guys, and here was a freshman with a room all to herself. It was convenient for tonight, but I was a little jealous.

Sarah didn’t seem to know what to do with herself. She glanced around the room, looking lost, then glanced my way, only for her eyes to flit away.

She’s not the kind of person I would have thought would try something like this.

This girl looked so shy and uneasy; I figured she was a virgin, or very inexperienced, right away. Had she ever even dated? She looked so anxious, and we were only in the same room together with several feet between us. None of the other girls I’d met through the sext line were like this.

I wasn’t disappointed, though, far from it. Maybe it was wrong of me to think that way since I’d chosen to do this on my own, but it made me feel a little less sleazy, even if the others had been easier to deal with.

“You look nervous, Sara,” I said softly, so I wouldn’t scare her.

She jumped, then whirled around and met my gaze again. She didn’t look away this time, but her hands clenched into the skirt of her dress. I wanted to ask if she was sure about this, to tell her that we could stop if she wanted, but a part of me didn’t want to.

“It’s just, uh… this is my first time,” she admitted with an apologetic smile. “So, I’m just, well, a little nervous.”

My guess was right then. For some reason, her virginity really pleased me. I didn’t bother to ask her to clarify what she meant by first time, that was crystal clear already. Not a lot of college girls paid guys for sex, so that would be a first for plenty of them. She had to mean she was a virgin.

“Have you ever dated before?” I asked, realizing after the words were out that I was anticipating her answer just a bit too much.

Sara didn’t say anything, but she did slowly shake her head.

Immediately, I wanted to grin. I held it back, though, because I didn’t know what my face would look like if I did, and I didn’t want to scare her even further.

“You don’t have to worry,” I murmured.

I hesitated, before I slowly started to close the distance between us. She stiffened but didn’t move away. I stopped right in front of her and raised my hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, and lightly grazed my fingertips along her cheek. She shivered, and something inside of me tightened.

“I’ll be very gentle with you, Sara,” I promised.

She blinked her eyes rapidly for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She nodded her head and looked a little less uneasy, but I knew I could make this good for her.

It wasn’t my first time with a virgin, but I was going to take extra special care of the delightful Miss Sara, as I’d just promised.

I was looking forward to this.