Back In My Life Again 2

"I have not," Chelsea repeated.

"I don't believe it! A girl as pretty as you?"

"Well, nursing school is pretty consuming." Plus I just never found anyone else I wanted to date, she added to herself.

"I'll bet." Erik smiled. "Well, I'm glad you made it through. Congratulations to you."

"Thanks." Chelsea smiled back. "I have to be going now. I'll see you tomorrow, if you're still here then."

"Can I please have your telephone number?" Erik begged.

"All right." She scribbled it on a piece of scrap paper, which she left on the tray beside his bed.

Later, she got together with Amy for a couple of drinks.

"So tell me the story of you and Mr. Heart Throb," said Amy.

"I met him in the school library," Chelsea replied. "I was heartbroken because Per had just dumped me for a cheerleader. He seemed so nice and polite, and so smart, too. We dated all through the second semester, and after we graduated, he rented a house on the beach, and we stayed there overnight."

"Wow!"

"Yeah. It was my first time. I doubt it was his. I never would have asked, but I doubt it was."

"You never forget your first time," said Amy. "Mine was at a sorority party my freshman year of college. I'd seen the guy around, but I didn't really know him. We both had too much to drink and ended up in bed together."

"Did you ever hear from him again after that?"

"Nope. We both started dating other people."

"Well, that's good you were able to get over him."

Amy shrugged. "I guess so. I never forgot him, though."

Chelsea took a sip of her drink. "I remember how Erik and I double dated with his friend Per and my friend Shelby once. It didn't go well between Per and Shelby. I think she just wasn't sophisticated enough for him."

"I remember hearing you mention her before. What happened to her?"

"She went to Bible college, and then to the former USSR as a missionary. She's still there, as far as I know."

Later that night, Chelsea lay awake thinking about her conversation with Amy. It's true, she reflected. You never do forget your first time - except in my case, my first time was my last time.

She wondered whether the same was true for Amy.

A few days later, she received a telephone call from Erik.

"Hi, Chelsea," he said. "I know it's late notice, but the Black Stripes are performing on the beach tomorrow. They do all those Nickelback covers, you know. Would you like to go see them with me?"

"Oh, I love Nickelback!"

"Would you like to go, then?"

"Um, I guess so." Chelsea kicked herself internally for being such a pushover.

"Great! I'll pick you up at six."

She was wearing her new red and white striped swimsuit when he came to pick her up the following evening.

"Wow, Chelsea, you look really hot!" he told her. She refused to admit it, but in his dark blue swim trunks, muscles rippling across his tanned flesh, he did as well. No one could guess he'd been lying in a hospital bed less than two weeks ago.

The rental car was a red convertible.

"It matches your swimsuit, doesn't it?" Erik commented.

Chelsea nodded.

They arrived to find a large crowd of young people standing around in front of the stage.

"Black Stripes! Black Stripes!" they chanted.

The band arrived and mounted the steps as the audience, including Chelsea and Erik, cheered. The first song they played was 'We Will Rock You.'

"My Mom says a group called Queen did this song back in the seventies," Chelsea told Erik.

He nodded. "I know. I have that version. It's really good."

"You have music from the seventies?"