Olivia flopped over, pressing her arm to her forehead. \u00a0A headache drummed inside her brain, dubiously reminding her of the night before: the tailgating party turned into a postgame party turned into, well, she didn’t actually remember.<\/p>\n
A breeze hissed through the room and she shivered. \u00a0Then she sat up, wide awake, her skin forming goosebumps. \u00a0She was naked in a strange bed, with no sign of its owner. \u00a0She bit her lip and pawed through the covers frantically. \u00a0No sign of a condom, either.<\/p>\n
“Oh god,” Olivia said, dropping her face into her hands and trying desperately to slow her heart rate. Finally, she dared peek through her fingers at the room. \u00a0It was sparsely decorated – definitely a young person’s room, with a few heavy metal band posters and a coat rack with a couple of dark, heavy coats. \u00a0Above the door was a small wooden sign with painted elephants fading around the border. \u00a0When she squinted, Olivia could read what it said: Jerri’s Room.<\/p>\n
Jerri. \u00a0She cast about in her memory, trying to remember which scruffy-faced freshman the name might belong to, but no one came to mind. \u00a0And anyway, it didn’t matter. \u00a0She wanted to be up, dressed, and out before her one-night stand returned and awkward words had to be exchanged.<\/p>\n
She was just standing up and pulling her too-big Bulls tee over her head when the door opened and in walked a short girl with close-cropped hair and an irresistible smile.<\/p>\n
Olivia’s hand flew to her mouth. \u00a0"Oh my god! \u00a0I swear, I am not here to steal your boyfriend.“<\/p>\n
The girl’s smile wobbled, but did not fade. \u00a0She set the brown bag she was carrying down on the desk. \u00a0"My boyfriend? \u00a0Olivia, what are you talking about?”<\/p>\n
“How do you know – ” \u00a0But it all fell into place. \u00a0"Jerri,“ she breathed, and she could see the I above the door burning fiercely with revelation. \u00a0"You’re Jerri.”<\/p>\n
Now the smile did disappear. \u00a0"You don’t remember me?“<\/p>\n
"I don’t remember much of anything.” \u00a0Olivia dropped her voice, ashamed. \u00a0Her cheeks were hot as she took another good look at Jerri, at her hard little body and open, honest face. \u00a0If she squinted hard enough, she could see why she would have thought she was hooking up with a boy, when she was drunk off her ass.<\/p>\n
Jerri blinked, then sat down on the bed, staring at her hands in her lap. \u00a0"Oh. \u00a0I’m sorry, Olivia. \u00a0I thought you knew.“ \u00a0She looked up from under her dark lashes, daring a tiny twitch at the corner of her mouth. \u00a0"You don’t…don’t hate me for it, do you?”<\/p>\n
“Hate you?” \u00a0Olivia opened her mouth to continue, but then she closed it, because she had to think. \u00a0Fuzzy memories surfaced. \u00a0They were talking; Jerri introducing herself at the party, with no malice or dishonesty, and Olivia taking her hand and marveling at her soft skin and perfect nails. \u00a0Olivia touching Jerri’s face. \u00a0Jerri leaning in for the first kiss, the first of many in a night Olivia realized with her whole body that she had loved.<\/p>\n
“Hey,” she said. \u00a0"Hey, I just remembered something.“<\/p>\n
Jerri looked skeptical, but hope glimmered in her eyes.<\/p>\n
Olivia put her hand to her forehead. \u00a0Her head still ached, but standing there in her t-shirt and nothing else, Jerri’s gentle gaze on her face, she knew something with a conviction deeper than she’d ever known before.<\/p>\n
"I remember how much I like you,” she said with a smile.<\/p>\n
Jerri’s relieved grin could have blinded with its brilliance. \u00a0"So you’ll stay for breakfast?“ \u00a0She pointed to the paper sack. "I got bagels.”<\/p>\n
Olivia thought she might overflow. \u00a0Instead, she lifted her shirt over her head and stood naked, her nipples erect, in the center of Jerri’s room.<\/p>\n
“Let’s fuck first,” she said. \u00a0"I want to remember it for real this time.“<\/p>\n
Jerri’s whole face pinkened with shyness. \u00a0"Okay,” she said. \u00a0"Come here. \u00a0Lay down. \u00a0I want to taste you first.“<\/p>\n
A thrill ran through Olivia’s whole body, starting between her legs and singing in her brain. \u00a0She spread herself out on the rumpled covers. \u00a0Soon, Jerri’s soft fingers began to play across her skin, starting with her legs, followed by kisses light as butterfly legs. \u00a0Olivia sighed contentedly. \u00a0She loved long mornings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Olivia flopped over, pressing her arm to her forehead. \u00a0A headache drummed inside her brain, dubiously reminding her of the night before: the tailgating party turned into a postgame party turned into, well, she didn’t actually remember. A breeze hissed through the room and she shivered. \u00a0Then she sat up, wide awake, her skin forming … <\/p>\n