Chapter 1 The Bet

The sun beat down on their sweaty brows as Cassie and her friends made their way towards the towering gate. The weight of their final exams, a burden they'd carried for weeks, had finally been lifted. A sense of liberation washed over them, a mix of relief and excitement.

"Can you believe it, guys? We're finally done!" Emily exclaimed, her voice filled with joy.

"I still can't wrap my head around it, it was hard," Sarah chimed in, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Cassie, the quietest of the group, simply smiled. She was looking forward to the break, the chance to relax and recharge. But beneath her calm exterior, a sense of anticipation stirred.

"So, what are your plans for the internship?" Emily asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm interning at a tech startup," Sarah replied, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I can't wait to dive into the world of coding and innovation."

"I'm going back to work at the marketing agency. I'll try a different department though," Emily said. "What about you Cassie?"

Cassie paused for a moment. "I have no idea. I don't want to go back to my previous work," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"You could come work with me," Emily suggested.

"We'll see," Cassie replied.

As they approached the gate, the conversation shifted to lighter topics. The girls teased Cassie about her innocent nature, her reputation as the good girl who had never been with a guy.

"Ooh, I forgot to tell you about that guy I met last week. Damn, that man can fuck," Emily started.

"Which man Emily? If I can remember correctly, you met three men last week," Sarah teased.

Emily did not take offense. She believed in sampling the men in the dating pool till you found the right fit. She was always ready to leave a relationship if it did not benefit her. Sarah, on the other hand was a mix of both Emily and Cassie. Cassie was soft-spoken and preferred to have one boyfriend at a time.

"The man we met at that bar last weekend," Emily answered.

"Juan?" Cassie asked.

"Wait, that was his name?" Emily asked.

"Hold on, you want to say you slept with a man and you didn't know his name?" Sarah asked, shocked.

"I thought he was called Martin," Emily said. "Blame the wine, not me.

"He was called Juan Martin," Cassie answered.

"See, I did not forget his name," Emily defended herself lightly.

"Ah," Sarah commented. "At least you remembered his second name. That is a win.

"It sure is," Cassie said.

"So, about Juan Martin..." Sarah cued.

"Yeah, Juan Martin. I was saying he can really fuck," Emily repeated.

Cassie blushed hard you'd think she was the one who had uttered those words. She felt embarrassed and hoped that someone had not heard Emily. She was bold and always spoke her mind unlike Cassie who was mostly quiet and timid. It was not like she did not know about sex, it was just that she had never tried it, with anyone.

Cassie's one and only boyfriend had dumped her when he had realised that she was not going to give him her precious cookie. At first, he had pretended to like the idea of celibacy, but when the celibacy journey had gone for more than nine months, he had gone ahead and broken the journey with another woman. Cassie had been hurt but not heartbroken. She had consoled herself that maybe he was not the right person. She had decided to focus on her PHD. That had been two years ago.

"For real?" Sarah asked.

"Every time I think about it, I get a tingle. Do you know what I regret not doing?" Emily asked.

"Did you forget to show him how you get down?" Sarah teased.

"No, I regret that it was just a one-night stand. I wish it was more. I wouldn't mind getting that kind of a fuck again," Emily said.

"You could call him and see if he is down for a repeat," Sarah suggested.

"We didn't exchange contacts," Emily said. "But not to worry, I will find him through his socials."

"What about you Cassie, have you managed to get rid of your badge of honour aka your virginity?" Sarah asked.

Cassie had been quiet, just taking in the conversation between her friends. She had no experience so she did not know what to say.

"I am waiting for the right person," Cassie answered. This was her go-to answer whenever the topic of her virginity came up. She did not what else to say.

"Come on, Cassie," Emily said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You can't be a virgin forever. You're going to turn twenty-six soon. It's time to break that damn virginity."

Sarah giggled. "Yeah, it's about time you got some action. Leg-shaking fuck for that matter."

Cassie blushed. She knew they were just teasing her, but it still made her uncomfortable. She wasn't ready to talk about her lack of experience, especially not with her friends.

"Whatever," she mumbled, trying to change the subject.

"Hey, I have an idea," Emily said, her eyes lighting up. "Let's make a bet. If you can't get someone to fuck you before Monday, you owe us dinner. And your crystal globe. I have wanted that thing for ages."

Sarah and Cassie exchanged a look. They knew Emily was serious. She was always up for a challenge, and she loved to push people out of their comfort zones.

"I'm in," Sarah said, grinning.

Cassie hesitated. She wasn't sure if she wanted to participate in this ridiculous bet. But she also didn't want to turn twenty-six while still a virgin.

"Fine," she said, finally giving in. "I'm in."

If winning a bet was going to have her lose her virginity, then she better do it. After all, maybe there was no right person.

As they walked through the gate, Cassie couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She had no idea how she was going to lose her virginity by Monday. But she was determined to win the bet, no matter what it took.