March 22, 1998 Daytona, Florida

Nick had never had such an easy time talking to girls about his personal life. Normally he kept his conversations strictly to flirting; he didn’t like to get into details about his life with people he hardly knew. It had never become an issue though because the girls generally never asked. Tina was different though; she wanted to know about him. She was looking on with a keen interest, leaning her chin in her hand with eyes full of curiosity.

For hours they’d talked about anything and everything. She asked about his family, and his relationship with his siblings; something she found interesting considering that she was an only child herself. He told her about his strained relationship with his mother, how she had pushed him into show business at an early age because both she and Nick’s father lacked the potential to earn enough money to support their family. How he not only paid all the household expenses but also kept his father employed, giving him a paycheque every two weeks for driving his bus. Tina wanted to know all about the music business but seemed to have very little interest in the fame aspect of it all. It was unusual for Nick to have a girl asking him about how songs are recorded and what a day on tour is like rather than how many celebrities he’d met or what parties he’d been to.

 He felt like he’d talking about himself for the longest time before finally turning the tables on her. He learned that she was a straight A student and on the Varsity cheerleading squad (though not a Captain as much as she’d like to be) at Eleanor Gerson High School; a non-religious private girl’s school. In Nick’s mind private school for girls meant only one thing; this girl was a virgin and probably a horny one. He stored that in the back of his mind as she continued to talk about school. She had been accepted to Ohio State University and although she seemed most keen to be a cheerleader for the famous Buckeyes she had intentions to major in social work. She wanted to help people and felt that being a social worker would give her an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. She compared it to how Nick’s music was important to so many people; she just wanted to be as important to someone else.

They both moved to sit in the sand, leaning back against the log to get more comfortable and Nick used the shift as an opportunity to move a bit closer. His knee brushed against hers and even though there was fabric between them he was sure he felt a jolt of electricity.

“Nicky!” their moment was destroyed by AJ suddenly bounding onto the log, “C’mon, I got some honeys and we’re gonna go back to the room and party.”

The older boy suddenly realized that they were not alone and leaned around his friend to get a look at the girl sitting next to him. She was pretty but not as pretty as the girls he had lined up for them, they were hot.

“Sorry I didn’t realize you were with someone,” AJ apologized then opened up the black dress shirt he was wearing to reveal large bottles of alcohol, “but I just scored these from a hot bartender and we’re gonna drink up in the room if you’re interested.”

“My Dad’s in my room,” Nick tried as an excuse but his friend easily dismissed him. His father would likely be the first to pour a drink for the boys and try to hit on the girls they’d brought upstairs. Nick gave a look between AJ and Tina but the girl clearly was not the type to hang out and get drunk with a bunch of slutty Backstreet groupie. He turned back to his friend, “We’re good here I’ll see you later though.”

“I won’t wait up,” AJ winked at him over the top of a pair of sunglasses. He’d pulled them down his nose so he was actually able to see the two teens sitting in the dark. He pulled a smaller bottle from under his arm and tossed it to the blonde, “Here, I wasn’t gonna drink this anyway.”

Nick caught the bottle and made a face at the label, “Gin?” he asked but AJ was already walking away, a bikini clad babe hanging off each arm. There was a large blanket folded up on the end of the log and Nick grabbed it, wrapping the blanket around it so they wouldn’t get caught. The party was getting pretty rowdy and the area around the bonfire was now quite crowded with loud, drunk college students.

“Do you want to go somewhere else?” Tina asked, wanting to keep talking to him but not interested in continuing when the party seemed to be congregating around them.  

Nick raised his eyebrows, wondering what her intentions were, “Your room?” he asked curiously.

Tina shook her head, biting her lip, “We can’t go there, my friends are probably up there and we’re all sharing a room.”

Normally Nick would have made a joke about an orgy but he actually liked this girl so he kept his comments to himself for once. He took a quick look around then motioned to the blanket in his arms, “Why don’t we just head down the beach? That way we don’t have to deal with drunken idiots anymore and we won’t get interrupted.”

Tina agreed and they made their way across the sand, the party getting further and further out of view. They walked until the only thing illuminating them was the blue glow of the full moon. Nick shook out the king sized blanket and laid it down on the sand, picking up the bottle of gin that had fallen to the ground. He twisted off the cap and took a shot out of the bottle, grimacing as soon as it hit his tongue.

“Oh god,” he moaned, making a face at the label, “That’s terrible! It tastes like...”

Tina grabbed the bottle from his hands, feeling bold enough to take a swig, “Oh!” she griped, making a similarly disgusted expression, “the taste is like...”

“Pine Sol!” they both answered simultaneously, dissolving into fits of giggles as they fell onto the blanket.

“We’re so not drinking that,” Tina chuckled, tossing the bottle aside. Nick was laying on his back looking up at the sky and she lay down next to him, shoulder to shoulder.

Nick tried to keep his cool as he stretched out his arm, inviting Tina to move closer. She hesitated only briefly before shifting to her side, leaning her head on his bicep. She kept her hands to herself but Nick reached out and took her hand into his, resting it on his stomach. He slid his fingers between hers, rubbing his thumb up and down her index finger softly. Their conversation picked back up but he could feel that it was a bit more strained than before, as if they both wanted to bring up something else.

“Tina,” Nick whispered, turning his head to look at her. He could just make her out in the dim light but could feel her breath increase against his jaw. He made the first move, leaning in to press his lips against hers. The kiss was rather chaste, both of them getting used to the feel of each other’s lips.

Tina’s hand slid to his side and her leg moved between his, getting even closer as their kiss became more passionate. Simultaneously their mouths opened, tongues tentatively touching. Their conversation was officially over as Nick rolled onto her, settling his hips against hers. Tina moaned as his fingertips trailed over her stomach, stopping just below her breasts. She hooked her leg over his hip and he took it as encouragement, his palms moving to cup her breasts over her bikini top.

Everything was moving quickly and Nick was surprised that she hadn’t stopped things already, unless his suspicions were correct and she really was the horny virgin he had assumed she was. But, just as he moved to slide his hand under the top, wanting to feel her warm skin against his hand she stopped him.

“Wait,” she requested in a breathy tone, her fingers wrapping around his wrist, “I... I’ve never...”

He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her lips softly, “It’s okay,” he told her honestly, “If you’re not ready.”

“No,” she told him quickly, taking hold of the collar of his shirt, “I am. Could we just... slow down a bit?”

Nick nodded and took hold of her hands, moving them both until they were kneeling on the blanket facing one another. Slowly Nick undid the buttons on his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders, the moonlight casting a glow on his skin. He tossed the shirt to the side and wordlessly passed the next move to her. It took a few moments but after taking a deep breath Tina moved her hands behind her, deftly unhooking her bathing suit top. She let the straps fall while still holding it over her chest with her arms, looking into Nick’s eyes. She felt a sense of calm as he looked at her, and she knew that she was safe. It was the safety as well as the faint light that gave her the strength to lower her arms, dropping the bikini next to the blanket. The ball back in his court he untied the string at the top of his board shorts, taking a quick look around to make sure they were absolutely alone before sliding them down his legs. He shimmed them out from behind him and they joined his Hawaiian shirt in the sand.

Not being very modest he wasn’t uncomfortable with the fact that Tina was clearly looking him over. Normally he would have made a comment about his erection by now but she didn’t seem like the type of girl to find that kind of thing funny and he didn’t want to do anything to ruin the moment.

“You’re staring,” he commented softly, a smile on his face.

“Sorry,” she blushed, “I’ve never seen... it’s just... different than I had imagined.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Smaller?”

“Bigger,” she squeaked and he couldn’t help but smile. She brought her eyes back to his and he watched her slide her skirt and bikini bottoms down before reaching for him.

Nick wrapped his arms around her, pressing their bodies together as his hands trailed over her skin. She relaxed slightly as her breasts met his chest and he kissed her deeply. Using the distraction of the kiss Nick slid his hand between her legs, the heel of his hand rubbing against her, getting her adjusted to the sensation before sliding his middle finger inside her. Tina gasped against his lips, her hands wound tightly in his hair. It wasn’t long before Tina was moving against his hand and moaning into his mouth. He held onto her tightly as her body started to shake, experiencing what he was certain was her first ever orgasm.

He laid her down on the blanket carefully, letting her recover while trailing his lips over her body. He kissed as much of her as he could reach from her legs back up to her lips before pushing her knees apart to settle himself against her, amazed at how well they fit together. Her fingernails trailed lightly over his back and he smiled, dropping a kiss under each eye before touching his lips to hers.

He brought his mouth to her ear, “Close your eyes and take a deep breath,” he whispered, positioning his erection against her. She did as he asked, inhaling deeply, “now exhale,” he instructed seconds before they became one.

~*~

Nick blinked against the light shining in his face, taking a deep breath of sea air. The realization that he was outside suddenly hit him and Nick bolted up. He looked around at the empty beach, the sun just starting to burst over the horizon, a clear indication that it was quite early in the morning. Looking down next to him he saw Tina wrapped up in the blanket with him and he smiled, reaching down to brush back her hair. They’d had an amazing night, to say the least. After the first time Nick let Tina take control and they had continued to make love until the early hours when they’d collapsed out of exhaustion and fell asleep on the beach. He watched her eyes blink open slowly, a smile drawing across her face as she spotted him. Once she realized where they were and the time of day though she too sat up in surprise.

“Is it morning?” she asked, her arms covering her bare chest as she looked around the beach nervously.

He nodded, “it’s still early though. I don’t imagine anyone is out. We should head back to the hotel.”

“My friends are probably wondering where I am,” Tina said, reaching behind her for her clothes.

“Mine too,” he agreed and they both quickly pulled their clothes back on until they were standing next to each other looking exactly how they had the night before. Nick grasped her shoulders and leaned down, kissing her lips, “I had a great time last night.”

“Me too,” Tina smiled though he could see sadness in her eyes.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

Tina wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly, “It just sucks that I’m never going to see you again. I guess that’s the whole point of spring break though, huh?”

“I don’t want us to never see each other again,” Nick admitted though he knew it was likely that this was the last time he would ever lay eyes on her, “Could I email you sometime? Then... maybe if my tour ever comes through Ohio you could come to a show or we could hang out?”

“I’d really like that,” Tina admitted, staring up into his eyes with a smile, “I’d like that a lot.”

He kissed her one last time, the feel of her lips lingering against his own. He wanted to be able to remember this moment because he was pretty sure it was the first time he’d ever been in love. He never wanted to let her go, he never wanted to stop kissing her, he wanted to see her every day for the rest of his life and he’d never felt that way about anyone before. People would probably tell him it was just a fling but he knew for sure that getting Tina Mulligan out of his heart, out of his mind, was going to take a very long time.