"You know I'm going to miss you, don't you?" Max, my boyfriend of 5 years looked at me with his big blue puppy eyes. I was leaving the next morning for a six-month internship in Europe. I was in love (or at least I thought I was), but it was time for me to live an amazing experience abroad and make good use of my degree.
"I'll miss you, too. We'll text every day, I promise." He leaned in for a kiss -- innocent at first. He was always so gentle with me. I slipped my tongue between our lips, the kiss went from innocent to passionate and we started breathing faster. I put my arms around his neck while he held me around my waist. He was so much taller than me, so I stood up on my toes and moved closer to his body... just as I was starting to feel a tingle.... He broke the kiss and pulled away from me.
"Max, please... just this once..."
He got up, raked his fingers though his hair in frustration and said "I have to go. You need to get some rest... I'll call you tomorrow morning... I love you, Violet!"
I let out a loud sigh and was left standing there in my living room. I was 23. We had been going out for 5 years... and... and we were both still virgins. As I turned around and went back to my room, I asked myself for the millionth time how was this possible after 5 loooong years?
We were both raised by very religious families, that's how. Sex was a taboo. It wasn't explained, it wasn't discussed; it was just something very mysterious done behind closed doors by husband and wife.
My mother would just hint about it and never in a positive way. It was something a wife "had to do" because husbands "had needs".
"Keep your legs crossed! If you act like a slut, no man will ever want you as his wife. A husband wants to know that he's the only man you've ever been with!" This was her mantra.
"But what about Max and me? We've been together for so long and we're going to get married one day. He loves me. I love him. What difference would it make?" I was desperate to reason with her.
She would just end up getting upset and saying, "Now you listen to me young lady. I haven't sacrificed so much in my life to raise you to be a respectable young lady. He loves you BECAUSE he knows you're pure. Lose your virginity to him and he'll leave you as soon as he cools down! Besides, don't think that there's anything fun about having sex for a woman."
Max's family was very similar to mine. Maybe even worse. His parents were quite upset when they were informed that I was moving for six months. "Could you even IMAGINE??? A young unmarried lady, going to live alone in a big city half way around the world???" his father yelled. His mother cried and said that she'd pray for my pure heart and pure soul to return home just as pure.
Very early on in our relationship, Max made it quite clear that a respectable man needed to respect his future bride. I wanted a college education, so getting married right away was out of the question. He was willing to wait for me, and he would not allow for his carnal desires to get the better of him. So our "dates" basically meant hanging out with chaperons hovering around us.
Lord knows I tried to change his mind. Once I managed to be alone with him at home. My parents got caught in traffic and would be home later than planned. We started kissing. He pushed me down on the sofa. I could feel that he was hard as he started pushing against my leg. I managed to shift my body a little and wrap my legs around him. I pushed my hips against his body and he let out a gasp. His right hand moved up to squeeze my breast... I couldn't take my eyes off of his face and I was desperate to feel something... anything... between my legs. I tried lifting my hips to meet his thrusts and his eyes flew open.
"Violet, I... I'm so sorry!" and he lifted himself off of me.
"Max, please listen to me! There's nothing to be sorry about! We love each other!"
"But you're not my wife!" he blurted out while he was trying to get his breathing back to normal. "We will be married as soon as you return home. Then you will finally be mine."
I thought I loved him because he didn't consider me just a body. That's what I was taught to expect from a man deserving to become my husband.
I spent so many nights awake in bed, in the dark, my hormones making me crazy. I'd let my had slip down between my legs and I'd try to put some pressure down there. I'd push and push until I felt something blow up. I had no idea that was an orgasm. I had no idea what or where my clit was. I didn't know what masturbation was. I had no idea that the amazing "feeling" had anything to do with sex. I wouldn't actually dare touch my bare pussy.
I figured it was something forbidden, otherwise someone would have spoken about it. I thought it was a secret that only I had discovered. I had tried asking questions to my friends, especially to those who already had husbands. But they'd pretend they didn't understand, so I'd be left with more questions than answers. Was I a slut? Was I a sinner???
These were the usual questions going through my head that last night in my bed before leaving for Europe the next day. I thought about that last kiss with Max and I closed my legs and squeezed my muscles. Just one last time, I promised myself again. Let me reach that amazing feeling one last time and I'll never do it again.
After many goodbyes and "remember who you are" from my parents, I set off from this new adventure. I was allowed to have a cell phone so that I could at least text Max and my family to tell them I had arrived. Ten hours later I was finally in what was going to be my home for the next six months.
I was starting an internship in a non-profit organization our church worked with; our pastor's sister, Mrs. Frensch, worked there and she was going to be my supervisor. This was the only reason I was "allowed" this experience in the first place. I was offered a small studio apartment and a minimal stipend for my living expenses. I was due to go to their main office the next morning so I spent my first day cleaning, food shopping, and studying the map of this huge city.
I woke up the next morning more nervous than ever. I knew what I could do to relax and my hand automatically went between my legs. I needed the "feeling" and I hoped it would just happen fast. I started massaging myself hard and fast. I held my breath and finally let out a groan, being it the first time I didn't have to worry about someone hearing me. I had no idea how to define what I felt. I just knew that it felt amazing. Why did no one else know about this?