It was nice to be home eating dinner as a family after a long week at work. Our daughter was on a break from school for the summer, and we all seemed to be growing closer as a family. Things have been great for my wife at work, and she has also been very satisfied with our sex lives and just seemed to be in a good place. Even though I was ashamed of some of the things my daughter and I were keeping secret, I was happy that we were closer as a family than we had ever been.
"How was work Dad?" My daughter asked.
"It was ok baby, just the usual stuff I guess, but I will be going to Las Vegas next Friday for six days, to meet with another firm about a possible merger. There are consecutive meetings through the week depending on how much progress is made, but I'm just hoping the weather won't be too hot." I said.
"Las Vegas? You're so lucky Daddy. Why don't you take me with you?" My daughter asked wide-eyed and giddy.
"Well, we could make a family trip out of it if it's ok with your mom," I said, inviting both of them.
"I think that would be great. I have at least the weekend free. Lets do it. We need it." My wife said.
"Yay, Oh... Emm...Geeee. Going to Vegas!" My daughter said.
"Don't get too excited. It might be a little boring." I said.
"Can we stay at a hotel that has pool parties at least? A friend from school told me about one that has frozen towels and poolside massages." She said.
"The hotel has already been chosen for both firms, and while I don't think they have frozen towels, they do have a very nice pool," I said, smiling.
"It's probably not even as nice as hours, but I'm bringing my new bikini!" She said.
"It will be a nice trip. I'll check my calendar and give your dad the dates I can be there." Mom said.
The following week went by quickly. I arranged to drive to Las Vegas with my daughter on Friday, and my wife would fly in later that evening after work and stay for the weekend and fly back home on Sunday night. I would then attend the first meeting on Monday, another on Tuesday and possibly a third on Wednesday, and my daughter and I would drive back on Thursday early morning.
I always prefer to avoid airports when possible, and I love the open road and anything involving a road trip, even a short one from the Laguna Hills to Las Vegas. I had made the trip before many times and knew the road well.
I packed up the car and got an early start. My daughter slept for the first few hours and woke up about two hours into the trip.
"Can we stop? I need to pee." She said.
A few minutes later I pulled off the freeway onto an exit that had the usual mix of gas stations and fast food establishments. She went to pee, and I topped off the tank and also took a break to the facilities.
Back in the car drinking high priced bottled water my daughter said.
"Dad. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure Baby. What is it?" I said, praying it wasn't that she wanted to tell mom or her friends what we had been doing, a thought that had been weighing heavily on my conscience.
"Is taking a girl's virginity gross for guys?" She asked.
"Of course, not baby, it's a very natural normal thing. For many guys it is an extremely powerful and erotic thing. Why would you think that?" I asked.
"Can you not use the word 'erotic' dad? It's kinda weird. Ok, I have to tell you something, but promise me you're not going to say anything." She said.
"I promise," I said, looking out her outstretched long smooth tan legs and bare feet up on the dashboard with her perfectly painted toes twinkling in the morning light. I tried to block any memories of playing with her in her room and any new thoughts of licking every inch of her skin, but it wasn't easy seeing her legs on display as I drove across the desert.
"Well, last week... See, there is this girl at school Dad. She is kinda a loner, but not really a loser or anything. She is pretty and everything, and smart and stuff like that. Just not really the most popular girl." She said.
"Ok..." I said, in a relaxed, non-judgmental tone, encouraging her to go on, trying to focus on the road ahead and not my daughter's legs glistening in the light.
"Well, one of the guys at school took her virginity at this party last weekend, and she bled everywhere, all over the guy and the bed, and everyone was laughing at her and calling her names." She said.
"I'm sorry to hear that. That's awful. What kind of names did they call her?" I asked.
"Well her name is Mary, and at the party they kept chanting, calling her 'Bloody Mary', and she left the party crying, totally humiliated." She said.
"Ouch, I'm so sorry," I said, remembering how abusive and cruel teenagers can be toward one another.
"I'm not letting one of the boys at school take my virginity." She said.
"What does that mean exactly?" I asked.
"It means I'm gonna let a stranger do it." She said.
"Baby, your virginity is not something to just hand over to some stranger, and I hope your not thinking of doing it this week when we are in Las Vegas," I said.
"It has kinda crossed my mind." She admitted.
"Look, my little princess, I'm glad you are talking with me about it, and I appreciate your honesty, I know things like this can be difficult for girls. Just promise your going to think about it some more before making a decision." I said.
"Ok Daddy, I will, but I know I'm not going to do it with a boy at school, that's for sure." She said.
For the next few miles I imagined this girl Mary, the horrible feeling of her branded as 'Bloody Mary' probably for the rest of her life among the people that knew her, and I shuttered at the thought of having my daughter have to endure something so terrible. Maybe having a stranger take her virginity wasn't a terrible idea, but what about disease or pregnancy? A stranger might be less likely to be careful when it comes to those kinds of things. Being a teenager is so hard, I thought.
"Can we practice Daddy? Pretend you're my boyfriend." She said, interrupting my thoughts about teenage bullying.
