BEFORE

BEFORE - Chapter 1 & 2

Chapter One

JESS

College was overrated. Seriously.

The dorm-hopping, frat-partying, alcohol-imbibing rumors were true. The part where I became a party animal, made a zillion BFFs and took UNLV by storm? Hadn't kicked in yet. I sucked as badly as a freshman at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as I had as a student at Hell High, my nickname for my old high school in Craye Canyon. Apparently once a geek, always a geek.

In two semesters I'd attended three frat parties, had drunk two vodkas, one rum and a watered down Long Island Iced Tea. And the only other bed I'd graced besides my own belonged to my roommate's dog, illegally smuggled in whenever she could. Yeah, chalk up permanent virginity status alongside geek. Embarrassing.

On the upside, I didn't live at home any more. One of the major incentives for busting my ass at high school to enroll at UNLV was the distance. UNVL was over an hour away from my hometown so I'd have to live on campus. Craye Canyon wasn't big enough for Mom and me.

Pity my foray into freedom hadn't lived up to expectations. I'd hoped to shed my good-girl image at college. Yet here I was, last day before summer break, still hanging out in the library. Worse? Still a virgin.

"Hey Jess, you're coming tonight, yeah?"

I glanced across at Dave, my study partner, and bit back my first response of 'I wish.' Somehow, I didn't think the serious bookworm would appreciate the innuendo.

"Think I'll give it a miss," I said, packing my satchel for the last time this semester.

I was free for the summer. Without plans. I couldn't head home, not with Mom in wedding planner frenzy mode. Summer was the busiest month for Nevada weddings and it seemed like every bridezilla in the state wanted Pam Harper to organize their wedding. Poor suckers.

"School's out, Geekette." Dave tweaked my nose. "Time to par-tay."

"That settles it." I elbowed him away. "No way am I going anywhere with a dork who says par-tay."

"Now you're just playing hard to get." Dave slung an arm across my shoulder, a friendly gesture I'd tolerated during our many study sessions together.

"Yeah, that's me, a regular babe juggling guys along with assignments." I rolled my eyes. "Besides, I've got plans tonight."

"What plans?" He snapped his fingers. "Quick, the truth, before you make up some crap."

"I haven't seen my cousin in a while, thought I'd hang out with her."

Truth was, my cousin Chantal worked nights as a dancer at the coolest burlesque venue on the Strip. But she had a great apartment I could hide out in to avoid the inevitable end of semester parties.

I didn't feel like getting drunk, stoned or laid. Not that I'd ever done any of those things before. That Geekette nickname Dave had bestowed on me last August when we both started our undergrad English major? Pathetically true.

"Come to the party with me for a while, then go hang with your cousin later."

When I opened my mouth to protest again, Dave pressed his finger against my lips. "Not talking no for an answer, got it?"

I didn't mind Dave's arm around my shoulder but having his finger against my mouth made me uncomfortable. We were friends. We hung out. Two loners who studied and grabbed the occasional meal. I wasn't remotely attracted to the six foot, reed-thin Mr. Average and I'd never picked up any vibes off him.