Lisa: I totally agree. Casey is the hottest ginger ever!


Alex's POV

Casey was looking radiant today even though she was in jeans and a hoodie. All throughout my last class I couldn't focus on anything other than the thought of cuddling up to Casey as soon as we got back to my dorm. To my disappointment, our friends had other plans for us. I believe an intervention is what they called it. I usually love shopping and mani-pedis with my friends, but not when that cuts in to time I could be spending with my girlfriend. Minutes later, I was in Bridget's Range Rover and on my way to Beverly Hills.

"I know you aren't too thrilled about being here," Bridget tells me. "But look on the bright side. We're getting mani-pedis and while we're shopping, you can pick out something to wear for Valentine's Day. You're going to look super cute for Casey tomorrow!"

"Casey already thinks I look cute," I tell her.

"Then she must have some horrible vision," Alejandra tells me from the back seat.

"It's going to take more than a shopping trip to improve Alex's look," Kelly says.

"What do you mean?" I ask her, trying not to sound too offended.

"They're called breast implants, Alex," Alejandra says sarcastically. "They're not expensive."

"You'd know, Alejandra," Bridget snaps. "How old were you when you got yours?"

"Funny," Alejandra responds.

Alejandra and I weren't always frenemies. The two of us met during Freshmen Orientation in July and we hit it off right away. We were wearing the same dress but in different colors, which was the ultimate ice breaker.

"I'm Alejandra Cortes," she told me as she extended her hand.

"Alexandra Cabot."

"No way! We're name twins! Your name is the English form of mine and both of our last names start with a C. What's your middle name?"

"Vivian."

"Shut up! Mine is Victoria."

"We're both AVC! And we both have an amazing sense of style!"

"And great hair," Alejandra adds.

Our bond may have been built on something as shallow as sharing initials, but when you're in an awkward situation like Freshmen Orientation, you'll cherish whatever bonds you can make. We were inseparable for the rest of our 3-day orientation. The night before we were scheduled to leave, we snuck out of our rooms at 2 am and walked to a secluded area on campus. We both had the strongest desire to get away from everyone but neither of us knew why. For two hours we talked about movies we liked, our favorite places to shop, our lives back home, and anything else we could think of. When the conversation died down, she leaned in and kissed me. Just like that. My first kiss. I felt as if everything was starting to make sense. Alex, you're not asexual. You're not an Ice Queen. You just like girls.

A few hours later, it was time for us to return to our hometowns. We promised to call each other everyday and it was a promise that both of us kept. That single kiss was enough to inspire hours of phone sex in which I touched myself for the very first time. I felt so liberated because of this girl.

I wanted the next two months to go by as quickly as possible so I could see Alejandra again. I felt as if I was ready to lose my virginity to her, but when move-in day came, Alejandra was already sweet-talking Kelly Whittington. I needed to clear my head so I figured I might as well explore the campus. That is when I walked into the same elevator as the girl of my dreams. After that I didn't care that Alejandra had stood me up or that she was probably having sex with Kelly at that very moment. All I wanted was Casey.

As Alejandra and Kelly's "situation" became more complicated and Casey and I became closer, Alejandra started to resent me. Kelly and Alejandra aren't a couple but they aren't allowed to date anybody else, according to Alejandra. I couldn't do that. I love my Casey and I also love being her girlfriend. It kills Alejandra to see me so happy when she's so unfulfilled, which makes these Girls Night Out functions all the more awkward.

Bridget brings me back to reality. "What are you and Casey doing for Valentine's Day? Do you want to triple with me, Caleb, Alejandra, and Kelly?"

Valentine's Day with Alejandra? No way! "As lovely as that sounds, Bridget, I really just want to be alone with Casey tomorrow. I want to spend the whole day and night making love to her, talking to her, holding her, kissing her."

"Okay, gross," Alejandra says. "How can you have sex with her? She's not even cute."

"She's beautiful," I tell her, "and she gets even more beautiful with each passing day."

"You two are so getting married someday," Bridget tells me. "You're going to be Alex Novak and have like five of Casey's babies." I smile at Bridget's enthusiasm. If only I were already Alex Novak.

"You'd take a last name like Novak?" Alejandra asks me with a disgusted look on her face.

"Leave it to Alex to marry beneath her," Kelly adds.

"Wait, wait, wait. Back it up, bitches." Bridget says to both of them. "If Caleb and I get married, I'm going to be a Novak too, so what you're saying is offensive to both me and Alex."

"We're not talking about Caleb. We're talking about Casey. Caleb is a smart guy and he's going to medical school next year. Casey is just trashy," Alejandra tells Bridget.

"And socially awkward," Kelly says with a smirk.

"And she's a total fat ass," Alejandra adds.

Okay, now I'm fuming. "She has way more friends than you do, Alejandra, and as for her being fat, Casey is a size 0."

"0 is the new 6," Alejandra informs me. "The four of us are 00, she just wouldn't fit in with this group."

Bridget intervenes, "Well, judging by the noises I hear every night coming from the next bed, Alex really loves Casey's body." Moments like these make me so glad Bridget is my best friend.

"Dearest Alejandra," I tell her, "you're just jealous that I'm with a real woman and you're with Kelly."

"Or could it be dearest Alexandra," Alejandra asks me, "that you're still bitter because I was having sex with Kelly on move-in day while you had no choice but to go on a date with some working-class bimbo who is probably using you for your money?"

I know this is so unlike me, but…"Don't you fucking talk about my girlfriend like that!" Never in my life have I wanted to hit somebody so bad.

Alejandra looks too pleased with herself. I know something horrible is about to come out of her mouth. "Tell me, Alex, how does it feel to know that Casey may have a lot of your firsts, but she'll never have your first kiss?"

"Also," Kelly adds, "how does it feel to know that while you were crying over your break-up, she was fucking some other girl. Don't think we don't know about Marissa."

Bridget immediately pulls over. "That's it. We're going home. Girls night is over." Finally. It was over before it really began. We hadn't even gotten to Rodeo Drive yet.

We drive back to campus in silence. It isn't always this bad. When Alejandra and I are alone, we act like best friends. We go shopping together, do each other's hair and make-up, and talk for hours, but as soon as Casey is mentioned, it's like a switch is flipped and all Hell breaks loose. I'm starting to dread my own birthday party. Introducing your girlfriend to your friends is hard enough without your friends having so many pre-conceived notions and just plain resentment towards her. I'm starting to wish my friends were like Casey's friends. Yeah, they're loud and they like to party but they accept Casey for who she is and they welcome me with open arms. I need to stay positive. Maybe when Kelly and Alejandra meet Casey, they'll see how great she really is and welcome her into our little social circle. Who am I kidding? My party is going to be a disaster.

As we're about to part ways in front of the residence halls, Alejandra gives me a kiss on the cheek and Kelly says "goodbye, love. See you on Saturday." Bridget gives me a surprised look. I know she's thinking the same thing I am. How fake can these girls possibly be?

Although I miss Casey terribly, I'm glad Bridget and I are able to have a best friends night. There is something I desperately need her help with.

"Bridget, I have a problem."

"What is it, doll?"

"It has to do with Casey," I tell her nervously.

"What do you mean? I thought everything was perfect between you two."

"It is and that's the problem. Everything is so perfect. I don't want to mess it up. Tomorrow will be the first Valentine's Day I've ever had a girlfriend and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."

"There's nothing you're supposed to do, Alex. Just do whatever you want to do. It's not like you're with some random girl. You're with Casey and she loves you so much. I'm sure she'd be satisfied if you just tied a bow around you and gave yourself as a gift."

Bridget's statement puts me at ease. "I think Casey would like that a little too much, especially because I'd let her untie that bow."

"You're so dirty, Alex!" Bridget teases. "Is that all you think about?"

"Oh and like you don't think about the same thing with Casey's brother?"

Bridget blushes. "Only all the time."

"Bridge, I love that we're best friends and dating siblings."

"I know, right? That means we're going to be related someday and have the same last name."

"And our kids will be cousins! We could even be pregnant together, Bridget!"

"And have a double baby shower," she adds and we both start squeeing like the 18 year old girls that we are.

Our squees are interrupted by the Temptations' song "My Girl" playing on my phone. Casey is calling me!

"Hi, baby!" I say to her a little too enthusiastically.

"Hey, gorgeous! I miss you so much. How's Rodeo Drive?"

"Hmm…I'll tell you later. What are you doing right now?"

"Thinking about how tight you are," she answers with a giggle.

"What? Casey, have you been drinking?"

"No, of course not." She pauses for a few seconds. "Okay, I had five shots of vodka earlier and then I had five more, but other than that I'm fine. Peachy keen, jelly bean. Hey babe, that rhymes! I'm so poetic!" My girlfriend is drunk out of her mind.

"I miss you, Case."

"I miss you too. Do you want to have sex right now? I can be there in 15 minutes."

"Babe, no. You're not going anywhere. You're way too drunk."

"Oh, okay. Tomorrow then?" She asks me as if it's the greatest idea she has ever had.

"Sure," I say hesitantly.

"You're an awesome girlfriend, Alex. I'm going to marry you someday and then I'm going to get your name tattooed on me, but like in big ass letters. And I think you're so hot. Like I want to build a shrine to your hotness and kneel before it everyday." I can't help but laugh at how gone Casey is. "Lex, I gotta go. Someone just started spinning the room. I think it was Allegra. She's into weird shit like that." Before I can say goodbye, Casey hangs up. I can't imagine what they are going to do next. My girlfriend is drunk and in the mood right now. Please, Allegra, don't take advantage of her.

"Should I be worried that my girlfriend is drunk and horny and at Allegra Davies's apartment right now?"

Bridget laughs. "Why would you be worried? There's no need to be."

"You said that Allegra is after my Casey and that her party is the same day as mine."

"Oh, that. Yeah, I lied."

"You lied?"

"Allegra is definitely not after Casey. That's gross, Alex! She thinks of Casey as her little sister."

"But she flirted with her that night."

"Alex, Allegra flirts with everyone. She even flirted with you, remember? That's just how she communicates. As for the party, she isn't even having one this month."

"Then why did you…"

"I had to. Otherwise, you'd bitch out. If there were no potential threat, especially one like Allegra, you would have taken your time with Casey and dragged on the drama. It would have taken you months to ask her to be your girlfriend again. I know you, Alex, and I know you can't do the whole friends with benefits thing. You would have been miserable. So, I actually did you a favor by lying."

She's actually right. "In some twisted way, I think you did. Thanks, Bridget."

"No prob. I'm just glad to see you happy again. And Casey, too. She really loves you, Alex. She has a certain glow every time she talks about you or someone mentions you."

"Really?" I start blushing.

"Yes, really."

"I'm worried about Saturday. What if Kelly and Alejandra tell her something?"

"Oh, please. We're talking about Casey Novak. I don't know if you've noticed but your girlfriend is kind of a badass."

I try to sound shocked. "Casey? No?"

"That girl can definitely hold her own. They are not going to intimidate her. Plus, it's a pool party. Compare Alejandra in a bikini to Casey in a bikini, which one is going to be intimidated?"

"Bridget, this is the first night in two weeks I've gone without sex. Please don't make me think about Casey in a bikini, especially that red one with the top that barely covers her breasts. She looks so hot in that one."

"Perv!" Bridget teases. "I'm going to have to keep an eye on you two at your party."

"Only a lot," I tell her.

Bridget tosses her pillow at me. "Just don't do it in front of everyone, jerk!"

"I'm not making any promises," I say as I toss the pillow back at her.

Bridget and I spent the next few hours planning what we're going to do tomorrow. A year ago, I was alone on Valentine's Day while all my friends had dates. This year, I will be spending it with the love of my life and I have something very special planned for her.