Chapter 3

Before I knew it, I was sitting alongside Cory in his SUV. Now, I'm not going to lie, butterflies were fluttering in my stomach like it was the first damn day of spring. Cory looked good… almost too good, in fact. He shed his 'Finn' look quickly, sporting a short, scruffy beard and noticeably longer hair that I just wanted to run my manicured little fingers through. And don't even get me started on his outfit that I just wanted to rip off of his body. An olive-green t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. Could he be any more perfect, really?

I swear I don't get like this around other guys. I'm not some strange lustful animal like I must come off as. Excuse me if this comes off as too much, but I've fantasized about this man for as long as we've been doing this show. And not even all of these fantasies are sexual or smutty (although sometimes they just so happen to slip in there). When I'm bored, I sometimes fantasize about us grocery shopping, or going to the car wash together and being able to stay in the car as it goes through the soap and big brushes, or going out for ice cream on a warm summer night. We do some of these things now, but with our friends, and that, folks, just doesn't count. I love spending time alone with Cory, even if it's just a quiet drive like this, because all of this thinking is clearly keeping me from forming a conversation with the man of my dreams.

I had to come up with something to say, and quick. Otherwise, Cory will just think that I'm a weirdo that accepts rides and doesn't show appreciation when they show up. I cleared my throat and looked his direction. "Thanks for picking me up."

"You already thanked me when I packed the amount of luggage fit for a small army in the trunk," Cory replied with a smirk as he rested his hand casually on the wheel as he sped down the highway. He was wearing sunglasses, of course, so I couldn't see the sparkle in his eye, but I knew it was there.

I just chuckled somewhat nervously. "Well, at least you know that I really mean it. If I didn't get so lucky with you picking me up, it looks like I would have had to have stayed home."

"Well, we couldn't have let that happen," Cory laughed. "This should be a good time. It wouldn't have been the same without you. I mean, you're usually the one who gets bombed first and really starts the party."

I had to laugh, because he was speaking the truth. "You know too much about me."

"Do I?" he asked, and I could see him cock his eyebrow above his sunglasses.

I gathered my hair in my hands and tossed it over my shoulder. "I think you do, Mr. Monteith. You really know too much about me."

His lips curled up into a smile. "Test me. Let's see how much I really do know about you."

Game on, Cory.

"Fine," I laughed as I rubbed my palms together, thinking of something obscure and silly to ask him, something that he wouldn't know about me even if he read my most devoted fan site. And right away, I knew I had to make this game interesting. Here come the dirty questions. "Where did I lose my virginity?"

Shock came over Cory's face. His jaw dropped, and I could have sworn that I saw all of the blood drain from his face. "Wow, Lea, clearly I see where you're going with this game!" he exclaimed with a booming laugh that filled the car. "Look at you, you little freak! How would you expect me to know this?"

I couldn't help but laugh, nearly as loud as he did. "You said that you knew a lot about me, and you asked me to test you, and I am. So, answer the question. Let's see how much you know." Inside, I was dying, but I really had to put on my best actress face and play this thing as cool as a cucumber.

"Alright, alright. You've got a game," Cory replied as he sat up a little straighter in the drivers seat. "I do know that back in high school, you were a bit of a wild child. Very different from Rachel Berry, I assume. I am also aware of this special relationship that you have with a man named Jack Daniels, and I've seen what he can do to a body like yours after a few drinks. I know for a fact that there is nothing fun to do in New Jersey except plan your own high school parties when your parents go into New York City for the night. Additionally, I know that you didn't really have any steady boyfriends back then, so it was probably a sloppy, drunken night. With all of the information that I have gathered, I have concluded that you lost your virginity in your bedroom. Bonus addition for an extra point, you were 17 years old."

I had to admit, I sat there stunned at how much he knew about me to arrive at some sort of answer. And I had to give him 100% credit, he was spot on. I just couldn't believe that he had put all of that together so factually. He took my silence and ran with it.

"Ding ding ding! Two points for me!" he laughed and exclaimed. "I'm good! Really good! Come on, tell me how good I am!"

I just sat there and laughed, covering my eyes with my hands. "Fine, you're so good, Cory!" I replied sarcastically. "Shit, that was a smart answer!"

"I bet you wouldn't know where and when I lost my virginity," Cory probed as he looked my direction, peeking down at me over his sunglasses before quickly returning his eyes to the open road.

"June 10th, 2001 around 7:30 at night, which was the most romantic and sensual night of your life?" I quickly replied, whipping up a date and time out of thin air sarcastically.

He paused for a moment to think, before shaking his head. "Not even close."

"I figured," I laughed. "I was just bullshitting with you."

Cory changed lanes on the highway and grew quiet. I looked over at him and I could tell that he was definitely thinking about the big moment in his life. He cleared his throat before speaking. "I was 14. Her name was Jen. She was the hottest girl in Victoria, and she was a few years older than me. We had been flirting for a while and she came over to my house one day when my parents were out at work. She came over, high out of her mind, and brought over all this booze with her, and we started drinking, and one thing led to another, and it just happened. I haven't spoken to her since then, no less seen her around. But yes, that's my big romantic moment."

I sat in the passenger seat, unsure of exactly what to say. So, I figured humor was the best response. "So I was really halfway right, it was the most romantic night of your entire life, which I think deserves at least one point."

He nodded. "Fine, but only one little measly point."

"I'll take what I can get," I smirked. I could tell he was feeling off, though. I had to come up with another question, and fast, to get him back up and going. "Okay, next question. What is my favorite snack to eat on set?"

"This is a joke, right?" Cory smiled. "You always go straight for the dark chocolate vegan cupcakes. It's like those things should be turned into some sort of IV drip for you."

I just had to roll my eyes. Again, he was right. "That was too easy!"

"No, that was just another point for the Michele-master!"

And then I died again. Why is he doing this to me?

"Okay, final question because you clearly know way too much about me and you're just making a killing with points. What's my most hated word in the English language?"

Cory giggled before looking over at me. Taking one hand off the wheel, he took off his sunglasses quickly and grinned. "Moist."

I cringed at the sound of the word, despite the unbearably sexy look he was giving to me. It was like he knew how badly I wanted to jump over the center console and just straddle him, and like he knew how much I just wanted to kiss him when it didn't say in any script that I had to. "You win!"

Cory put his sunglasses back on and cheered as he watched the road. "I'm so good at you!" he exclaimed with a laugh. "Shit, that wasn't even hard. Does this mean that I spend to much time around you?"

"No!" I quickly replied, probably faster than I really should have, "I mean, we do work together almost all day, practically every day. I should have figured that you would have picked up on everything."

He just smiled. God, I loved it when that boy smiled. I noticed that he was smiling a lot more than he usually does. And I'm sure I looked like I was a little girl going to Disney World for the first time, as well. We were quiet for a little while. He focused on driving, while I looked out the window, admiring the scenery that we were passing. Lush, full, green trees lined the highway, and the skyline in front of us was simply stunning. California wasn't a shabby place to be, especially when you're with the man you love. Even if it's a secret love. It still counts.