CHAPTER 18

“WHAT I MEANT to say was ‘virtuous,’” she said, trying to save face when she really said the right word. She would always jokingly brag about it—her virginity— to her female friends but never to her male friends, especially to Soren, who, if he really was a naughty boy, might get the wrong impression. He might think she was teasing him or challenging him to pop her cherry. I’m, a virgin, so I would be a valuable addition to your collection, so come and get me, might be his interpretation of what she just told him, suddenly revealing to him that she was a virgin.

“But are you a virgin?” Soren, smiling, asked him.

She cleared her throat. “Yes.”

“Admirable” he said, beaming, like he was proud of her. “Considering that in your profession, temptations abound.”

“Yes, there are many temptations in my profession but I really rather that we don’t talk about my virginity.”

“Of course,” he agreed, still smiling. “Questions about someone’s virginity’s never part of a slam book.”

“Well, I got a f