Being Amber by Sylvia Ryan

comes to getting a girl off.”
    “I’m not sure I’m the one to ask. I’m not that experienced, but the couple of men I have been with didn’t have me pounding down their door for more. I can tell you that.”
    “ I’ve heard that some women pretend to get off. Is that true?”
    “Yeah.”
    Jordan was silent for a few beats. Her lips pressed together in a thin line. “Really?”
    “You can’t make me believe that the women in Amber never fake orgasms.”
    Jordan turned and looked at her as if she had two heads. “Have you pretended?”
    Jaci sighed “Yeah.” She lowered her voice. “Every time.”
    Her eyes widened and utter confusion clouded her face. “Why would you do that? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
    If Jaci hadn’t seen Jordan’s complete astonishment for herself, she would have thought the woman was joking around. “Because some guys are so clueless that you just want them to get off you.”
    “So, you’ve never had one with a man?”
    “No.” The word was an unsure whisper. In the long pause that stretched between them, Jaci wondered if her sex life had been this way because of something she’d been doing wrong. But the thought was cut short when Jordan spoke again.
    “That doesn’t happen here.”
    Jaci was skeptical. “Never?”
    She shook her head. “No. They all know what they’re doing. At least I’ve never been with or even heard about a man in Amber that didn’t.
    “It’s probably the touching. Over time, the guys get to know a woman’s body pretty well. Or, maybe they teach each other. I don’t know,” Jordan said with a hint of curiosity in her voice.
    They rode the elevator in silence while Jaci turned over and examined this different perspective on sex in her mind. Maybe the Amber Zone had it right. It was a more honest and straightforward approach to relationships. There was no need for sweet talk or lies from men trying to get into a girl’s pants when there were any manner of sexual offerings any time he wanted. And for the woman, there was no reason to fake an orgasm with a so-so lover, or settle and lower standards in a relationship because some sex, even if it was mediocre, was better than nothing at all.
    Jaci reminded herself to revisit this when she had more time to digest this cultural peculiarity. Maybe she would try to get more info from Emily later when she came over with Rock.
    “Come on. I’ve got to get you back or Xander will be mad that you’re overdoing it.”
    “I’m fine.” But Jordan tightened her grasp on her hand and headed toward the elevator.
    “Okay, Jordan, relax.”
    “I’ll relax once I get you back.” The elevator door opened on the fourth floor. “Apparently, you haven’t seen Xander when he’s mad. I don’t recommend it, by the way.”
    As it turned out, the rush back to her apartment was for nothing. It was empty when they got there.
    “You need to talk to your mother. It’s been too long already,” Jordan said as she settled into one of the chairs at the cafe table in the corner.
    Jaci sighed and fell silent, trying to think of another good excuse that would fend off this push to call. She couldn’t think of one.
    Originally, she’d been avoiding the call because she was embarrassed and ashamed of her designation to Amber. She didn’t want to admit that to Jordan and she didn’t feel that way anymore anyways, but she knew her mom would. She was hiding from her mom’s reaction, from her pity. She couldn’t hide forever. “Okay,” Jaci said, shaking her head.
    Jaci spent about ten minutes reassuring her mom that she was okay after telling her about the Automatic Disqualifier. Then, she gave instructions on what clothes and personal items needed to be sent. She ended the conversation promising that she would com again soon.
    As Jaci touched her ear bud to disconnect, she knew she’d lied. She wouldn’t be calling again soon. She’d made her mother too upset and to be honest, it made her upset, too. It