Going the Distance

by Christa Cervone

  I pull a pocket knife out of my other back pocket. “I need to carve our initials into it.”

  “Carve? Everyone else has theirs done in marker.”

  “Well, we’re not everyone else, are we?”

  “No, we’re not,” she smiles confidently.

  “Let’s go sit down. I have another surprise for you.”

  “There’s more?”

  Taking her by the hand, I lead her over to our makeshift picnic.

  “A picnic! Oh my God! I can’t believe you did all this.”

  “Well, I had a little a help,” I confess.

  “Jocelyn,” she says under her breath. “This is why she was up so early this morning. I should’ve known she was up to something.”

  “Yeah, I got the idea after you fell asleep last night. Jocelyn helped get the food together since she knows all of your favorite things,” my voice is a little solemn. “It made me realize I don’t even know what your favorite dessert is.”

  Salem grins and says, “It’s red velvet cake.”

  “Well, I know that now, thanks to Jocelyn. But with all that said, I wanna spend some time today getting to know each other even better,” I pull her down onto the blanket that’s laid out. “Would you like some champagne and strawberries?”

  “Yes,” she beams happily. “Do you know why I love champagne and strawberries so much?”

  I shake my head.

  “Because, it’s in my favorite movie, Pretty Woman. Have you ever seen it?”

  “No.”

  Pretending to faint, she falls over onto the blanket. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, I’m not kidding,” I laugh, joining her on the blanket beneath us.

  “It’s only the best romantic comedy ever! Joce and I must’ve seen it a hundred times.”

  “A hundred times?”

  “At least,” she looks over and smiles at me.

  “What’s it about?”

  “It’s about a prostitute, played by the one and only, Julia Roberts. She falls in love with a rich and attractive businessman, who’s played by Richard Gere.”

  “Oh, that sounds really gripping,” I joke.

  “Well, what’s your favorite movie, Mr. Smarty-Pants? Some blood and guts action movie?”

  “Actually, no. My favorite movie happens to be an Academy Award-winner.”

  “Oh. Well, excuse me,” she raises her hand to her chest and bats her eyelashes. “Do tell.”

  “Promise me you won’t laugh or make fun of me.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  I squeeze my eyes shut in anticipation of her bursting out into a fit of laughter and confess, “My favorite movie, is Frozen.”

  “Frozen? Well, I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”

  “I’ve seen it three times; twice in the movie theater, and Jase and I watched it again not that long ago on DVD.”

  “Twice in the theater?”

  “Yeah, twice.”

  “Okay, so I promised not to laugh, so I won’t. But, you have to tell me how someone got you to go see it in the first place.”

  “Well, I’ve always been a big fan of Disney movies. I heard one of the girls in the after school program complaining that her mom didn’t have enough money to take her and her little sister to see it. So, I offered to take them.”

  “That’s so sweet of you, Gabriel. Who did you go see it with the second time?”

  “I took Steph. Jimmy was being a pussy and didn’t wanna take her.”

  Turning over on her side, she props herself up on her elbow. “Do you mind if I ask why you like it so much?”

  “Umm… I guess because it reminds me of childhood innocence and how much fun Jase and I used to have together when we were kids. I can also relate to having him taken away from me, to not being able to see him anymore, through no fault of our own. And, let’s not forget to mention the message of how the fear of the unknown and the fantastic can ruin someone’s outlook on the world.”

  Salem stares at me, speechless, her eyes wide and her bottom lip quivering. “I honestly didn’t expect you to say that, Gabriel. That was truly beautiful.”

  “Do you know what else is beautiful?” I say, drawing her to me. “You.” She pulls her face back from mine, her eyes scanning my face. “What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?”

  “I’m just trying to figure out how I got so lucky,” she replies.

  “Funny, I could say the same thing.”

  “Gabriel, if anyone has lucked out here, it’s me. You made me look beyond your hard and rough exterior to see the beautiful man inside. If it wasn’t for your kindness that night at Shikago’s…” Salem shakes her head.

  My stomach is churning. She still has no idea what exactly happened that night at Shikago’s. “Ready for that champagne now?” Reaching into the picnic basket behind me, I pull out the bottle, two glasses, and the container of strawberries. Yes, I’m stalling. I don’t wanna ruin this day for us, but I know I have to finally be one hundred percent honest with her.

  Although it wasn’t me who did anything wrong, I’m not sure she’ll see it that way. I was the one who covered for her cheating ex. She could see it as a form of betrayal instead of an effort to protect her. “I have a confession to make,” I let out in a huff.

  “What is it?”

  “That night at Shikago’s, I alerted Blaine that you were outside.” I can feel the muscles in my jaw tightening in anticipation of her response.

  “I know you did,” she responds nonchalantly.

  “You knew?”

  She begins to inch her way up my body. “Of course I did, Gabriel. I’m not stupid. I know what guys do to cover each other’s asses. But, I do thank you for finally telling me the truth,” she kisses me gently.

  Within seconds, I’m overheating from her kiss. “Maybe we should eat a little somethin’ before we get too carried away.”

  “No, I’m good.” She runs her hand down my body, stopping at my crotch and squeezing.

  “I thought we were gonna get to know each other better.”

  A devilish smirk appears on her beautiful face. “We are. Ask me anything you want to know.” She climbs up on top of me, straddling my hips, and begins a slow grind.

  “God, you’re makin’ it hard to concentrate,” I exhale heavily. “Hmmm… What did you want to be when you grew up?”

  “A pediatrician.”

  “I can picture that.”

  “Now, it’s my turn to ask you something. What’s your favorite song?”

  “Figures you’d ask me that,” I chuckle. “’Feel Like Making Love’ by Bad Company.”

  Salem throws her head back, “Ha! Of course it is. Is that what you feel like doing?” Her fingers linger under my shirt.

  “That’s always what I feel like doin’ when I’m with you. My turn. Where did you learn how to speak Spanish so well?”

  “Escuela.”

  “Nah, not the way you speak. Spanish they teach in school is too proper.”

  “Mi niñera Rosa. Ella me enseñó.” She stops teasing me as our conversation turns serious.

  “Your nanny?”

  “I know, I know. It sounds so cliché. My father was building his law practice and my mother was in med school. Rosa pretty much raised me from the age of two until I left for boarding school. My parents kept her on after I left for school, and I still spent time with her when I would come home.”

  “Where is she now?”

  Salem suddenly breaks eye contact with me and her body deflates. “She passed away a couple of years ago.”

  “I’m sorry, Salem. Was she sick?”

  “No, a drunk driver hit her car head-on. She was on life support for a few hours, but her injuries were too severe.”

  “No wonder you were so freaked out about my accident.”

  Salem simply nods. “The worst part about the entire thing is that I wasn’t even in the country. I was studying abroad, and by the time my parents got word to me, I had already missed her
service.”

  “Come here.” I pull her down so that she’s stretched out on top of me and comb my fingers through her hair, consoling her. “You wanna go do the padlock?”

  I feel her nod against my chest.

  “Okay, then we gotta get up.”

  “Can we just lie here a few more minutes? It’s so peaceful.”

  Kissing the top of her head, I reply, “We can lie here for an hour if you want.” I’m not exactly sure how long we were there, but I think we may have dozed off.

  “Gabriel, are you awake?” Salem asks sleepily.

  Blinking my eyes, I try to shake off the sleep. “Yeah, I’m awake.”

  “Can we go do our lock now?”

  “Absolutely.” I sit up, and reaching into my back pocket, I pull out both the pocket knife and the lock.

  Leaning over my shoulder, Salem asks, “Do you think I can help?”

  “Sure, do you wanna hang it?”

  “No, I want to carve your initials into the lock and you can carve mine.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Get hurt? What do you think is going to happen, that I’m going to cut myself?”

  “Uh, yeah, or worse.”

  She grabs the lock and knife from me. “I think I can handle it, Gabriel.”

  I sit and watch as she struggles, trying to handle the knife and hold the lock in her hand. After a few close calls, I try to take the knife away. “No,” she quickly pulls her hand away from me.

  “You’re freakin’ me out. Do you know how far we are from the nearest hospital? And I’m sure neither of us can get cell service out here. So if you slice off a finger, we’re screwed.”

  “Lucky for you, I know a good doctor,” she winks and leans her body into mine. “I’m gonna be just fine. Will you please just let me do it?” she insists.

  Reluctantly, I let go of her hands and let her proceed. With every movement she makes, I can’t help but flinch. I’m almost certain we’re gonna be rushing to the hospital for her to get some stitches.

  “There, I’m done,” she’s proudly holding up the lock that now has “GV” carved into it. “Here, now it’s your turn,” carefully, she hands me the lock and knife.

  Once I’m done carving “SH” into the lock, Salem jumps to her feet. “Come on, slow poke,” she pulls me up into a standing position. “We need to find the perfect spot.”

  I smile at her enthusiasm. “I’m glad you’re so excited.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? This is such an amazing idea.”

  I slip my arm around her lower back as we walk over to the bridge. “What if we can’t find a spot?” Salem looks up at me, alarmed.

  “We’ll find a spot. But if we don’t, I have a pair of bolt cutters in the trunk; we’ll cut someone’s lock off.”

  “Gabriel! We can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, that’s someone’s declaration of love. How would you feel if someone cut ours down?”

  “I’d kick the shit out of ‘em.”

  She pulls away from me and crosses her arms, giving me a look.

  “What? I would,” I say defensively.

  “No, you wouldn’t.”

  She breaks away from my hold and her eyes begin to scour the bridge for an opening. Her face changes from determination to worry as we walk along the bridge searching but still not finding an opening. “I think they’ve all been taken.”

  “We’ll find one, Say.”

  Looking over her shoulder at me, she smiles coyly.

  “Whatcha smilin’ about?”

  “You.”

  “What about me?”

  “I like that you call me, ‘Say.’”

  With both of my hands on her hips, I walk her backward up to the bridge. “I like that you call me, ‘Gabriel.’” My cheeks become flushed at my admission.

  Salem crushes her lips against mine, hungrily devouring my mouth, before surprising me by demanding, “Take me, Gabriel.”

  “Here?” I’m completely taken back by her request; I’m excited, but taken back. Holy fuck, is this really happening right now?

  She reaches for the button on my jeans and gets to work undoing them. “Yes, here… and now.”

  “Do you wanna go back to the blanket?”

  Aggressively, she jerks the front of my pants down, freeing my hard-on. My cock swells in her hand as she strokes me, her eyes full of need. “No, I want you here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Taking my hand, she forces it down the front of her pants; she’s slick with arousal. “What do you think?”

  I bite my bottom lip, and the hair on the back of my neck rises as my fingers delve inside of her. “I think you’re ready,” my voice deepens into a moan. Reaching down between us, I remove her pants and grasp her ass. Her eagerness excites me as she hops up to wrap her legs around my waist.

  “I’m so ready,” a primal moan escapes her as she guides me into her sweet cleft, and her body accepts me.

  “Hold onto me,” I instruct before hoisting her up against the fence. As our bodies work together, I flinch when her nails rake over my skin.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  “Nah,” I smile and kiss her deeply. Her pussy gets wetter with each thrust of my hips.

  “Gabriel,” she says in an unfurling cry. Her thighs tighten around my waist and she links her ankles, digging them into my lower back. Her hands grip my forearms to give herself the leverage she needs to ride me. Cupping her soft, succulent ass, I assist her in her movements. “That’s it, Gabriel,” she urges, “make me come.”

  This is a side of her I’ve never seen and it’s a fucking turn-on. Maybe the break we took from sex has given her the confidence she needed to let her guard down with me. She’s come a long way since our first encounter. That shy, inexperienced, almost virginal girl is gone. I’m now with a sex-crazed she-beast, who’s riding my cock like it’s a bucking fuckin’ bronco, and I’m loving it.

  Balancing her up against the fence with my knee, I manage to pull up her shirt with one hand. I need to feast on her soft, fleshy buds and drive her to the brink. Arching her back up against the fencing, she gives me full access to her breasts while her lower body relentlessly works my cock. My balls begin to tighten, and a warm, tingling sensation grows throughout my body.

  “I’m so fucking close,” Salem curses as our mouths collide, and we feverishly kiss one another.

  “Me, too. Aaahhh…” I exhale, just as I begin to empty into her.

  Her fingernails dig into my arms and her legs squeeze with all their might. Her eyes close as she lets herself go with a soft moan; with my next thrust, her moan becomes louder and longer until she’s at a full-out scream. I have her pinned up against the fence, impaling her on my cock; her entire body is trembling and then goes totally limp. “Holy shit,” she begins to laugh. “I think my life just flashed before my eyes. That was incredible!” A small amount of sweat glistens on her brow.

  I rest my forehead against hers. “I think we may have found your G-spot.”

  “If that’s what that was, I never want to lose it again,” she responds in complete awe, trying to catch her breath.

  Throw in the Towel – To throw in the towel also, to throw in the sponge, is to end the fight, to give up, acknowledge defeat. When a boxer’s second (his trainer or corner man) feels his boxer is taking a beating and doesn’t think he can or should continue the fight, he throws a towel or sponge into the ring to stop the carnage, to end the fight by TKO.

  On the drive back from Fowler’s Bridge, Salem sits quietly with a radiant smile plastered on her face. She’s more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her. “Do you mind if we swing by my place? I wanna check in on Jase.”

  “Anything you want.”

  Smiling, I look over at her. “Are you happy?”

  “I’m more than happy. I had the best time today, Gabriel. I can never thank you enough for everything you planned for us.”

  “I wish I co
uld do something like that for you every day.”

  Reaching out, she touches my face softly. “I don’t need that every day. I just need you.”

  My chest begins to warm and my heart races. I have the overwhelming feeling to pull over and cradle her in my arms, caress her soft, velvety skin, and lavish her with kisses. I want to make her this happy forever.

  “I thought of another question for you.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “If you weren’t a boxer, what would your dream job be?”

  “Probably a social worker or something like that.”

  “Why don’t you do it?”

  I give her a double take. “Do what?”

  “Why don’t you become a social worker?”

  “I can’t just walk into an office and say, ‘Hi, I’m here to become a social worker.’”

  “I know that, Gabriel,” she sighs. “What I meant was, why don’t you go to school and pursue a career in it?”

  “How am I supposed to do that? I’ve already got my hands full with the gym and the after school kids.”

  “I could help you.”

  “What do you mean, help?”

  “Financially, I could help you.”

  I don’t like the direction this conversation is going. I’ve told her before, I don’t take handouts, especially from my girlfriend. Things aren’t supposed to be this way; I’m the man, and I’m supposed to take care of her. “I’m not gonna take your money, Salem,” I snap.

  “You could think of it as a loan. Once you’re established in your career, you could pay me back.”

  “Absolutely not!” I can see her jump out of the corner of my eye. “And I’m done discussing this.”

  Neither of us say another word for a good ten minutes. I reach to turn on the radio and Salem’s hand stops me. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I know you didn’t, and I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

  “I just want to help you,” she says, remorsefully.

  “I know and I love that you have such a big heart. But it’s a sensitive subject, and I just don’t wanna talk about it right now.”

  “Please, don’t be mad at me.”

  “Oh Salem, I’m not mad at you. Please don’t think that.”

  “Okay, good. I would hate to think I ruined our perfect day together by asking you one question.”