Four Can Play That Game: Part One

by Ostle, J. L.

  “I’ve been swimming since I was eight. I find it very calming, and it’s cheaper than going to get a massage every time I’m strung up too tight.”

  She walks with me to business class and I spot guy number one and coffee shop guy with Devon and a few other guys. I feel my face turn pink when they turn and look at me. I keep my eyes on Clarissa and she guides us to seats in the middle of the room, but not far enough away from them.

  “You know where Devon is sitting?” she whispers.

  I nod. “The guys he’s meant to share his women with are next to him.”

  Curiosity bugging me, I turn to see three other guys sitting to Devon’s right, and yeah, they are attractive, but not as attractive as Devon or coffee shop guy. They all look my way and, like an idiot, I quickly turn back around, thinking I’m fast enough and that they wouldn’t have noticed I was looking, but I know no one is ever that fast.

  All I keep doing the last two days is staring at these guys. I feel like I should have stalker written across my forehead. Or worse yet… pyscho.

  The day went by really quickly after business studies. I think it helped to know that none of the three guys are in any of my other classes.

  I’m getting annoyed with myself. I feel like every other girl on campus. The ones who hope for a glimpse of them, just to catch their eye. I need to concentrate on my studies and not my hormones.

  Once the last class is finished, I head over to the track for a run to clear my thoughts and to let out some of the tension that’s building up.

  Heading to the girls’ locker room, I grab my bag that has my swim stuff in and sigh in relief, glad I packed shorts and a tank top. After getting changed, I walk over to the field to do some stretches before I start. I clip my iPod in place, choosing Esmee Denters Outta Here before taking off in a steady jog.

  I let the music distract my thoughts and I just keep going. After two laps, I speed up a little. Already, I start to feel sweat dripping down my temples. I wipe it away with the back of my hand and keep going.

  I clear all thoughts, my surroundings becoming a blur. The only thing I see is the track ahead of me. I am so zoned out that I don’t immediately see there’s someone running next to me. I turn in surprise to see the guy from the coffee shop. He gives me a sweet smile and points at my earpiece, but we keep in sync with our running. Taking out my earbuds, I give him a smile, hating that I probably look a mess.

  “You’re the girl from the coffee shop, right?”

  “Yeah. Thanks again for picking up my keys. That was sweet of you.” I look him over; I’m a little disappointed that he’s wearing a t-shirt today.

  He waves me off. “You’re a good runner. You do track?”

  “No. I just run for fun. It's therapeutic.” I look away from him and face forward.

  “I’ve never seen someone run the way you do just for fun. You looked like you were in your own world. You didn’t even notice I was next to you for over two laps.” He shakes his head.

  Two laps? I’ve lost count with how many I’ve actually done. That’s crazy. “Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t apologize.” We run in silence for a few minutes before he breaks the silence. “I saw you swimming earlier too. You’re very good at that also. Bet you do that for fun too.”

  “I do. But that’s all I’m good at. Running and swimming.”

  “I highly doubt that.”

  I turn to look at him and he smiles at me. Is he flirting with me?

  “Do you run for work or pleasure?” I ask him.

  “Both. I’ve always loved to run. Just something about it.” He takes in a deep breath. “It's freeing.” He looks ahead of him, and from the expression on his face, I can tell he means every word.

  “I get what you mean. When I run, it clears my mind. It lets me forget everything, just for a little while.” I look away from him, facing ahead of me.

  “Yeah, exactly.”

  We run in silence for another four laps before I start to slow down to a stop. I bend over, placing my palms on my knees, catching my breath. My heart is hammering in my chest, but I feel so much better. I stand back up, raising my arms above my head, stretching.

  Coffee shop guy is looking at me, but his eyes are focused on my midriff where my tank has risen. His eyes slowly trail up to my breasts. With my deep breathing, my chest is rising up and down . He quickly looks away, doing a few stretches of his own before he faces me again.

  I stand there for a moment, neither of us saying a word. I start to feel a little awkward, so I give him a geeky wave and start to jog over to the building where the girls’ lockers are.

  “Same again on Friday?” he shouts after me.

  I turn around, smiling so big. He smiles just as big back at me. “If you can keep up with me.”

  “I do like a challenge,” he says, before walking away.

  I watch him go before I turn back around. Heading to my locker, I pull out my toiletries, grabbing a clean towel. Before I step into the showers, I catch myself in the mirror. My face is rosy and I have sweat dripping down my forehead. My clothes are clinging to me. I look so horrible. I inwardly groan, knowing coffee shop guy saw me like this.

  Dammit.

  I forgot to ask for his name.

  I need to remember to ask him on Friday. I can’t keep calling him coffee shop guy. I know there’s no way he would see me romantically, but it would be nice if I’ve made another friend.

  A friend I can ogle at.

  I take a quick shower, leaving my hair wet. I tie it up in a high ponytail again before heading back to my apartment. I hope I get to meet my roommates today as it’s weird that I’m sharing a place with people I haven’t met yet.

  I’ve just walked off campus when my phone starts to ring. I smile when I see my mom’s name. I quickly answer, smiling from ear to ear. “Hi, Mom. How are you? Are you okay?”

  She laughs. “Hi, honey. I was about to ask you the same things.” She giggles again. “I’m good. How’s school? How are your roommates? Met any future husbands?”

  “I can hear you!” I hear my dad shout out to my mom.

  “School is good. I made a friend called Clarissa. She is super nice, and I think I just made a new friend who enjoys running also.”

  “That’s good. What’s she like?”

  I bite my lip. “It isn’t a she.”

  Mom screams like a teenager. “Right, spill. What does he look like? Is he cute? Of course he’s cute. You paused before you said it was a guy. What his name?”

  “I forgot to ask for his name, but I’ve nicknamed him coffee shop guy as I met him yesterday, but we didn’t actually talk then though.”

  “You must like him if you nicknamed him. Is he cute?”

  “He is really good-looking. Blonde hair, light brown eyes. Oh my God, Mom. He has a body like a model.” I think back to the water dripping down him.

  “You saw him with no shirt on? To be twenty years younger.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “Honey, you know I was joking…” I hear muffled voices.

  “How did you see a guy naked?” Dad says in a worried voice.

  I roll my eyes. “I didn’t see a guy naked. I saw a guy with no shirt on. He helped pick up my keys.”

  “You need to be more careful. What if he didn’t give them back and followed you home and robbed you?”

  “Dad, I promise I will be more careful. Besides, I think he’s my friend now anyway. Don’t you want me to make new friends?” I smile, knowing he’s thinking of a delicate way to say I can, but not with boys.

  “Who really needs friends these days…” I hear their muffled voices again.

  “Don’t listen to him. I’m glad you made new friends. If one ends up being my future son-in-law, all the more reason to be friends with him. So, have you met anyone else that has caught your eye?” I think of Devon and the first guy I met. “You paused again. I leave you alone for a couple of days and you’re attracting men like bees to honey,” Mom teases.

 
; “There are more boys?” I hear Dad in the background again. “Maybe she should move in with us after all.”

  Mom and I laugh. “Yes, honey. That’s not going to happen. Now, stop eavesdropping. We’re having girl talk.” She clears her throat. “You have got condoms, right?” I hear dad groan loudly. “Sorry, sweetie. Had to get him to walk away.”

  I shake my head, laughing. “You’re going to give him a heart attack.”

  “He shouldn’t listen to our conversations then.” I can imagine her smiling. She does like teasing him.

  “You are so bad.”

  “I know. Now, anyway, tell me who has also caught your eye.”

  “I ran into this guy. I’ve nicknamed him guy number one. I was looking at the campus map when I bumped into someone and I would have fallen on my ass, but this guy grabbed hold of me, stopping me from hurting myself.”

  “How was he holding you though? Was it damsel in distress kind of hold, or did he just take hold of your hands?”

  I think back to it and smile. “He had his hands on my waist, like a dip type thing. When we stood up, his hands went around so he was holding onto me. It was a lingering hold too.”

  Mom shrieks. “No wonder you like him. That is like stuff you see in movies. There is someone else though, isn’t there? I can sense it.”

  I swear Mom is psychic when it comes to me. She was always able to read me by just looking at me or by my voice alone. But when she got sick, I tried really hard for her not to read me. I never wanted her to know that I was breaking on the inside.

  “There was one more boy, but I won’t ever pursue anything with him. He is your cliché bad boy.”

  “Oh, honey. Those are the best kind. I agree they aren’t relationship material, but they are the ones you will have fun with. They’ll make your toes curl.”

  I pull my phone away from my ear before placing it back. “I bet you’re talking from experience, but remember, you’re still my mother, and I don’t want any dirty details of your life.” I laugh, and she laughs too.

  “I’m just saying, bad boys have passion. But he should be worried though.”

  “Worried? Why?” I reach my home, opening the door. I look around to see it’s empty again. I go straight to my room, placing my stuff on the floor. I jump onto my bed, getting comfortable.

  “There is always one special girl that will tame the bad boy and, sweetie, you are a special girl. If you set your sights on him, he would change his ways just to be with you. It would never be easy, but he would move mountains to stay in your life.”

  “Mom, I think you’ve read too many books. This guy, he’s into things I would never get involved in. It’s nothing illegal or anything, but it's not anything I would ever do.”

  “You know more than anyone that life is short. Haven’t I always told you to try everything once? Remember the story I told you about how me and your father met?”

  Yeah, I remember the story. I love their story.

  Mom was the goody goody at high school, and dad was the bad boy, the player. Mom was on a ladder placing a banner when she lost balance and he caught her in his arms. Their eyes connected and that was it. They couldn’t live without each other. They’ve had rocky times, but everything made them stronger. I can see the love they have for one another.

  “Dad was the bad boy and you were the special girl.” I smile.

  “Trust me, Dad was a player. He had girls throwing themselves at him, and some tried to tear us apart. But he chose me. He fell in love with me. So, try not judge right away.”

  I think it over, but I’ve seen him have sex with my roommate. I don’t let that bit of information slip. I think about him standing behind me, feeling his body close to mine. My body did react to him, but you would have to be blind to not feel anything when he was that close.

  “I think this guy likes women too much. You and Dad were meant to be.”

  “You never know. Any one of these guys could be the one. You just need to get their names and then go from there.” She giggles.

  “Yeah, I think that would be a good start.” I shake my head. “I do know the bad boy is called Devon, but I need to find out about the other two.”

  “That is your mission. If anything does happen, you have to call me ASAP. I don’t care how small.”

  “You know I will.”

  “Enjoy this, honey. Enjoy all these new experiences. I love you.”

  Tears well up in my eyes. “I love you, Mom.” We say goodbye, and I sit looking at my phone before I stand up. I open my bedroom door, calling out to see if anyone else is home, but I’m just greeted by silence.

  I walk over to the doors and knock each one, but it seems I’m still alone. Going to the kitchen area, I make dinner and eat in my room. Three hours go by. I’ve cleaned up after myself, done some research for my classes, but I still haven’t heard anyone come home when I get into bed.

  I have a spring to my step. I think talking to my mom helped. But I also think it’s because I’ve made two friends. I was scared I was going to spend the last half of the year on my own, having no social life at all.

  Waking up to texts with plans of meeting up is a nice to start the day. Clarissa wants to meet at the coffee shop again. I get there first, so I order our drinks and I’m just paying when I hear her behind me.

  “Morning.” We step to the side, waiting for our beverages.

  After a minute, we’re handed our drinks and we head back outside. We both take a sip, and I sigh at the yummy goodness.

  “You look happy. Have you spoken to your roommates yet?”

  “No, not yet. Do they just party or hook up? I find it odd that they’re hardly home. They did come back last night, but I was too tired to really notice.”

  “At least you have a place that’s quiet.” We head towards campus.

  “True.” I take another sip.

  “But back to you being happy. Who put that smile on your face?” She raises an eyebrow at me.

  “There’s this guy…”

  “I knew there was a guy. No one is ever this happy first thing in the morning. I need details. Who is it?”

  “You know when you showed me the coffee shop the other day? Well, after you left, I dropped my keys and this really cute guy picked them up. Yesterday I saw him when I was swimming and again when I was running on the track. We started talking and he asked if we could run again tomorrow.”

  “I’m obviously meeting guys at the wrong places. What’s his name?”

  “I forgot to ask for it. But trust me when I say he looks like a model. The day I met him at the coffee shop, he was shirtless, and he poured a bottle of water over him and the water was gliding down his body. It was unreal.”

  Clarissa has her mouth wide open; I’m sure she’s picturing it in her head. “Why did I have to leave when I did? If you spot him, point him out. I might know who he is.”

  Clarissa and I part ways, heading to our classes. I hear my phone ding in my pocket. I grab it, looking at a Facebook notification. When I look up, I yelp, running into Devon. His arms wrap around my waist, pulling my body into him.

  “Hey, beautiful. Falling for me, I see.” He smirks.

  I try and pull away, but he holds onto me tighter. “Are you going to let me go?”

  “I like your body close to mine.” His head leans in, his mouth moving near my ear. “You feel so good, princess.” His voice vibrates right through me. “I don’t want to let you go.” I know he’s messing with me, trying to charm me, but his words still affect me.

  “You need to let me go.”

  His fingers dig into my sides a little harder, pulling me closer to him, causing my back to arch a little. A sound escapes my lips when I feel his erection press into me. “I need you,” he breathes.

  I’m getting hot, my breath is coming faster, and my body just wants to grind against him to help this ache that’s starting to build inside me.

  I move so I’m looking at him. His eyes are connected to mine. I can’t l
ook away. I’m being drawn in like a moth to a flame. He leans in closer, his lips getting nearer to mine when I hear a girl behind me clear her throat.

  “Devon, once you’re finished with her, are we still meeting up at lunch?” With the spell broken, I look to see a girl with long blonde hair smiling sweetly at us.

  I step out of Devon’s hold, straightening myself up. I eye the girl up and down and she’s wearing a tight white dress that hugs her body. She’s flawless. She looks like she should be out on the town, not on campus. I look at Devon and he’s glaring at her. When his eyes come back to me, they immediately change. I can see the heat in his gaze. He doesn’t want me to go.

  I look away, stepping out of his reach, and start to walk away when Devon runs over, standing in front of me, blocking me. “I think we have some unfinished business, princess.”

  I try and walk around him, but it’s no use. “I don’t think so. Go back to your Barbie doll.” I try to go past him, but he is relentless. I groan at him and he just smiles at me.

  “Like hell we don’t. You felt that. You know there something’s there.” He steps closer. “Just once. Let me have you to myself.”

  Once? He wants a one-night stand?

  I duck under his arm, and we’re on opposite sides to where we were. “I am not like the girls you like to fuck with. I’m not having my roommate’s sloppy seconds.” I turn and walk away. I don’t look back, even though I can feel his eyes on me.

  Why didn’t I push him away?

  He’s probably gone to go fuck that girl now anyway, or he’ll fuck her at lunchtime as planned.

  I would love to have my parents’ story happen to me, but I doubt I will get to tame a guy like Devon.

  In my own little world, I don’t pay attention when I spot coffee shop guy waving at me, walking in the opposite direction to me. He laughs when I see him and he stops. His smile is already making me feel better.

  “You really do go into your own world, don’t you?”

  “Sorry. I was just thinking. We still on for tomorrow after classes?”

  “Of course. Now that I’ve found a running buddy, I can’t let you outrun me.” He winks at me before he walks away, walking backward before turning back around and getting eaten up by the crowd.