Struck By You: Players

by I. M. Hicks

  “Good morning Mr. Hayes,” said the young girl behind the desk. I couldn’t remember her name so I waved while I looked at Riley, but she did not acknowledge me. She took another bite of her apple and kept on reading.

  That went well Mason, I said to myself as I walked in the studio, my whole plan of cancelling the membership in her presence just went out the window.

  Then much to my surprise, the three women I had been intimate with were present. Gloria, Stephanie and in walked Riley. Gloria and Stephanie placed themselves together near the front, so I thought it would be best to place myself somewhere close to the exit which meant somewhere near the back row. I also picked somewhere where I would have no distractions, no more women from the spa.

  As soon as class was over, Gloria and Stephanie began talking to Riley privately. I left the studio as quickly as I could and made my way to the showers.

  Twenty minutes later, I was back on my way to the lobby to cancel the membership and she was there again, but now she’d let her hair down and off to one side over her shoulder. She was sitting in the waiting area with her book again, and she had her pink hoodie on and her backpack by her feet.

  I walked up to the receptionist, trying to think of a good reason to cancel, because for some reason the one I had rehearsed all day yesterday I’d forgotten completely.

  “How can I help you Mr. Hayes?” said the young woman, offering me a warm smile.

  “I would like to book another massage please,” the words just rolled off my tongue and I had no control over them.

  “Certainly, Mr. Hayes. We have an opening again this Wednesday at four with Gwen, does that work?”

  “Perfect,” I replied. What the hell is wrong with me!

  When I turned to leave she was gone, and I was able to think again. I left the building to get my car and she was standing next to it, reading her book. She looked up at me once I unlocked it and quickly put the book away in her backpack.

  “I wanted to apologize about Saturday, Mason,” she said. “I was harsh and I’m sorry,” she said looking into my eyes.

  “Okay, forgiven,” I said putting my gym bag in the trunk and made my way to the driver door.

  “Mason,” she said. She looked down and smiled then looked at me as if she needed to say more to me.

  “I made a ton of sushi yesterday, more than I could possibly eat,” she said and bit her lower lip “Do you want to come over for lunch? You can park your car in the underground parking, I live very close,” she smiled.

  Say no, say no. “You bet,” I replied and walked around the car to open the door for her. It was a bit windy and as soon as I opened that door, her hair went to my face and the sweet scent hit me like a freight train. I knew at that point I’d do whatever she wanted me to.

  “So how was the rest of your evening on Saturday?” I asked as I sat in the car. I was curious.

  She smiled and shook her head. “I didn’t call him back, if that’s what you’re wondering,” she said, shifting her gaze toward me. “I went home and went to bed early.”

  I nodded, feeling sudden relief and I’m not sure why, but I stopped hating her at that point.

  Her condo unit was on the twentieth floor of the high-rise, a small one-bedroom. But like her, the unit was bright with tons of sun light coming in. Her furniture was mainly all white, modern with some bohemian accents, cozy, and everything was spotless.

  “Just make yourself comfortable,” she said as she took her hoodie and shoes off.

  “Nice place,” I said as I walked around her apartment looking at all the photos she had everywhere.

  “Not as nice as yours I bet,” she said mockingly.

  “I don’t plan to live there forever, I do want to buy my own place someday.”

  “Can I get you a drink? I have wine, vodka or beer,” she called out.

  “Nothing right now, maybe a glass of water.”

  “Help yourself, bottles are in the fridge.”

  I went in her kitchen which was surprisingly big for the size of the unit. She was standing over the island transferring sushi from one platter to another. Her hair, now in a low ponytail, gracefully draped over her beautiful back. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and watched her as she worked. I walked up and stood next to her. “Where did you learn how to do this?” I asked.

  “I have a lot of downtime, the Food Network and YouTube mostly,” she said, transferring some of the California rolls. It was true she had made a lot of sushi and all kinds, and it was all beautifully done.

  “Looks delicious,” I whispered and kissed her shoulder.

  She smiled and stepped aside a bit. “Let’s eat,” she said taking the tray.

  We sat on her large white leather couch. She turned on the large-screen TV and started flipping through channels.

  “Help yourself,” she said. “Do you like John Candy movies?”

  Took me a minute to figure out who John Candy was and she started laughing at me.

  “The actor, big fat funny guy, Uncle Buck, he’s dead now?” she said.

  “Shit yes, sorry, it’s been a while.”

  “Well I got this Blu-ray collection on Saturday with a bunch of his movies. I watched some yesterday, but I haven’t seen The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs or Planes, Trains & Automobiles yet,” she said, holding the remote looking at me waiting for my response.

  Watching old movies was the last thing on my mind but she wasn’t giving me a choice.

  “Spaceballs,” I blurted.

  She smiled wide almost giddy when I said that.

  We ate for the first thirty minutes of the movie, then she grabbed a pillow and lay down on the couch with her feet close to me.

  I was full and I tried sitting back to relax but could not get comfortable, so I started shifting and moving around like an idiot.

  “Mason,” she said, “take my socks off please, my feet are hot.”

  This day kept getting weirder and weirder. I was so out of my element I didn’t know what to do with myself. I took the pink socks with white polka dots off and looked at her to see what she wanted me to do with them. She looked away from the screen. “Just throw them on the floor,” she said. So I did.

  Suddenly she burst out laughing hysterically during a scene.

  I’d never heard her laugh like that; she was infectious and adorable when she laughed, but I missed the punch line because I was too preoccupied with my present situation.

  She continued having fits of laughter throughout the next few minutes, then she grabbed the remote and paused it.

  “Don’t you know how to relax?” she asked.

  “What? Why?” She caught me off guard.

  “You don’t find this funny? You’re sitting there fidgeting. Don’t you do this with your buddies?” she asked and seemed a bit pissed.

  Truth was, this was a first for me. I’ve never just hung out with a girl. Dinner, flirting, taking her home to my bedroom was the extent of my hanging out with ladies.

  “I’m sorry, I’m feeling out of my comfort zone,” I admitted.

  She rolled her eyes. “Make yourself comfortable, grab a pillow, lie back and relax,” she demanded.

  I tried my best and was able to enjoy the last hour of the movie.

  After the movie was over, she nibbled on more of the sushi and flipped the Blu-ray back to main menu.

  I started to get up to leave.

  “Great Outdoors?” she said suddenly.

  I looked at my watch to check the time. It was nearly two p.m.

  “Well if you have to go, I don’t want to keep you,” she said.

  What the fuck is wrong me? Why did I do that, it’s not like I have anything to do today other than meet my brother and my stepdad later for dinner. I sat back down. “No plans today, Great Outdoors sounds great.”

  The movie was done a couple of hours later and I must admit I was really enjoying myself.

  “Wanna go for a walk?” she asked innocently.

  “A walk?”
I asked stupidly.

  “Yeah, like walking around with your feet,” she said and started laughing.

  “Yeah, why not?” I said getting up, offering my hand to help her up.

  “Let me go change and grab a warmer jacket.”

  “I have to grab mine from the car,” I said

  She changed into dark blue tight jeans, a black t-shirt and a black leather jacket. She had put her hair up in a high ponytail and put on a pair of biker boots. She looked adorable.

  Five minutes later we were outside, walking down Yonge Street.

  After about half an hour into our walk, I asked her, “Are you hungry?”

  “Yeah,” she said, curling her nose.

  I thought about the dinner plans I had with my brother and Carl, but I figured they’d forgive me for not showing up.

  “Pizza!” she said as she stopped in front of a gourmet pizza joint.

  “So tell me Mason, what’s the deal with this job with your dad?” she asked me.

  “It’s for junior partner. It’s a pretty big deal and he’s making me sweat over it.”

  “Does he always do that?” she asked.

  “Yeah, he’s been a good father but he makes us work hard for his love,” I said realizing I’ve never told a soul my sentiments regarding my dad.

  “How old were you when your parents divorced?”

  “I was six, Tanner was ten,” I replied. “My father was a bit of a philanderer while he was married to my mother. It was a nasty divorce.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” she said.

  “No it’s okay, we got over it.”

  “Why do you want to work for him so badly?” she asked and the question ripped through me. Why did I want to work for him after the crap he’s put me and my brother through?

  “He owns the biggest corporate law firm in the city,” I said and that was always my reason for defending him.

  “Makes sense,” she replied and took a sip of her drink. She saw through it all and the worst part was, she knew I knew. “So he interviewed you last Thursday?”

  I smiled. “I won’t hear from him for a while”

  She nodded and took another sip of her drink.

  After dinner, I walked her back to the condo. It was nearly seven and dusk was approaching.

  “You know, we still have Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and Uncle Buck,” she said opening the door to the lobby.

  “You’re not working tonight?” I asked.

  “Nope, I’m off until Wednesday from both places. Working both afternoon yoga classes and the bar after that. So c’mon,” she said smiling.

  “Yeah okay.”

  We watched Planes, Trains & Automobiles and laughed throughout the entire movie. Then I saw her tear up at the end.

  She made popcorn and we started watching Uncle Buck and she fell asleep before the movie ended.

  It was past eleven p.m. already. I turned the TV off, picked her up and took her to bed. I removed her jeans and her socks again and put the blankets on her. She looked so at peace as she slept. I sat next to her and watched her sleep for a bit, then I kissed her on the forehead and said good night.

  I was about to walk out of her bedroom when she stirred a bit.

  “Don’t go,” she whispered.

  I was stunned, not sure what to do at that point.

  “OK, I’ll sleep on the couch,” I whispered.

  “No, sleep here with me.”

  What the fuck. Do I take my pants off? No, she’s going to think I’m going to try something. Then I remembered I was wearing boxers so I could take them off and just keep my t-shirt on.

  So that’s what I did and got into bed with her. She was facing the other way and as soon as I got as comfortable as I could on my back, she turned over and put her arm around my chest, resting her head on my shoulder.

  Why is she doing this to me? I was frozen in place; I felt like a teenage boy on his first ever date with a girl. Suddenly and out of my control, I put my arm around her, and she adjusted her head and put it closer to my chest.

  I woke up the next morning and looked at her clock. Seven a.m. We were in the same position we fell asleep. I watched her sleep and under normal circumstances, I would have exited some time during the night, but there was nothing normal about this situation. She opened her bright blue eyes and looked up at me. Her face was unreadable but still I stared right back at her.

  She grabbed the side of my face and gently kissed me first. I kissed her back and the longer we did it, the harder I kissed her. “I want you inside me,” she whispered and I did not hesitate. I stripped her naked and shredded her panties – I was wild for her. I had blue balls since Thursday and I was hard, so hard the condom was tight and it hurt to slide on. I was in her within minutes. She screamed with every thrust and moaned as she got comfortable with me. I was on top and she had her legs tightly wrapped around me, and she was so wet I wanted to come in her so badly. She was so gorgeous when in ecstasy, so open and so in sync with me. We came together, and it was explosive, different, powerful and almost overwhelming.

  We fell asleep shortly after and I woke up two hours later to her sucking my cock under the sheets. Then we did it in the shower. We made a little breakfast and I fucked her on her granite counter, and then on her couch.

  We fell asleep again, I woke up close to dinner time to her riding me.

  “We need to eat something,” I said after we were done.

  “Yeah, order something,” she exhaled, still trying to catch her breath.

  I ended up ordering Thai food and made out with her again while we waited.

  After dinner, I checked my wallet and much to my surprise, I was out of condoms.

  “Shit.” I sighed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Is there a convenience store or pharmacy near here open?”

  “About a block from here, how come?” she asked.

  “I’m out of condoms.”

  “Don’t worry about it, I’m exhausted and I need to sleep tonight,” she said and got me thinking this was over.

  “You want me to go home?”

  She looked at me with her large puppy-dog eyes and shook her head.

  I smiled and kissed her.

  We went to bed shortly after nine – we were both exhausted.

  Sometime during the night I woke up to her on top of me, kissing my chest and my neck, whispering nasty things in my ear.

  I took her by the waist and put her down on her back.

  “We can’t, remember?” I whispered kissing her breasts.

  “I’m okay. I’m clean and I’m on the pill” she said.

  “Not worried about you,” I admitted. I had been with some questionable women in the past couple of months but I always wore protection.

  “I can handle it,” she whispered.

  Another first.

  I made love to her this time and I’ve never felt so close to another human being as I felt with her at that moment. There was something about Riley that was different, I was lost in her, struck by her and for some reason I didn’t want it to end and I certainly didn’t want Wednesday to come. I couldn’t get enough of her – I was hooked.

  Chapter 7

  I woke up shortly after nine the next morning to the wonderful smell of eggs and bacon. As I lay in bed, I started thinking about the last forty-eight hours. I never meant for this to happen and certainly not for him to stay with me this long. I thought he would leave after the first movie, then I thought he was for sure going to leave after dinner, and it certainly never crossed my mind he would actually stay the night when I asked him to, but he did. I laughed quietly – he certainly did not disappoint. We had something, not exactly sure what it was, but it was hot and after today, it would be over and I was okay with that. It was certainly a different take from my usual one-night stands – definitely no regrets.

  I put on his t-shirt and went to see what he was up to.

  He had the island set up with two plates with
bacon and eggs and fresh fruit and he had just put some pancakes on the side.

  “Smells amazing,” I said. I was starving.

  “Bon appétit mademoiselle,” he said pulling a stool out for me.

  “Merci,” I replied.

  “You look good in my shirt,” he said as he sat down.

  I giggled.

  “Can you call in sick today?” he asked suddenly.

  “No I can’t. My sister would kill me and so would Paul.”

  “C’mon, you can have a sick day, it’s the law, you can have up to ten days if you want.”

  I laughed. “I know, but I can’t do that to them, I’m not sick, and you’re just horny,” I teased.

  “Call in sick,” he whispered in my ear.

  “I can’t,” I said pushing him away.

  “You can’t or you don’t want to?” he accused.

  “I can’t,” I said firmly.

  He put his fork down, got up and walked to the window.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked getting up as well.

  “You,” he said.

  “I don’t understand, Mason. We’re just having fun, why are you trying to complicate this?”

  “Can you just call in sick please?” he said looking back at me, but judging by the look on his face he wasn’t asking, he was begging me.

  “We still have a few hours before I have to go, can we just enjoy them?”

  He sighed. “I have to go,” he said marching into my bedroom to put his pants back on.

  “Mason,” I said, stopping him at my bedroom door.

  He looked at me despondently and I knew there was something terribly wrong.

  “What is it?” I asked. He took his cell phone out of his pocket, searched for something and handed the phone to me.

  A text message from his dad:

  Mason, I regret to inform you that we have decided to go another route. Although your qualifications are exceptional, we at the firm feel that you are not ready for the position of Junior Partner. We suggest that you apply to a smaller firm and come back to us in a few years once you’ve had some experience.