“You okay?” he asked her and she whipped around to face him, wriggling out from his grip.
“What are you doing?” she didn’t know what else to ask him. She couldn’t believe he was grinning. After all that had transpired, the scene that had unfolded and the fact that she had very nearly tripped and thrashed up her face - he was grinning!
“Saving you from a nasty fall” he said and patted her on her shoulder. She didn’t have the mental or physical energy to pull away from him. She was still trying to stabilize her breathing.
“Why were you running Tracey? You’re taking your Captaincy too seriously” he laughed again and she sighed deeply.
“I don’t know” she was exhausted, too exhausted to make a joke or even snigger at him.
“I guess I was trying to get away from them” she said and he patted her again.
“Look. I can understand what you’re going through. You just have to relax and think it over” he said softly. His kindness made her feel guilty, she was afraid that she would burst into tears.
“I don’t know what to think. This is all too sudden” she said as they stood facing each other.
“Yeah I can imagine. At least I had some time to get used to it. You had none” he said and inched closer towards her. Tracey had hung her head down and did not want to look into those blue eyes.
“It’s alright if you want to take some time. But lashing out like this just hurts them, you know?” he was speaking gently to her, almost whispering. He was close enough now for her to feel his breath falling on her hair.
“I don’t know what happened there. They’re getting married!” she spoke up, louder than she had intended to.
“Yeah. That is crazy. But then they are clearly crazy for each other” he said and before she knew what was happening, he had pulled her close to him, placing her head on his chest gently.
“I can’t wait to go away” she said, her voice muffled by his t-shirt. She could smell him now, he smelt masculine, like the sea, like sea-salt, like things she hadn’t expected him to smell like. She buried her face deeper into his chest, without thinking about what she was doing.
“Hey. That isn’t the solution” he placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head towards him. His blue eyes were blazing into her own green ones and she tried to look away from him, she was shy.
“I’m going to go live with my dad in Alaska anyway. I’m not running away. Just going away” she whispered back. She could feel his eyes were still on her while she spoke.
“Tracey” he whispered, his voice was hoarse and it gave her goosebumps. She looked at him, embarrassed and couldn’t help but stare at his red lips. The way they curved and were moistened by his own saliva.
“I don’t know what’s happening” she whispered as he lowered his head towards her. He didn’t respond, but instead pressed his lips against hers. His mouth tasted surprisingly sweet. She could feel the weight of his tongue pushing her lips apart as it found its way inside her mouth. She felt an instant kick in the pit of her stomach and for some reason she wanted to wrap her legs around him, to pull him closer towards her body.
“Tracey” he whispered, into her mouth as his tongue explored her. His hands were gripping the small of her waist and she arched her body towards him. Even through their clothes, she could feel his growing desire between her legs. She dug in her nails into the muscular flesh of his arms as she kissed him back, fiercely. He pulled away from her suddenly, too soon and she was left gasping for breath.
She could see that his eyes were darkened and narrow. She was trembling with desire and there was no denying that he wanted her.
“What are we doing” he sounded very confused. She wanted more and pulled him towards her. She didn’t want to answer his question and leaned in to lick his earlobe. He immediately grasped her by the neck, in a passionate embrace and stared into her eyes.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked her gruffly before kissing her again. His free hand stroked her back and she pushed towards him, placing her hands on his chest.
“No. This is insane” he pulled away from her again. His voice snapped her out of her own day-dream and she inched away from him, more surprised than he was by their actions.
“What the Hell Aron?!” she nearly screamed at him.
“Stop yelling Tracey” he whispered and looked around him.
“Why would you encourage this?” she asked him and he shook his head, unconvinced.
“You are as much to blame for this as I am” he said. His nostrils were flaring. She hadn’t seen him pissed off before.
“My mom is marrying your dad and you just kissed me!” she couldn’t help but yell at him. She didn’t care who saw or heard them.
“Tracey stop it! You’re going to get people to come out of their homes” he inched towards her and she moved away.
“You’re crazy. What makes you think I even want you?” she wasn’t sure of what she was saying, all her thoughts were jumbled up.
“Didn’t seem to be the case a minute ago” he grinned again and she wanted to scream.
“Shut up Aron. Just shut up and go away” she said and his grin immediately dropped.
“I don’t know what your problem is. Why are you such a sour puss all the time?” he said the words and they sunk into her. She knew she was on her worst behavior and she had no idea why she was reacting this way, to everyone.
“My problem is that you’re a womanizer, that your dad is marrying my mom and you are the last guy I want to be with” she had started to walk away again, towards her house this time.
“It didn’t seem like you didn’t want to be with me” he said, following her down the road.
“Leave me alone Aron” she said, without turning to look at him. She felt an ache in her ankles, from almost having tripped and fallen, and she walked with a slight limp.
“Yes they’re getting married. But that doesn’t mean we’re related” he said to her and she finally whipped around to face him.
“It’s not just about them Aron. I don’t want to be with you. You are not the kind of guy who will understand me or be good for me. So just leave me alone” she shoved him away from her, with a quick push on his chest. She could see the shock in his eyes as she did it and she immediately regretted it.
“No problem” he said and quickly turned on his heels and started walking away. She remained standing where he had left her and watched him turn the corner. She didn’t know what to feel. She didn’t want to go back to her own house and be alone with her mom and Bob. She missed Aron’s presence, his gentleness and the logical explanation he seemed to have for everything. She kept standing there for a few minutes longer before turning towards her own house.
When she reached her house, she stood outside the front gate looking in. She could see that the curtains weren’t drawn in the living room and her mom was sitting on the couch, with Bob standing behind her. His hands were placed on her mom’s shoulder and he was saying something to her, while she cried. She looked to the side and could see into the candle-lit kitchen. A roast dinner remained uneaten on the dining table and something inside her soul just clicked.
Tracey opened the front door and was quiet when she entered. Her mother and Bob had both turned to look at her in unison.
“I’m sorry Mom. Sorry for the scene Bob. I’m hungry. Do you guys want to finish dinner?” she asked and saw both their eyes light up. Her mom smiled and got up from the couch excitedly to come over and give her daughter a hug. Bob looked happy as they hugged. She almost expected him to clap.
“Darling, where’s Aron?” her mom asked as she pulled away from Tracey’s arms.
“Umm…I don’t know” Tracey shrugged her shoulders and walked towards the kitchen without looking at either of them.
*****
Tracey’s mom greeted her with open arms as she walked over with both the pom-poms still in her hands. Bob was standing behind her, beaming at Tracey as well.
“You were great
out there” her mom kissed her on her cheek and Bob patted her on her back.
“Thanks guys. There were no hiccups thankfully” she said cheerily. The big game was over, the last of her cheerleading performances was over too. Now she could concentrate on the finals.
“Congratulate Aron when you see him” she told Bob and turned to leave.
“Where are you going Trace? We were hoping to take you guys out for dinner, celebrate” Bob and her mom exchanged looks.
“I’m sure Aron has other things to do, other ways to celebrate. I have to study anyway” Tracey said without really turning around to look at them.
“Alright. We’ll go some other time” Bob said as she walked away.
She was on her bike and took the long route home, she wasn’t really in the mood to study. She had a lot of time in Alaska and was way ahead of schedule. As Tracey took in the sights of the city she knew so well, she slowly cycled her way back home, realizing that try as she might, she would miss her hometown.
When she reached home she found him waiting on the steps, by the front door. He had his humungous headphones perched on top of his head and hadn’t really noticed when she parked her bike by the front gate.
“What are you doing here?” she asked Aron as he pulled his headphones away from his ears.
“Waiting for you” he said grimly. His usual grin was missing from his face.
“I assumed you would be with your friends, or your girlfriends, celebrating” she said as she climbed the steps to the front door and stood in front of him.
“I met my dad and your mom. They said you’d come home to study. I was looking forward to our celebratory dinner” in a round-about way he had avoided her sly question about whether he had any girlfriends.
“Why?” she asked him and crossed her arms.
“Wanna sit down?” he asked and patted the space next to him. She grudgingly sank to the floor beside him, making sure there were a few inches of space between their legs. Tracey had changed out of her cheerleading costume and into a pair of small cotton shirts. The oversized t-shirt she was wearing, was an old faded one she had borrowed from her dad years ago. Her hair was its usual blonde mess. Aron had changed out of his football jersey as well. He looked like he’d taken a shower recently and his dark hair was still damp.
“I wanted to clear the air” he said finally as they looked ahead, not directly at each other.
“Of what?” she asked him. She still had her defenses up for some reason and she was struggling to not look at him.
“Of what happened the other night. Our parents are getting married soon and we’ll be seeing more of each other. I don’t want to make my dad or your mom miserable because of us” he said and finally turned to look at her. Their eyes met and she had an instinctual reaction to look away.
“Don’t worry. I’m off to Alaska after the finals and I’ll be staying there for quite a long time. You don’t have to worry about bumping into me at family dinners” she said and immediately felt sad. She didn’t know why the prospect of not talking to him made a little part of her die. She barely knew him, she didn’t even know what it would be like to have dinner with him.
“Nonetheless” he said and was quiet again.
“Look. It was a stupid one time thing and it’s over. We don’t need to talk about it” his silence was making her uncomfortable. He had been the one doing most of the talking, up until now and she wanted to hear him speak. It seemed to have a surprisingly calm effect on her.
“Off-topic. Why did you say that I wasn’t the kind of guy who could be good for you?” he suddenly asked and his eyes pierced into her soul. She shied away from his gaze again.
“I don’t know you Aron. I might have made the judgement too quickly, you just never seemed like the kind of guy who would be” she said meekly. He was still glaring at her.
“Out of all the hurtful things you said to my dad, your mom and me. I feel like that might have been the most effective. So, well done” he said and clapped his hands lightly, mocking her. Tracey was sure she would cry this time. He had an uncontrollably emotional effect on her.
“I’m sorry Aron, that I’ve been so mean to everybody. I’m trying to see things more clearly now. I really am” she said and bit down on her lower lip, trying hard to keep the tears from flowing. He nodded his head silently.
“Yeah dad said that you’ve turned a new leaf suddenly” he said. That grin was back on his face again and it made her knees go weak, and she smiled.
“After what you said I tried to look at things from their perspective. If I’m going to be away, it makes me feel better that my mom has Bob to give her company, to look after her” she said softly and Aron smiled back at her and nodded.
“They are surprisingly good for each other. I’m happy for them” he said and they were quiet for a while. Tracey was thinking, wondering about the change in her life that Aron and his father had brought about.
“What are your plans after college is over? Are you gunning for a professional football career?” she asked him and wondered if she was being too inquisitive.
“Not really. At least I don’t want to”
“What then?”, he didn’t seem upset by her inquisitive questions.
“I don't know what I want to do. The last thing I want is to be stuck in an office like the rest of my class. If I can help it, I want to stay away as far from the rat race as I can” he said and Tracey gulped. He had surprised her again, these were not the life-goals she had expected Aron Clarkson to have.
“And what about your myriad of girlfriends? How are you going to keep them all happy away from that lifestyle?” she asked with a nervous laugh. She felt stupid for bringing it up again but she decided to go with it anyway.
“I can’t give up the pretense quickly enough” he laughed and she raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t look so surprised. A man’s got to keep appearances up. I just can’t do it anymore you know” he said and swung his head away from her.
“Oh please Aron. As if you didn’t enjoy a volley of girls throwing themselves at you. I’m sure all the girls on my team have some really juicy stories to tell about you” she said and he winked at her playfully. For the first time, she blushed when he did that.
“It came with its perks” he said and changed his voice immediately after, “but no seriously. That’s no me” he said and looked into her eyes, the same way he had done when he’d kissed her in the streets, only a week ago.
“Who are you then?” she croaked. Her voice was breaking as his eyes had the same paralyzing effect on her.
“I have no idea Tracey. I’m waiting to find out” he said and leaned in. Their lips met with the same electrical shock as it had the last time. They were both leaning in, making up for the space between them. His hands had travelled up to her back, slowly creeping up under her t-shirt as they kissed with a renewed frenzy. This time it was Tracey who pulled away.
“We can’t Aron. My mom…” she began and he knocked his forehead against hers. She narrowed her eyes to be able to look at him, her breathing still heavy from the passion of the moment.
“You think they care?” he whispered hoarsely and she nodded her head.
“She will think I’m doing this to jeopardize her relationship” Tracey said, almost cried as she spoke. His lips were an inch away from hers and she already hated herself for pulling away from him.
“Don’t be silly Tracey. They will understand” he said and with his hand behind her neck, he pulled her towards him again, enveloping her lips with his. She could feel his tongue inside her mouth and just as a pleasured moan escaped her lips she pulled away again.
“For God’s sake Tracey! Will you just let me kiss you” he said with a frustrated smile. She could see the desire in his eyes and it made her want him more.
“But I’m going away Aron. I don’t want us to get hurt” she said and bit down on her lip. It was physically painful to not kiss him, especially when he looked like that.
“This isn’t the 17th Century Tracey. We can see each other often, Heck I can go with you” he said with a laugh.
“To Alaska?!” her jaw dropped. He had a habit of shocking her and she bit her lip again. The dimples on his cheeks were deep and she wanted to bite his lips as he smiled at her in delight.
“There are no chains binding me here. So why not?” he asked her and pulled her to him to kiss her again. This time she let him. They kissed wildly on the front steps of her house, till it grew dark and they walked inside, in each others’ arms.
“This is crazy” she whispered as they lay entangled in each other on the couch in the living room.
“It sure feels like it. But, I’ve wanted this for too long for it to seem that crazy anymore. It just feels really good” Aron said while stroking her messy hair.
“How long have you wanted it? I didn’t know how much I wanted you till I saw you standing in my living room, smiling at my mom and introducing me to your dad” she said with a laugh and cuddled into his arms.
“It’s safe to say I was attracted to you for years. Since the first time I saw you. I just didn’t know how to maneuver my way through your hatred for me” he said and they both laughed.
“So did you put your dad up to this?” she asked him through slitty eyes and pulled his cheeks playfully. They both heard the car park in front of the house and they sat up, straightening up their clothes.
“I don’t know how I’m going to face mom” Tracey said and threw Aron a nervous look just as the front door opened. She felt him reach for her hand and give it a gentle squeeze as her mom and Bob walked in.
Everybody was quiet for a few seconds, silently looking at each other. Tracey noticed the look of surprise, confusion and enlightenment in her mother’s eyes as she took in the sight of Tracey’s messy hair and Aron’s crumpled and wrinkled clothes. The fact that the cushions on the couch were now lying on the floor was another easy giveaway. Bob cleared her throat as her mom continued to stare at them, a puzzled look on her face as she didn’t know how to react to the situation.
Sucker for the Boss Page 35
