Mr. Sportsball

by K. P. Haigh

  We make it to the landing and there is a set of sliding doors just to our left. Baron opens them, and for a split second, I'm disappointed. Then I see the view, and I know this is even better.

  Every step draws us farther out onto the roof deck and into the inky darkness of the night. There's some traffic in the background, but it's a lovely hum. I've always been fascinated by cities; it's like their pulse lives outside their body, breathing for everyone to hear.

  "This is amazing. That doesn't even… Can I just come live on this roof? I'll bring a hammock. It'll be like urban camping." I'm pretty sure I could spend ten thousand hours up here taking photos and never quite capture how amazing it really is.

  Baron lets out a deep laugh, and I'm keenly aware that our hands are laced together. "It gets even better."

  He pulls me around the corner, and there is a massive sectional couch that wraps around a table. Yeah, this is pretty nice.

  He lets go of my hand, walks over to the table, leans down, and flips a switch. A bright blue flame erupts in the center of the table. Oh. Yeah. This really is better.

  "Wine or beer?" he asks as he heads to the bar counter just behind us.

  "Beer." I walk over to the couch and sit down. This rooftop deck puts my little crawl-out-the-window-and-sit-on-shingles view to shame, and I am one hundred percent completely okay with that.

  "Here you go." Baron reaches over and hands me a can of wheat beer. I take a sip and close my eyes. I'm pretty happy with my life choices right now. I thought I would be going through photos and having a rousing evening of leftovers and Netflix.

  Instead, I'm sitting on a rooftop in the middle of a big city, having beer with one of the most eligible men in the state—hell, probably the country. There are a lot of football-loving women out there. I bet they would stab my eyeballs out if they knew where I was, who I was with, and how much I don't love the sport he plays.

  It's kind of like when the under-five-foot-tall girl ends up with the guy who's well over six feet—I mean, come on, couldn't you have fallen for one your own size?

  He takes a long pull of beer, and I notice that his hands nearly cover the whole can. I'm sitting next to a giant with the largest hands I've ever seen. They could explore half of my body in the time it takes to unhook a bra.

  "Whatcha thinkin’ about?" Baron asks as he sits down next to me. There's a foot of space between us, but I feel magnetically drawn to him. I wouldn't be surprised if my body automatically closed the distance without even trying.

  What am I thinking about? Umm…

  "Just that you're the size of a Viking. I normally feel like a tree standing next to everyone else, but when I'm around you, I feel like a pixie."

  "You are a pixie. I could lift you with one arm."

  Why do I want to dare him to try?

  A drum of thunder rolls in the distance, interrupting my thoughts. I take a deep breath. I love the smell in the air when it's going to rain. It's like sticking your head into a plate of moss, earthy and green and permanently damp.

  "There's a storm coming…" My words trail off. There's more than one storm brewing here.

  A second clap hits, followed by a shot of lightning. They're still really far out in the distance, but I am acutely aware of the fact that I didn't bring a second set of clothes. If these get soaking wet, they're coming off, and there is nothing to go back on in their place.

  "Well…" Baron stands up, and I do the same. "I can, um, take you home now, if you want." The way he says it, I know he doesn't care to get back in his car any more than I care to step off of this rooftop deck. He's being a gentleman, and that makes me want to stay all the more.

  I look up and catch his eyes with mine. "I don't really need to go home."

  And I don't want to either.

  I see him swallow. He reaches down and grabs my beer, setting both of our cans on the table. He straightens back up, and I think the earth has stopped moving. Everything is suspended in time, the moment happening while the rest of the world stands still.

  "I need to kiss you, Montgomery Bell."

  "You need to?"

  "I don't think I'm going to be able to think straight until I do."

  "Well, I'm not stopping you," I say with the hint of a smile.

  "Not stopping and inviting are two very, very different things."

  I take a step toward him and press my body to his. It feels like that gratifying snap of the cardboard when two puzzle pieces interlock.

  "Okay, then kiss me." I breathe in the adventure and let it travel through my bloodstream.

  Baron doesn't reply; he doesn't need to. He runs his palm along the curve of my cheek, sending each finger around the rim of my ear. My skin tingles at his touch, but it's the anticipation of what's to come that is sending my heartbeat into an upward spiral.

  He leans down to me, stopping with just a whisper of space between our lips. I can feel his heart beating heavily against my palms, as if it's trying to break free of its cage.

  And then he presses his lips to mine. The universe slams back into motion, swirling around us like a supernova. I feel like I'm being drawn into a black hole, as if I'm being pushed together and pulled apart at the same time.

  I wonder if I'll make it out alive.

  I reach my hands up toward the hair at the base of Baron's neck and pull myself even closer to him.

  And then the rain starts. I feel a bead of water hit my arm, and then another.

  Baron lifts his head up, but his eyes stay shut for an extra second, like he's savoring a sip of aged whiskey, drunk on its earthy flavor. They should put a warning label on kisses like that. Caution: do not operate heavy machinery after consuming. I'm wobbly, and I'm pretty sure I only drank a quarter of my beer.

  The droplets continue to fall slowly, and a warm breeze is gently crawling along the rooftop.

  "We should probably go in." Baron's voice is raspy.

  "What if we didn't?" I don't want this to end, and I know walking back into the sharp light of the apartment will break the magic of the moment. Besides, a little rain never hurt anyone.

  "We might get a little wet." There's a twinkle in Baron's eye. I know he's found the page I'm on, and he likes where the story is going.

  I lift my shoulders and tilt my head as if to say So what? So what if we get a little wet? So what if I kiss the person I never thought I would spend more than five minutes with? So what if life isn't conforming to my exact expectations?

  I like where it's headed, and isn't that what adventure is all about?

  Baron leans forward and spreads his palms against my lower back as he lifts me up toward him. As soon as our bodies connect, my legs instinctively wrap around his torso. This man is more rock than bear. There's no outer fur hiding the pure muscle beneath. It's right there, ready to be studied, piece by glorious piece.

  My head is level with his, and I take a second to look at him. When I look into his eyes, I see an honest man. There's a transparency there, like you're staring into the clearest ocean you've ever seen. There's nothing muddy or murky lingering anywhere close, and the realization hits me: he’s not going to dick around with me like some asshole from high school.

  I lean in and press my mouth to his, this time with a force that rivals the brewing storm. I want to taste him and experience him like he might not be here tomorrow.

  Baron moves his hands up to wrap around my waist, and he walks us over to a wide lounger near the glass rail of the deck. I'm aware of the view on the edge of my periphery, just as I’m aware of the tiny drops of water that continue to bead against my skin. I’m aware of all that, but my focus is on the man in front of me as he lowers me and leans down on top of me.

  He traces the edge of my top with such a light touch, I wouldn't know if it was him or a feather if I couldn’t see him. My skin dances underneath the line he's drawing, and every other square inch is crying out to be next. His hand slips underneath my shirt and grazes up toward the outline of my bra. When he finds it, h
e follows the trail back toward the hooks, which he flicks open like the lock on his front door—it’s so natural, he doesn't even need to think.

  I try not to think about how he got so good at that. This is why I didn't Google him. My mind is blank, no images of ex-girlfriends for my brain to pull up.

  I grab the collar of his shirt and draw him in close, trying to crush my thoughts with the pressure of his kiss. I have to discover every inch of this man. I reach for the hem of his shirt, taking a quick detour around the button of his shorts; I open my eyes just in time to see his roll back in pleasure.

  I almost forget what I'm doing, but my fingers are on autopilot. They grab the bottom of his shirt and lift up. He sits up and helps me peel his shirt off.

  My jaw drops. Baron must secretly be a Greek god. I mean, mere mortals are not allowed to have bodies that look like they're carved out of marble.

  Or maybe he's a vampire. But he didn't sparkle in sunlight though or burst into flames. So, I think I'm just going to have to accept the fact that this pure marble rock kneeling in front of me is real life.

  And real life is looking damn good.

  "What?" Baron cocks his head to the side and squints at me.

  "Oh, you know, just marveling at the statue in front of me. Shouldn't you be in a museum somewhere?"

  "They let me out for special occasions."

  And that is why I can't help myself around him.

  My whole world is spinning, and the only thing that's keeping me from falling over is the touch of a man I didn't see coming.

  A man who makes me laugh and whimper all at the same time.

  "You know, it's a little chilly. I think I need some skin-to-skin contact in order to stay warm." His words are teasing, but his voice is pure appeal. I'd run around the rooftop naked if he asked me to right now.

  I happily oblige him, grabbing the hem of my shirt and catching the band of my bra on the way up. In one satisfying swoop, we are both half naked. The rain is tiny little licks of cold against my skin. I pull Baron on top of me like a human shield, and by the smile on his face, I don't think he minds one bit.

  He leans in to kiss me, and the lights and rain fade into the background again. My focus is centered in on the man I can't seem to get enough of.

  As if on cue, lightning breaks the sky open and illuminates the night like a match ripped across sandpaper. Baron and I break apart just as a crash of thunder rattles the very furniture we're perched on.

  Baron groans, and I know what's coming next. "We really should go in."

  I let out a long sigh, but I quietly agree. This adventure is over, but now that I've gotten a taste, I'm only going to continue to crave it.

  We untangle our limbs, and just as we're standing up, the bottoms fall out of the clouds. A sheet of water comes crashing down on us as we grab our clothes and run to the door.

  Baron gets there first and opens it for me. I'm holding my shirt to my bare chest with an unrestrained grin stretching wide across my face. He closes the door, and I lose it.

  Laughter pours out of me like the water that just drenched us.

  He closes the door behind us. "I don't know if I should ask but…what's so funny?"

  I start to hiccup, and it only fuels my laughter more. Baron laughs too, even though he has no idea if the joke is on him.

  Finally regaining control of my lungs, I gasp. "That. Was. So. Much. Fun."

  Baron shakes his head but continues to smile along with me.

  I don't know exactly how to explain. "We barely know each other, and you're not my normal type, but tonight was the best night I've had in…I don't know…"

  "Forever?" Baron asks, and the way his eyes narrow as they search mine, I know he feels the same way.

  I'm not scared to admit it.

  "Yeah."

  This is the best night I've had, period.

  "Me too."

  He grabs my hand and presses his lips to my temple. I have no idea where this is going, but damn do I want to find out.

  I step out of the shower in the guest suite and pull one of the softest white towels I've ever seen outside a Crate and Barrel toward me.

  I kept waiting for Baron to barge through the door butt naked and join me in the shower, but he was a no-show. I should be disappointed; instead, I'm kind of relieved.

  I still can't believe we just made out on his rooftop in the middle of a thunderstorm. I feel like I need a moment and about ten thousand deep breaths to recover.

  I said yes to adventure, and adventure gave me one hell of a fist bump in return. When I'm with him, I get swept up in it. He takes up the whole frame. When I step back and see the bigger picture, it startles me.

  He's a football player, and I swore I would never make the same mistake again.

  But here I am, and even though it's nothing like that night in high school when I stood outside the field house like a complete sucker, there's a part of me that worries we're two completely different people who just happened to show up at the same place at the same time.

  I know timing is supposed to be everything, but how do you keep the good timing going when you're on two completely different trajectories?

  The thing is, I don't even know what my path forward is. It could be staying in Ann Arbor at my job for another year. It could be quitting my job tomorrow and traveling the world with Collins Aid United. Or it could be one of the million other paths hiding in the shadows right now, just waiting for the sun to shine in their direction.

  I wipe my palm across the foggy mirror, which only gives me an incomplete glimpse of my post-make out, post-shower look. Even with a layer of steam between the mirror and me, I can tell it's not my best—not my worst, but not my best.

  I start to open the handful of drawers in the reclaimed wood vanity. Hmm, a bunch of unopened travel-size items. There's a wide-tooth comb in the back—score. My tangled waves are thanking me already. Behind the comb, pushed toward the back, is an old tube of mascara. From an ex? Or maybe his sister? I'm going to go with the latter. Just because I don't have names and faces doesn't mean I like the blurry picture of girlfriends past any better.

  I pull out the wand and sniff it…though I have no idea what I'm smelling for. Does mascara go bad? It looks a little dry, but not unusable. I lean over toward the mirror and go for it with a couple swipes.

  I'm definitely going to bed with this on, like one of those scenes in a movie where the woman wakes up in full makeup. When you're spending the night for the first time, you say Sorry kid to your skin and go for it.

  I may have let Baron get to second base, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to go au natural yet. Give me a few dates and maybe a beer, and then we’ll see.

  I walk out to the guest bed in my towel and see that Baron left me an old t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He is quickly moving up on my list of favorite people. I pull the soft cotton against my skin. You know these clothes have been washed hundreds of times; they're thin and silky in a way only well-loved clothes can be.

  There's a strong possibility I'm going to steal these and never give them back. I wouldn't even sell them on eBay, though I'm sure they would net me more than a few months’ rent.

  People are crazy, but I'm not about to cash in on that.

  I open the door and step back out into the open air of the main living area. I don't see Baron, and I wonder if he's taking a shower himself.

  I think about walking toward the master bedroom to find out, but I chicken out. I may have initiated this evening, but I'm not ballsy enough to take it that far.

  Instead, I eye the weathered leather of the massive sectional and head over to sink into the deep cushions that could swallow smaller people whole. It’s my kind of couch.

  I almost sit down but stop when I notice a blanket covering a large lump—a large snoring lump. I giggle to myself. Why is my first instinct to draw on his face with permanent marker? Maybe a well-placed I love unicorns.

  I wonder if he has any glitter glue lying around to
make it really fancy. Eh, probably not. I give up on my half-hatched plan and sit down. In my exhausted state, this couch is too alluring to avoid any longer, even for plans of mischief.

  I slowly sit down next to Baron's head, careful not to jostle him. I want some uninterrupted time to stare at his profile. Damn, it really is even better in person than it is on my computer screen. A camera can't quite capture the perfect line of stubble that runs along his cheek. High definition gives you the clarity, but 3D gives it the oomph. And when he smiles…it's over. The way his cheeks crease, it's like he's spent his whole life looking for the laughter in life, and that's even sexier than the five-o’clock shadow he wears so well.

  "Got a good view there?" I jump at the sound of Baron's voice. His eyes are still closed, but a smile is spreading across his lips.

  "Were you asleep, or just testing me?"

  "A little of both." He opens his eyes and sits up.

  I have the strong urge to wiggle myself into the sliver of space next to his torso, but it feels too intimate to even attempt. Sure, you can see me half naked, but unabashed cuddling is the stuff couples are made of.

  Baron yawns and blinks his eyes slowly. I think there was more sleeping than there was testing. "Sorry. I woke up early to get a training session in. Do you mind crashing here tonight?"

  Something tells me it's more about avoiding an hour-long round trip on the road than getting some nooky, and I'm kind of okay with that.

  "Sure. I'm pretty exhausted too." A day full of turn-your-life-upside-down experiences does that to a girl.

  Baron stands up from the couch and reaches out a hand to me. I wonder if he's expecting us to go to bed together. Crap. I hadn't thought about that when I said yes. Cuddling with him sounds amazing, but it crosses the invisible line in my brain. Even though I know I'm toeing it, I'm not quite ready to jump over with both feet.

  He pulls me in and wraps his arms around me, and I feel like someone just wrapped a warm blanket over a sky of exploding fireworks. Oh hey there, line, we're getting to know each other really well tonight.

  He leans toward me, and I close my eyes in anticipation of his kiss…but I feel his lips hit my forehead instead. I open my eyes and see his eyes softly shut and then blink open.