by C L Wesley
“The only thing past our building is the soccer field. Are you sure you are going the right way?” His bright green eyes were twinkling and he had a hopeful smile on his face. He was super cute and built like a pro-wrestler. He had the boy next door look, something I was clearly attracted to.
“Yup, I’m headed the right way.” I turn and start walking, hoping he would just leave me alone.
“Taryn.” I turn around out of curiosity and scrunch up my nose.
“How do you know my name?” I walk back towards the tall stack of muscles staring at me.
“I was in your calculus class last year. Matt.” He kicked a small rock on the ground. “Maybe I could text you sometime?” Matt asked holding his phone in his hand as if it were his last lifeline. “It’s just a phone number.”
“To be honest with you, I’m seeing someone tonight and I’d like to see where that goes.” I was completely honest with him, I do want to see where it goes, hopefully into bed.
“Okay. Well if it doesn’t work out, you know where to find me.” He tips his head towards the fieldhouse. It amazes me that guys think they can pull a date out of nowhere these days. I criticize Matt, yet Noah just did the same exact thing to me today. I did take a second to admire Matt’s backside as he jogged away and over to his friends that clearly knew I shot him down. Dammit!
“Hey Matt!” I yell out. The players start their razzing again as the cute football player jogs back over to me, red face, and curious. “Give me your phone.” I hold out my hand for his phone. I put my phone number in his contact list. “This is not for your buddies over there, got it?”
“Got it.” He smiles and heads back to the guys who all look stunned now, as they should be. That kind of harassment is bullshit.
I continue to the field where I saw Noah working with a coach by the goal. I took a seat in the one set of bleachers that this field offered and waited. Noah was working on a move where his back was to the goal, he jumps up, spins, and karate kicks the ball into the goal. Holy shit! I sat in amazement as I watched his shirtless body twist and turn into the move he was performing. It was like witnessing perfection in the making.
2
It was close to 9PM when the soccer coach released Noah from practice. He had seen me watching about a half-hour ago and every chance he got Noah mouthed ‘I’m sorry’. I waited patiently while he collected the balls from the net and threw them in a giant net container on wheels. Finally, I heard him tell his coach he would see him in the morning as he ran over to me.
“Taryn, I am so sorry, Darlin’. I asked Jensen to see if his girlfriend would get ahold of you for me.” He used a towel in his hand to wipe the sweat from his head and chest. Poor guy was dripping wet.
“Izzy is my best friend. She got me the message as soon as she got it.” I noticed he didn’t have a drink with him. Grabbing my insulated water mug, I handed it to him. “It’s just iced water.”
I watched as he took off the lid and chugged my water down. “Thank you. I needed that.” He tilted it back and started eating my ice. “Everything on campus is closed but the vending machines huh?”
“Yeah. It’s okay. It’s late.” I tell him as I climbed down from the bleachers. “That move you were doing is pretty impressive. How do you know you are going to kick it into the goal when you are not facing it?”
“I don’t, that is why they are making me practice it over and over again.” He went after more of my ice while continuing to towel himself off.
“You looked like you knew what you were doing, Ninja Striker.” He smiled at me and I caught myself checking him out. Cute little soccer socks, shorts, and a sleeveless Storm shirt that was now being pulled over his head covering up his chiseled chest. Noah was built but not like Jensen, Matt, or the other football players. Noah was a leaner cut but still with biceps that could rival any of those other players.
“Striker eh? You even know my position and yet I know nothing about you other than you like ice water and work at the Café.” He sat down on the bottom row of the bleachers.
“I’m surprised you haven’t asked Jensen. We’ve been friends for years.” I tell him as he chews ice cubes.
“He never said anything. Besides, I’d rather ask you myself.” He winks. “So, what do you know about soccer?”
I sat down beside him, “Honestly, all I know about soccer is how David Beckham’s abs look.” I smile. “Actually, I was pretty stupid my freshman year. I used to date Josh.” I shrug my shoulders as I embarrassingly admit my shortcoming.
“Are you serious?” He laughs and shakes his head. “I don’t think that guy likes me.” He motions to the field. “Want to try?” Noah completely changed the subject and I felt relieved.
“Try what?” I ask looking at him like he has two heads.
“Soccer.” He stood up holding out his hand for me. I left him hanging for a moment before placing my hand in his. “Don’t worry Princess, you won’t break a nail.”
“Look at my nails, I am no princess, I just get hot easily when I work out and I have embarrassed myself enough in front of you today.” I told him as he pulled me out onto the practice field. “And I’m clearly not dressed for this.” I had on Adidas tennis shoes, jeans, and my sweater from this morning.
“Honesty, I like it. It makes you real. You’re dressed just fine.” He runs over and grabs a couple balls and I am swooning over the thick Texas accent. “Try this.” I watch as he taps his foot on the ball to steady it before sweeping it with the side of his foot and kicking it into the goal. I give it an actual try, I tap my foot to steady the ball and sweep it with my foot kicking it straight into the net. I jump up and down squealing. “See not so bad, eh?”
“That part is fun. I don’t know about all the running though. How do you do those tricks that you were practicing?” I watched as he broke down each step on how he had to learn it. “Yeah, I’ll just watch you.”
“I might take you up on that sometime. Come here.” He asks and I walked over to him. “Stand with your back to me.” I did as I was told and even though he smelled like sweat, the cologne I got a whiff of here and there made it worth standing there. “Okay, I am going to lift you in the air. Jump with your weight on your left leg, swing your left leg towards my shoulder and then you are going to swing your right leg as hard as you can in the same direction. I promise I won’t let go.” I’m guessing it is like a switch leap like I used to do in gymnastics years ago.
“Okay. You better not.” Noah put his hands on my hips and bent behind me. Damn I like the feel of his hands on me. “What do I do with my hands?”
“Use them to help you twist. I’ll catch you so you don’t fall.” His mouth was right next to my ear humming. “Ready?”
“Yup.” Oh My God! I was screaming inside when I felt the pressure of his hands on my hips.
“One, two, go.” He lifted me and I did as I was told feeling my body twist until I was magically facing Noah, leaning against his chest. “See! You can do it too.”
I smiled and let my head fall back. “Oh my God. That was so much fun. It felt like flying.” Noah put me back on my feet and I instantly fell in love with his smile, not the goofy, awkward smile I got earlier, but this genuinely happy Noah smile.
“Want to do it again?” He asks.
“Nope.” I laugh my eyes never leaving his.
“What are you staring at?” He asked and I felt the heat starting to rise up my neck.
“You.” I looked down almost as if I was shy. Looking up through my lashes, not to be sexy, simply because I didn’t want him to see my embarrassment. “You’re kind of hot, Noah.”
He blushed and I smiled. “Well darlin’, you are quite stunning yourself but I thought you didn’t go for soccer players.” He put the balls back in their bin.
“I don’t but you said you were something different.” He nods his head and we started to walk off the field.
“I said I wasn’t normal.” He buried his face into his shirt. “Geez, did that s
ound that bad this morning?”
“I don’t know. My heart was beating so fast I couldn’t actually hear you.” I pat my chest, teasing him, rolling my eyes. Little did he know I was speaking the absolute truth.
“I was fumbling for words. All you could say was ‘no’.” He smiled as we continued to walk side by side.
“Hey, it’s the soccer thing. The accent saved you.” I looked up at him and smiled. God he is tall.
Noah stopped, leaning down by my ear. “Well then Darlin’, can I interest you in some vending machine food?” The heat from his breath washed over me and I had a hard time hiding the goosebumps that formed on my forearms and were now visible compliments of my three-quarter sleeves. “You are kinda adorable.” He plugged his nose when he said it. “Do I sound Northern?” He laughs.
“Nope!” I emphasize the ‘p’. “You just sound like you have a cold.” We got closer to the soccer entrance of the fieldhouse.
“I’m sorry everything on campus is closed already.” He held up his athlete badge to the double doors to open them.
“It’s okay. Maybe another time?” I offered.
“Come on in. I have to grab my bag.” He held the door open.
“Um, I’m good.” I point towards the lighted sidewalk.
“Hell no. It’s late on campus. I was raised better than that Taryn. Give me two seconds, please.” I knew he wasn’t going to give up so I walked past him into the fieldhouse. We walked down a dark hallway that lit up as we passed the sensors until we came to two big green doors. “Wait here for just a second please.” Noah went to retrieve his bag and I looked at the pictures of all the great soccer players on the wall. I wonder if any of them ever went professional. A moment later he came out sporting a rather large duffle bag for a soccer player and a bag of Chips Ahoy. “Want a cookie? The Storm’s newest female striker needs her energy too.”
“Haha.” I took a cookie as Noah put his hand on my lower back to lead me back to the door. He’s a gentleman. I have never felt so completely safe with a stranger as I do right now. I felt a different emotion wash over me that I could not put my finger on. I think I might like him and not just for tonight.
“So which machine do you want to hit up?” He asked when we got outside. “I don’t have a vehicle in Ohio so I can’t offer much else and I’ve been told not to go off campus at night.”
“Oh geez, it’s not that bad. No worse than big city living. Or are you a scaredy cat?” I teased as we came to the fountain that split this end of campus into quadrants. To the left is the dorms, the right is the gym for students and the athletic offices, straight ahead leads you to the Commons area and the educational buildings, and the path we just took leads us here from the fieldhouse and stadiums.
“I’ve only been off campus to McDonalds once with Jensen. I’m pre-med so I don’t have a ton of extra time to waste and I have to keep a good GPA.” He turned to face me. Even sweaty and stinky he was handsome and those damn blue eyes. I swear they glow in the dark. “Which dorm are you in?” He asks.
“I don’t live on campus. My parents live twenty minutes away so it didn’t make much sense to pay the astronomical prices of a dorm when I can have my own bed up the street.”
“Makes perfect sense. Well I promised you dinner, so what will it be?” He leaned back on his heels and it was then I noticed he had changed his shoes.
“I do have a car. Do you want to go somewhere?” I offered because vending machine food fucking blows. I watch as he plays with the idea. “If not, that’s okay. Like I said we can do this another time.”
“Look, I think you’re adorable and so far I think I like you. If you’d like to go somewhere, we can, but would you mind if I took a shower first?” He raised his eyebrows. “I’m sorry. This is a horrible first date isn’t it? I just know I smell.” He shrugs his shoulders with a smile that I couldn’t say no to.
“No.” I started walking towards the dorms. “I wasn’t aware it was a date, so it cannot be horrible yet. What dorm are you?” I ask over my shoulder, walking in front of him.
“Blexler Hall.”
“Let’s go stinky! I’m hungry.” I took off running as fast as I could when I heard his feet pounding the pavement behind me.
“I’m going to catch you.” Noah was almost behind me, laughing. I forced myself to run as hard as I could but to no avail twenty feet from his dorm a big strong arm wrapped around my abdomen and swung me around. “Gotcha.” He takes his time letting me go.
I was trying to catch my breath from the 5K I just ran in between laughing from acting like a child. “I’ll be right here. Go take a shower.” I wanted a moment to catch my breath and make sure I wasn’t a sweaty mess.
“You can come up.” Noah held the door. “I mean, if you want to.” He looked down. “I’d feel much better if you did, ya know, for safety reasons.” He fidgeted with this duffle. Fuck he was too cute. And he seemed a gentleman. “I’m not a bad guy, Darlin’.”
“How do I know that? You could be the wolf.” I took a few steps towards him.
“Is that what your gut tells you?” He held the door open wider.
“No.” I continued a few more steps.
“Then by all means.” I took in a breath that I didn’t release until I laughed when he growled at me. “The elevator is to the left.” He led me by my lower back again- chivalry, ah, it is not dead!
I had been to Jensen’s room usually in search of Izzy, Josh’s room a few times, and Noah’s room was no different except that it was immaculately clean. All the football and soccer players have suites because they stay the furthest from the center of campus in what used to be an old Holiday Inn hotel that the school bought and renovated. Izzy filled me in last year when she was complaining about her shoebox room in comparison to Jensen’s palace. I didn’t have the balls to tell her that I knew what these rooms looked like before she showed me. I kept the intimate details about Josh to myself. “Make yourself at home. There is coke or water in my fridge.”
I watch Noah grab some new clothes out of his closet before heading towards his bathroom. “Real coke or Pepsi?” I giggled as I went to the little dorm fridge that was nestled beneath the desk in efforts to save room.
I turn around and lose all concentration. Noah was standing with just a towel wrapped around his waist peeking around the corner. “Haha, Smartass.” Oh my God! Noah is an Adonis and he doesn’t even seem to know it! The next ten minutes felt like hours as I attempted not to join him in the shower. I peeked around his room finding typical guy stuff and a cute picture of him with an older couple who I am going to assume is his parents. I decided that sitting at his desk was probably safer than the bed. His room is very bare in comparison to some of the guy’s rooms I’ve heard about or been in. There are no posters on the walls, just a few drawings he has pinned on the corkboard above his desk. Everything is entirely too neat in here.
Noah emerged in a pair of loose jeans and a t-shirt, his hair still dripping from his shower. “Well you smell better already.” He smiled as he slipped his tennis shoes back on.
“Ready?” He walked over and stole my Coke before turning towards the door.
“And here I thought you were a gentleman.” I snark as I pass him and head to the hallway making sure to pull in a nice deep breath.
“Boy, are you mistaken.” I see him spin a ballcap on his head backwards and I swoon. So gorgeous. We walked across campus to my car talking about our classes and the campus. He is only in Dickerson’s class with me because he needed an elective for NEC. I personally think he made a good choice, I giggle to myself. Noah gives me the run down of what he has experienced so far on campus. Turns out I am not missing much and the fraternity row parties are far and few between unlike other colleges I’ve heard about. “It’s 10:20PM, what is still open?”
We got into my Chevy Equinox and took a left towards the next town over. “Are you up for Chipotle?” Man was I nervous with him in my car. He was a complete stranger, yet I felt rather c
omfortable with him, odd. Not the first time this thought has crossed my mind tonight.
“Yes, please.” I looked over at him to make fun of his politeness when I saw him gawking out the window like a child.
“You really haven’t been off campus, have you?” I asked as I pulled into Chipotle’s parking lot praying they were still open this late on a Wednesday.
“No. Nobody really invites me anywhere and I will not invite myself like a lot of the other guys do.” We got out of the car and headed in. We ordered our burritos and were informed we could eat outside on the patio because they were getting ready to close. The girl working behind the counter said she would leave the side door open for us to get refills while they cleaned up, giving us the opportunity to sit and talk.
“So how did you end up in Ohio at a small college?” I asked taking a bite of my burrito wishing now I would have opted for a bowl.
“Well, I couldn’t afford to go to an expensive school so I started at a JC in Texas and I played soccer for them for a little tuition help. When I got fairly decent at handling school and soccer, my coach started taking video and sending it out. NEC picked me for a full scholarship.” He took another bite of his burrito which on a normal scale would have been a third of the monstrous roll-up. “That’s my story. What’s yours?” Noah asked looking like a chipmunk with food packed in his cheeks. I would normally be annoyed but I’m just as hungry so I’m letting it slide.
“Not much to tell. Local girl whose parents refused to let her go away because of how expensive it is.” I stood up to get a refill of my pop. “Need a refill?”
Noah stood up and grabbed my cup. “You sit and finish. I’ll get it for you.” I was stunned as I sat down, this is typically not behavior I see from guys around here. Then I saw it, he was already done eating.
