misunderstood, and he had to go and shatter
that illusion. He was a shark and I was just a tiny fish that was about to be
swallowed whole by him. What was I thinking, coming out with him for the
day? That we could just be friends? A guy like Nate wasn’t friends with a
girl, unless he was getting some kind of sexual action in return. Something I
wasn’t ready to offer. I pedaled furiously, releasing some of my anger on the charcoal
road that I was eating up with my tires. My lungs were burning, the sun was out
in full force now, and I hadn’t taken the time to stop and refill my water
bottle before I’d stormed off to make sure he knew how upset I was.
“Slow down, you’ll have a heart
attack, or heat stroke, and your dad won’t let me off your driveway alive,”
Nate called from behind me. I ignored him, but slowed down my pace to a more
manageable speed. “Stop at the next rest point, you need some water. Hell, I
need some water. You sped off so fast I didn’t have time to fill my bottle
either.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. About ten
minutes later, there was a smooth area for cars to pull in, and I held out my
arm to indicate I was veering off to the right and gently came to a standstill.
I slipped off the seat and kept the bike upright by holding it between my legs,
then shimmied my shoulders to get my backpack off. I pulled it around to my
front to rummage for my water and sighed as Nate coasted past me, then spun his
bike around and came to a stop facing me. I gave him my best glare and narrowed
my eyes at him as he chuckled.
“I’m sorry. I hang around with
the guys after practice and they’re all kind of uncouth. Sometimes it rubs off
on me. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Well, you did,” I stated, as I
topped up my bike water bottle. “You think I like being reminded you’re the guy
all the women want, that you’ve probably screwed half of the town? That doesn’t
impress a girl like me. If anything, it makes me want to run in the opposite
direction.”
“I don’t want you to run from me,
Sky. I want you to run to me.” He sounded sincere, but I just lifted my nearly
empty plastic bottle to my mouth and kept drinking as I studied him. “I’m
thrown, ok? I know we’re only just starting to get to know each other, but
there’s something about you. I knew it the first time we met. Don’t tell me
that you didn’t feel it, too.”
“Hmmm, I think it’s called lust
on first sight, but that’s not the sort of relationship I’m looking for.” Did
I just say I was looking for a relationship out loud? I hadn’t even been
thinking about wanting a relationship. That had been the furthest thing from my
mind in my life up to now.
“I won’t insult you by saying
lust doesn’t play a factor for me, because it does, and I’m sure it does in
your attraction to me too. But don’t insult me by implying that’s all I’m
capable of feeling, or that sex is all I’m interested in. I can’t explain why,
but I feel a connection with you, Sky. Strong enough that I haven’t looked at,
or thought about, another woman since I met you, and that’s something new for
me. I’m really trying here, I just need to know if I’m wasting my time, because
it’s precious with everything else going on in my life.” He held my gaze as I
tried to let his words sink in. He really felt a connection to me?
“If I say I’m not sure, will you
relegate me to the time-wasting category and resume your usual casual-sex
lifestyle while I make up my mind?” It came out a little more sharply than I’d
intended, but this guy threw me. I didn’t know up from down when I was around
him.
“Are you always so defensive?”
“I’ve never been propositioned by
a guy like you, so I’m cautious.”
“I’m too intrigued by you to look
at anyone else, ok? If I’ve got to court you, or woo you, or whatever the hell
the phrase is, to win your trust, I’m prepared to do that. And while I do, I
wouldn’t see anyone
that illusion. He was a shark and I was just a tiny fish that was about to be
swallowed whole by him. What was I thinking, coming out with him for the
day? That we could just be friends? A guy like Nate wasn’t friends with a
girl, unless he was getting some kind of sexual action in return. Something I
wasn’t ready to offer. I pedaled furiously, releasing some of my anger on the charcoal
road that I was eating up with my tires. My lungs were burning, the sun was out
in full force now, and I hadn’t taken the time to stop and refill my water
bottle before I’d stormed off to make sure he knew how upset I was.
“Slow down, you’ll have a heart
attack, or heat stroke, and your dad won’t let me off your driveway alive,”
Nate called from behind me. I ignored him, but slowed down my pace to a more
manageable speed. “Stop at the next rest point, you need some water. Hell, I
need some water. You sped off so fast I didn’t have time to fill my bottle
either.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. About ten
minutes later, there was a smooth area for cars to pull in, and I held out my
arm to indicate I was veering off to the right and gently came to a standstill.
I slipped off the seat and kept the bike upright by holding it between my legs,
then shimmied my shoulders to get my backpack off. I pulled it around to my
front to rummage for my water and sighed as Nate coasted past me, then spun his
bike around and came to a stop facing me. I gave him my best glare and narrowed
my eyes at him as he chuckled.
“I’m sorry. I hang around with
the guys after practice and they’re all kind of uncouth. Sometimes it rubs off
on me. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Well, you did,” I stated, as I
topped up my bike water bottle. “You think I like being reminded you’re the guy
all the women want, that you’ve probably screwed half of the town? That doesn’t
impress a girl like me. If anything, it makes me want to run in the opposite
direction.”
“I don’t want you to run from me,
Sky. I want you to run to me.” He sounded sincere, but I just lifted my nearly
empty plastic bottle to my mouth and kept drinking as I studied him. “I’m
thrown, ok? I know we’re only just starting to get to know each other, but
there’s something about you. I knew it the first time we met. Don’t tell me
that you didn’t feel it, too.”
“Hmmm, I think it’s called lust
on first sight, but that’s not the sort of relationship I’m looking for.” Did
I just say I was looking for a relationship out loud? I hadn’t even been
thinking about wanting a relationship. That had been the furthest thing from my
mind in my life up to now.
“I won’t insult you by saying
lust doesn’t play a factor for me, because it does, and I’m sure it does in
your attraction to me too. But don’t insult me by implying that’s all I’m
capable of feeling, or that sex is all I’m interested in. I can’t explain why,
but I feel a connection with you, Sky. Strong enough that I haven’t looked at,
or thought about, another woman since I met you, and that’s something new for
me. I’m really trying here, I just need to know if I’m wasting my time, because
it’s precious with everything else going on in my life.” He held my gaze as I
tried to let his words sink in. He really felt a connection to me?
“If I say I’m not sure, will you
relegate me to the time-wasting category and resume your usual casual-sex
lifestyle while I make up my mind?” It came out a little more sharply than I’d
intended, but this guy threw me. I didn’t know up from down when I was around
him.
“Are you always so defensive?”
“I’ve never been propositioned by
a guy like you, so I’m cautious.”
“I’m too intrigued by you to look
at anyone else, ok? If I’ve got to court you, or woo you, or whatever the hell
the phrase is, to win your trust, I’m prepared to do that. And while I do, I
wouldn’t see anyone
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