‘I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t want it Gabe,’ I reached for his hand and clasped it.
‘So I’m going to be wearing my headphones again tonight am I guys?’ stated Lexi without even lifting her head from her game. Gabe and I grinned at each other.
We exited the main campus building and worked our way down some meandering paths littered with bushes and trees to a large two storey building.
‘Here we are,’ Gabe said as we entered and he showed us around. It was huge. There was a fully modernised equipped gym, exercise class rooms, a café, basket and netball courts and an indoor football pitch.
‘Where’s the pool?’ asked Lexi.
He took us up a flight of stairs and down a corridor, lined with lecture halls and offices, then pushed open a set of double doors. They led us onto a suspended gangway which linked the building we’d just walked through with another up ahead. As we reached the end of the walkway and pushed through the next set of double doors, Lexi and I gasped. We stood at the top of rows of tiered seating that ran around two sides of the top floor overlooking a huge pool. It was so large you could hear the echo of voices reverberating around the space.
‘Gabe it’s so much bigger than I expected,’ I said in awe.
‘There’s a phrase I bet he’s heard you use before,’ grinned Lexi, making me blush and elbow her.
Gabe told us it was a 50 metre 8 lane pool, which wasn’t Olympic sized, but it was one of the largest swimming pools for any Uni in the UK. At the far end were some really high sets of diving boards and to our left, there were floor to ceiling glass walls to take advantage of the natural daylight. He took down a flight of stairs to our left and there was more seating below and he pointed out to where the changing rooms were and told us that there was also a sauna, steam room, ice therapy room and massage area. He directed us to the front row and quickly kissed my forehead again before heading off to change. We hadn’t kissed since this morning and I realised he was going easy on me, trying not to push me. Lexi and I sat chatting while we waited for them to come out.
‘I didn’t know he was doing Sports Science as part of his degree.’
‘Neither did I until today. We still have an awful lot to learn about each other. It’s a flexible degree as he couldn’t make his mind up between English and sports.’
‘Wow.’
‘What?’
‘I’ve just googled his course. It’s not all just playing pool or playing in the pool you know.’
‘What is it?’
‘Learning about nutrition, psychology, physiology and more.’
‘Nutrition and psychology?’ I laughed.
‘Hmmm, what’s so funny?’
‘Well I must’ve really freaked him out then this morning with my reaction to his declaration of love and then to his offer to make me a bacon and egg sandwich. I’m his perfect candidate to practice on.’
‘I think he’s also doing plenty of Phys Ed with you too,’ Lexi grinned as she winked at me.
‘He does have some serious stamina, I’ve got to shape myself up. Look Lex, some of the guys are coming out.’
‘Hello boys,’ she exclaimed excitedly as she sat up straight. ‘Christ when word gets out about a male swim team, this place is going to be crawling with girls just dying for a good viewing. Wow they’re really not wearing much at all are they?’
They definitely weren’t. I scanned the group of them and then spotted him and my mouth dropped open. He’d obviously just taken a pre pool shower and was scruffing up his hair with his wet hands and wiping the water out of his face. His biceps were flexing and I ran my eyes down his wet chest and over his abs, glistening with a fine sheen of water. Lexi was right their trunks were ridiculous. He had on the smallest tightest pair of turquoise speedo’s that hung low on his hips and strained around the top of his legs. His large manhood was on total display for everyone to see. I could hardly believe I’d had sex with him, he was just … wow, so out of my league.
I looked around the spectator section and I could see a number of girls giggling and pointing at him. I felt myself blush and took a deep gulp as walked towards me, leaned over the railing and kissed my cheek, as water dripped off his shoulders onto my chest. He straightened back up and tilted his head smiling, obviously amused at my reaction. Lexi was busy hanging over the railing eyeing up the remaining guys.
‘So, how’s my outfit working for you?’
‘What outfit? You may as well not be wearing one,’ I grumbled.
‘Are you getting possessive over my body again?’
‘Yes, I don’t know if I like everyone looking at you the way I am right now. What if you get an erection?’
‘It happens a lot, you just have to deal with it. It’s going to happen more often if you come down here with that look in your eyes.’
‘What look?’
‘You want me right now don’t you?’ he said, as I blushed and bit the end of my thumb nail. ‘Shit Mia, see you’ve gone and done it, I’m getting hard.’
‘Noooo.’
‘Look,’ he stepped back and I opened my mouth in horror before he put his goggles and swim hat in front of himself to try and be discreet. I put my hand in front of Lexi’s eyes and I spotted Doug sauntering over. I was right, he had a pretty fine body as well, but my eyes were instinctively drawn back to Gabe’s.
‘Mia can you uncover my eyes if I promise not to look in Gabe’s direction?’ Lexi pleaded.
‘Ok just keep looking dead ahead,’ I said as I lowered my hand and left her to look straight at the oncoming torso of Doug. I heard her gulp and I giggled.
‘Hey guys, so what do you think?’
‘You all look really good,’ said Lexi salivating.
‘I meant the pool,’ said Doug grinning, ‘but good to know where your head’s at.’ I looked shocked as Lexi actually turned a bit pink, I’d never seen that happen. ‘Come on Gabe, you’ve got some catching up to do,’ he stated and turned his back and walked away. Lexi was trying desperately not to show she was checking out his arse.
‘So, are you at least going to watch me swim, or were you just here to objectify me?’ asked Gabe.
‘We’ll stay for a minute. I want to check out the classes timetable. Besides, I can objectify you and more later in private.’
‘Stop talking. Now,’ ordered Lexi.
Gabe leaned over and hesitated in front of my mouth. I reached up and clasped the back of his head and pulled his lips onto mine and sighed to feel the effect they had on me as I poured the last eleven odd hours of no contact into it.
‘Wow,’ he murmured as he straightened up, his eyes glazed.
‘Yeah,’ I sighed.
He smiled and turned and walked away as I checked out his bottom and thighs. I shook my head vigorously and saw a group of girls standing by the pool looking in my direction. Shit, one of them was Julie and she’d just seen us kissing. What was I thinking coming down here like this? She must’ve thought I’d come to rub her face in it. I saw her turn her head and followed her eye line, she was watching Gabe as he put on his hat and goggles and climbed up the steps onto the block. He shook his head back and forth loosening himself up. An older guy stood by the edge of the pool in shorts and a t-shirt and held a stop watch, clenching a whistle in his teeth. Doug was on the block next to Gabe and other few guys further on down. They all raised their arms above their heads and leaned forwards and as the whistle blew I saw him dive.
I forgot about Julie for a minute as I watched him in action, fascinated. He was so firm and solid, yet so graceful as he broke through the seal of the water and disappeared out of sight. I started to panic when he didn’t immediately reappear, but then relaxed when I saw him surface much further down about a minute later. God he could hold his breath a long time. He was doing the front crawl and I watched his powerful back and shoulder muscles rise and fall as he cut his way through the water. He made it to the other end of the pool before I knew it.
‘Christ they’re quick
’ said Lexi impressed. I looked over at the group of girls and was sure that Julie had started to cry, I felt a complete shit for not having thought about how hard it would be for her to see me here so soon, especially with Gabe still having my finger nail marks down his back.
‘Come on Lex, we need to go,’ I said standing up quickly.
‘What no more hot boy action?’ she moaned.
‘Julie’s over there I need to give her some space, I shouldn’t have come.’
‘You’re too nice for your own good,’ she said as she sulkily leaning down and picking her bag up off the floor. ‘Which one is she?’
‘The tall blonde on the right.’
‘Well its gender discrimination, why do the men get sexy little outfits and the woman are covered up in those hideous one pieces?’
‘I’m fairly glad that their suits aren’t sexy Lex, the last thing I need to be thinking about is how hot she looks in a tiny bikini while trying to entice Gabe back.’
‘Hot?’ Lexi asked looking surprised.
‘Yes look at her physique, even with a swimsuit on you can she’s seriously toned. I’d kill for her stomach, shoulders and arms.’
‘Whatever. She’s blonde, flat chested, has no arse and is straight up and down.’
‘So?’
‘She’s the exact opposite of you Mia and he chose you over her, you have no competition.’
‘Thanks. Come on we’re being watched let’s move.’
I looked to the other end of the pool but couldn’t spot Gabe, probably best I didn’t make a big show of waving him goodbye anyway. We headed up the stairs and back across the walkway and down to the Reception desk which was already closed, but I spotted some timetables in a literature holder. I spread one out to examine it.
‘O great look Lex. They have evening Pilates three times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. for an hour, I can come here and do some work in the Gym as well.’
‘Well don’t look at me you’re on your own. It’s hard enough for me to put any bloody weight on, I don’t need to be exercising. Other than our Wednesday Fauxlates class I’m not attending anything else.’
‘Let’s head home, I’ve not eaten anything since breakfast and I need some more energy for tonight. I plan on having lots of sex.’
‘I think you need to see a doctor.’
‘Why because I’m having sex?’ I laughed.
‘Well actually yes that too. You need to think about going on the pill or something. I was thinking more about your periods as they’ve been getting much worse over the last couple of years. You seem to have less energy and you’re having this whole getting dizzy thing going on as well now. You may be anaemic or something.’
‘I suppose we ought to look for a doctors now we’re living up here, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get myself checked over. You’re right as well, my periods are hurting more than ever and the pain in my stomach and back seems to last for a lot longer than the actual bleed. Do you take the pill?’
‘Hell yeah, you can’t rely on guys to always have a condom around when you’re in the mood.’
‘You don’t still sleep with them without one?’
‘Yeah sometimes,’ she shrugged.
‘Lexi what about STI’s?’ I chastised.
‘Been fine so far.’
‘Lexi Clarke that’s so not the right attitude, I’m shocked at you. You’ve been bloody lucky then. You remember Michelle from college? Well she picked up chlamydia her first time and ended up in a dreadful state with pelvic inflammatory disease. Her insides are all screwed up. You can be so irresponsible.’
‘So you and Gabe are never going to go bareback then, ever?’
‘When the time’s right I’d like to think he’ll be happy to get tested for me and I’ll use some other form of contraception. You know for someone so sexually experienced you can be so naïve. Great look there’s a bus stop here, saves us walking all the way back through the main campus to our usual one.’ I took a picture of the timetable on my phone. ‘So, are we going to have the talk?’ I asked looking at her.
‘What talk?’
‘The talk about how your cheeks turned scarlet when Doug approached you in his teeny tiny trunks.’
‘Didn’t.’
‘Did so,’ I nodded.
‘I thought you were zipping it on the subject?’
‘That was when I thought you weren’t interested, I’ve never seen you blush at anything Lexi, you actually like him don’t you?’
‘Whatever, I don’t even know the guy.’
‘Well considering he’s Gabe’s best friend and you’re mine, I think there are going to be plenty of opportunities for you to get to know him.’
‘Thank god.’
‘So you do like him?’ I grinned.
‘Thank god the bus is here, so we can move on in more ways than one,’ she sighed.
The journey home took a few minutes longer, but we were back in before seven.
‘I’m going to grab a shower quickly Lex if that’s ok.’
‘What we doing for food?’
‘Well we have a fridge and cupboard full of it. I think we ought to try to actually cook something.’
‘I’m not touching anything until you get out so hurry up. I’m going out for a fag.’
I stripped off, showered and washed my hair and made sure I was scrupulously clean down below, I’d need to book in for another wax soon. Another item thing to organise now we’d moved, find a new beautician. I spent way too long trying to decide what to wear, it wasn’t like we were going out on a date. He was coming over late and I was probably going to end up out of any clothes quicker than I’d chosen then anyway, so I just went with my black hipster yoga pants and a black crop bra top, deciding to get in some stretches before he arrived. I knocked on Lexi’s bedroom door.
‘Ok let’s do this, operation master chef’s a go. It’s quarter to eight already.’
She joined me in the kitchen and we stood for a few minutes with the fridge door open just staring at the foreign contents.
‘Sod it Mia, let’s just order a pizza.’
‘No, Gabe spent a lot of money. Come on there must be something in here that even we can do?’ I insisted.
‘Ok, let’s cook those sausages, they look nice.’
‘With what?’
‘Beans on toast, I think even we can manage that and aren’t beans like one of your five a day?’ she asked.
‘I think so, but I don’t think it counts when you don’t have the other four a day of the five a day.’
‘So five a day only counts if you have five items?’
‘Well yes genius, otherwise it’d be called one a day and we’d be achieving it. Seriously how did you make it to Uni?’ I asked shaking my head.
‘I had you to kick my ass and help me Mia, but surely one out of five a day is better than none out of five a day?’
‘Are we going to try cooking or just debate the logic of the government’s attempts to try and make us eat more healthily?’
‘Fine, you sort out the beans and toast and I’ll do the sausages.’ declared Lexi ‘Fried or grilled?’
‘Since we’re likely to get a lecture from Gabe on the nutritional demerits of our diets, I think grilled is more healthy.’
‘So how does the grill work?’
‘Do I look like Nigella bloody Lawson? You’ve lived here as long as me. Besides you put me on beans duty and I don’t even know if we have a can opener.’
‘It’s on the other end of the beer bottle opener,’ she laughed as she nodded at the drawer. ‘Don’t forget you’re in charge of toast as well.’
‘Then I got the shit end of the deal, you only have sausages and I’ve got beans, toast and butter. I can’t eat beans on toast without butter.’
‘You can’t eat any bread without butter. You even have it with your peanut butter.’
‘So?’ I asked opening the beans.
‘Well that’s made of butter and then you add bu
tter as well. Its peanut butter and butter on toast.’
‘It goes all claggy in your mouth if you don’t add a layer of butter as well,’ I protested. ‘Right beans are open where are the bloody saucepans?’
‘No idea, I can’t work out whether I’ve turned on grill or the oven.’
‘Easy, wait five minutes and touch the grill to check,’ I smiled.
‘Bitch!’ she laughed. ‘O look, it’s going red, we have lift off. What do you reckon five minutes?’
‘I would think it would say on the pack, we don’t want to get food poisoning from undercooked pork.’
‘Let’s see fry blah blah blah, oven blah blah here we are grill, fifteen minutes. Could have had a delivery and eaten the sodding pizza by now without all this fuss,’ she moaned.
I got out the plates, knives and forks and opened us both a bottle of cold beer and padded off to the lounge and put on some dance tracks to get me feeling a bit more invigorated and awake. I turned on the fire and closed the curtains, then popped into my bedroom and put on my bedside lamp and made a mental note that I really needed to change the sheets in the morning. I sniffed the air, I could smell burning.
‘Lexi?’ I yelled over the music, but got no reply. I headed to the kitchen but she was nowhere to be seen. The burning smell was even stronger in here and I could see grey smoke curling out of the oven door. I ran over and opened it and smoke bellowed out and set of the alarm over my head. I quickly opened the kitchen window and yelled out up to my left at the roof terrace.
‘Lexi Clarke, get in here now. You’ve burnt the bloody sausages.’ I grabbed a tea towel and pulled the grill tray out and rested it on the lowered oven door and waved the kitchen window backwards and forwards trying to get some fresh air in. Lexi came running back in looking all sheepish.
‘I was gone for like a minute.’
‘I don’t think you were supposed to close the oven door, I think you must leave it open a bit.’
‘Are they still salvageable?’
‘I think so, black on one side, but we can … no scratch that, you can turn them and keep an eye on them while I undo this bloody alarm.’ I pulled a chair under the smoke detector climbed up and bashed it with my hand sending top and the battery flying across the room and the ringing stopped.
New Leaves, No Strings (Austin Erotic Romance Series) Page 21