by Jessica Marx
Then why am I hoping that Mikey gets an ‘A’?
It’s not because I want to go on a date with Jaxson - that would be crazy. I want Mikey to succeed. I want him to make the pros if that’s his destiny - he deserves it if he’s that good. Even if he doesn’t get far in football, would getting good grades be the worst thing in the world? So what if I lose and have to ‘take one for the team’ and go on a date with Jaxson? It’s one date. I’m sure I could find worse things to do with my time.
Chapter 9
SYDNEY
I must admit, with all the work I’ve been doing convincing myself what a terrible person Jaxson is, I was shocked to see Mikey show up for my extra help hours. When I kindly asked him what brought him in, he told me that Coach James told him he has to attend any and all of my extra help hours. Mikey admires the man and takes his advice to heart - football or otherwise. Mikey even pays more attention in class now. Jaxson must be doing something right to command such respect - or maybe he just bribed him with something.
I usually pack a lunch and eat in the teacher’s lounge, but since it’s raining out today, I choose to spend my lunch hour in the classroom. I find listening to the rain very peaceful, and today, it’s just what I need. I’m pretty much caught up on my lessons and grades, so I take my time enjoying the peace and quiet. I still have some time left when I finish my lunch, so I begin to write some key points on the board for my next class. I like having an outline up anyway so I don’t have to write while I speak.
“Apple for the teacher?”
I slowly turn around at the sound of Jaxson’s voice, “thanks, but I already ate.”
He lets himself in and strides over to my desk and sits right on top.
“Make yourself at home,” I say sarcastically.
“Thanks.” He takes a bite of the apple without taking his eyes off of me.
My palms are suddenly damp. I run my hands down my skirt nervously, trying to play it cool. There’s no reason for me to feel anything around Jaxson - especially nervous.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m sure you can,” he answers looking me up and down. He’s undressing me with his eyes - I can feel it. His stare makes my body warm. No chance I’m letting him know that though.
“What is it you need?”
“So many questions, Ms. Hayes,” he teases, “I need Mikey to get an ‘A’ - I mean ‘B plus’ - so I can see what’s under these tempting little teacher get ups you like to taunt me with.”
I can’t help but laugh, “If you’re referring to my knee length skirt and neck high shirt, you must have a very active imagination.”
“Oh, I do. Trust me. I have spent too much time imagining already.”
I blush at the thought, “you know, this could be considered sexual harassment, Coach James.”
“Probably, but if we both want it, it’s just some harmless flirting.”
“The key words there are ‘we both want it’, which I assure you, ‘we both’ do not.”
“You do, you just don’t know it yet.” He takes another bite of the apple. That same crooked smile playing on his lips while he chews. I swear I can read his mind when he has that look on his face - and everything I see in there is very dirty.
“How about we agree to disagree?”
“Whatever you say.”
“Mikey showed up for extra help this week,” I blurt out, changing the subject. I have to. I don't like where my mind is going.
Jaxson smirks, “of course he did. He’s working very hard for that ‘A’.”
“That’s great. It’s nice to see that he’s finally showing some interest. What did you say to make him change his mind like that?”
“I told him that if he gets a good grade, I can fuck his teacher,” Jaxson answers boldly.
My face turns bright red. I glance at the door to make sure it’s closed. God forbid anyone heard that comment, “I’m going to assume that is not what you said to one of my students. Even someone like you would know better than that.”
“Of course not. I just love how you look when you blush.” He takes another bite of the apple.
“I’m not blushing, I’m mad. What makes you think you can speak to me like that?”
“I know you like it.”
“I don’t.” I’m lying. No one has ever said things like that to me. It’s actually quite a turn on - not that I would admit it to Jaxson. “I also never promised anything more than a date. There was no mention of…sex. Don’t expect it - it’s not happening - ever,” I add nervously.
“You keep telling yourself that,” he smirks, “I’ll settle for a date to start.”
I roll my eyes. There’s no getting through to this man. The bell rings signaling the end of my lunch period.
Jaxson stands up and flashes me a killer smile, “enjoy the rest of your day.” With that, he leaves my classroom, leaving me with my blood boiling.
There’s so much heat coursing through my body right now. Jaxson is getting to me. His attitude makes me want to smack him. It also makes me want to take my clothes off. How does he do that? I can’t go on a date with him. I don’t know if I will be able to resist him. For the first time since I began teaching, I find myself wishing that one of my students won’t get a good grade.
Chapter 10
SYDNEY
“Rough day?” Kelly asks when I walk in.
“School was okay, but having Jaxson James to contend with is getting annoying.”
Kelly grins, “are you sure ‘annoying’ is the right word?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that every time you mention his name, your eyes light up. Don’t forget, I was by your side every day in high school while you were crushing on him.”
“That was high school. We’re adults now. I grew up. He didn’t. End of story.”
“I don’t know. Now that we know what happened the night you guys were going to hook up… Maybe there’s more underneath that obnoxious bravado than you think. ”
“If there is, it won’t be me who discovers it. And don't tell me you're changing sides now. I thought you told me to leave the past in the past?”
“Come on, Syd. You haven’t seriously dated anyone in almost two years - and when’s the last time you had sex? Who better to at least go on a test run with than the famous Jaxson James and his anaconda.”
I laugh, “I think you mean rattler.”
“No, I mean anaconda. Have you ever read the tweets about him?”
“He probably wrote them. He is so full of himself, I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“Whatever. The point is, he’s into you. Why not go into this date thing with an open mind? Who knows what can happen?”
Kelly is a hopeless romantic. Just because her and Tim have been together since college, she thinks true love is lurking around every corner.
“I know what can happen. I can give into his charms and become another notch on his belt.”
“Maybe - but from what I hear, it would be a night to remember. As long as you don’t fall in love, what harm could it do?”
“Why is my best friend trying to get me to sleep with some cocky man whore? Does he have you on his payroll?”
“No. I just think he’s super hot and since I can’t have him, I want to live vicariously through you.” She winks at me, then in a serious tone, “I just want to see you have some fun, Syd. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, Kel.”
I know she means well, but jumping on the Jaxson James bandwagon is a little much. Sure, he’s gorgeous. Yes, his body looks like it was sculpted by the Gods, but the fact that he is fully aware of that and uses those things like his secret weapon, take all the desire out of it. Well, most of it anyway.
I will never admit it to anyone - I have a hard enough time admitting it to myself - but Jaxson has continued to be the ammunition for a couple of late night ‘stress relief sessions’ of mine. I know how dumb it would be to fall for a guy like that, but my body dese
rves a little pleasure in his honor. Why not? I’m sure he would love to know that - but he never will.
Kelly’s right, I do deserve some fun. After my bad break up with Ryder, I kind of gave up on men altogether. It’s not that I don’t want a boyfriend, I just don’t want to put myself through the whole dating and falling in love part. My heart was broken into enough pieces to last a long time - and it was partially my own fault. I’m not ready yet.
I wish I was the kind of girl who could go out with a guy for the fun of it. Spend a night together with no strings and part ways. It’s just not who I am. If it was, maybe I would entertain the idea of spending one night with Jaxson James.
I don’t even know why I’m worried about it anyway. There’s no way Jaxson is going to win this bet. There’s not a chance in the world he can get Mikey to score a high enough grade. He’s a good kid, but it would take some real skills and knowledge to help him learn and maintain the information for the test. No football player is going to do that.
______
Kelly and I have a lot of our meals together. We share most of the responsibilities around the house. We take turns cooking and cleaning and we’ve purchased everything in the apartment together. She’s been dating Tim for so long, the day is going to come soon when they get engaged and Kelly will move out. I wish nothing but the best for them, but it’s definitely going to suck for me.
Tonight, as usual, we share some town gossip and chit chat over dinner. Of course, Jaxson’s name comes up again, but I try to ignore it and move on. I have enough trouble clearing my own thoughts of him lately, I don’t need his name to become dinner conversation.
There’s a knock on the door around eight. We’re just about finished cleaning up the kitchen. Kelly’s expecting Tim, so she jogs over and opens the door without looking to see who it is.
“Oh! Hey, Jaxson.” Kelly exaggerates his name and says it a little louder, presumably so I can hear her.
I look down at myself. I’m in leggings and a tee shirt. Like every other woman in creation, the first thing I do when I come home from work is take my bra off. Kelly and I have an agreement not to judge our post-workday looks - and going without a bra is acceptable - but not when there’s company. Shit. I wish I could make it to my room to change without having to pass the front door. I feel vulnerable enough fully clothed around Jaxson. I don’t want him to see me like this.
“Good evening, Ms. Hayes,” Jaxson says in a slick voice from the kitchen door. The way he drawls my name touches all of my nerve endings.
“I’m off the clock, you can call me Sydney,” I reply. I still don’t turn around - I can’t. I look awful and somehow, his greeting made my nipples hard. “Speaking of which, how do you know where I live?”
“It’s a small town. Tracking you down wasn’t too difficult.”
“Why are you tracking me down? What are you doing here?”
“Settle down, babe. I just wanted to show you something.”
I quickly turn around, forgetting about what I look like, “Please don’t call me ‘babe’ - and if you’re planning on showing me any of your body parts…”
He laughs, “not even close, but I like where you’re going with that. How about I call you sweet tits? Is that better?” Jaxson jokes, looking right at my breasts.
Kelly laughs from behind him. I look at Jaxson. My face is bright red, “you’re disgusting.” I glance over at Kelly, “don’t laugh at him, he’s a pig.”
“I’m only joking. I didn’t mean to offend you. Besides, it’s actually a complement.”
“Now I see what you mean, Syd,” Kelly comments, smiling ear to ear.
Jaxson perks up, “oh. Talking about me with the girls, are you?”
“Just telling Kelly about what a pain in the ass you’ve been. Thanks for showing her first hand.”
“Any time, babe.” Jaxson winks. He’s trying so hard to get to me. It’s working, but I’m not playing into it anymore.
I ignore him. “So. Tell me why you’re here.”
“I was so excited, I couldn’t wait until school tomorrow.”
Jaxson looks like a little boy trying to keep a secret. It’s adorable. I look at him, “well?”
He holds up a few pieces of paper.
“I still don’t know what you’re excited about. Did you finally learn to write your own name?” I tease.
“Ha ha.” He takes a few steps closer and hands me the papers.
I stare at them in disbelief. They’re practice tests with Mikey’s name on them. Each one has an almost perfect score.
“Looks like we’re going to be going on that date after all,” Jaxson says triumphantly.
“Don’t plan your victory celebration so quickly,” I reply with much more confidence than I feel, “he hasn’t taken my test yet.”
Jaxson squints his eyes and grins. For the first time I notice a dimple on one side of his lips. The dimple and that look he’s giving me stir something inside me. I cross one leg over the other to calm the storm that’s brewing within.
“Whatever. I’m feeling pretty good about my chance for victory right now.”
We have a short stare down. I don’t have any good come back. My head is spinning as it floods with thoughts of what a night with Jaxson James will be like.
A knock on the door breaks our gaze. Kelly jumps to answer the door. She’s been listening this whole time without saying a word. I think some part of her may have fallen under Jaxson’s spell. What is it with this guy?
I hear Kelly greet Tim at the door.
“Well, looks like it’s time for you to go,” I tell Jaxson smugly.
“Don’t leave on my account,” Tim says, walking toward the kitchen. He approaches Jaxson and holds out his hand, “nice to finally meet you. I’m Kelly’s boyfriend, Tim.” They shake hands.
“Too bad Jaxson was just leaving,” I jump in.
“‘Jax’” he corrects me, “that’s what my friends call me. Since we’re almost dating now, I think it’s fair to say we’re friends.”
I roll my eyes.
“I’m out, babe. Just wanted to share the good news. Nice to meet you,” he addresses Kelly and Tim. “I’ll pass by to say hi at school tomorrow,” Jaxson calls back on his way to the door - I mean, Jax.
“Please don’t,” I yell back.
“Wow, you two have some serious chemistry,” Kelly comments.
Oh, please! He’s an asshole. Besides, he couldn’t like anyone as much as himself.”
“Then why are you smiling like that?” Tim asks.
I am smiling. I didn’t even notice. “I’m not,” I lie, but there’s really no denying it. Jax is so full of himself, but something about him is hard to resist. I want to be full of him too. That thought makes me smile to myself. Maybe I can play his game after all.
Chapter 11
JAXSON
I haven’t been with a woman in what feels like forever. Sydney is all I can think about. She’s all I want and I’m not going to stop until I get her. After that, if she’s not into me, maybe I’ll move on. For now, getting her is my game and fucking her is my touchdown. Although, I think I like her - like really like her. She might say she thinks I’m disgusting or doesn’t like the way I talk to her, but she does. The cute way she blushes isn’t from anger, it’s from heat. I’m making her hot and she can’t deny it - at least not for long.
I use my frustration to practice my heart out today with the team. I’ve been so focussed on Sydney and my small town life at the high school, I haven’t been much of a team player this week. The passes I made today helped redeem me though.
Coach Taylor calls me into the office after practice. He’s very impressed with the way I played today, but more so with the changes I’ve made so far off the field. It’s not like they gave me much of a choice. Nadia has been lurking about and texting me reminders when she’s not around. Now that I’m in Mesquite, she doesn’t need to be as hands on at this point. Whatever time I spend away from my own team, I use to
coach the high school team or tutor Mikey. There’s not much time to get into trouble - even if I wanted to.
I’ve been meeting Mikey three days a week at the school library. The pep talk I gave him during our first session worked wonders. I explained the importance of a good education - how he will need to keep up his grades if he wants to be a college athlete. I also told him he needs a plan B. Studying is important just in case his football career doesn’t pan out. I’m sure he will be a star one day, but there’s no reason not to try and excel academically too.
I told Mikey that I graduated with honors. He had no idea. Why would he? No one really paid attention to anything other than my football stats. Well, the girls did, but it wasn’t my grades. I’m getting a little soft for the kid. He’s had a tough life for a young guy. He deserves a scholarship if he can get one. What started out as part of a bet has developed into a genuine desire for his success. I’m really enjoying helping him. Having someone look up to me for more than my ability on the field is a pretty good feeling too. Winning the date with Sydney will just be the icing on the cake. See, we all win.
“What’s up with you, bro?” Jake asks.
Jake and I hit it off immediately when I started playing for the Rattlers. We’ve become pretty close friends. We have a lot in common - mostly our love of football and pussy.
“Nothing, man.”
“You seem a little out of it. What’s got you down? Is Nadia Tate cramping your style? I hear she’s pretty hard core.”
“Something like that. Just been wrapped up in the whole high school coaching thing.”
“Sounds like fun,” he says with a hint of sarcasm, “any hotties in that small town.”
“There’s one,” I answer - too quickly.
“One?”
“I just have to keep a low profile, you know?”
“Meh, I don’t know. Doesn’t sound like the Jaxson James I know. It sounds like a guy who’s falling for a girl. Is she good in the sack at least?”