He's The Goal

by Faith M Troyer

  Will she?

  Her soft, beautiful eyes crinkle at the corners just a little when she smiles, and my heart soars with affection for her.

  She opens the fridge door and grabs a beer from the bottom shelf, and I fight a chuckle. I never see Vada drink, even though she works as a bartender; this girl is strictly sweet tea and ice water.

  My mouth waters as I drink in her curvy silhouette, the gentle sway of her hips in those skinny black jeans she's wearing. The sparkling silver sequin cami hugs not only her waist but also cradles her perfect tits, and my partner in crime is actively breaking the rules as we speak.

  "What do you want, Maxwell?" she says, but her tone is playful, and a coy smile plays on her full lips.

  Fuck. What do I want? They're sitting inside of that top. I shake my head and run a hand through my hair, and Vada's eyes flicker as she takes in my fresh new appearance and a sweet flush of pink floods her cheeks. Monica is standing near the kitchen table, peeling a banana and breaking it in half before taking a bite. Her eyes scan my body and give me a nod of approval.

  "Wow, Vahn. You look good." I appreciate Monica’s compliment, but now I want to hear from Vada.

  "You look alright," she says but playfully winks at me, bringing the bottle to her full luscious lips.

  Our eyes connect again, and I’m in a trance.

  The doorbell buzzes like a buzzer during a losing game, shattering the hold over me.

  What just happened?

  Vada

  Life is some weird shit, and I honestly don’t know what to think at this point. Ever since Max moved in, he has been hot and cold with me. On the one hand, Max acts as if he can’t stand me or bugs the shit out of me, like usual, and on the other hand, when we’re standing around in the kitchen eating dinner, Max looks at me as if he’s wishing it were me he was eating, instead of the spaghetti I prepared.

  Before Max became the roommate I never intended to have; I’d mainly see him after his games when Jack would make me tag along with him. We’d meet him near the locker room after, and I’d act as if he was a fly that wouldn't leave me alone, and he couldn’t get enough of my attention. But at the same time, I’d have to fight like hell not to jump into his arms and beg him to fuck me right there.

  God, he looked good as hell, all sweaty and damp after dodging hockey pucks for the past hour.

  But this time is different. Max is flirting with me, and not in his usual “Look at me! I’m so hot. you know you want me” way. He must know that I very secretly eat that shit up. Max’s acting like an adult for once, and maturity looks good on him. So does that outfit he’s wearing.

  I lick my lips, trying to be on my best behavior, but hot damn! Max looks good tonight!

  “I’ll get the door,” Max says, a sense of urgency replaces the intense sexiness he had in his eyes a minute ago.

  Max darts to the door, yanking it open and uses his big body to block whoever is standing on the other side of it. He’s whispering, trying to keep quiet about the current conversation, and I furrow my brow in confusion. I know he has sex with whomever he pleases, and he does so quite often. I just wonder where he goes with them now that he doesn't have his condo.

  A flaring surge of jealousy runs through my veins at the thought of Max bringing another woman back to my place, touching this mystery woman, kissing her, and caressing her.

  Am I crazy to say that I wish I could be that woman?

  “Come on, Max, let me in.”

  My cheeks grow hot from the familiar sound of that voice, glancing to the left as I see Bianca, in all of her skankiness, welcoming herself into my house without an invitation. Who the hell invited her here?

  I only see her at the arena when Max has games. And like usual, she’s in full “jellyfish” mode and sticking to Maxwell as if she has some magnetic pull over him. Chester comes padding into the kitchen, looking adorable and a little sleepy. He bends forward, yawns, and stretches his long body before walking over to Max with his tail straight in the air. My cat has always been a good judge of character; animals usually are. So it cracks me up that he’s totally in love with Maxwell.

  I joke with Max sometimes and tell him that he and Chester have a tighter ‘bromance’ than he and my brother do, and he retorts back with, “Of course Chester loves me; I’m a pussy magnet.”

  My face flushes at the thought of Max saying pussy, and my skin prickles in a compelling manner.

  Bianca eyes me for a second before pulling Max against her gigantic clown tits, which have to be fake. Large, natural breasts aren’t that perky. Trust me. I watch in disgust as she kisses Max with so much tongue, it looks as if he’s going in for a dental checkup instead.

  “She’s going to suffocate the poor bastard,” Monica mutters at my side.

  I bring the beer to my lips for a drink and almost choke. Monica laughs softly and snorts before taking a pull off her bottle.

  Bianca tears herself away from Max long enough to kneel to Chester’s level as he makes his way through Max’s jean-clad legs, rubbing against him. To both my shock, pleasures and pure amazement, Chester backs up and hisses at Bianca. His orange fur stands up on end as he bares his teeth at her like a dog. I clap my hand over my mouth, stifling a snort of laughter, and I can tell Monica’s doing the same. Bianca shrieks and stands up quickly to hide behind Max’s enormous build like Chester is some rabid animal out for blood.

  I roll my eyes and take another drink of my beer. Bianca’s wearing those gaudy gold earrings again, and I want to so badly just rip them from her ears. With this dingbat in such close vicinity to me, I might have to get plastered before we even arrive at the club so that I can deal with her properly.

  Bianca turns to face me again, and this time her eyes are on me like a police spotlight, and she pulls Max in for a kiss. I can tell he wants to be subtle, which I appreciate. He didn’t kiss her back but also didn’t stop her either, and that stung a little.

  Then it all begins to make sense. Bianca’s the “lady-friend” coming over tonight while Monica and I are out for the evening. My stomach turns as visions of Bianca fucking Maxwell under my roof, on my couch, and if she had her way, in my bed. Keeping her eyes on me, Bianca wraps her long arms around Max’s trim waist and leans her head against his hard, toned chest.

  “You girls have fun tonight. I plan on giving Max an amazing evening.” Her smile curls into a bitch-like smirk.

  I grip the neck of the bottle so hard; I’m afraid I’m going to crush it in my hand. I would be sitting in the emergency room all night and getting stitched up instead of having a fun night with my best friend. I feel Monica’s hand on mine as she eases the bottle from my fingers and replaces it with a warm, reassuring squeeze of her palm against mine.

  I look to Max, and he seems conflicted as hell. He’s usually got that smug ass “I’m hitting that shit tonight” look on his handsomely rugged face. But his dark blue eyes are troubled; an entire sea is raging inside of them, and he looks as if he might drown in his troubles.

  “Come on, Vada. The cab is waiting outside,” Monica softly reassures me as she takes my hand, walking me to the door.

  I feel as if I’m going to jump out of my skin, but I won’t let myself look over my shoulder because I only know it’ll make things worse. I nod to Monica as she bends over and zips up her thigh-high stiletto boots and tell her, “I’ll be back; I need to grab my purse.”

  That was a lie; I never bring my purse with me when I go out to a club. My ID and credit card are stashed securely inside the cups of my strapless bra. Before Monica can argue, I disappear from the hallway and sneak back into the kitchen, but see no sign of them.

  I tiptoe into the living room and see the lights are off, but my apples and cinnamon candle are burning brightly in the darkness, and I can see them on the couch making out like a couple of horny teenagers. Bianca is sitting on Max’s lap. Her hands cup his face and slide into his thick wavy hair. He glides his hands up the back of her thin white t-shirt and fiddles wit
h the flimsy metal clasp of her bra.

  Feeling choked, I back away slowly, trying to swallow the lump of resentment I feel for snooping. I’m sure that my eyes are more green than hazel; emotions have a funny way of making our bodies react.

  I feel so foolish right now, and not to mention wrong. I feel like a peeping tom as my heart sinks to the floor. Did I expect Maxwell to drop Bianca like a bad habit because he’s my new roommate?

  Maybe I did.

  I know I did.

  Having caught sight of them all over one another makes me feel like shit.

  “Come on, Vada,” Monica says in a whisper-soft voice as she approaches me from behind.

  On the drive to Night Beats, I don’t say anything and keep to myself. Flashes of Max and Bianca kissing and groping on my couch assault my mind, and I can feel tears starting to burn my eyes. I quickly wipe them away and feel a sense of petty anger.

  Those assholes lit my fucking candle! They don’t even appreciate the sentiment behind it. They’ll probably use the wax to pour on each other later.

  Whenever I see Bianca and Max together, I have the same feeling of jealousy and possessiveness. But tonight, he never kissed or touched her back in front of me. She looked like some sort of crazed fan, and Max wasn’t reciprocating her pitiful need for attention; Which made me smile on the inside. But now, with my departure, he was giving her all of the attention that she craved.

  Monica looks at me with sadness in her brown eyes and tries to comfort me, but I won’t have it. I shrug her warm hand from my shoulder and wipe at my eyes again, praying my eye makeup is smudge-free but knowing it’s a lost cause.

  I don’t know why I’m so upset. I did this to myself.

  I held Max at arm’s length on purpose for so many years because I can’t help but compare him to my dad. He’s not only sleeping with just Bianca, but with other women too! And they’re all okay with this. He’s not tied down to any girl, so he’s not a cheater. But if I ever gave Max a chance, I can’t be sure that he wouldn’t run off to another woman and sleep with her. Temptation can be a bitch.

  Does Max even have a clue that I have feelings for him? Or am I too good at being a bitch whenever he’s near me to protect myself from ever being hurt?

  The cab comes to a slowing stop, and I hear a loud electronic dance beat pulsing from the massive two-story building. The entire outside is lit up in electric pinks, blues, and greens, blinking along with the music’s rhythm. A lengthy line of scantily dressed women stands outside near a few tall palm trees, the tree trunks wrapped with white Christmas lights.

  I should be feeling excited right now; happiness should be coursing through my veins like a drug because I’ve wanted to attend this club since they first opened. But I’m a sad, sappy mess who just wants to binge-eat ice cream, watch “The Notebook,” and cry my eyes out. But then, I remember. Night Beats is a nightclub, and nightclubs have alcohol— and lots of it.

  Who needs Ally, Noah, Ben and Jerry when I have my friends Jose and Jack?

  I look at Monica and smile.

  “Let’s do this shit.”

  Max

  The smell of Vada’s candle soothes my nostrils as I feel Bianca’s soft lips against mine, and I imagine that her lips belong to someone else. I devour her mouth, getting high on the sounds she makes. In my mind, I hear those same moans and sighs pouring from Vada’s mouth, not Bianca’s.

  I grab B’s ass and squeeze, wishing I could fill my hands with the soft curves that Vada teases me with every damn day. She gasps in surprise, giggling, and presses her hot mouth against my ear. My eyes flutter closed as I revel in the feel of her warm breath against my skin, and I can feel my cock pulsing hard with need.

  Though I can’t seem to get Vada’s soft green eyes out of my mind from before she left this evening, she looked hurt, which confuses me.

  I’m not her type. She can’t stand me, so I don’t know why she looked as if she wanted to beat the snot out of Bianca earlier. Maybe it’s because she and Vada can’t stand each other, and having your sworn enemy on your property without your prior approval is a kick to the gut.

  I know how Vada feels about her apartment. It’s her sanctuary. She sure wasn’t happy having to share it with me when I first moved in, and she didn't mind telling me. Yet tonight— Tonight, the look in her eyes seemed to say, ‘Why her? I’m the better option.’

  I lean my head back on the couch as my mind runs away with thoughts of Vada and how amazing she looked tonight and the possibility she may have been just a little jealous?

  No way! I must be imagining shit! Still, part of me can’t help but think that Vada wanted to be in Bianca's shoes. Bianca trails her hands down my hard stomach and fiddles with my jean’s zipper, and my heart skips a beat.

  “Have you ever thought about how great I’d look in a wedding dress?” Bianca asks out of the blue.

  My eyes snap open, blinking away the shock that overwhelms my brain.

  Bianca sits on my lap, half-naked. Her long legs wrapped around my waist as my hands cup her warm bare breasts. My mouth goes dry as I try to think of the words, but nothing comes to mind other than ‘please exit stage left, psycho!’

  I sigh heavily and reach over to turn on the small lamp next to the couch. Bianca squints against the harsh bright light but manages a smile. She leans into me and kisses me full on the mouth, but I don’t respond. Bianca leans in, pressing her chest against mine, undulating her hips against my cock, and reaches to turn the light back off. I can feel the heat from her hand as she goes down the waist of my jeans, rubbing my thick erection.

  I groaned low in my throat as she catches my mouth in another kiss. I allow my head to fall back against the back of the couch as Bianca begins to work me slowly inside of her palm.

  “All I’m saying is, I can be a good wife someday, Max. I can be a better roommate than Vada. I can even have your babies. We’ll have fun trying.”

  Woah! What the hell is happening?

  Why is B talking about wedding dresses, marriage, and babies?! I know she longs for a marriage proposal one day, but she has never pulled this shit before. It’s like she’s trying to leak subliminal messages and slip her motives into my subconscious and using her body like a drug to sedate me and put me under, but I won't fall for that.

  I knit my brow together and lift her gently from my lap, but she continues to hold on to my dick and won’t let go. I reach for her hand, pulling her off me and standing up. Bianca sits there topless and juts out her full bottom lip, pouting like a fucking child.

  “What’s wrong with you tonight, Maxwell? One minute, you’re all over me, and the next, you act like I have some disease or something. What did I do?”

  I wish I had a chalkboard to draw her a picture. I’d draw a stick woman with huge boobs, wearing a fucking straight jacket. Who talks about marriage and kids with your fuck-buddy? And she’s so casual about it. She knows I don’t want to settle down or have kids. Well, not with her anyway.

  No, not her. Ugh, not Bianca!

  Yet, someone else comes to mind, though, and my stomach flips nervously.

  Meanwhile, Bianca sits there, her wide green eyes looking so sweet and innocent, even though she’s far from it. And to prove it, she offers me a wicked yet sexy grin the minute her eyes zero in on my dick. I watch her pink cotton candy tongue provocatively slide out from between her lips, and my mind goes all caveman.

  Keep it together, Vahn. Her blow jobs aren’t that good! I want to laugh at my stupidity.

  “Nothing is wrong with me, Bianca. I think you’re the one with the problem. I told you that I couldn’t give you what you want.”

  “Then why do you choose to stay with me? You know I have feelings for you, Maxwell, but you choose to stay and help me indulge in those feelings. You can learn to love me, you know? All you have to do is try.” Bianca stands up, pushing her jeans and pink lace thong down past her thighs.

  Who is this woman? B has never been this clingy or crazy in the past? S
he has to be acting this way for a reason, and I know why and who that reason is. I sigh, struggling not to push her down on the couch and indulge Bianca’s feelings for the next hour. I keep my eyes ahead on the wall behind her and pull her panties back up her impossibly long legs, followed by her jeans.

  She whimpers as I hand her bra and tee and square her by the shoulders, looking her straight in the eye.

  “Are you saying this shit because you’re jealous of Vada? Do you think she and I are fucking, just because we live under the same roof now?” I pause and take a deep breath.

  It’s clear that Vada and I are not an item, and we’re not having sex. Though I wouldn’t admit to Bianca that I was picturing Vada while kissing her the entire time.

  “You should go, Bianca. I can’t do this anymore. We’re not even a couple, but you act like we are, and I’ve explained to you countless times that this is just for fun.”

  Wow. I feel like a prick right now, even though what I said is true. But I feel bad for saying it the way it came out.

  Bianca’s face furiously burns red, and her eyes become dark with anger.

  Shaking her head, B stands up, sliding her t-shirt back over her head, not bothering to put her bra back on and buttons her jean. Is she going to give me the silent treatment now? She’s a master at avoiding my calls for a few days, waiting for me to be the one to cave first, which has happened before more than once.

  She’s looking for someone to chase her, and I will stop running. I watch in silence as Bianca fixes her silky hair into a messy bun on the top of her head, walking past me but not before bumping into me with her shoulder.

  I roll my eyes, and I’m shocked that I’m staying put and not going after her. Men do enjoy the chase, but sometimes they get winded, and in my case, I’m about to drop out of the race.

  I stand there with my hands in my pockets, and my heart feels like it’s in a fucking meat grinder. I hate seeing Bianca upset and at my hand, but she needs to understand that she can’t manipulate me into being her boyfriend. Bianca knew from the very beginning that we were never going to be official. She even swore to me that she wouldn’t catch feelings, but she did. I know I’m in the wrong for stringing her along for so long, and now I have to be the one to end it.