‘That’s really kind,’ I whispered with my head down, too embarrassed to make eye contact. He tucked his fingers under my chin and forced me to look up at him. He took the corner of the grey towel and gently swept it over my cheeks and under my eyes, probably removing the remains of my streaked mascara and eyeliner, as he held my gaze. I wanted to look away, to break the intensity of it, but I couldn’t. I could stare into those gorgeous electric blue pools forever. My heart skipped a few beats as he smiled down at me. Kiss me, my subconscious was screaming. I had it so bad for this boy. I’d never been interested in boys before, until one of our friends showed me some pictures of the young farmers’ group she was in and I spotted him. It hadn’t taken much persuasion for me to enrol immediately and fawn over him for the last couple of months.
‘There, that’s better. You’re even prettier without all of that black. Your eyes stand out even more now.’ This time I knew I blushed. Alec Wright thought I was pretty.
‘I don’t … I don’t have a clean top,’ I stuttered. He set the towel on a clean bale of straw, his track pants on top, then started unbuttoning his shirt. ‘What … what are you doing?’
‘I’m wearing a t-shirt under here. If you don’t mind that it’s been worn, it’s yours until I next see you. Hurry up and get out of those wet clothes, you’ll catch a cold,’ he ordered.
‘Turn around then,’ I said, too shy for him to see me in my underwear. First off, I was in virginal white, so not sexy like black, red, or hot pink. He looked like he was experienced, and experienced men would want sexy. Secondly, I wasn’t your classic girl from the magazines. I had full breasts, hips, and a curvaceous backside with a small waist. Mum always compared my figure to Marilyn Monroe’s, which would have been fine if I’d been born in that era, but not now, when everyone was under pressure to be thin.
‘Honestly, Paige, it’s no different to me seeing you at the swimming pool in a bikini and I’ve seen you there plenty of times,’ he retorted, tossing his shirt onto the bale. My mouth opened and closed, nothing coming out. He’d seen me at the swimming pool? Why had I never seen him? There’s no way I’d have missed him, let alone in a small pair of swimming trunks, dripping wet and … ‘Unless you’re completely commando under there,’ he added with a grin, right before he ripped his t-shirt over his head.
I went into complete overload. I nearly fainted at his feet, I was sure I even drooled as I stared. My eyes were on stalks as I took in his buff body. However good he looked dressed was nothing compared to his bare torso. Ryan Gosling, move over! I quickly turned around and started unbuttoning my soaked white jacket. I peeled it off, then bent over to pull off my Hunter boots, tipping the water out from inside them as I tried to memorise how good his abs looked.
‘I’m sure I’ve never seen you at the pool,’ I said, desperate for something to break the tension I was feeling to have him standing so close to me, half naked.
‘I’m not really much of a swimmer, but my friend Si is a lifeguard there. I meet him for a coffee from time to time. More often since he told me that there was a blue-eyed brunette stunner coming every Wednesday night who had curves to die for. I had to check her out and see if she was for real.’
‘O, right,’ I replied, my shoulders slumping at the thought of him ogling other women. I undid my jeans, that were already tight before they were soaked through, and started to shimmy them off. ‘Was she for real?’
‘Most definitely, I can see why he’s got it bad for her.’
‘Could see,’ I corrected. ‘Can see is present tense.’
‘I meant can see, present tense. Your backside in those white knickers looks even more sexy than in those blue bikini ones,’ he chuckled. I gasped and turned around, forgetting that my jeans were around my ankles. I screamed as I felt myself falling and before I knew what was happening, I was grabbing the waistband of his jeans to steady myself, forcing him to topple too, and we both landed in a heap on the straw. He burst out laughing as he lay on top of me, my hands trapped between our partially clothed bodies, my chest heaving.
‘I’m so sorry,’ I apologised. I wasn’t sure where to look. His lips were so close to mine that I could feel the heat of his breath on them. His firm pecs and abs were pressed against my body, and the sight of his large, toned biceps was intoxicating. I felt lightheaded and giddy, but again I couldn’t look away as he gazed down at me. It sounded twee in my head, but it was like I could feel an inexplicable connection to him.
‘Paige,’ he whispered gruffly.
‘Yes?’ I replied breathlessly. Was he going to kiss me? My heart and my breathing stopped, suspended in time as my lips pouted, ready for him.
‘What the hell is going on?’ I grimaced, my whole body sagging with defeat, as I heard Ruth’s voice.
‘Just giving Paige my t-shirt as she didn’t have a top, I tripped and landed on her,’ Alec replied. He flashed me an apologetic look as he shot off me and grabbed his shirt, leaving me in my underwear, with my jeans still around my feet.
‘Right,’ Ruth bit, her eyes narrowing as she looked down at me. ‘If this is how she behaves, trying to steal other women’s boyfriends, then I’m banning you from spending any time alone with her. As your girlfriend, I won’t stand for it.’
‘Girlfriend?’ I uttered, feeling completely devastated. He was seeing her? I’d have been pretty naïve to think a guy as hot as him wouldn’t have a girlfriend, but Ruth? She wasn’t good enough for him.
‘Since we were teenagers, so whatever ideas you have of tempting him away, dream on, Paige. Do you know how many girls join our club hoping to snare him? Not one of them have, so I’d suggest if that’s the only reason you joined, quit now, because you’ll never be able to compete with me.’
‘Ruth, that’s enough,’ Alec snapped, quickly doing up his white shirt while I lay there, not sure how to get up gracefully, given my feet were still anchored by my wet jeans. I didn’t want to humiliate myself in front of either of them any more than I already had today. ‘It was nothing, an accident. Besides, Paige isn’t like those other girls that only joined looking for a boyfriend. She’s got more about her. I’ll wait outside and make sure no one comes in,’ he added, giving me another apologetic look. I gave him a smile and a wave, before wrapping one arm over my chest and covering my possibly see-through white knickers with my other hand. Could this day get any worse? On top of it all, I was exactly the kind of girl to moon over a hot guy. He didn’t know me at all. He dragged Ruth out, but not before she tossed a smug look at me over her shoulder. I covered my eyes with my hands and sighed.
‘O.M.G! What happened?’ came Poppie’s voice. I squinted through my fingers to see her standing with her hands on her hips looking down at me. Daisy was just chewing away on her hay in the corner, totally non-plussed by all the action in her stall today. I filled Poppie in as I tugged my jeans over my ankles and pulled off my wet socks, rubbing myself down with Alec’s towel. ‘He’s seeing her?’ she gasped. ‘Ok, I shouldn’t be judgemental, I’ve only just met them both, but seriously?! Chalk and cheese. He’s hot and she’s … not. Talk about the cow’s arse, she has a face like a slapped one!’
‘Stop it,’ I giggled, undoing my ponytail and squeezing my hair to let the towel take away most of the moisture.
‘Come on, she has. So, he’s been checking you out at the pool? I’d say his time with her is limited. He’s into you, big time.’
‘He’s not.’ I rolled my eyes as I picked up his t-shirt and pulled it over my head. It was still warm and smelled of … Alec. I felt my stomach flutter as I breathed him in and reminded myself that this material had been touching his naked body.
‘So is, I saw him when you turned into a blithering idiot talking about Daisy. He couldn’t take his eyes off you and he didn’t laugh when Daisy painted you brown, and let me tell you, that was quite some feat. It was seriously funny, if you weren’t … well, you. He looked gutted for you. Paige and Alec sitting in a tree, k.i.s.s.i.n.g,’ she sang, swinging her hi
ps in time to the beat.
‘Shut up!’ I laughed. ‘He’s taken. I’ll just have to make do with admiring him from afar.’ I stood up and grabbed his running bottoms and pulled them on. I had to roll them at the waist to shorten them and leave them sitting on my hips, then turn up the bottoms to slip on my wet boots again. ‘Let’s go home. I’ve had enough humiliation for one day.’
‘No way! You dragged me out of bed this morning with no designer shops in sight, so we’re going to make the most of it. We’re going to look around this countrified show and scoff some beef burgers, sorry Daisy no offence intended, then have an ice cream and see whether the country has any other stock worth investing in, the sort with a rump like Alec’s,’ she winked. I shook my head as I combed my fingers through my hair.
We dropped off my wet clothes into the back of my rusting old VW Polo and I groaned as I saw the state of myself in the wing mirror. No makeup, unless you counted my blue lips, my hair couldn’t be less straight, and I was wearing a baggy white t-shirt and oversized grey bottoms.
‘Please, I can’t go out looking like this,’ I pleaded.
‘Paige, you’re the most gorgeous girl I’ve ever seen and I’m not even into girls. You look stunning with or without makeup, whatever way you do your hair, and no clothes can disguise a sexy figure like that. Own it, embrace countryside chic. They don’t get that ruddy-cheeked look by using makeup with SPF in it, do they?’
I gave in and we headed off towards the crowds and the main arena, Poppie laughing her head off as my feet squelching in my boots sounded like someone farting every time I took a step. We ended up having fun, checking out some of the local arts and crafts, sampling produce, and having a few rides at the small fun fair. Poppie ushered me towards the fenced-off arena when they announced the stock judging results were about to be awarded.
‘Like I’ll win after that disaster,’ I laughed, shaking my head. I nearly fell over again, Poppie screaming with delight, when my name was announced as the winner of the dairy cow judging. I boot farted my way onto the stage, repeatedly telling everyone it was actually my boots and not me, and probably making matters worse. I shook the judges’ hands and did my best attempt at a blue ink stained smile as a picture was taken of me receiving my certificate and rosette, with Poppie’s whooping drowning out most of the uninterested, polite claps. I wasn’t of interest, everyone was waiting for the tractor dancing event, which apparently was the highlight of the show, other than Alec Wright. I headed off the stage and was shown to the exit in the fencing, groaning to see Alec and Ruth standing there.
‘Congratulations, first event and a win,’ Alec beamed.
‘Thank you, I’m quite shocked all things considered. Thanks for the loan of the clothes and towel, I’ll bring them to the next meeting if that’s ok?’
‘I could come to yours to pick them up,’ he suggested, then winced as Ruth elbowed him in the ribs. ‘On second thought, the meeting would be great.’
‘Ok, thanks. I’d better get going, my underwear is soaked. I mean … you know, because of the water, not because we had a roll in the hay, which we totally didn’t … I’m going now and it’s the boots farting, not me,’ I garbled, quickly squeezing past them.
‘Congratulations again,’ Alec called with a chuckle.
‘Hardly an achievement when she was the only competitor. No one ever wants to judge Daisy given her reputation,’ Ruth scoffed. I stalled in my tracks, clutching my precious rosette and certificate to my chest. I’d had less than a minute to bask in the relative glory of my win. As if I hadn’t been humiliated enough today as it was, I’d only won by default?
‘Ruth, there was no need to tell her that,’ I heard Alec bite. I felt some tears roll down my cheeks as I imagined the smug look on her face. I dumped my winnings in the nearest rubbish container and ran past a surprised Poppie, all the way back to my car.
I threw myself into the driver’s seat and cried properly. No wonder I was single. I was a walking disaster, rubbish at everything.
‘Paige,’ sighed Poppie when she found me.
‘I’m so stupid. Look what a fool I made of myself.’
‘You didn’t, you stayed dignified throughout. No shit,’ she winked. I giggled and wiped my eyes.
‘I deserve a cow pat on the back, don’t I?’ I sniffed.
‘Pull the udder one, now mooove it,’ she teased, dragging me out and giving me a tight squeeze.
‘Did I look a complete teet?’
‘No bull, I’m not going to lie, it was hilarious. I’m going to milk it forever,’ she laughed, continuing our cow-themed banter. ‘At least this Alec situation is all out in the open. It’s Friesian now.’
‘Friesian?’
‘Black and White, a Friesian cow.’
‘I thought they were Herefords,’ I frowned, pulling back to look at her.
‘Whatever, cowtato, cowtarto, point is you know he’s unavailable now. Time to move on.’
‘I guess,’ I sighed, not sure I’d ever get over him. ‘I’ll have to go on Thursday to give him his clothes back.’
‘Fine, but then you’re quitting. You want to join a townies club, let’s go wine-tasting or something,’ she suggested with a smile.
‘We’re underage, for a few more months at least,’ I reminded her. She sighed with a shake of her head.
‘I can’t wait until we’re legal and I can ditch this fake ID.’
‘You’re a nightmare, Poppie,’ I laughed. ‘Thanks for cheering me up. Come on, let’s go home, I need to try and get this ink off my face and lips. I’ve had enough crap today to last me a lifetime!’
‘I’ve had another great idea for mixing with fit, toned guys when we start the new term,’ she stated confidently.
‘Why do I have a feeling that I may live to regret it?’ I grinned, sliding into the driver’s seat and taking a not-so-subtle inhalation of Alec’s t-shirt before Poppie jumped in and slammed the door. She rolled her eyes when she caught me.
‘He was hot,’ she confirmed as I started the car.
‘Tell me about it,’ I sighed.
Stick in the Mud
May
‘You have got to be kidding me,’ I exclaimed, digging in my heels as Poppie tugged me towards the canoe club’s hut in the college grounds. For someone smaller than me, she had alarmingly powerful strength.
‘What?’ she protested.
‘Canoeing?’
‘Fit men,’ she offered with an unapologetic shrug and a wink over her shoulder.
‘You already have one,’ I reminded her, struggling to stop my progress towards the rickety, rusting, corrugated metal shack the club called home. Poppie, unwilling to concede defeat, moved behind me and started pushing me towards the red wooden door.
‘But you don’t. Don’t be such a stick in the mud. I need to make you forget all about Alec Wright, it's been almost a year. We need to get you back on the horse.’
‘I was never actually on the horse, Poppie. I never rode him. We never even made it out of the stable.’
‘So that makes it even easier for you to get on the saddle with another guy, doesn’t it? Don’t argue with me. This will be fun,’ she muttered, with about as much enthusiasm as I was feeling right now.
‘Right, like body building first term, then computer programming the second.’
‘You met lots of men, the aim of the game.’
‘Not men I fancied. Please, it’s cold. You could already hang your coat on my nipples and I haven’t even got in the river yet,’ I moaned, really not in the mood. The only water I liked being around was a hot shower, warm pool, or an exotic clear ocean with a sandy beach and palm trees. A cold and murky river, not so much.
‘You could hang my entire summer wardrobe on your nipples even when it’s scorching hot, that’s how big they are,’ she retorted. ‘People see them coming into a room about a minute before you arrive.’
‘My bus is at quarter to six,’ I reminded her, as she shoved me into the inner porch.
‘And this finishes at quarter past five, you have loads of time to get to the bus station. Honestly, anyone would think I was torturing you,’ she huffed, putting her hands on her hips and blocking my escape.
‘You are!’
‘You won’t be saying that when you see that James McColough’s a member.’ She raised an evil eyebrow as I groaned. James was the only guy in sixth form that I found even remotely attractive, but my head was still full of Alec and of what I’d seen in his eyes when he’d been lying on top of me in Daisy’s stall. We had a connection, but I had to let it go, he was seeing Ruth. ‘Not just a member either, he’s the captain,’ she overemphasized, with a so there nod of her head. Like the distinction really mattered to me.
‘Fine, but I’m telling you, if there’s no wetsuits, I’m out of here,’ I warned her as she opened the door.
‘Wetsuits? You’ll be in a canoe, not snorkelling for buried treasure at the bottom of the River Severn.’
‘We’ll be in a canoe,’ I corrected her.
Until We Collide Page 2