by J. Lea
I nod, and my coach interrupts us. “Jake, we have to go.” I nod to him, and press my forehead against hers, closing my eyes.
“Be careful,” she says, “and knock ‘em dead.” I laugh at her words.
“I plan to,” I wink, and take a step back. Our joined hands slowly let go, and the warmth of her palm is replaced by cold air. I turn around the last time. It hurts seeing her in tears. She’s looking at me with her big, sad eyes, and blows her nose into a tissue. I wave at her, and then I have to board the plane. I’m comforted by the fact that I’ll see her again soon.
I’m sitting on the plane, earphones in my ears, listening to my favorite band Imagine Dragons, and their song “Demons”. I usually listen to it before the race because it relaxes me. The first race of the season is around the corner, and I admit I’m a little nervous already. I tap my fingers on my knee, and bob my head to the rhythm of the melody.
We’re flying to Qatar, where the race is the only MotoGP event to be held at night. The whole experience of racing under the lights, and the atmosphere is really special. The track is surrounded by artificial glass to prevent the sand from reaching the track. The first time I was here, I could not believe how different this country is. Exotic culture, exotic food… I love it.
I feel someone nudge me, and I look back. Mike is standing next to me, smile on his face. Taking the earplugs out of my ears and putting them in my lap, I gesture to the empty seat next to me.
“Hey, mate,” he says, as he sits beside me. “What are you listening to?” I hand him the earphones, and he laughs. “How can you not get tired of listening to the same song all the time?” He shakes his head.
“What can I say? It calms me.” I shrug.
“Is something wrong? You seem tense lately. Is everything okay between Ella and you?”
“Yes,” I nod. “It couldn’t be better. She’s perfect.”
“So what’s bothering you then? The race? You know you’ll do great, you’re good at this.”
“Liz,” I let out a deep sigh. He’s the only friend who knows my history with Liz.
“What’s with her? Don’t tell me she came back, that bitch,” he spits out angrily.
“No, it’s not that. I haven’t told Ella about her yet. I don’t know. There was never the right moment, and…” Mike shifts in his seat, scratching his head.
“You have to tell her soon if you have serious intentions with her. You know how women are when you keep secrets from them…”
“I know, man, but I just can’t find the right moment. I’m afraid of how she’s going to react when she finds out the whole story.” I lean back, and put my hands on the back of my head. “I can’t lose her.”
“Hey, you’ll lose her if you don’t tell her. It’s better she found out from you than from somebody else, trust me.”
“I know, I know,” I rub my hands over my face. “I’ll tell her.”
After the long flight, we finally arrive at the Doha International Airport. A large crowd of fans awaits us, and members of the press are taking countless pictures of us. We take a few minutes to talk to our fans, take a picture with them, and sign some autographs. The climate is completely different from home, and the atmosphere cannot be described. There’s something special in the air. Before we head to our trailers, we have some sponsoring event to attend, which is part of my job. I’m grateful to every one of my sponsors. I would not be where I am today without their support from the beginning, since motorcycling is an expensive sport. They take us to the event where T-shirts and baseball caps with the sponsors’ logos are set on the tables around the room, and we will give these promotional things to our fans. My duty is to sign the stuff, and take pictures with my fans. Not a difficult task, but I’m nevertheless exhausted at the end of the day.
Ella
It’s been two weeks since I saw Jake last, but I couldn’t be prouder of him. He won the first race, and set the quickest lap in qualifying for the next one, which means he’ll start the race from the pole position. I desperately hope he will return to Indianapolis for at least a few days after the race. I miss him so much it hurts. We talk on the phone every day, but it’s not nearly enough. I can’t wait to have my hands on him again. Luckily, Sophie asked me to help with the wedding preparations this week, so I can keep myself busy. Right now, we are on our way to the bridal shop. She’s not exactly sure what kind of a wedding dress she wants, she only knows it’s going to be short. As we enter the shop, the saleswoman greets us pleasantly.
“How may I help you?” While Sophie is talking to her, explaining her wishes, I take a look around the shop. It’s very elegant and feminine, one wall of glass windows, and it’s really bright. The walls are snow white, and have beautiful lace accents. The chandelier, hanging from the middle of the shop, is lit, even though it’s early morning and the sun is already shining brightly. The curtains in the changing room are a shiny pearl color, which looks very glamorous. Next to the wall, there are two display cases, tiaras in one and ring pillows in the other. When I look at Sophie again, I notice she’s already holding two dresses. They’re both white and short.
“Show me what they look like,” I say. She lifts her arms, and I inspect the dresses hanging from the hangers. The first one is completely ordinary; the only thing standing out is the glitter silver belt. The other one is the complete opposite. It’s frilly, and it also has a belt, but this one is the same color as the dress, and has a little bow on the side. They are both pretty, but nothing special. I’d pick a completely different dress that suits her personality—something bold and edgy—so I browse the dresses while she’s trying on the two from before. The saleslady returned to her place behind the counter, and lets Sophie try on the dresses she likes. When I hear Sophie calling my name, I turn to her.
“What do you think?” she spreads her arms wide, and turns around so I can see the dress from every angle. Wrinkling my nose, I shake my head. “That bad, huh?” she asks.
“Not that it looks bad on you, it’s just not for you. Try on the other one, so we’ll see if it’s any better.” When she exits the changing room again, we both burst into laughter. She looks like a fluffy toy duck. The ruffles look like they are trying to swallow her whole, and the straps look like some weird wings. Definitely too much.
“Oh, man, I feel like a stuffed turkey. Let’s find something else,” she laughs and goes into the dressing room. I bring her two dresses that caught my eye. I like the first one because it has an open back. The shoulder straps are embellished with little red flowers that continue to the back of the dress, down all the way to the hem. The front is simple yet elegant. The second dress is more daring, in gothic style. It’s a red and black strapless dress with a corset, and a fluffy skirt with black mesh over it. Both are short, bold, and much more suitable for her. I take them to her dressing room.
“Wow, where did you find these two? They’re gorgeous.”
“I know, right? I thought so, too.” They look as if they were made especially for her, with her fiery red hair and small frame. As she stands in front of me in the white dress with the open back, a pleased smile is playing on her lips. She spins around twice and stops next to the mirror.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her, and wipe a happy tear from my face. She’s going to be a stunning bride. Smiling, Sophie puts a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, what’s up with the tears? I wonder how you’re going to make it through the wedding then.”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe you’re getting married. I’m so happy for you guys.” Smiling, I wave my hands in front of my face.
“Stop crying or I’m gonna start, too. Let’s get back to trying on the dresses.” I nod; she disappears into the changing room, and changes into the red and black one. It looks good on her, but we both love the first one more. Sophie tries on some more dresses just in case, but she’s almost decided she wants the one with the open back. As she’s standing in front of the mirror in her tenth dress of the day, I find another one. When
I pull it off the rack, I’m brought to a standstill. It’s a short white strapless dress. It has a corset with a beautiful neckline, and silver crystals down the middle, making the dress special. A silk chiffon skirt layers down to the knees, and from the waist, little white flowers are falling down on almost invisible strings. Elegant, yet bold, and very beautiful.
“Oh, wow,” Sophie exclaims, snapping me out of my thoughts. I only nod, and hand it to her.
“I think you definitely need to try this one on,” I say. Sophie holds the dress up to her body, gives me a soft smile, and nods. As she steps out of the changing room, her eyes are bright with joy. She closes them for a second. She must be imagining her wedding day, and how Matt is going to be undressing her with his eyes as she’s going to be walking down the aisle toward him.
“Sophie, you look absolutely gorgeous. You take my breath away. I think you found the one.” She nods, and sprints toward me. She hugs me so hard I’m afraid she’s going to crack my ribs.
“Thanks for helping me. Matt’s going to be thrilled.”
After Sophie pays for the dress, we decide to go get coffee. We deserve it after the tiring day of searching for, and trying on, wedding dresses. I put on my sunglasses as we exit the shop, Sophie right behind me.
“Ella,” we hear a man’s voice, and we turn around. As soon as I recognize the man, I grab Sophie’s hand, and we quickly start walking away from him. She’s still looking behind her, and I’m practically dragging her behind me.
“What’s wrong, Ella? Don’t pull my arms so hard,” she says. The man catches up to us, and stops right in front of me.
“Out of my way,” I say sharply. Sophie looks at me, then at him, and back at me, a million questions in her eyes.
“Ohh, the kitty has claws,” he mocks, a not so friendly glint in his eyes.
“I don’t have anything to say to you. Get out of my way or I’m calling the cops.” I push him aside, still holding Sophie by the wrist, and we quickly rush past him. He doesn’t follow us this time.
“Who was that?” Sophie’s voice is laced with concern.
“Ugh, I hate him,” I say, and she keeps looking at me with eyes wide open, waiting for me to continue. “Do you remember the article about Jake and I when we first started dating?” She nods. “Well, this guy pretended to be someone from Jake’s team. He knew so many things about him that I didn’t suspect for a second that he might not be his friend. We talked, he was really nice, and I told him quite a few of personal things. And then it turned out he was a reporter, prepared to go to any lengths to get a good story. He coerced things about me and about us out of me, and everybody knew these things the next day. It was a good lesson that taught me not to trust anyone. At least when it comes to Jake. You won’t believe what people are willing to do to get their fifteen minutes of fame,” I shake my head, furious.
“So, when is the sexy Jake Burns coming back into town?” Sophie asks playfully as she’s sipping her latte. We are sitting outside a small café, basking in the sun. It’s the beginning of April, and there is nothing better to do in this warm spring afternoon than sit in the sun, hanging out with my best friend.
“He says Wednesday, but he’s not sure yet. His plans change daily, so I have no clue. I miss him so much. I never thought it was going to be this difficult.” Sophie places her hand on top of mine that’s on the table.
“I know you miss him, but Wednesday is almost around the corner. Do you have any special plans?” Shaking my head no, I set my coffee cup back on the table.
“Nothing yet.”
I finally found someone that helped me put my heart back together, but I won’t see much of him for months at a time. I hear ringing in my purse, and my eyes light up when I see it’s Jake.
“Jake,” I purr into the phone.
“Hey, babe, missing me already?” Ugh, if he only knew. Not a minute goes by that I don’t think about him.
“Ah, no. I found myself a lover that’s keeping me company while you’re gone. You know, I needed one for tough times. Wait, what’s your name again?” I say teasingly.
“Woman, don’t make me come there this instant and spank your bare ass.” We both laugh into the phone.
“Are you coming on Wednesday? I need to see you.”
“Definitely. They’d have to tie me down and lock me up to stop me. Damn, I miss your lips, your body. Fuck, I’m hard already just thinking about you.” I giggle like a schoolgirl. I glance at Sophie, and her gaze is soft, full of happiness for me. “Are you alone?” he asks, and I bite my lip.
“No.”
“Say hi to Sophie for me,” he says.
“How do you know I’m with her? Didn’t I tell you just seconds ago about that hot lover that’s warming my bed?” I tease. Sophie leans toward me, and yells into the phone.
“Don’t worry, Jake, I have my eyes on her!” She winks at me, and Jake laughs.
“Ella, I’ll call later today. Be available, okay? I have big plans for you!” At his last words, I get goose bumps, and my heart starts beating faster. Swallowing hard, I nod.
“Can’t wait.”
Night has fallen over Indianapolis, and I’m sitting in my living room in front of the TV, impatiently waiting for Jake’s call. I bite my nails and shift around on the couch. It’s 10pm, but he still hasn’t called. I know it’s early in Qatar, only 6am, maybe he’s still asleep. It even crossed my mind for a second that he forgot, but he always keeps his promise. When I check my phone for the fifteenth time, I hear a ringing sound coming from my laptop.
A request for a video call.
I immediately click Accept, and my heart swells when I see Jake’s face on the screen. I grin at him.
“Hey, babe,” he touches his hand to the screen, and I do the same. “You’re so damn beautiful.”
“I miss you,” I say.
“Did you have a nice day?”
I nod, tell him Sophie finally bought a wedding dress, and that it’s stunning. Jake tells me about tomorrow, how he’ll start the race from pole position. He also has a television interview scheduled for Wednesday in Indianapolis, and he asks me to go with him. I say yes, but only under the condition that he’ll go somewhere with me after the interview. Half an hour later, I hear his voice change. It’s deeper, and he is licking his lips, his eyes becoming like the eyes of a predator.
“Babe, I want you to open that pretty shirt you’re wearing. I’ve been staring at your sexy, soft tits the entire time, and imagining licking them. They’re driving me crazy.” Goose bumps spread through my whole body. Without a word, I stand up, and hear him inhale sharply. I’m only wearing a shirt and panties. Licking my lips, I slowly start undoing the buttons of my shirt seductively. I’m looking straight at the camera while undressing. “You’re driving me nuts,” he says, running his fingers through his hair. I finally reach the last button. I shrug it off me in a sexy motion, and it lands on the floor. I’m wearing a lace, see-through ruby pink bra, and matching panties. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful. I want to touch you so bad right now.” He opens the buttons on his pants, and pulls them off. I can see his rock hard erection poking through his boxers. He takes his cock into his hands, and strokes it a few times. “Have you ever done this before?” he asks, his voice raspy with desire. Biting my lip, I shake my head no. I never imagined I would be doing something so naughty over the Internet, but the feeling is incredible. I feel like I’m doing something forbidden, and that makes me even hornier. “I want you to touch yourself. Take the bra off so I can see you.” Without hesitation, I do as he asks, and put my hand on my breast. With my thumb and index finger, I gently squeeze my hard nipple, and I moan with pleasure. “Yes, babe, just like that. Imagine my mouth on your tits, sucking and kissing. Can you feel my tongue on them?” My eyes closed, I nod.
“Mmm, Jake, it feels so great.”
“Good, that’s good. Now slide your fingers down your silky skin until you reach your panties. I want you to reach under them and push two fingers i
nside yourself. Imagine it’s my fingers touching and teasing you, turning you on. What does it feel like, Ella? Tell me.”
“Oh, Jake! So…good…” I’m breathing heavily. “So, so good…” I repeat. I see him holding his massive erection in his hand, and decide to try a little dirty talk myself. “Jake, I want to taste you, too. I want you to imagine my mouth on your hard cock, sucking you.”
“Yes, babe, it’s so good to feel you on me.” Our hands do the things we want to do to each other in person. “I want us to come at the same time.”
“Imagine coming into my mouth,” I purr, and his eyes widen. I feel the tension in my center building, and it won’t take much to push me off the edge of orgasm.
“Damn it, woman,” he practically roars, as the warm liquid runs down his hand, and I scream his name at the same time. We’re both silent for a while, panting and watching each other. Jake breaks the silence. “I wish I could hug you right now,” he says softly, and my heart melts at his words.
“Yeah, me, too.”
The next day, it’s past nine in the evening when I’m finishing up at Ace. Brett, my last client, has already left ten minutes ago, and I’m putting the towels in the washer. When I’m done, I lock the place and head toward home on foot. Even though days are warm in the spring, nights can still get pretty chilly. I button my coat, and walk down the brightly lit sidewalk. Suddenly, I hear breathing coming from behind me, becoming louder and louder. Fear penetrates my bones, and I quicken my step. I’m afraid to look back. What if I’m being followed? The next moment, someone bumps into me. I stop dead, and see that the person is running past me. “Just a jogger, Ella,” I murmur to myself. I’m still standing frozen in the same spot. “You panic too much.” Still, I take longer strides to get home as quickly as possible, take a shower, and get into the comfort of my own bed to talk to Jake on the phone. I always look forward to our conversations. A sound of camera going off snaps me out of my thoughts, followed by a quick flash. I swiftly turn around to see Kevin, or what’s-his-name, standing in front of me, taking pictures of me. I raise my arms to my head because the flash blinds me. I turn around and quicken my pace, but he follows me.