Hope Falls_Sparks Fly

by Jennifer Miller

  When we reach the barn once again, a groomer is there and helps Britt get off of her horse. When I get down as well he takes them away to remove their saddles and brush them down. “Bye, Disco,” I hear Britt murmur to her horse as she gives it a rub and then watches her walk away. Damn she’s adorable.

  “Ready?” I ask her.

  “Okay,” she shrugs.

  “Anything else you want to do today? They also have zip lining, hiking, and kayaking if you’re interested.”

  “I think I would prefer to do something else. I love outdoor sports, but I’m already feeling kind of sweaty and sticky from horseback riding.”

  “It is pretty warm today,” I agree.

  “Yes, but it’s beautiful.”

  “Yes it is,” I agree not talking about the weather at all.

  Once we thank Amanda and Justin for the ride, Britt and I begin our way back to the apartment so we can change, but when we are on Main Street again, she surprises me when she exclaims, “Lone Pine Lanes? I haven’t bowled since… I don’t even know when. Maybe when I was in high school! Want to go bowling? Do they have pizza and beer too? That would be awesome!”

  “They do,” I tell her with a laugh.

  “Perfect, let’s go. It’s on me! I mean…assuming you want to, but if not please tell me what better offer you’ve got, because bowling, pizza and beer should win every time.”

  “No doubt,” I laugh and wonder where the hell this girl has been all my life. “Sounds great. I was just thinking the same thing the other day – that I haven’t been bowling in a long time.”

  “Perfect. Time to change that.”

  I do a u-turn and make my way through the parking lot to find a spot. Thoughts of changing clothes after our ride forgotten, we walk into the bowling alley and find that we practically have the place to ourselves. Britt races ahead and buys us a game before I can beat her to it. She obtains my shoe size by asking over her shoulder. While she carries the shoes away from the counter and walks toward the assigned lane, I head to the bar area and order a couple beers on tap and a pizza.

  Finished, I see that Britt is looking for a bowling ball, trying one and then another. I place our drinks down, and then change my shoes before going to find my own ball. “Well,” I begin as I set my ball down and then turn to the table to pick up my beer, “I’ve got some good news and bad news for you.”

  I almost choke on the sip of beer I’m taking when she whips around immediately frowning at me placing her hands on her hips. “Seriously? Again?”

  “You’re kinda cute when you’re pissed,” I tell her surprised I said that out loud.

  She rolls her eyes, “That’s because this isn’t really pissed, this is irritated. Spit it out.”

  “Well, the good news is, I ordered us a pizza and got you a beer,” I tell her pointing at it and then watch as she takes a drink.

  “And the bad news?”

  “The bad news is that I’m going to kick your ass,” I tell her gesturing to the bowling lanes.

  “We’ll see about that,” she tells me then says, “You’re up first, Mr. Mechanic.” I smirk when I see that’s how she typed my name into the computer. When I see her name is entered as ‘Barbie,’ I laugh out loud.

  “Well Barbie, aren’t you kind! Letting the gentleman bowl first?”

  “Who says you’re a gentleman? I just want a chance to check out my competition.”

  “Ah,” I nod, “then watch closely.”

  Grabbing my ball, I approach the line at the beginning of the lane, swing my arm back when I’m a few steps away from it, and let it roll. I made sure to aim for my target the whole time, the center pin. I hear a giggle behind me, which I ignore because I’m busy watching my ball. Six pins get knocked down. I turn to her, “Don’t worry, I’ll get the rest.”

  She’s smirking, “Uh huh, ” she says defiantly.

  I take another sip of my beer, and when my ball is returned I take another turn ready to claim my spare but watch as my ball goes into the gutter. I return to my seat to a Britt that is smiling so wide her mouth looks like it’s going to split her face wide open at the corners of her mouth.

  “I’ve uh, seen better,” she tells me and I force myself not to smile and cross my arms over my chest instead.

  “Let’s see what you’ve got then,” I tell her and I’m not ashamed to admit I watch her ass the whole time. It isn’t until she turns back around jumping up in the air yelling, “Told ya, sucker!” that I realize she just got a strike. When I do, my mouth falls open in surprise.

  “Seriously?”

  “Beat that!” she yells at me and points.

  “Wow, I’m seeing a whole different side of you.”

  “Stop trying to stall. Go on, I want to see you’re epic fail again.”

  And fail I do. I continue to completely suck each and every time. I fail to get any strikes and manage only one spare. The game goes quickly and when our pizza finally arrives, Britt eats hungrily before nearly skipping back to the counter to pay for another game, declaring ‘losers deserve another chance’.

  She wins the second game too, and I thoroughly enjoy myself. When we’re walking to my truck after we’re finished, I look at her and smile wickedly.

  “What?” she asks warily.

  “Oh nothing, it’s just that I have good news and bad news again.”

  “I find that this is getting old,” she says with irritation and a sigh, but the corner of her lips betrays her. There’s a start of a smile there.

  “The good news is that was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Thank you for that.”

  She looks at me out of the corner of her eye, “You’re welcome…and?”

  “And… the bad news is… I totally let you win!”

  She gasps, “You did not!” and we argue the whole way back to the apartment on whether or not that’s true.

  Chapter Nine

  Britt

  The day today was a lot of fun; it’s true. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but Landon really showed me a good time. When we get back into the apartment we separate, each eager to shower and change.

  While I wait for my turn in the shower, after telling Landon he should go first, I pull out my phone to see that Brady has left me a message. Listening to it, I hear, “Hi, Britt, it’s me. I’m so sorry, but I don’t know when I’m going to be home. There was an accident outside of town that’s a fatality and I need to be there to help clear the scene and redirect traffic. I’m so sorry,” he says again. “My guess is it’s going to be a late night. I’ll see you in the morning. Love you.”

  Sighing, I admit to feeling a little irritation at his unintentional abandonment. I really want to spend time with him, but I had a good day today, a fun day, and perhaps relaxing and watching some TV or a movie would be the perfect ending to this day. I’m happy that Brady went to the grocery store before I got here and bought some ingredients for things he likes that I enjoying cooking. Not wanting to spend lots of time in the kitchen, I assemble ingredients to make spaghetti and my homemade sauce for dinner. Letting the sauce simmer on the stove for a while will make it taste great.

  I’m deep into the process when Landon comes into the kitchen. I can smell the soap on his clean skin before I even see him and I shamelessly take a deep breath. He smells of man and musk. “I hope you like spaghetti, because it’s what I’m making for dinner.”

  “I love it, but you didn’t have to cook.”

  “I really enjoy it, I don’t mind.” I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he goes to the refrigerator and removes a bottle of water. He drinks deeply; his throat moving with each swallow. Clearing my throat, I look away, “Brady called and left me a message when we were bowling…”

  “Yeah, I checked my messages and I got one from him too. Sounds like he’s going to have a late night.”

  “It does,” I tell him. “That’s okay. I know he can’t help it and I don’t mind just chilling anyway.”

  “We have a ton of movies, we
can pick one out and watch it together.”

  “Hmm, I don’t know…what kind of movies do you like?” I ask turning around to face him once I’ve finished with the sauce and place the lid on the pot.

  “Horror. Only horror movies.”

  “Great! Those are my favorites too,” I lie.

  His mouth falls open, “I was only kidding. I don’t really like horror movies, but I figured you would have to hate them?”

  “Why? Because I’m a girl?”

  “Well…yeah.”

  I laugh at the sheepish look on his face, “I was lying. I hate them. But I like most anything else. Sci-fi, action, drama, comedy, rom-com, whatever. Pick something out. I’m going to go get in the shower really quick.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he says with a smile.

  Fifteen minutes later I’m back in the living room having showered, changed and brushed my hair. I yanked it up into a high bun not feeling like drying it. “Wow,” Landon says when I reappear.

  “What?”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever known a woman to get ready - showered and changed that quickly before.”

  “Well I’m not really ready, I didn’t do my hair or makeup.”

  “I didn’t even notice,” he says and his comment makes something in my stomach flutter. He’s sitting on the couch, sprawled out in that way men do. His arm is along the back of the couch, his legs wide open in front of him. He looks comfortable and sexy as hell at the same time. I want to go sit in the crook of his arm, more than anything, but instead, I turn and go into the kitchen taking down a wine glass and taking my favorite bottle of those available in the fridge.

  “Would you like a glass of wine?” I ask.

  “Sure,” he says.

  I pour us both a glass, return to the living room and hand his glass to him, then sit on the other end of the couch with my knees pulled up to my torso. He watches me and I think he may say something, but instead he turns the movie on. It’s a newer comedy that hasn’t been out on DVD long, one I haven’t seen yet. We laugh hard at some parts and when our glasses of wine are empty, I refill them at some point bringing in the whole bottle. I leave once and start boiling the water for the noodles and get them finished so when we’re ready, we can prepare a plate of food.

  Before I know it, the movie is over, the wine bottle is empty and I’m feeling a little drunk realizing I drank most of the bottle myself. I hold it up and look at Landon and say, “Oops,” and laugh.

  He smiles, “You hogged the whole thing,” he accuses.

  “Yeah, I guess I did,” I admit. “Hungry now? The sauce should be done.”

  “Sure,” he says.

  I stand from the couch and when I do, I feel a little dizzy and stumble slightly, Landon is there clutching my elbow and I giggle. “Sorry, I’m kind of a light weight when it comes to drinking. It’s been a while.”

  “It’s okay. Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get us each a plate, okay?”

  “Okay, sounds good.”

  I sit at the table and watch him as he gets plates out of the cupboard, forks and knives out of the drawer. He fills our plates, sets them down and gets us napkins too. I unabashedly watch each move he makes, enjoying the way his muscles move under his tight shirt, the way his ass looks in his loose sweats. I wonder if he’s wearing boxers or briefs, and I also admit to myself that I’d like another look at the body he’s sporting under his clothes.

  When he sits, we begin eating and after he takes a bite, his eyes roll back in his head and he moans, “Wow, Britt. This is so good.” I can’t respond. I’m wondering if he sounds like that when he’s having sex. “Britt?”

  “Uh, yeah?” I ask shaken out of my thoughts.

  “I said, this is so good – thank you for making it.”

  “You’re welcome. We have to make sure we save some for Brady or he’ll kick our asses,” I tell him.

  “No promises,” he winks and it makes me feel warm…all over. I should not have drunk that much, it’s seriously wreaking havoc on my brain and body.

  When we finish our dinner, chatting about mundane things throughout, he takes both of our plates and cleans up. It happens when I stand to bring my wine glass to the sink. I turn, and he’s right behind me, his hands go on my shoulders and his face leans toward mine. I watch its descent and feel my head raise in anticipation. I think his lips are going to meet mine, but they don’t. Instead, they land on my cheek. He presses them there and they make my cheek feel hot, like it’s on fire from his touch. When he pulls away, I swear time slows down, his skin sliding against my own, the smell of him invading my nose. He’s close when he says, “Thank you for today. I had a really great time.”

  We stare at each other for a beat, and then another. I don’t know who moves first, him, or me. But before I can think twice, my lips are on his, his tongue is in my mouth, I’m moaning, and he’s lifting me onto the counter. I open my legs inviting his body closer, and he steps into the space and kisses me harder, faster. His hands find their way up the back of my shirt, while mine do the same to the front of his. Oh yes, god yes. I want to see him again, so I rip his shirt over his head, take a moment to devour the sight, then pull his head back to mine again.

  Somehow he’s able to think rationally and pulls away. “Wait… wait… should we do this?”

  “What?” I ask still in a lust filled haze.

  “Never mind, god yes we should do this,” he says and his mouth is on mine again and this time, he breaks away to take off my shirt. I thank Victoria’s Secret right there and then when he looks at my lace covered breasts like they are the hottest things he’s ever seen.

  This time, it’s me that pulls away, “Wait,” I say, but he’s too busy running his mouth down my neck and collar bone. I groan. He pulls away.

  “What?” he asks.

  “Nothing, nothing at all,” I tell him.

  He grins and pulls me closer, then lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and he walks down the hallway and into his bedroom. I briefly notice some details of his personal space, but getting acquainted with his bed monopolizes my thoughts.

  He sets me down and then stares at me for a moment. I know a question is coming before it does, “Are you sure?”

  “Are you?”

  Slowly, he nods, “Yes.”

  “Me too.”

  Then, he strips, and I do as well, and the next thing I know his skin is sliding against mine. I can feel all of him. His mouth is on mine again; he kisses his way down my body until he’s between my thighs. He looks up at me and winks before he buries his head between them. Pressing my head back into the pillow, I groan, and my hands tighten into fists. He works me into a frenzy and when I can’t take anymore and come, he helps me ride the feeling out until I’m practically jelly on the bed. He moves up my body, a cocky smile on his lips. Reaching in his bedside drawer, I see a flash of a foil package before I hear one torn open. Moments later, he’s in position and pushes in, and in, and in. When he’s moving, we each moan and mutter under our breaths. He’s a quiet lover, as am I. We each use our bodies to speak instead of our mouths. When he leans his head down and takes my nipple in his mouth, I shudder, then push him onto his back and straddle is hips. I look down at him and grin.

  “What?” he asks me with a smile as his eyes devour my body.

  “I had a dirty thought.”

  “Oh, do tell.”

  “Just thinking I’ll put that horseback riding I did today to use once again.”

  He laughs, but it cuts off as soon as my hips begin to move. I’m going to give him quite a ride.

  Chapter Ten

  Landon

  I watch her as her body moves and think I would never tire of the sight of her. All day I’ve been imagining what she looks like naked; the actual view is a sight to behold. As she works magic with her hips, I hold on as long as I can until I see her orgasm again, and then I follow right behind.

  Quickly disposing of the condom, I move back to my bed and lie beside
her. She turns her head to me and winks, “Not bad, Mr. Mechanic.” I laugh hard and loud.

  “I agree,” I tell her pushing the strands of hair clinging to her cheek off of her face.

  “Your bed is comfortable.”

  “I think so too.”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve done that,” she says.

  “Had sex?”

  “No. I mean it’s been a long time since I’ve had sex on the first date.”

  “You just couldn’t resist me.”

  “Oh gag. That’s what I get for opening my mouth.”

  “Well, I’m certainly not judging you by any means.”

  “Well I was sure as hell judging you.”

  “And?”

  She shrugs, “Like I said, not bad.”

  Laughing, I kiss her on the shoulder. “Guess I need to step up my game. Right now.”

  “Right now?”

  In response I begin trailing my fingers over her arm and then her breast. She smiles. Then I push her shoulder down and sprawl her out on the bed once more. “Prepare yourself, ma’am. I need to check under the hood. Again.”

  She laughs at my stupid joke, but this time it’s her laugh that cuts off at the first hard lick of my tongue.

  **

  When Britt leaves my room, the space feels empty in a way it never has before. Odd, I think. The smell of her is still on my sheets, strawberries and vanilla. I hear Brady come home at some point, but I don’t leave my room again until the morning. When I do, I’m surprised to find that Brady and Britt are both already up and dressed.

  “Good morning,” I mumble still feeling sleepy.

  “Mornin’,” Brady says.

  “Hi,” Britt says quietly.

  “What are you two up to?” I ask and feel guilty because part of me wishes Brady was called into work again so I can spend more time with Britt.