Higher (The University of Gatica #3)

by Lexy Timms

  Her motion caught him off guard. He pulled out just as he came. He hit her inner thigh and grabbed the end of the towel to prevent more from landing on the bench or floor.

  They were idiots. Both of them. Sex without a condom? In a public place. Idiots!

  She pushed the thought aside when Carter stared at her with his puppy dog eyes. He leaned over and grabbed his shorts off the floor and slipped them back on. He slid her panties up her legs in a manner that was beyond sexier than anything Jani had ever seen. She stood to pull them over her glutes.

  Carter leaned forward and kissed her stomach, right on her belly button ring. His tongue twirled a circle around the diamond.

  It made her giggle. “That tickles.”

  He did it again and she jumped off the bench to get away. He made no effort to chase her, he just watched her with a lazy smile on his face. “I have to be honest, I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “Neither was I.” She picked up her wet clothes, now warm from the sauna’s heat. “We were kinda stupid.” She was too embarrassed to admit what she meant.

  He nodded. “Yeah. We were.” He put his arm around her. “I promise to be prepared from now on.” He inhaled and let out a content sigh. “I didn’t think you were going to come.”

  She elbowed his rock hard abs. “I thought you told me to slow down.”

  He let out a low laugh. “I meant, I didn’t think you were going to show up because of the time. That was totally unexpected but incredibly hot.” He ran his hand down her side and over her bum. “Every inch of you is sexy.”

  Her heart sped its beating pumps at the compliment. She never thought of herself as sensual. He was. All of him an erotic dream she couldn’t believe was standing real beside her.

  “We should probably get out of here.” Carter checked his watch. “People are going to start showing up soon.” He pointed to her legs. “I don’t mind, but you might feel more comfortable with your tights back on.”

  She glanced down, forgetting it wasn’t a bathing suit she wore. “Crap.” She dropped her wet clothes and found her capris and stepped into them. The warm material felt delicious against her skin as they stepped out into the pool area. She quickly glanced around to see the pool had gained more swimmers. Fortunately, no one seemed to pay attention to them coming out of the sauna. She kept her head down as they walked hand in hand towards the shower locker rooms.

  They stopped outside the ladies entrance. “Do you want to come over for dinner?” she asked.

  Carter wiped a bead of sweat and water running down her cheek that had escaped from her hair. “I’d love to but I can’t. Team stuff going on tonight.”

  “No problem,” she said quickly, embarrassed for asking him. The moment they had in the sauna seemed to be replaced with the awkward after-sex one.

  “I’ll text you later?”

  “Sure.” She squeezed his hand before letting go of it. She could tell him about her impressive high jump training then. She turned to go, a part of her feeling disappointed that he walked away to the men’s locker rooms. It wasn’t like he could follow her into the ladies, so why did she feel bummed? Like a sad, desperate girlfriend trying to stop her boyfriend from leaving her. They had just had sex, she should be pumped. Except something in her brain wanted to ruin the moment.

  Chapter 10

  The next days flew by at what felt like breakneck speed. Carter pulled his boyish charms out on her by showing up the next day and not leaving till she agreed to let him cook her dinner. They hung out daily. Over the following weekend, Jani and Aileen cheered on the Redcoats football team where Tyler Jensen, defense extraordinaire, played quarterback and led his team to a vicious victory over their state rivals. The sports weekend continued with an early morning killer workout at the fieldhouse, followed by watching Carter race and nearly qualify for NCAAs. Sunday’s golf game had to be postponed due to thunderstorms. However, Jani and Carter opted for a few rounds in his bedroom that would have made any coach happy with the extra cardio workout they got in – as long as Jani didn’t have to explain how.

  “Where are you going?” Aileen sat stretching on the carpet in the living room the following Friday. “You’re not going to practice dressed like that.” She pointed to Jani’s outfit.

  Jani had just stepped out of her bedroom in a pair of tight jeans and a bright red U of G shirt. She had even straightened her hair and put makeup on. Crap! She had been hoping Aileen would be in her room getting ready for practice. In her hand was a written note she planned to post on her door for Aileen to see. Her plan had been to slip out without getting caught. Aileen didn’t play hooky. Jani usually didn’t, but she really wanted to watch Carter race. It was only an hour and a half drive if she hauled butt. She glanced at her watch. Carter said he raced at five. She needed to push it if she wanted to get there, find parking and the swimming pool at NYU. “I’m not going today.”

  “What?” Aileen blinked in surprise. “Does coach know?”

  Jani puffed out a breath. She didn’t need Aileen’s guilty conscience to change her mind. “No! And don’t say anything. Why bring it to Coach Maves’ attention?” She spun around and grabbed her purse and car keys. She hated herself for being such a bitch. Aileen hadn’t done anything. She sighed and dropped her shoulders. She went to sit on the couch by her roommate. “Please don’t say anything to Coach Anderson or Maves. It’s a one-time thing. They probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”

  Aileen frowned but didn’t say anything. She apparently thought they would notice.

  “I just want to watch Carter race at NYU. Surprise him by showing up. He’s trying to qualify for NCAAs. He’s got a great shot at doing it today.”

  Aileen watched her friend. “Why don’t you ask Coach Maves? It’s not like you play hooky – at least with track.” She didn’t mention school, but Jani knew she was thinking about it. “Maves will probably tell you to do today’s workout on Sunday. Just switch it around.” Aileen chewed her lip. “I think you’re better off asking than just going.”

  “If I ask, they’ll say no.”

  “They might not.”

  “They will. They don’t get it.” Jani stood up. “I’m going. I can get into crap tomorrow morning at practice. We’ve got repeat two hundreds on the indoor track. Maves’ll probably make me do an extra set to make up for it.”

  “Can’t you go after practice?”

  Jani grabbed her coat. “No. I’m already pushing it to make it to NYU on time.” Aileen wasn’t going to give up. Jani needed to go. Now. She opened the front door.

  “Text me when you get there?”

  Jani paused halfway outside, her back to Aileen. She’s worse than my mother.

  “Let me know how Carter does.” Aileen paused, apparently trying another approach. “If you see him before he races, tell him good luck from me as well.”

  Jani turned her head and smiled. Aileen was trying. My guilty conscious isn’t her fault. I have no right to take it out on her. “Will do. Cheers.” She let the screen door slam shut and jogged over to her car. She hoped she had enough gas to get there. She didn’t want to have to stop on the way to add some. It would waste more time.

  The gas gauge read just above a quarter of a tank. It was going to be close. Thank goodness for tiny cars.

  She pulled out of the driveway and took a few of the back roads toward the highway. It shouldn’t matter, but with her luck, she’d probably pass one of the coaches, or a teammate. She didn’t want to have to explain anything. “I’m not getting caught,” she mumbled to herself. “It’s one practice. It’s not the end of the world.” It annoyed her that her inner voice kept reminding her that she was on scholarship and skipping practice wasn’t part of the options. She’d had the flu her freshman year and spent most of practice with her head in the garbage, but she still went. She refused to miss. What made Carter more important than practice?

  She ignored her conscious and pressed the gas pedal down as she took the ramp onto the highway. “I
lifted this morning. It’s not like I’m skipping everything.”

  Driving faster than she normally dared in her little hunk of junk, she pushed it and rolled into NYU with about twenty minutes to spare. She swore under her breath as she tried to find a parking spot close to the sports complex. Not knowing the campus very well, it took ten minutes to find a spot. If she didn’t make the race, she was going to freakin’ scream.

  November had started turning cold. She shoved her red toque on as she ran as fast as she could to the aquatic building, not bothering to do up the zipper of her coat. It took another five minutes to get to the pool. She had to stop two times and ask students if she was going in the right direction.

  The green metal-slanted roof above a few smaller buildings pushed her to run fast. She recognized the roof from the photos she had seen online. When she slammed open one of the entrance doors, she sighed with relief at the chlorinated smell that filled her nostrils. It wasn’t hard to find where the races were taking place by the noise of cheering and whistles.

  She slipped in, sneaking behind a few NYU female students showing their student cards and hurried to find a spot as close to the pool as she could get.

  Squinting at the male swimmers in the pool, she tried to see if she recognized Carter. The moving water, swim caps, black and red swimsuits, all made it next to impossible to identify who swam for which school or if Carter was even in the pool. Jani glanced up at the scoreboard and sighed with relief when she didn’t see his name on it racing against the running clock.

  The thick chlorinated air had to be twenty degrees warmer inside the pool area than outside. She shrugged out of her jacket and tossed it on the bench behind her. With her hand over her eyebrows, she scanned the athletes down by the pool to see if she could find Carter.

  Her heart knocked out a wicked rhythm before her brain registered that her eyes had found him. He stood with the next group of swimmers lined up to race. He stood wearing a dark red swimsuit, almost blood-red in color, his goggles hung around his neck and his cap in his hand. It was the expression he wore on his face that set her heart off on its crazy course.

  He had that look.

  The one every athlete knows. The one that tells you great things are going to happen today. It’s like all the stars aligned and everything’s come together for that moment. Training, mental focus, determination, everything had found its way into a tunnel vision focus no one could steer you from.

  Jani couldn’t wait to watch him race.

  To be an amazing athlete who could compete at a national or international level didn’t necessarily mean you only have to train harder and longer than others. You need to train, but it isn’t the only make-you-or-break-you thing. An athlete needs to address all the components that make up a successful athletic performance – the mental as well as physical. You can’t compete with an empty head, the mental skills had to be included in your training and conditional training as well. However, there were also those times when your mind makes your body believe you are invincible. A high no drug or chemical can create. Your proper-mindset creates it and when it happens, you believe nothing is impossible.

  Carter had that look.

  Even some of the other competing school athletes could tell. They seemed to shift away from him and his own teammates had given him space and weren’t talking to him. As his group of eight swimmers moved to the starting blocks, Jani’s eyes travelled to the large screen to see what race he would be doing. It was the two hundred yard butterfly. The meet record time showed in the top right corner: 1:43.04. It also showed NCAA Division I A and B standards: 1:42.85 and 1:47.99.

  If Carter wanted to make NCAA’s automatic standard he would have to break the meet record. She had no idea if the meet record time was any good, but based on records, it seemed like a mighty challenge. She figured if he was close to the record, he had a good chance of qualifying for NCAAs. Not everyone made A standard in track, it was probably the same for swimming.

  She sat down and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as the swimmers took their marks. She tried to watch the other swimmers but her gaze stayed focussed on Carter, her fingers on her Ironman watch, ready to time him and see if he made it. “Come on, Carter. Come on!” she whispered under her breath.

  The horn sounded and the competitors dove in long fluid motions into the pool. They had that unique ability to ripple underwater before their heads and strong arms surfaced out of the water in powerful butterfly strokes. Carter was half a length ahead of the next swimmer when they surfaced. He was almost a full length after the first turn. Jani checked her watch and did the math, he was definitely on NCAA pace.

  “Redcoats! Redcoats!” echoed through the crowd. Jani heard Carter’s name cheered as well. She was on the edge of her seat, screaming on his final turn. She loved it!

  Carter was going to win the race, no doubt there. Now it was a matter of watching the clock to see his time.

  Jani hit her watch to stop timing when Carter’s hand touched the pool. She checked it and compared it to the times showing up on the scoreboard. It would be corrected to the hundredth when the photo finish was confirmed but the time had the crowd erupting in screams.

  He’d clocked 1:40.02. NCAA standard and barely half a second slower than the NCAA record according to the results on the large screen. Jani may not know a ton about swimming but she knew his time was kick-ass. She jumped up and down, screaming and cheering because she was so excited for him. He had no idea she was there but it didn’t matter. She would surprise him when he finished racing. She knew he still had the relay to compete in as well.

  The relay race started about an hour later. The University of Gatica won thanks to an awesome leg by Carter. Jani raced down to the lobby area where she hoped the swimmers would come out of when they had changed. She didn’t see their school’s bus parked among the others in the front but because of the close proximity, they might have driven in vans. She waited amongst other family, friends and students checking her watch every few minutes. It was after nine when she gave up waiting. There weren’t many people left and she had the feeling UofG had left through another set of doors.

  Disappointed she headed back to her car huddled inside her coat against the chilly night air. It had grown cold, probably below or close to freezing. The slick pavement was proof of that. She was going to have to drive home in the dark, on icy roads with barely any gas. So much for pre-planning.

  She pulled her phone out and sent Carter a text: Congrats on your race! Are you on your way back?

  She walked to her car and started it. The engine needed a bit of warming up before she headed out. As she checked her GPS for a nearby gas station, her phone dinged to let her know a message had come in.

  Thanks! Total rush.

  She giggled as she replied. I know. I saw it.

  What?

  I’m at NYU.

  Seriously?

  I wanted to surprise.

  I can’t believe you came.

  You kicked butt! That was an amazing race.

  I didn’t see you. Too bad. We are on our way back now.

  I figured. I waited but didn’t see the team.

  You okay to drive?

  I’ll be fine. She didn’t want him to worry about her.

  Come by my place when you get back.

  I was planning on it.

  She smiled. She had a bag with track clothes in the back of the car. She could change into them for practice tomorrow morning if she happened to spend the night at Carter’s. He deserved a special congratulations from her.

  She sent Aileen a text to let her know how Carter had done and that she was on her way home. Then she texted her roommate one more time to say she was going over to Carter’s, so Aileen wouldn’t worry.

  After getting gas, the drive couldn’t go by fast enough. She pushed her little hunk of junk as fast as it would go, partially out of fear being on the road by herself, and the other because she wanted to see Carter. She couldn’t wai
t. She wished she had told him she was coming. Then he’d be in the car beside her and the drive wouldn’t seem so bad.

  When the distant city lights of Gatica came into view, she pushed her car to go faster. She laughed out loud as she thought of scenarios to play out with Carter tonight. The two of them could break their own kind of record.

  She jerked the hand brake up when she pulled into the first visitor parking spot she could find at Carter’s townhouse complex. The parking lot was full. No surprise for a Friday night on campus. Someone was always having a party. Which reminded her that there hadn’t been a track party in a while. Tomorrow morning’s practice would be a good time to put the bug out and see if someone wanted to have one. Maybe she and Aileen could have another one. She grabbed her track bag from the back and locked her doors.

  She jogged along the sidewalk and slowed her pace when she was a few houses away from Carter’s. Tucking her hair behind an ear and playing with her bangs, she paused a moment, wishing she had checked the mirror of the car before heading out. She rummaged through her purse for some lip gloss and applied it.

  She took a deep breath and forced herself to walk up the small set of concrete steps to Carter’s place. She paused with her hand on the doorknob when she felt the deep base of music coming from inside the house. She glanced behind her and realized some of the cars parked by the condo had to belong to swimmers. They all had a pair of goggles on the mirror as a dangly ornament.

  Did she knock on the closed door or just walk in?

  Carter had invited her so it wasn’t like she was crashing the party. If the door’s locked I’ll knock. She turned the knob and slowly opened the door.

  A distinct putrid smell instantly filled her nostrils.

  Not again.

  Seriously how much pot did the swim team need? She knew a couple of distance runners on the track team that lit up once in a blue moon but these guys seemed to do it weekly. They were idiots to risk NCAA drug testing.

  She slipped through the door and closed it quietly behind her. Waving the smoke out of her face, she took a deep breath through her mouth and held her breath as she walked down the dark unlit hall to the dim living room.