by J J Loraine
“Of course.”
I reach into my cabinet and pull out some extra toiletries for her to use.
“The gym’s in the opposite direction of the rugby field we practice on yesterday, though. I don’t know if we have time to go to your place and get your workout clothes.”
Ava sticks her tooth brush in her mouth and her eyes go wide. I beautiful smile crosses her lips. “Oh, I hadn’t even thought of that! I don’t have any workout clothes...”
I chuckle and take her from behind. This time it’s my turn to wrap around her while she brushes her teeth. “Don’t worry, there’s a store attached to the gym. I’ll get you a whole new outfit. God, you’re going to look so good in some yoga pants.”
Chapter 48
Ava
By the time we pull up to the gym, I’m a nervous wreck.
I thought I’d be better about this now that I had Jack by my side, but my self-doubt is so strong that it seems to be overcoming the natural confidence he instills in me.
I’ve never even been in a gym before. Will people notice? Will people stare?
I’m starting to shake a little as Jack leads me into the apparel store by the front entrance.
I look at the walls of workout clothes like a time traveler. Everything looks so tight and revealing... do I really want to have my body so... out there?
Jack wraps his arm around me and I instantly calm down. I remember being naked in front of him yesterday. The first thing he had done when he saw me naked was drop to his knees like I was some sot of goddess.
Maybe my body isn’t so bad after all...
“Here, try these on,” he says, reaching up to the top shelf. He rummages around for a second then hands me a shirt and some leggings, then he checks his phone quickly.
He gives me a kiss on the forehead.
“Listen, I have to go in now. I don’t want to be late.” He rips the price tags off my new clothes. “I’ll pay for these quick on my way out. I’ll probably see you in there. We usually hang out by the dumbbells and squat racks. Come say hi if you need any help.”
He kisses me on the forehead again and then disappears in a flash.
I take a deep breath and then turn to the back of the store where the fitting rooms are.
I try the clothes on with my eyes practically closed. I don’t even want to see myself in this outfit. Everything feels so snug that I’m sure it’s going to make me look even pudgier than I actually am.
When I finally slip on the yoga pants, I take a deep breath and open my eyes.
I stare at my reflection in the body mirror ahead.
Oh shit... I look hot!
The spandex clothes hug my curves in all the right places. I suddenly feel like I actually might belong here. I have a strong urge to look even better in these tight clothes; and not just for myself... but for Jack too.
I gather my sundress and hop to the gym already feeling like a new person. The cashier waves me out and I head straight for the lady’s locker room. I don’t pay mind to anyone else as I hang my dress up in a locker and skip on out to the gym floor.
I do a little exploring before I decide what exercise to do first, but when I see Jack over by the squat racks with a few of his buddies, I decide to try out squats.
“Hey, little lady,” he smiles as I bound over. He gives me a kiss on the forehead and I show off my new clothes for him.
“Thanks for the new digs,” I blush.
“Thanks for the view,” he smiles.
“Amen to that!” hollers one of his friends. My cheeks burn bright as I bathe in the compliment.
I recognize the guy. It’s the same man who sat at the nearby table at the restaurant the other day.
“These are my teammates, Cole and Allen,” Jack says.
I wave hello.
“Pleasure to meet you,” say the two hunky gentlemen. They’re handsome, but not nearly on Jack’s level. Even among other professional athletes, Jack looks like he belongs to a tier all to himself.
“Want to try out some squats?” asks Jack.
I nod.
“I bet you’ll be good at them,” he smiles, checking out my ass.
Chapter 49
Jack
“Holy shit!”
“You’ve got yourself a keeper, Jackie boy!”
Cole slaps my back and I’m filled with pride as Ava squats almost 200 pounds in front of us.
She’s a beast! I knew it!
I need to get this girl out on the field!
Ava docks the weights and turns around smiling. She’s barely even sweating. All the guys are gathering around and giving her high fives.
“Want to play for us tomorrow?” says Allen, only half joking.
“Oh, I’ll be there,” smiles Ava. She seems filled with a beautiful new sense of confidence. “But I’ll be up in the bleachers cheering you guys on!”
“Yeah, you keep the other team’s fans in check. If they try and taunt us, they’re going to have to deal with you!” my teammate, Zack shouts.
“You bet,” giggles Ava.
I wrap my arm around Ava like a proud boyfriend. She leans into me. I’m so glad that she’s mine. Thank goodness I got to her first. I can see some of the hunger in my teammate’s eyes.
“Alright, alright, break it up you filthy animals,” I joke. “Let’s get back to work.”
“Wow, this girl must be magic. She even makes Jack want to try hard!” shouts Allen.
Everyone shares a good laugh and then we disperse and get back to our workouts. I stay close to Ava.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mary staring coldly at us. I hadn’t even noticed she was here. A look of pure jealousy is frozen on her face. No one is paying any attention to her. Good, she doesn’t deserve it. She’s here for the wrong reasons, anyway.
It’s no secret that some girls only sign up to this gym to get a chance to hook a rich rugby player. I feel a little bad for Cole for having to deal with her. I thought he might know better...
Oh well, I have my girl, and that’s all that counts!
I stick around Ava for the rest of the workout. As strong as she is, I still feel protective of her. I catch some of my teammates staring a little too long at her in her tight outfit. Mary just can’t seem to take her eyes off the two of us either.
I’m ready to tell everyone off when our strength coach blows his whistle and calls it a day for us.
It’s only then that I realize how truly tired I am. If yesterday was the hardest I’ve ever worked in practice, today was the hardest I’ve ever worked out in the gym. Ava was doing so well that I just kept pushing myself. I wanted to set a good example, but I also wanted to show off.
I just hope I haven’t tired myself out too much. I still have an important game tomorrow, and I’ve never wanted to play so well as I do when I imagine Ava cheering me on from the stands.
I take Ava by the hand and lead her from the gym.
“Are you going to shower here?” she asks, before going into the lady’s locker room to grab her sundress.
I shake my head and give her a sly, mischievous smile.
“I say we shower at my place.”
Chapter 50
Ava
I can already here the roar from crowd in the stadium.
I’m so late! Has the game already started!?
I sprint through the parking lot towards the first gate. Jack said my name would be on the list. He dropped me off at home last night, after a full day of sexy fun time at his mansion.
I offered to spend the night, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to take his hands off me and get the proper rest he needed, so we both agreed we should spend the rest of the night apart. He dropped me off at my place and I slept alone. It sucked, but it was the right thing to do. I was so horny at the memory of our time together that I tossed and turned and touched myself until dawn.
I was so exhausted that I slept right through my alarm, and now I’m late to the game!
A small group of p
eople are being let in through the first gate. I join the line and follow along as two security guards check ID’s with names on their clipboard.
Everything’s going smoothly until the girl just in front of me is denied access. I have to step back just to avoid getting smacked in the face by her flailing arms.
“Don’t you know who I am!?” screeches the woman.
The stoic security guards just shake their heads. “You’re name’s not on the list ma’am.”
“I’m the team captain’s girlfriend! Mary White! You’re going to be so fucked when Cole finds out about this!”
Oh shit. Is that...?
The woman turns around to me with fury in her eyes. It’s the same girl from lunch on Wednesday. I swear I saw her again at the gym yesterday too. I quickly sidestep her and show my ID to the security guards. They check their list and let me in.
“What the...!?” screeches Mary. “She doesn’t deserve to be let in over me! She just met Jack. I’ve been working on Cole for months!”
“Haven’t been working hard enough, I guess,” chuckles one of the security guards.
They share a laugh as Mary fumes behind them.
I slowly make my way into the tunnel.
“I’m going to get you two fired!” she screams. “I’m better than that bitch. My boyfriend is team captain!”
“Listen lady, you may want to take this as a hint. The players don’t make mistakes. They’re very careful with their lists. Maybe this is just his way of saying...”
The security guard’s voice trails off as I’m engulfed in the cheers from the crowd.
I run up to the field just in time to see Jack waving to the audience. Everyone goes nuts. The place is rocking. He spots me coming out of the tunnel and he blows me a kiss. I blow one back.
I stare as he turns and gets into position.
The cheering crowd crescendos as the ball is kicked off. A huge scrum develops on the other side of the pitch. I quickly go find my seat. I recognize a few of the women sitting near me from the gym the other day. They must be girlfriends too. They’re all transfixed on the game, but are kind enough to say hello as I shuffle to my seat. Before I can even sit down, though, everyone’s already on their feet.
I look out onto the field and see that Jack has broken free from the scrum. He’s weaving his way through the opposing team like a fleet-footed Hermes.
He looks invincible out there.
The roar of the crowd is deafening in the most pleasurable way. The noise grows and grows until it explodes like fireworks as Jack dives in past the opposing team’s lines.
I jump up and down like a madwoman. Everybody’s going nuts.
“Which one of you landed that hunk!?” the lady next to me playfully shouts.
I raise my hand, proud as can be. I’m immediately swarmed by high fives and hugs.
Maybe sports aren’t so bad after all...
“Lucky girl,” says my seat neighbour.
Don’t I know it.
Chapter 51
Jack
Epilogue...
That game was the best of my life... until the next one.
I was a successful rugby player long before I ever met Ava, but with her by my side I became a rugby GOD.
It was easy enough. Every time I was tired or demotivated, I just thought of her excited face watching me from the stands and I got this magical boost of energy that sent me flying. She became my sporty muse and I became the best player I could ever hope to be.
My team won cup after cup and I won MVP after MVP. I was living my true dream now and I shared it all with her. She was the first person who made me realize that I couldn’t just work for myself -- if I wanted to be successful, I had to work with and for others as well. Lucky for me, Ava was so easy to work with.
She quickly became somewhat of a legend herself. Anyone who knew anything knew that my uptick in production came around the time Ava first showed up. She was treated like a holy relic about town. She didn’t have to worry about picking shifts up anymore. We got her out of her old apartment and into my house. It was the first time that mansion ever felt like a home.
I wasn’t done just yet, though. I wanted more from Ava, so after our last championship run, I went out and found the perfect engagement ring.
Our team hadn’t practiced at the rugby pitch where Ava and I had first met for a very long time, but I told her a little white lie: we were moving our practices back there, so if she wanted to come watch, that’s where we’d be.
She showed up, of course, but no one else did... except for me.
I waited for her on the bleachers with the little black box and when I heard her footsteps stomping down the metal seats, I got on one knee.
That was a quick proposal.
Ava jumped in my arms like a cannonball. She was stronger than ever. I swear she could almost squat as much as me.
I was getting her to sign up for a woman’s rugby league next season, but for now, our only focus was on each other.
There was no doubt in my mind when I asked her to marry me, and there wasn’t a shed of hesitancy in her voice when she said yes.
I won’t be able to play rugby forever, but I will be able to spend the rest of my life with Ava... and there’s no victory on the field worth half as much as being with her off of it.
I won’t ever stop working for her love. She’s made me a true winner, and I can’t thank her enough for that... but that won’t stop me from trying!
Baseball God
Chapter 52
Sandy
God, Baseball is so boring.
Nine innings of pure snooze-fest material. We must have been here for three hours already and barely anything’s happened.
Well, at least our home team’s pitcher is providing some much-needed eye candy... not that he’s doing anything else to make this game exciting. We’ve barely seen a hit; he just keeps striking batters out.
I can’t believe I let Allison drag me to this. She knows I don’t care for sports, and least of all baseball. I should be enjoying myself at home with a glass of wine and a good, cheesy drama on TV. Instead, I’m sinking into this hard-plastic chair and touching shoulders with a stranger.
“Hey, end this thing already!” Allison shouts through cupped hands from beside me. I flinch at the strength of her voice. She sure can belt one out. It’s telling that even she’s getting tired of this game...
Though, maybe she’s just had one too many ballpark drinks...
“HEY!” she bellows out again. I can’t help but laugh. She’s such a firecracker, the perfect best friend to my shy self.
“PITCHER...! MY FRIEND THINKS YOU’RE HOT!”
That grabs everyone’s attention... including the stoic, hunky pitcher.
My cheeks instantly burn with embarrassment. I sink into my hard seat. I see the stud on the mound turn his steely gaze towards us. I look away. Allison’s in no state to read my mood. I can feel her comically pointing at me.
“That’s right! Strike this guy out and I’ll let you have her! We all want to go home already!”
I tug at her sundress but she won’t be deterred. “BRYYYCEEE...” she taunts.
She’s going to be so embarrassed when she sobers up... for now though, I’m the one taking the brunt of the humiliation.
I should never have mentioned that I thought the pitcher was kind of hot. I should have known the state Allison was drinking herself into. Shit...
“That dude throwing the ball’s not bad looking,” was all I said.
“Duh, that’s Bryce Stryker. He’s the best in the game. If you actually followed baseball, you’d sure as hell already be following him. He’s the one Instagram feed I always check. A lady’s got to have her pickup in the morning.”
I had just shaken my head and giggled.
I wasn’t giggling anymore, though.
My cheeks were burning. My butt hurt. I was too curvy to be sinking so far into this tiny seat.
Why did I let Allison dra
g me here again...?
I close my eyes and hear the crowd roar. When I look out onto the field again, everyone’s celebrating. The game’s over. Finally...
“Hey, let’s get out of here,” I say, grabbing my purse and standing up for the first time in far too long. My legs are sore from the lounging. I can feel the imprint of the seat on my big ass. “Allison,” I repeat.
She’s not paying me any attention, though. Her eyes are still fixed on the field.
“Hey, let’s go,” I say again.
I try to playfully push her forward but she doesn’t budge.
“No, wait...” she says, almost in a daze. “Oh my god...”
I furrow my brow and follow her gaze back onto the field.
I freeze.
Bryce Stryker is walking straight towards us... and his gaze is fixed solely on me!
Chapter 53
Bryce
What a goddam bombshell.
Thank god this game was so boring, or else I might not have seen her through the crowd. I had seen people filing out of the stadium as early as the 6th inning. Good. That means I did a good job. A good pitcher should mean a boring game. My team got our hits early on and then it was up to me to keep us ahead. I did my job; my shift’s over, and now it’s time for something more... personal.
I’ve watched my teammates pick up girls in the stands countless times before, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually try it out. I have higher standards than that... there’s something about this curvy girl in the first row, just behind first base, that’s driving me wild, though.
I can’t believe I hadn’t spotted her until just now...
I pick up my pace. She froze for a second when she first saw me coming, but now she’s pushing on her friend like a caged animal. I’m not letting her get away so easy. it’s hard enough for a star like me to find a ‘real’ girl -- it’s about time I start swinging my weight around.