Hard Game

by Harper Lauren

  I rushed to Ivan’s car with him. Without exchanging a word, we immediately went through every inch of the interior and even the surrounding area of the car. It didn’t turn up.

  I then retraced my steps back to the ice cream shop, but I didn’t see it either. Going back to Ivan, I told him, “It’s not here.” I knew I had a worried look on my face. Losing the earrings would be another reason for my parents to say I was irresponsible. Besides, they were worth a fortune, given to me during my university graduation.

  Why did I even want this jewelry? It reminded me of that special moment in my life, my graduation, during which my dad had been away on a business trip. He had not made time for me then. But when he’d gotten home, he’d apologized and given me the gift. As he had embraced and congratulated me, there’d been a hint of pride in his tone of voice. That had meant the world to me, despite everything.

  “Let’s go back to the football stadium,” Ivan said. “If nobody had picked it up yet, I’m sure it’s still there on the bleachers.”

  “But it’s getting dark already,” I said.

  “Then we have to go now,” he said firmly, ushering me into his car and getting into the driver’s seat. He actually placed a hand on top of mine. “We’ll find it, Cassy.”

  I nodded wordlessly, the memory triggered by the earrings mixing with my confusing emotions about my dad and about Ivan.

  There was still light when we arrived at the empty stadium. Together we went through the path I’d taken going up the bleachers where we had sat. We scoured the areas we passed, but no sign of it still.

  “This is stupid,” I muttered. “We’re just wasting our time.”

  Ivan acted as if he hadn’t heard me. He just kept on looking on the seats and flooring. It was a good thing the bleachers were solid unlike others. There were no open spaces or gaps on the floor. But even if no one had picked up the earring, it could have been kicked over and over. It might have tumbled to another area, and it would be nearly impossible to go through all the rows of seats.

  “Come on, Ivan,” I urged, tugging on his shirt. “Let’s get out of here. It isn’t that important. It’s just a stupid earring, anyway.”

  Ivan touched my hand and gazed into my eyes. “Cassy, it’s not just a stupid earring. I can see it in your face. It means a lot to you.”

  I stopped, taking in a deep breath. “So what? What is it to you?” I said, my heart running faster as I waited for him to answer.

  Time seemed to be suspended even as the sky had finally turned dark. Ivan straightened up and faced me squarely. “Cassy, we’ll find it,” he simply said, before turning away and resuming his search.

  I sighed, feeling annoyed and disappointed at the same time. Why would he go to all this trouble to help me find the earring just because he knew how much it meant to me?

  For a while there, I saw the genuine concern in his eyes. But perhaps he’d never admit it. There was an undeniable spark between us that even I couldn’t brush off anymore. Maybe it would stay that way--- just a spark.

  Night had fallen. It was becoming impossible to search for the earring, even with the use of the flashlight Ivan had brought along. “I give up!” I said loudly, throwing my hands up in the air.

  Ivan quickly faced me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “No, Cassy. Never give up unless you’ve tried absolutely everything.”

  “Hey, it’s my earring!” I protested. “I can give up whenever the hell I want. I don’t care anymore if we find it or not. It’s not as if I’m giving up on my dreams!”

  I guessed all my emotions were beginning to get to me. But surprisingly, Ivan wasn’t being an asshole. He was struggling to remain calm and patient.

  “I’ll turn on the flood lights,” Ivan said.

  As he turned to leave, I suddenly caught a glint in the dark coming from the space between two seats in the lower row from where we were standing. I followed the sparkle and saw the hoop earring wedged between seats. Unexpectedly, relief washed over me as I took it and turned it over in my hand.

  “Wait, Ivan!” I shouted. “I found it!”

  He turned to me from the aisle. “Really?” he said, a smile on his lips. “I told you so.”

  I found myself smiling back as I made my way toward him. “You just wanted a reason to tell me ‘I told you so’.”

  “Yeah, you’re damn right,” he agreed with a chuckle.

  I took off my other earring and placed the pair in my skirt’s pocket. Good thing the design of my skirt had a pocket with a zipper.

  Looking up at him, I felt a sudden surge of emotion welling to the surface. Without thinking, I threw my arms around him. He was taken aback, but eventually he embraced me back too. I closed my eyes, relishing his warmth and the feeling of security it gave me.

  Suddenly I felt fat drops of rain splattering on my head and arms. Opening my eyes, I looked up to the sky just as the spray went down faster in large drops.

  “Let’s go,” Ivan said, pulling me by the hand.

  We ran down the bleachers and went under them to take shelter. I hugged myself and rubbed my arms to keep myself warm, watching the downpour go full blast.

  Beside me, Ivan took off his wet shirt and hung it from a loose metal part on the slanting wall of the bleachers above us. I glanced at him and found my eyes shamelessly going over his muscular chest and the little hairs on it. I remembered how his chest and broad shoulders had felt under my hands during our intimate moment in the barn. The thought ignited sparks of electricity inside me, causing my heart to beat fast too. It seemed like such a long time ago.

  Ivan looked up and caught me staring. For a while, our eyes were just locked on each other in that dark little space. We seemed oblivious to the raging rain around us and the loud pitter-patter of it on our temporary roof.

  My heart began to race.

  Then in one stride, Ivan took me in his arms, pulling me close and pressing his lips on mine. I opened my mouth slightly as I kissed him back, our lips eagerly reuniting as the friction of our bodies took away the cold.

  Our kiss turned to hungry in a few seconds, our tongues meeting in explosive passion. I raised my hands as he lifted my shirt above my head and threw it to the side. With one snap, he unclasped my bra and took it off too, allowing my breasts to tumble out with their nipples already taut partially from the cold and partially from my arousal.

  Quickly, his lips dropped down to my neck as both his hands cupped my eager breasts, his thumbs playing with my nipples. Our breathing was raspy, coming in short, quick pulses.

  His tongue and lips soon found my breasts, devouring each one while my hands tangled in his hair. I moaned and leaned down to nibble on his ear and flicker my tongue inside.

  He straightened up, his lips reunifying with mine. Our bodies burned with desire, the heat spreading across and between us. His hands caressed my back, my breasts smashing against his torso. I could feel my wetness growing, my whole body intensifying with my desire to be with him.

  Without wasting any time, he lifted my skirt and pulled down my underwear with his hands. His fingers then began to stroke my wetness, making me moan with no reservation. We were hidden from the rest of the world, tucked in a dark space where it felt like it was just the two of us. The rain dulled our loud moaning and utterances of pleasure.

  As we continued to kiss, he inserted two fingers into me, moving them in and out through my lubricated opening, escalating my carnal desire. I was now soaking wet.

  Working quickly, I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, snaking my hand beneath his boxers and stroking his length. I put my thumb on the tip, circling it sensually for a while.

  In response, he inserted a third finger into me. His fingers gently pressed against my walls, imitating sexual intercourse. But soon, they moved to my clit, concentrating there and pushing me to erotic bliss.

  I couldn’t take it anymore. I hastily pulled down the rest of his clothes. He kicked off his pants and boxers while kissing my neck and breasts. We were
both naked without a care in the world. Anytime someone might find us, but that was the farthest thing in our minds.

  We stumbled backward to the flat wall on the other side. He positioned his hands on my butt, getting ready to lift me up and press me on the wall. But I suddenly remembered his knee. I placed a hand on his chest to stop him, gazing into his eyes with a fiery look of desire.

  “Your knee,” I whispered. And before he could protest, I turned around and leaned forward, my palms flat on the wall in front of me. I turned my head just enough to meet his eyes, my drenched locks flipping to one side. That’s when I caught the look of craving on his face, just before he stepped forward and inserted his rigid cock into my entrance.

  My eyes rolled up as I moaned loudly. I felt him go deeper as his hands held onto my breasts, pressing and caressing. His thrusts grew harder and faster, aligning with my pleasure that was quickly climbing into unbelievable heights.

  I opened my eyes and turned around slightly again to watch him just as he was coming. The expression on his face was one of immense pleasure, all the more intensifying my own. Both of us exploded into torrents of erotic pleasure, the sensation swathing my whole body as I shuddered in his grasp.

  As he pulled away and began dressing, I tried to catch my breath.

  The rain had turned into a drizzle now. Panting, I grabbed my own clothes strewn on the grass at our feet. I got dressed quickly in silence, my mind now sprinting with possibilities and various scenarios. As for my heart, it was still beating at double speed, greatly stimulated but more confused than ever before.

  Looking outside, I said, “We can make a run for it now, I guess.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed.

  I could sense that both of us were hesitant to talk about what had just happened.

  “Cassy…” he began, but I was already running toward his car. He followed behind and got into the car too without another word.

  He drove me home in silence, both of us unsure of what to say. I texted the others that we had found the earring, but couldn’t head back to The Creamery anymore because Aunt Ellen might be worried. The truth was I wasn’t in the mood anymore to hang out with our friends. My thoughts and emotions were too chaotic.

  “Good night, Cassy,” he said softly once we got to the house.

  “Good night, Ivan,” I answered, smiling faintly. “Thanks for everything.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

  “Sure,” I said, opening the door to climb out before he could say anything else. I wasn’t ready to talk about it, whatever it was.

  Chapter 14

  Ivan

  The next two weeks came and went in a blur. I spent most of the time just focusing on farm work at Mom’s and at Miss Young’s, mostly just supervising the farm hands so I could rest my injury more. Cassy and I treated each other as friends and colleagues, nothing more. We simply kept on pretending that nothing had happened--- again.

  Cassy continued to get more orders for custom dresses from the women in town. She had also been busy coming up with her country-inspired collection designs as well as designs for Rosie’s wedding gown. At times, she would become so comfortable with me that she’d begin sharing about her growing passion for the business, but more often than not, she would choose to keep a distance.

  It was actually killing me, and I don’t know why. I was very much happy for her and proud of what she was becoming. But the fact that she didn’t want to face what was happening between us was driving me nuts.

  One afternoon, I found myself drinking at The Pub, pondering what to do with Cassy and my life. After my second bottle of beer, I felt I couldn’t deny it any longer. My feelings for her had grown into something deeper. It wasn’t just physical attraction anymore.

  “Women problems?” Craig, the bar owner, asked.

  “Sort of,” I said, chuckling.

  He chuckled too as he handed me a shot of scotch. “Women problems always give me a lot of customers. But for you, buddy, that one’s on the house.”

  “Thanks, man,” I said, downing the hard drink. The liquid burned a bit in my throat, but it somehow had a soothing effect.

  “You know, you should just act on it,” Craig suddenly uttered, looking serious. “You ain’t got plenty of time. You might regret it.”

  I simply looked at him and shrugged.

  He continued, though. “If you feel like something’s there, just face the music. Take the leap. If you wait longer, it might be too late.”

  I laughed. “You sound like you know something.”

  “Word gets around fast in here,” Craig said. “It’s a small town.”

  “Really? So the whole town’s gossiping about us, huh?”

  “Sort of,” he answered with a grin. “Town folks got no other thing to talk about, I guess. A brewing romance between the daughter of Burchnell’s richest man and the town’s football star makes for good gossip.”

  That made me laugh again. “I guess you’re right,” I agreed. “Seems interesting enough.”

  He filled two shot glasses with scotch and handed one to me. “Drink up, Ivan. I’m feeling extra generous today.”

  “All right,” I said, grinning. We raised our glasses to each other. “Bottoms up.”

  The bell at the door jingled. I didn’t turn around, but Craig naturally checked who his new customer was. His eyes gave away his curiosity and interest. “And look who the cat just dragged in.”

  That was when I turned around, my eyes widening at the sight of the beautiful woman in pink who was making a beeline for me. “Great,” I muttered as I stared at Andrea who was back again from Windfield.

  “What do you want now, Andrea?” I asked in an exasperated voice when she approached.

  She actually gave me a big smile, tossing her hair behind her shoulders. “Oh, hi, Ivan. Fancy seeing you here,” she said casually. “Actually, I’m not here for you, though you might find that hard to believe. I arrived yesterday with my handler. We’re doing a series of photo shoots in this boring town. Can you believe it?”

  I was definitely surprised. “I see,” I simply answered. “Well, it’s a nice town.”

  “I guess, if you’re into cows and chickens and endless meadows,” she said with slight sarcasm. She ordered a glass of vodka and actually sat on the stool beside me, crossing her legs in a seductive way and showing off her lean, tanned legs.

  I wasn’t affected. She wasn’t attractive to me anymore.

  As Craig handed her another glass, the bell sounded again. He looked up and then shifted his eyes to me. “Must be your lucky day, buddy,” he whispered, winking at me. “Good luck.”

  My heart seemed to plummet to the ground, somehow sensing who had just entered the bar even before I turned around.

  Suddenly, Andrea had sidled up to me, her hand resting on my thigh as she eyed me with interest. “You know, I’m willing to forgive you for what you did to me before, Ivan. Let me help you forget all your troubles, even just for tonight.”

  Ignoring her, I downed the rest of my third shot of scotch and stood up abruptly to get her hand off my thigh.

  Cassy, who looked stunning in a sleeveless top and a pair of ripped jeans, had not seen me yet. She seemed to be scanning the tables for someone.

  My head was throbbing and beginning to spin. I hadn’t drunk this much since I got to town, so the alcohol was taking its toll on me fast. I took a step forward to approach Cassy, but I felt a little bit woozy. I reached over to the seat to steady myself.

  Andrea took advantage of the situation, rushing to my side to support me. Just my luck that Cassy spotted us looking a bit intimate. And a while back, I was already contemplating having a serious talk with her and laying my real feelings on the table.

  Our eyes immediately locked on each other. She turned around about to leave, when Andrea suddenly left my side and came after her. “Cassy, wait!” she said, catching up.

  I followed, of course, afraid of the pending cat fight between the two badass
city girls.

  “What do you want?” Cassy asked in an irritated tone.

  “I’m the one who sent you a message,” Andrea explained in an obviously fake sweet voice. “Your designs are just so stylish. I was wondering if you’d make some dresses for me.”

  Cassy glared at her. “I don’t have time for this,” she said.

  “Wait!” Andrea called before she could leave. “I’m here for a photo shoot revolving around a countryside theme. I was told you’re working on a collection with this same motif.”

  “Yeah, so?” Cassy said defiantly. “I’m not letting a crazy slut like you model my clothes. So no thanks!”

  “That’s enough, Andrea,” I said, trying to pull her back.

  But she wasn’t done yet. Looking furious and insulted, she snapped, “How about designing a dress that Ivan could easily take off? I’m sure he’d love that.”

  “Andrea!” I warned, tightening my grip on her arm. “Enough!” My head throbbed even more. I had to get some fresh air.

  “You two do whatever the hell you want,” Cassy said, her eyes flashing with controlled anger. “I don’t give a shit.”

  She walked out then, while Andrea stood there looking smug with her arms folded across her chest.

  “You’re impossible,” I told her with apparent disgust. “Don’t even try to follow me, Andrea.”