More Than This

by Jay McLean

Apparently Dad saw some termites or some shit in the garage and has workmen here fixing it. They need to fumigate the garage and the storage room above it, so we have to stay away. I’ve seen how some of the workers eye Kayla when she leaves in the morning to take Julie to school. One guy gawks so much, it takes everything in me to not punch him in the face. Asshole.

  I jog up the driveway after finishing my work out and see Dad talking to one the workers, the gawker. Dad sees me coming, shakes hands with him and then walks over to me. My eyes don’t leave Gawkers and he knows what I’m thinking, because the asshole has the decency to smirk at me.

  We walk into the house together. Everyone has taken the day off because of graduation. I knock on my door but no one answers, so I jump in the shower. When I’m done I start to head downstairs, but stop when I hear music and laughter coming out of Julie's room. It’s strange she has a friend over during the week. Then I hear her squeal Kayla’s name in the middle of a laugh, I smile and walk to her door. I knock loudly but no one answers. The music must be too loud. I open the door slightly and peek in. All the furniture is pushed to the side and they’ve made a makeshift dance floor in the middle of the room. They have ‘Low’ by ‘Flo-rida’ playing so loud the walls are shaking.

  Julie is showing Kayla some dance moves and Kayla’s taking it in, really listening to her. Their backs are to me so they can’t see that I’m watching. Julie goes to the stereo and plays the song from the beginning, then they start the routine from the start. Julie’s good at dancing for eight, but goddamn, Kayla is good. There’s a line in the song, ‘fold her, like a pornography poster’, which is totally inappropriate for an eight year old, but the move Kayla does… It’s almost too much to watch. My dick legit twitches.

  It’s almost to the end of the song before they do some spinny dance move shit, and see me standing there. I smile and clap at their performance.

  “JACAAARRB,” Julie yells as she goes to turn off the stereo. “You’re not supposed to see it, it’s not finished yet!”

  I’m looking at Kayla, she has a sheen of sweat on her body and her breathing is heavy. She’s in yoga pants and a tight tank, her body on full display. She sees me checking her out, bites her bottom lip and shyly looks away. Hot as hell.

  “JAKE!!” Julie yells again, snapping me out of perv mode.

  “What’s up Ju-ju, that was really good!” I high five her and she beams back.

  Mom and Dad come into the room, “What’s with all the yelling in here?” Mom asks concerned.

  “Oh good,” Julie says. “You’re all here, watch our routine, Micky’s been practicing with me.”

  “Oh, no.” Kayla says. She’s embarrassed in front of my parents. “Maybe… wait till it’s finished, Julie?” she asks, hopeful.

  “No… c’mon Micky, please?”

  Kayla looks to Julie, and then to me, a huge smirk slowly develops. “I’ll do it if Jacaaaarb does it too.”

  “Okay then!” Julie yells, pulling me by my arm into the middle of the ‘dance floor’ and then moving my parents to sit on the bed to watch.

  I stand next to Kayla and put my hand on the small of her back, placing my thumb just under the hem of her tank and rubbing gently. She feels it, goosebumps break through her skin. I bend down and whisper in her ear, “You are in so much trouble, Missy.” She closes her eyes and shivers slightly, but I notice.

  I try to keep up with the dance routine but I’m a jock, not a dancer, I suck and end up falling in a tangle of my own arms and legs on the floor. Kayla stands above me, laughing so hard she has to hold her stomach. I grab her legs so they give out under her and she falls on top of me. Julie jumps on top of both of us, yelling that we’re not taking it seriously.

  “Take this seriously!” Kayla yells, and starts tickling her, I join in. My parents laugh and leave the room.

  It’s this moment I know, I don’t think anymore. I know it. I love this girl. I’m in love with this girl.

  ***

  *Mikayla*

  The sexual tension between Jake and I is off the charts. I’m actually scared I might combust any second. No joke. It doesn’t help that we’re around each other almost 24/7 or that we’re always finding ways to ‘innocently’ touch each other. It’s almost at that stage where were pushing each other a little further and further seeing how much we can take until one of us cracks. I’m about two fucking seconds from cracking and if I don’t get a release soon I will cut a bitch.

  Jake's Graduation goes smoothly. I meet some of his other friends, some guys from his team, and I stay the hell away from Casey. I see the way she looks at me and joke to Jake that I should probably start packing heat.

  He doesn’t find it so funny.

  There’s a graduation party in a field near the school that everyone is going to. Jake declines the invites but I tell him I think he should go, I want to go. I think it would be good to get out and associate with the general population.

  So that’s where we are now, at the party. I am, of course, sitting on Jake's lap around a bonfire. His usual friends are here, as well as a few others.

  I’m wearing one if Heidi’s dresses. I still don’t have the courage to go back to my house. I’ve actually asked Mandy to pack up my room this weekend while we’re at Aunt Lisa’s wedding. I’ve organized professional movers to take care of the rest, whatever isn’t damaged is to go to a storage container I’ve rented, at least until I work out what I’m going to do at UNC. Everything else can go. Mandy is taking care of all the personal stuff like photo albums and jewelry, etc.

  Heidi’s a size smaller than I am, but she only bought one outfit with her when she came over, so she told me to suck it up and deal with it. It’s a navy blue dress thats tight from the waist down, the top half is looser and hangs off one shoulder. It’s more something Megan would wear, who, by the way, I still haven’t heard from.

  According to the internet, Meg and James are ‘Facebook official’. I should give a shit, but I don’t, and right now, sitting here with Jake, my minds like… James? James effing who?

  “Hey look, Jake. Casey’s coming over here…” I whisper in his ear.

  He flinches, tightens his hold on me and legit ducks his head, like he’s trying to hide. “I was just kidding, Jake. Jesus Christ.” I say through a laugh.

  “That shit’s not funny, Kayla, I’m not kidding. Don’t do that.” He holds his hand to his heart.

  I giggle and take a look around, there are like… hundreds of kids here, I see a couple from my school.

  “All these kids go to your school? Or is this like… for other schools in the area too?”

  “I think it’s just ours,” Logan says. He’s taking a breather from making out with the red head on his lap. Sipping his beer, he asks, “Why? You scared that asshole ex of yours is going to show up?”

  I shrug, “Not really, and even if he does, I’m sure Jake will just punch him again.”

  Logan and Cam spit out their beer simultaneously and Dylan cusses.

  What the fuck?

  Logan is glaring at me bug eyed. “He punched that asshole?”

  I nod my head slowly.

  “Which hand?” Dylan asks, panic on his face.

  What?

  Behind me, Jake raises his right hand slowly, which brings on a tirade of name calling and questions from the guys.

  “Its fine!” Jake yells above them all.

  I’m so freaking confused, and Lucy must sense it because she answers my unasked question, “His pitching hand.”

  Shit.

  I take his right hand between the two of mine and start kissing the knuckles one by one. I feel him stiffen behind me at my displayed affection, and then I feel him stiffen under me.

  That’s my cue to get off of him and… do something… anything else.

  Chapter 19

  *Jake*

  I am in too deep, way too deep. This girl is driving me crazy. I spent the rest of last night with a hard on and I don’t think it’s fully left me yet. That
dress she was wearing, and then the lap sitting, and the laughing, and the holding, and touching, and the joking, and the flirting, and then she fucking goes and kisses my hand, so intimately. My fucking pitching hand. It’s by far the sexiest thing a girl has ever done. EVER. And I don’t say this to be a dick, but girls have done a lot of shit to me.

  I throw the covers off my pathetic joke of a bed and stretch out. My back is screwed, my whole body aches. I fold the blankets and shake my head as I look at my ‘bed’. Definitely not made for me 6 foot 2 frame. I might attempt sleeping on the floor tonight, anything’s got to be better than this.

  I walk into the kitchen, or more like wobble, in my condition.

  Kayla’s already there.

  “Your mom left a note, she’s at some PTA meeting…” She takes in my physical state, “…and what happened to you?”

  “I don’t think me and the sofa are friends anymore.” I put on a pout.

  “Shit, Jake. I’ll take the sofa, you should have your bed back. You can’t sleep on the sofa all summer.”

  “You wanna bet?” I ask, cocking my eyebrow at her.

  She looks at me for a second then turns away, biting her lip.

  “At least let me give you a massage?” she says quietly.

  I laugh.

  “I’m serious,” she confirms.

  I think about it, but shake my head.

  “C’mon please? I have to do something.”

  “It’s fine, Kayla. I’ll see a physio when we get back from Lisa’s wedding.”

  “It’s not fine. C’mon.” She starts to pull my arm to lead me away, I dig my heels into the floor.

  “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that…” I smirk… “This body is in peak physical condition. I’m almost a professional athlete, Kayla. I can’t just let anybody touch me.”

  She rolls her eyes at me. “Trust me, I give good massages.”

  “Yeah?” I eye her. “Says who?”

  She looks away and blushes.

  James. I’m pretty sure I physically shiver in disgust but she doesn’t notice.

  “Look,” she starts, squaring her shoulders. “When James started to really get into basketball, he’d always feel like shit afterwards, all the training and game time killed him. He’d always complain about being sore, so I researched how to help him, if I could help him. One summer I took classes at the local community college, Physical therapy and Sports Medicine. I learnt heaps. I actually enjoyed learning it, and practicing it. For a little bit there I was genuinely considering becoming a Sports Doctor. I still think about it sometimes.”

  I let this sink in. “Shit, Kayla.” I shake my head. “He really didn’t deserve you, you know that, right?”

  “I know right?” she smiles. “I am a fucking awesome girlfriend, some asshole is going to be so lucky one day.”

  I swear to god, I hope that asshole will be me.

  I swipe my hand through the air, “Lead the way, Doc.”

  She smiles and leads me to my room.

  ***

  She asks me to take my shirt off and lay facedown on the bed and I do as she says. She doesn’t move for a beat then asks, “Do you have any lotion or oil?”

  “Uh huh, baby oil in the bottom drawer.” I point to my night stand.

  The second the words are out I regret it. It’s my ‘sex’ drawer. Boxes of condoms, lube, baby oil, tissues, and porn. Yes, Porn.

  I hear her open the drawer then chuckle a little.

  “What?” I say, trying to hide my embarrassment, “I’m a guy.”

  Next thing I know, she’s sitting on my ass and rubbing oil into my back, her tiny hands kneading my aching muscles.

  “Jake?”

  “Mmmm.” My face is smeared into the pillow and her hands feel amazing.

  “Um, I hope I’m not like… cramping your style by being here.”

  I chuckle under my breath but my body shakes and she feels it. I hope she doesn’t feel that I’ve got a semi because she’s touching me. “I don’t think anyone could be ‘cramping my style’ unless we rewound time back to 2002.”

  She playfully smacks me on the back. “You know what I mean.”

  “I don’t actually.”

  “Well, I mean, I know there’s no shortage of girls that are uhh… willing… to partake in certain activities with… with you.” She clears her throat. “I just don’t want you to think… I mean I know how uncool it would be to invite a girl back here and somehow make that sofa work.”

  “Kayla, I don’t bring girls home, if that’s what you’re getting at. So no, you’re not ‘cramping my style’ by being here. I mean, my parents aren’t dumb, they know I have sex, or have had sex, I should say. I guess it’s just an unspoken rule, you know, with Julie down the hall and all. I respect them enough to not do that under their roof.”

  The room’s silent for a while.

  She’s still sitting with her parts right on my ass, legs spread and hands working magic on me.

  She is good at this.

  It’s almost a whisper when she asks, “What um, what do you mean you have had sex, you mean you’re not doing it anymore? I mean… often?”

  I cant believe she wants to talk about this now.

  I can’t handle where her ass is positioned on me, where her hands are touching… and she wants to talk about sex.

  My junk is standing at full attention now, I could flip over and we’d be grinding on each other.

  Fuck, if I think about this for a second longer I’m gonna come in my pants like I’m 13.

  “So…?” She won’t give up.

  “You’re gonna think I’m an asshole.” I try to lighten the mood.

  “I already think you’re an asshole.”

  “Ha Ha.” I deadpan.

  “Well…?”

  “Okay okay, well, as you know I lived in Australia up until I was 14. I started high school here half way through freshman year. When I got here I was the new kid with the accent and word already got around that I was kinda good at baseball, which apparently was something girls were interested in. I don’t really know. Anyway, once I joined the team a lot of the older guys kinda took me under their wing, there was a stage where it was parties and alcohol most weekends, then girls added to that mix. I couldn’t even tell you what my first experience was like. She was older, like 17 or something. I guess she just wanted the honor of deflowering me.” I laugh and shake my head at the thought. “I sound like a dick, but it’s the truth. Then there were other girls and other parties. My parents kinda got fed up with it after a year or so. They sat me down and told me that they didn’t move all the way back here so I could ‘booze up and slut around every weekend.’ Their words, not mine. They said that we moved so I could focus on baseball and that was what I should be doing. If I wanted to keep doing what I was doing, we could have stayed in Australia, and Dad would be earning triple what he’s earning now. I guess that kinda hit home and I had to really think about what I was doing with my life.” I stop to make sure she’s listening. Her hands are still moving up and down my back, focusing on areas she can tell are tight. I continue, “I cleaned myself up after that. Now baseball comes first. I’m not gonna lie to you Kayla, it doesn't mean that there haven’t been any girls since that conversation with them.”

  Silence.

  Followed by more silence.

  Then she asks, “Have you ever been in love?”

  “I don’t know, maybe.” Yes. With you.

  “Did the girls you were with ever expect more from you?”

  “No, we were always clear about our intentions before anything happened. At the beginning, there may have been a few that thought they could make themselves the one, but I was never ready for that.”

  “Did you enjoy it? Sex I mean, as in, in general?”

  “Well, yeah, I’m a guy. We don’t need much to enjoy it, any hole’s a goal — Fuck, that sounded a lot less pig-ish in my head.”

  She chuckles, hands still massaging
my back.

  “I think I must have really sucked at it. I mean, if what you say is right, I should have been enjoyable right? Like, it doesn’t take much for a guy to enjoy the experience. I wonder why he had to get it from someone else… shit, I must’ve been so horrible at it.”

  I feel like an asshole. “I didn’t mean…”

  “No, it’s okay,” she cuts me off.

  I want to turn around and see her face, to see what emotion she’s hiding behind her words.

  “The worst thing is…” he continues. “He never, not once, gave me an orgasm.”

  Fuck.

  “Huh,” she says, like she’s deep in her own thoughts. “Maybe there is something wrong with me.”

  I cant help it, I turn over so quickly she doesn’t even have time to get off me. She’s straddling my hips now and my hard dick is pressed against her opening. She feels it and for a split second she closes her eyes. When she opens them, confusion sets in and she starts to move off me. I hold her thighs down to stop her from moving. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing and I’m scared as shit she’s going to panic and haul ass out of this house.

  Then she moves on me.

  We both groan out loud.

  She blushes red, embarrassed by what she just did and tries to remove herself from me again. My grip on her thighs tighten. My dick twitches and she must feel it because she moans from deep in her throat and moves again, just once.

  But enough.

  Her head tilts back and she closes her eyes.

  Fuck.

  “So never, huh?” I say, trying so hard to keep my voice even.

  She looks at me for a second, sitting frozen on my still hard dick. She has confusion written over her face, and then understanding dawns on her about what I’m asking.

  “I mean, I’ve been able to take care of myself, you know…” She blushes again and looks away from me. “But…he was never able to. Not with anything, his hands or… oh my god, this is so embarrassing.” She covers her face with her hands.