by Niles, Naomi
I nodded silently but I could think of nothing to say. John watched me closely for a second longer and then he patted me on the shoulder and rose to his feet. “I’ve got to get to work. I’ll see you after I get home?”
“Sure.” I nodded.
John was almost at the door when he turned around and glanced at me. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Alan… but I really hope I don’t see you when I get home tonight.”
With that, he walked out the door and left me to my thoughts. I thought about what it would be like to be in Rio, surrounded by the excitement and the electricity of the games. I wanted to be there for me… but I couldn’t deny the desire I had to see Jessica again. I realized that I wanted to see her compete just as much as I wanted to compete myself.
I had hoped to get through to her before she boarded the flight for Rio, but I had obviously been too late. Now I had very few options left, short of getting on a plane and flying to Rio. The image of seeing Jessica’s face again was what motivated me. A few months ago, she had been a stranger to me and now… now she was starting to mean more to me than I had ever thought possible.
I had been scared to admit it before, but now, faced with overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I was forced to admit that maybe my feelings for her extended far beyond the realm of simple affection. I was starting to realize that I might actually be in love with Jessica.
I thought back to the first moment I had seen her. She had been standing in front of one of the Olympic training pools in a modest one piece. I had barely been able to make out her features from the distance, but still I had been drawn to her.
Slowly, my thoughts drifted to that fateful night we had spent together. That magical night that had changed so much for me. I had collected those moments greedily, like some ravaged hoarder, unwilling to let go of even the smallest details. I remembered the way her bright-green gaze fell on me as she leaned in and kissed me. I remembered the way her hair had tickled my neck and the way her fingers had grazed over my chest and my stomach – tentative at first and then more confidently.
I remembered the moment she had admitted to me that she was still a virgin and the way she had insisted she wanted me to be her first. I remembered the way she had moaned with my head between her thighs and the way her eyes had gone wide with wonder when I slipped inside her for the first time. My blood began to rise as I pictured each memory that Jessica and I had shared together. Finally, I landed on those moments outside her house, when she had bent her head down on me and sucked my cock in the middle of her neighborhood, without an inch of self-consciousness.
I had watched her transform from a shy young girl with few experiences into a confident woman who took what she wanted, when she wanted to. But what I loved most about Jessica was that she had not sacrificed one part of her to become someone else. She was still the shy girl I had first been introduced to. And she was also the femme fatale who had made me cum all over my jeans in the front seat of my car.
I opened my eyes and the memory in my head dissolved. Suddenly I realized that everyone was right. Peter, John, Sam…. they were all right. I shouldn’t be here, especially not now since Peter was well on his way to making a full recovery. I should be in Rio by Jessica’s side. I had to compete in the heats the next day, permitting Coach would allow me to.
John was right. I was born to be a swimmer. Maybe that early fear I had experienced as an unsure six-year-old boy was what I had needed to become a star swimmer. Maybe my father had seen my future before I had. Maybe I hadn’t achieved all my accomplishments after his death. I felt a beat of sadness as I thought of my father. He had been my hero my entire life and his death had not changed that.
I remembered the two pieces of advice he had always championed. The first was to work hard and build a respected career for yourself and the second was to find someone special to spend your life with. My thoughts fused together in one thick, clear line and I realized what I had to do. I needed to compete, and I needed to try my best to win.
And if I lost, then at least I’d have tried. And if I made it all the way to Rio and didn’t get the chance to compete at all, I would still be okay. I would be okay because at least I would be there to cheer Jessica on.
I dialed in Talen’s number and waited with baited breath for him to answer. “Hello?” Talen’s voice was gruff on the line.
“Talen,” I said. “It’s me. I need a ride to the airport.”
“Now?” Talen asked in surprise.
“Now.” I nodded. “I’m heading to Rio.”
“Oh… well, it’s about time,” Talen said.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jessica
“Come on, Jessica,” Winnie begged. “It’ll be fun!”
“I’m sure it would be,” I replied. “But I’m just not in the mood. If I came, it would bring the whole night down for everyone.”
“Is this still about Alan?” Winnie asked with narrowed eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I just can’t help how I feel. My swimming has been suffering, too, and I think I need to stay in tonight and get my head in the right place. I need to be focused for the heats tomorrow.”
“Then come for dinner at least?” Winnie suggested. “You can skip the clubbing afterward.”
“Thanks for the offer,” I said. “But I really just want to stay in with a good book tonight.”
Winnie sighed. “All right then… if you’re sure.”
“I am,” I said with a smile. “Don’t worry about me.”
Winnie gave me an appraising look and then nodded. “If you need some company, I don’t mind cutting my night short.”
“That’s a lovely offer,” I told her. “But I’ll be fine. Oh, and Winnie?”
“Yeah?”
“You look amazing!”
Winnie laughed at the compliment and twirled in her bright-red dress. Then she gave me a wave and left me to my quiet night alone. I decided to have a nice long shower and read a book before I ordered room service. I had just slipped on a t-shirt over my underwear when I heard a knock at the door.
“Winnie?” I called, thinking she had forgotten something.
When no one answered, I moved to the door and looked through the little peephole to see who was standing outside. No one seemed to be around so I opened the door to find a small piece of paper at my feet. I picked it up and opened it.
Scissors was all it said.
I stared at the note, electricity whizzing through my body. Was this Winnie’s way of making me feel better? She was the only one who knew about my back-and-forth game with Alan. Still, it didn’t seem like something she would do. Confused and a little disgruntled, I stepped back into my room and closed the door.
I was about to fall back onto my bed when I heard another knock. It’s definitely Winnie, I decided, as I ran to the door and opened it without checking who was on the other side.
I froze in shock as I came face to face with Alan. He was standing there in jeans and a t-shirt, his hair casually windblown and his bright-blue eyes smiling.
“I think you just won again,” he said. “You’re just too good.”
“Alan!” I screamed as I threw myself into his arms.
Laughing at me reaction, he picked me up and carried me into my room and slammed the door behind us. He didn’t let go of me until we were at the foot of my bed. When he did, all I could do was grab his face and stare at him to make sure I wasn’t just imagining him.
“You’re really here,” I gasped.
“I’m really here.” He nodded.
“I can’t believe this!” I said. “I had no idea you were coming.”
“It was last minute,” Alan replied. “Really last minute. I was lucky to get here at all.”
“Did you just get here?”
“Pretty much,” Alan said. “The only stop I made was in Coach’s room to beg him to let me compete in the heats tomorrow. And now I’m here with you.”
“He’s going to let you compete?”
I asked hopefully.
“He is.” Alan nodded in triumph.
I screamed in delight and hugged him again. His hands closed around my body and then slipped down under my t-shirt. “I see you got yourself ready for me.”
“I thought you were Winnie,” I laughed.
He leaned in and kissed me as though to remind me that he was not Winnie. That kiss rocked me all the way down to my toes and the urge to surrender myself to him was strong. Every desire I had felt prior to that moment disappeared. I no longer wanted to read or relax or eat or sleep. All I wanted to do was immerse myself in him for as long as possible.
Alan broke our passionate kiss and pulled back a little. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was so excited about seeing you that I didn’t even stop to take a shower.”
“I don’t care about that,” I said immediately. “I’m just glad you’re here.” I took a few steps away from him and removed the t-shirt I was wearing so that I was standing in front of him in nothing but my underwear. His eyes roved across my body with appreciation. He pulled off his own shirt in response and we collided together, our hands clawing at one another, trying to remove all the material in our way.
When we fell back onto my bed, we were both naked and I was shaking from anticipation and the realization that Alan was going to make love to me again. His hands caressed my body, snaking over my breasts, stomach, and thighs. In turn, I explored the hard muscle of his chest and stomach. He was still being careful with me and I could sense that in the way he touched me.
His lips lingered on my neck and ears, and my body awakened to him. This experience was a little different than the first. I was aware of what to expect and I sought out those desires ravenously. But he stilled my shaking limbs and took his time, working over me with the precision of a painter.
Slowly, Alan positioned himself on top of me and pinned my hands down on either side of my face. When he slipped inside me again, I realized how wet I was. I moaned in pleasure as I felt the length of him fill me completely. His face was inches from my own and his breath tickled my cheek. Every now and again, he kissed my eyelids and my cheeks.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m good,” I assured him. “You don’t have to keep asking me that.”
Alan smiled. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m just…”
“I know,” I said, as I pulled his face to mine.
Every time he pushed into me, I felt a little burst of happiness in the pit of my stomach. I clung to him as he moved surely and confidently inside me. The disillusionment that had filled me the past few days had vanished with his appearance and I felt suddenly vibrant, renewed and brimming with focus. It occurred to me suddenly that my strength was tied to him and perhaps tomorrow I would be a stronger swimmer because he was here.
Slowly, Alan pushed his upper body back a little so that he could sling my right leg over his shoulder. As he did so, I felt him slip inside me a little deeper and I moaned at the feel of it.
“Does this hurt?” he asked immediately.
“No,” I sighed. “It feels amazing.”
He moved slowly inside me, making sure that he was neither vigorous nor violent. The new position made me feel a plethora of new sensations and it made me hunger for more. I realized how painfully limited my sexual experiences were and how much more Alan had to teach me.
“I want you to take me from behind,” I said.
His eyes fell onto mine and he bent down to kiss my lips. Slowly, he pulled out of me and then he guided me up and turned me around so that my back was to him. I was on my hands and knees and I could feel him kneel behind me, his hands caressing my back and his penis hard against my buttocks. I felt another little thrill light up my body and I was eager for him to enter me again.
His hands were soft against my hips as he pushed himself inside me for the second time. I gasped in surprise as this new position released another surge of undiscovered feeling. I could feel him so deep inside me that my whole body shuddered with wonder. As always, he moved slowly, allowing me to adjust and experience everything.
As I grew more comfortable, his thrusts began to quicken and his breathing ratcheted upward as a climax approached. The faster he pumped, the faster his breathing got and the more excited I became until I could feel my own orgasm rear its head. I wanted to experience coming again but I also wanted Alan to keep fucking me.
“Faster,” I gasped, and he accelerated his tempo immediately. “Ah… faster!”
The sound of his pelvis hitting my ass reverberated around the room and it aroused me further. Then I felt the orgasm hit and my whole body quivered in a state of elated shock. A moment later, Alan shuddered too and then his body came over mine and I felt his lips on my back.
He guided me back onto the bed and collapsed down next to me so that my head was nestled against the wide expanse of his chest. Every so often, he would kiss my forehead as we both waited for our breathing to slow and our heartrates to decrease to a normal pace.
“I hope this doesn’t affect my performance tomorrow,” Alan joked. “I might have used up all my energy.”
I laughed. “I have no doubt you’ll get through the heats tomorrow,” I said confidently. “And I have a feeling you’ll be taking home gold, too.”
“You think so?” Alan asked.
I glanced up at him. “I’m sure of it.”
“Oh?” he asked. “What makes you so sure?”
“Just a feeling.” I shrugged, gripping him harder.
Alan looked around the room for a moment. “I didn’t even ask where Winnie was,” he laughed. “She could have been hiding out in the bathroom for all I knew.”
I laughed, too. “Winnie’s out. Knowing her, she’ll probably be out half the night. So you can stay here with me.”
“I don’t think I’m permitted to stay the night with you,” Alan said. “If our coaches knew about this, they’d hit the ceiling.”
“They’ll just have to deal with it,” I said, unconcerned. I was too happy to care about what anyone else thought. “How is Peter?”
“He woke up,” Alan smiled.
“I know.”
“You do?” Alan asked in surprise. “How?”
I shrugged. “The only way you would be here at all if Peter had woken up,” I said logically.
Alan smiled. “How do you know me so well?”
“Instinct,” I replied. “There’s no other word for it.”
“I guess not,” he said in amazement. “Peter is good. He was the one who encouraged me to be here. All my brothers did actually… they were the reason I got myself here in time. You were the other reason.”
“Me?” I asked, looking up at him.
“Yup,” Alan said. “I wanted to experience this with you. And even if I didn’t get to compete, I wanted to be here to cheer you on.”
“Really?”
“Of course, Jessica,” Alan replied. “I would have hated to miss watching you swim.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” I sighed. “Rio finally feels real now that you’re here.”
Alan smiled at my words and then kissed my head. “We’ll need to get some sleep before the heats tomorrow. I’ll have to leave soon.”
“No,” I said, grabbing a hold of him greedily. “I need more time with you. You’re my good luck charm.”
Alan laughed and pulled me close. “I know what we can do for good luck.”
“What?”
He gestured downward and I followed his gaze to his erection poking up from under the sheets. “Again?” I asked in amazement.
“Why not?” he asked.
I laughed and reached for him. “Why not?”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Alan
“Alan?” Peter’s voice was muffled on the other line. “Alan? Can you hear me?”
“Peter,” I said, louder than was necessary. “Yeah, I can hear you.”
“Oh good,” Peter said. “I was scared I wouldn’t be able to get a hold of
you in time.”
“How are you?”
“Forget that!” Peter said impatiently. “How are you? How are you feeling?”
“Nervous,” I said, smiling at the strength in Peter’s voice. I could already hear a difference and it reassured me. “But in a good way. I’m ready to go.”
“You’re not racing in the finals today, are you?”
“No, it’s the quarterfinals,” I said. “To see if I will qualify for the finals.”
“And Jessica?”
“She’s racing in her quarterfinals today, too,” I replied. “I’m going first though.”
“We’ll be watching,” Peter told me. “We’re all here crowded around this tiny freaking television.”
“Even Talen?” I asked.
“Yup,” Peter said, and I could imagine him smiling.
“Geez,” I sighed. “No pressure.”
“Make us proud,” Peter said.
“I’ll certainly try,” I promised.
“Oh, and one little thing before I go.”
“Tell me.”
“I’m going to be released tomorrow,” Peter said.
“You’re kidding?” I laughed with relief. “That is amazing news. Just what I needed to hear.”
“Break a leg, little brother,” Peter said, and on the heels of his words came a chorus of cheers and hoots and shouts from the other end of the line. I could imagine Talen, John, and Sam crowing into the phone, filling the hospital room with sounds.
“Thanks, guys!” I shouted back at them before I hung up.
The tunnel was filled with people moving in and out but I shut out the bustle and concentrated on my technique. I was swimming with some real champions today, and I would have to be in top form to qualify for the finals. I took a deep breath as the announcement for the quarterfinal echoed against the walls. I grabbed my goggles and headed up the tunnel where the crowd and the water awaited me.
It felt a little something like walking into the lion’s den. The din was chaotic and as I looked into the stands, I could see that it was at full capacity. People from all over the world were crowded into the space and they were all chanting with patriotic fervor. I looked to my left and saw a throng of my own fans with emblazoned banners, some with my name on it and others simply reading USA.