Page 20 of Barefoot Chaos
Mark my words, that smile was going into one of my songs.
I'd write a song about his physicality but that was the low hanging fruit that every rap song I'd ever had the misfortune to hear went for. Granted, I didn't listen to rap that often, but I doubted it had improved much over the years. The man was crazy hot. Looking at his body got me hot and bothered to the point of stumbling over my words and blushing furiously. My usual wit was lost somewhere between the muscles and the hazel eyes.
And even with all that starrifying my perception of him, he irritated me to no end. With his accusations about my program. With his lackadaisical attitude about life in general. With his conversations that left me off-kilter. He got under my skin, and I hadn't figured out if that was in a good way or not. The weakest parts of me decided I'd have to see him repeatedly to make a determination.
It was the same weak part of me that had me changing my clothes multiple times before I'd settled on another pair of tight black leggings topped with a sports bra that roped in the girls within an inch of their lives. If we were running tonight, these puppies weren't moving. I just hoped they continued to get blood flow while strapped into the industrial contraption. I redid my ponytail, making sure it didn't look like I'd been dragged through a bush backwards. I almost perked up my look with some lipstick, but I felt that might be over the top for running on the beach. Nothing says desperation like bright red lipstick while working out with a man.
When I reached Lifeguard Headquarters ten minutes early, Kai was already there waiting for me. He stood with his back leaning against the wall, one knee bent, foot on the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He was in a clean white polo shirt, accentuating his gorgeous skin tone. Reflective RayBans shielded his eyes from the sun and kept me from knowing where his eyes were looking as I swung into the parking lot. I noticed he was barefoot again and I wondered how he could stand the hot cement.
He appeared at my car door, giving me his hand as I exited, eliciting the same butterflies as before. He wasted no time leading me out onto to the sand.
"Ready to pick up the pace tonight?" He gave me a teasing smile, not yet indulging me with the dimples.
"Sure!" I needed to dial back the enthusiasm. That sounded entirely fake. No one would ever believe I was looking forward to running.
Kai laughed. "Don't worry. We'll just run for a little bit, then take a break. Plus I have a surprise for you after we're done."
"You think dangling that carrot out there like that will make me run faster?"
He shrugged. "It was worth a shot..."
"Come on, let's get this over with so I can get my surprise." I took off into a jog, headed north to the pier.
Kai caught up to me and kept me preoccupied by running right by the edge of the water, moving higher as each wave chased our feet. I had more to lose, being the only one in shoes. Before I knew it, we passed the pier and though my lungs were working overtime, my legs weren't on fire like last time I tried running.
"Time to slow it down, huh?" Kai didn't even sound like he was breathing hard.
Damn him.
We walked for another mile before turning around. Kai kept up the conversation telling stories about people he'd dealt with as his job as a lifeguard. I was now convinced there were some unhinged people hanging out at the beach. I thought high schoolers were hard to deal with, but that paled in comparison to what Kai had to deal with on a daily basis. I told him a few stories about my students and earned myself some flashes of that dimple.
By the time we'd reached our starting point, I was laughing and feeling totally comfortable around him. Irritation was nowhere to be found and I began to think I'd previously made it up.
"Okay, so sit here and start meditating while I go grab something out of my truck." Kai looked like a little boy eager to show off his prized possession. It was endearing.
"Go, go! I'll be fine." I plopped down on the sand and assumed the position. I closed my eyes and cleared my mind like he'd taught me to do last time.
Then I realized he was still there. I opened one eye to catch him staring at me. I waved him off, embarrassed to be sitting there meditating while he just watched me. He winked and took off, leaving me with a shy smile permanently affixed to my face.
Kai
Mission accomplished: I got the straight-laced Hessa to belly laugh, which was as awesome as I figured it would be. I felt like I'd won some hard-earned victory just getting her to let loose and be silly. She didn't seem at all pretentious now that the wall was down. I didn't know what was different today, but I felt like she was finally letting me see the real Hessa.
The physical attraction was there from the moment I saw her. Whether it was her prim and proper teacher attire or the yoga pants that molded to those long, curvy legs, I was undeniably attracted to her. I'd struggled all evening to keep my eyes off her breasts. I didn't know what the hell she was wearing underneath her tank top, but her breasts were pushed up and on display like they were on a platter for my personal feasting. I wanted to get my hands on her, taste her, see if we could be compatible physically, but I wasn't a twenty-year-old anymore, jumping on any girl who tempted me. I wanted more than sex. I wanted a life partner, a best friend. I needed to see if Hessa could be that person for me.
As well as things were going, I probably shouldn't bring her the surprise I was planning on. I was afraid pushing her buttons would make the fun-loving Hessa run and hide, leaving me with argumentative Ms. Woodland.
But I wanted to share part of myself with her, be vulnerable and see if she'd meet me halfway. I wasn't getting any younger and I knew what I wanted. Better to put things out there now and see if she'd run.
I grabbed my case out of the car and jogged back down to the sand, enjoying the sight of this beautiful woman enjoying a practice that had become an important part of my life. I sat down next to her, making sure my knee was against hers. If she was going to shut me down, I'd enjoy my last moments of touching her.
Hessa's eyes popped open, looking unfocused and relaxed. She smiled at me. With the backdrop of the sun dropping into the ocean like an orange fireball lighting up her blonde hair, she looked like an angel. I swear to God, my heart skipped a beat and I paused, knowing this was significant. There may have been a brick in my stomach, but there was also electricity pulsing through my body, making the world seem alive in technicolor. I knew I was curious and attracted before, but with that one look, I was hooked emotionally. I was all in, I had my heart in the game now.
I wanted her.
And just like that, I was nervous as hell. I second-guessed my next move, knowing it could push her too far, giving her permission to push me away.
"What is it, Kai?" Hessa's smile had morphed to a curious look, her eyes darting to my black case on the sand in front of us.
