Page 14 of The Handoff

Can one person get any sexier?

I’d just finished practice and saw a message from Dane. He did have a way of praising me and making me feel special, there was no doubt about that.

I don’t know what you mean?

“You going to grab something to eat with us?” Tanya asked as I waited for Dane to text me back.

I shrugged. “I’ve been eating out a little too much lately, and I’m on a budget.”

“Hell, we’re all on a budget.” Penelope flicked her dark locks and waited for a response, impatiently tapping her feet.

It was then that Dane reappeared from nowhere. I wondered if he’d been here the whole time. I tried to only focus on the team; they were showing interest and letting me know some of their ideas. I’d put him to the back of my mind until now.

“Dane James, if you keep coming to the gym this much, people will think that you want to be on the cheerleading team, too,” Penelope sang as she rolled her eyes.

He chuckled as he drew closer to me, and I couldn’t help but blush. “There’s always gossip on campus. You should know, Penelope, you’re usually the spark of one rumor, but most of the time, all of them.”

She nodded, then pointed at him. “You’re right. I am, aren’t I.” She said it so proudly, it was as if she had a flashback of one rumor which was circulating about her.

“Ladies, you coming or not?” she purred.

Tanya looked at me. “Lisa?”

I shook my head.

Penelope pointed to Tanya. “I guess it’s just you and me for now, then the rest of the girls will catch up with us later.”

Penelope moved away, heading toward the door, and Tanya pulled back. “Lisa, what are you going to do?”

Penelope laughed while clutching her backpack. “Isn’t it obvious? She’s got a date. Now, do you want to be third wheel or come hang out with us?”

Neither Dane nor I spoke. It was as if we were lost in our own language, not words but just by how he was smiling at me. I couldn’t help but return the smile.

“So?” he asked.

“So…” I replied, thinking that I really needed to work on my flirting skills.

By text, it was easy, sitting and thinking about him facing me, then flirting with my phone in my hand. But it was a whole different ball game with him standing in front of me.

“I came to tell you how sexy you are, seeing as you don’t have a clue that you are.”

I sniggered like the teenage girl that I was, and I hated myself for it. He was calling me sexy, and I was giggling as he moved closer toward me. I wondered if he could hear my heart beating out of control. I was sweating too, which embarrassed me even more.

He grabbed a hold of my sweaty palms. “No need to be nervous. I will not bite.”

Human contact.

Hot human contact.

He traced a finger under my chin, then he leaned in, and I closed my eyes and crossed my legs. Suddenly, I felt the desperate need to pee as he kissed my cheek.

“There’s something about you, Lisa Watson. You want to grab something to eat with me?”

I still had my eyes closed, holding my breath, thinking he would kiss me again.

“You can open your eyes.” He chuckled and I felt completely lost as I opened my eyes and blinked a few times.

“Give me your backpack. I know a great place.”

I nodded.

I didn’t know why he wanted to go on a date with me. After all, I couldn’t string two words together and I really needed to pee.

“Pee!” I said as I ran back into the changing room, which made me feel even worse. Not only did I have to pee, but I needed to splash some cold water on my face. I was a mess.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right here when you get back.”

I hoped he would say that. No more was I thinking about wetting myself as I picked up speed and didn’t feel as if I was chugging along to the bathroom, but instead floating on air with a smile on my face.

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