AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Okay, I need to stop this line of thinking. It was one date. A day date at that. But Mark hasn’t left my mind since.
We walk out to the field. It’s a warm, sunny day in Candy Cane Key. I gather the girls close.
“Ladies! The Christmas in July festival is upon us and the Dean has asked us to perform on the last day, before the masquerade ball. That leaves us just under three weeks, but I know if we work hard, we’ll be ready. I’ve worked on a routine and Summer and I are going to break it down for you guys now. Ready!”
The girls clap, circle in and we all repeat, “Hands on your hips, a smile on your lips, spirit in our hearts and we’re ready to start!”
Hands go up along with cheers and we break apart to our groups, with an extra pep in our step. You can make fun of cheerleaders all you like, but let me tell you, being a High School cheerleader and then college, it was some of the best times of my life. I know we have a stereotype of being airheads, or that we’re over the top happy, but why not? Why not be happy over little things? Over big things? Life is too short to be anything but, so have fun and enjoy the ride. I’m thankful to have met Summer, who understands the cheer way of life. She’s been a great friend since I’ve been here at North Pole University.
I approach my stunt group, ready to begin base building, and I hear the girls whispering amongst themselves. “Don’t look now, but that hot IT guy is watching us.”
I snap my head in the direction they’re looking and see Dashiell and Mark standing together. They both have sunglasses on and are angled in such a way that they could be watching the football team, or us. But when I look up and see the smirk Mark tries to hide, I know he’s watching us.
Watching me.
“Girls. Don’t let a couple of guys sidetrack you. You should be used to all eyes on you by now.”
“I’d like to get used to his hands on me, too.” The girls giggle and I chuckle along, shaking my head. I forget these ‘girls’ are twenty and twenty-one years old and in the prime of ‘boy crazy’.
“He’s too old for you.” I retort.
“For us, yeah, but he’s hot, Coach West. You should go for it.”
I feign shock. “Are you calling me old?”
They laugh back at me. “No way! You’re hot, too!”
“Okay, okay, let’s get moving on this pattern. Bases, I want you standing here at X. Where’s my flyer? Come on over, I want you practicing an arabesque in this. Spots, one in the back and one right here in front of me.”
The girls get into position, and we count it off. “One, twoclap clapthree, four, up!”
They nail it on the first round. “Yes!” I clap again. “Cradle down, let’s do it again.”
I watch the girls’ smirk at me, and I furrow my brows. “Ready! Bases, count it!”
“I’m a little jealous that the back spot gets more ass than I do.” I jump at the hot breath and low tone of voice that’s whispered in my ear. Now I understand the girls’ smirks.
I grit through my teeth, smile in place. You know the one. You can mess up, be nervous, scared for the worst to happen but as long as that smile is in place, no one will know the difference. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“You keep saying that to me, yet it’s a public space.”
I glower at him, then go back to watching the girls. They wobbled on this one, so I make them run it again.
“See? If you were the flyer, I’d make sure to high five your ass, you’d never fall from the top.”
“Jesus, Mark!” I can’t help my body’s reaction to him, but I have to step away. He’s standing too close, whispering too low, and someone is going to talk.
“Youwerethe flyer, weren’t you? I knew it. You’re so small, like Tinkerbell. Yeah, I would’ve been very jealous of your spotter. That ass belongs to me and me alone.” He steps up behind me and runs the tip of his finger just along the bottom seam of my shorts, under the curve of my ass. Just as fast as I realize it’s his finger and not the wind, he’s already walking away. “Catch ya later, Tink!”
The girls are all smiling at our brief little conversation. I eye each one of them. “Back to work, we’ve got a routine to nail!” I step back, checking to see where Summer is. She’s busy with the other stunt group and didn’t notice Mark wandering over.
I’ll worry about the state of my wet panties and my dirty thoughts of the hot IT guy later. We’ve got a halftime show to prepare for.
* * *
Hours later, with thoughts of Mark still on my mind, I lock up my office inside the locker room and head for my car. It’s dusk and the parking lot is empty, except for one truck parked next to my car. My eyes narrow as I take in the person leaning against the tailgate. Tall, lean legs stretch out in front of him, muscled arms crossed against a chest I know is strong and firm, and a backwards hat completes the magnificence of Mark McCall. And as I approach closer? That smile of his grows.
“Damn, girl,” he draws out. “Are you a bank loan because you’ve sure got my interest!”
