Avoidance

I spoke with Luke briefly on the phone that night, but told him I was tired and just wanted to go to bed early.  That wasn't a complete lie.  I was exhausted.  Partially from traveling, and partially from mentally feeling drained.  I finished up some homework and went to bed with a plan.  My father's college roommate was a detective in Lincoln, and I decided the next day after classes I was going to go to the police station and speak with him.

The next day, I hesitantly walked into the police station, hoping that Detective Stratton was working.  I had the two pills in a Ziploc baggie, tucked into my purse.  I approached the main desk and asked to speak with him.  After some phone calls the front desk officer informed me that Detective Stratton had the day off, and the next, but would be back on Thursday.  I sighed dejectedly and left.  I had already decided that I was going to pretend like everything was okay until I spoke with Detective Stratton and confirmed I was right about the pills.  I mean, I didn't know if I could keep quiet about the picture I saw on Facebook, but at least I could about the pills.

Luke had asked me if I could get together tonight, since it'd been awhile since we'd seen each other, and I had obliged.  I mean, technically he was my boyfriend, so I couldn't just keep blowing him off, even if he did deserve it.  However, I'd also already planned an exit for me, as I told him since classes were winding down in the next few weeks, I had papers to write.  We had decided to grab dinner at a wing place after my practice.

As I walked towards his car, he made no effort to hide his smile as he looked me up and down.  Due to my anger, I really had to work to not roll my eyes, but gave him a tight smile back and avoided eye contact.  When I slid into the seat he leaned over to kiss me, but I pretended like I didn't notice and turned to give extra attention to grab the seat belt over my shoulder, and then clicking it into place.  We made small talk as he drove the 10 minutes to the restaurant.  We elected to sit at a high rise in the bar.

When I climbed onto the stool, he walked over and placed his hands on my hips and leaned down to give me a deep, almost public-inappropriate, kiss.  As he backed away from me, grinning, I couldn't help my natural reaction of checking him out, and lusting over him, before I remembered why I was upset with him.  We talked about his weekend and my matches in Illinois.  He told me that Charlie had informed him I stopped by.

"Oh, yeah, I was going to surprise you," I responded with zero enthusiasm.  Then as an afterthought, added, "Where were you?"

"In the library."  He sighed deeply.  "I have a 20 plus page research paper I need to write, and have really put off doing the work needed."

"Mmm, so you'll be really busy coming up?"  I attempted to hide the relief in my voice, though I don't know how well I masked it.

He shrugged, "Yeah, I probably will.  But of course I'll make time for you!"  Then he winked at me.

I wanted to gag.  But yet, at the same time, I couldn't hide my attraction to him, and blushed.  I thought to myself: it is too dang bad he couldn't have just been a one and done.  I then widened my eyes at myself, thinking how bad that sounded.  I had never done that before, and didn't know that I ever would or could. 

"Aleah?"

I snapped my attention back to Luke, realizing I had been lost in my own thoughts.  He appeared as though he had been talking to me.  "Sorry.  I was lost in thought.  What were you saying?"

"I asked if everything is okay.  You seem... weird."

I kept my face neutral.  "How?"

He furrowed his brows at me and said, "Well, you just seem distant.  Distracted, maybe?  Like you don't want me touching you or near you."

"I saw the picture."

"What picture?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Before I left, I saw a picture of you and an attractive female on Facebook.  You looked cozy.  And she had an engagement ring on."

"What'd she look like?"

"Well, I didn't get a very good look, but I think she had red hair."

He grinned broadly at me.  "Oh, that's my cousin, Victoria.  She had gotten engaged last fall.  I haven't seen her since Christmas break."

"Oh."  I felt stupid and didn't know what to say.  "Well, why is the picture deleted now?"

"Is it?"  He asked it thoughtfully, looking past me, popping a french fry in his mouth.  Our food had arrived, and we were wasting no time indulging.  "I guess I didn't realize there were any pictures up on Facebook of her and I, to begin with.  I don't get on there very often, and I don't really like pictures of me put on there.  You know, because I like to monitor what's on there for my future professional image.  So if it was deleted, I don't know why."

"I see."  I dropped the subject then, because I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

We finished up eating pretty quickly, and he drove me back to the courts, where my car was parked.  He leaned over and kissed me, pushing hard against my mouth.  I immediately felt his hand rest on my upper thigh, and he started sliding it up, under my short tennis skirt.  I involuntarily felt my body reacting.  He moved his hand up until he had a finger rubbing against the outside of my bloomers.  I shifted my weight to the left side of my body and slightly parted my legs, to give him easier access.  I felt him take another finger and pull my bloomers and panties aside, and he slipped a finger inside of me.  I sighed deeply into his kisses.   He stopped kissing me long enough to reach his other hand over and pull the lever to allow my seat to drop backwards into the "laying" position.  He began kissing me again, moving to my neck, and my ear, as his fingers magically moved on and in me.  He quickly brought me to climax and I moaned softly, as my body stiffened and I arched my back.  He whispered into my ear, "Just think, if I can do that with my fingers, what else I can do with other parts of me."

Just the thought of that made me start tingling again, and I groaned lightly.  "Not tonight," I murmured back.  Or maybe ever, I thought. 

After we said our goodbyes, (and by goodbyes I mean making out like high school-ers with some heavy petting mixed in) I climbed in my car and drove home.  I frowned at myself in the rear view mirror, disappointed that I could give in to him so easily sexually, but be so unsure of our relationship, and scared to find out the truth about those pills.  However, I did feel more relaxed.  And that made me smile.

The next day after practice, I was getting ready to leave when I was approached by Pablo and Matt, who asked me to stay for a bit and chat with them. 

"Alayah.  You have muy talent.  Me and Coach Matt are running city tennis lessons.  We want you to come teach this summer.  Si?"

I momentarily melted at his accent with his mixture of Spanish and English.  My heart be still.

"Of course!  I would love to.  I'm so honored you two would ask me!"

Matt added, "We're also going to see if Emily and Cara would like to, as well.  There will probably be the usual high school kids that apply and teach, but for the older experienced classes, we want you to lead or be the assistant, depending on when they are during the day, and if Pablo or I can't do it."

"That sounds amazing.  You know I love teaching the kid classes at the Racquet Club.  I'll talk to them to make sure I can accommodate working there, too."  Matt also taught lessons at the Racquet Club, so I knew that he knew my schedule.  "When will you guys know the hours you'll want me out there?"

"Expect to be there Monday through Fridays every morning, and Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the afternoons.  We'll also have tournaments ran out there, so we may want your help with those, and those are just depending on the days.  I'm sure James will cover for you, though, anytime you need him.  Isn't that who covers your Sunday shifts when you have matches?""

"Yeah, it is.  And that sounds good.  I'll just keep my Sunday desk shift and let them know I can teach any classes they want on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons."

"Also, Aleah.  This upcoming Friday, after the match, could you possibly stay late and hit with a new men's team recruit?  The guys will all be in Pennsylvania, and since you're the strongest female hitter, I'd like you to hit with him, as I'm going to check him out for their coach.  He's from Mexico.  Pablo is recruiting him and trying to bring him here.  They're from the same hometown.  He's here this weekend.  Also, if you have any time on Saturday to show him around, that would be great."

"I can do that on Friday, and I should have time Saturday.  Aside from practice, I don't think I have anything planned."

"Great."

I turned to start walking out, and turned around to say bye and caught Pablo giving me a once over.  I raised an eyebrow at him, and he grinned and turned around, talking to Matt.  Aleah, you have a boyfriend, I mentally reminded myself.  I was trying hard to not prematurely check out.  However, I knew from experience that when I felt like something bad was going to happen in a relationship, I tended to check out emotionally.  I never seemed to have that problem with Zach, but with Derek I had done that pretty consistently. 

I threw my tennis bag into the trunk and opened my door to get in, when I heard my name called.  I turned to see Joe jogging towards me.  He lightly slammed his body into me, wrapping me in a hug.  I laughed.  "Hey, Joe," I said, though it was muffled by his shoulder in my face.

He pulled back.  "How's the boyfriend?"

"Alright, you ask out T.C. yet?"  We had decided to refer to his secret crush on the girl's team as T.C., for tennis crush.

He grinned and rolled his eyes.  "Yeah."

"And?"

"We're going out Monday night."

"Nice!  Why so long?"

"Well, we have that match in Pennsylvania Friday, and so we won't be back until later on Saturday, and then you guys have a match on Sunday, so I'm going to come watch you... I mean, all of you guys, but we didn't want to have her to rush to get ready, plus with the end of school, we both have a lot of work to do."

"Right.  Well, good!  I hope it goes well."

He chuckled, "Me, too.  Are you parents going to be there Sunday?"

"Yep!  And I'm going home after my match for dinner with the family."

"Awesome, you know I love Mr. and Mrs. Lange.  Especially Mrs.," he teased.

I playfully punched his arm.  "Okay, well, I need to get going.  I'm going to grab some fast food on the way home and then I have studying to do.  Dinner next week after your date to recap?"

"I wouldn't miss it."  He leaned in to give me a hug, and paused.  He looked intently into my eyes, looking thoughtful, and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then closed it again and hugged me tightly.  He pulled away and smiled, all hints of any previous feelings and thoughts gone.  "Bye, A."

"Bye bye, J!"