He wrapped his arm around her tiny waist securing her in place. "Don't worry. I gotcha."
"I know you do," she said nuzzling her nose into his neck affectionately.
He jumped upon contact. "Damn. Your nose is freezing. How are you that cold? We were just dancing" he asked breaking away from her. She shrugged leaning forward against Trina's chair.
"Who's the new girl?" Lexi asked nodding towards the redheaded bartender.
"Mary," Trina said cocking her head sideways as she studied the girl. "Chasity was just introducing her to me."
Lexi's head shot up at the name. Her head swiveled around the bar expecting to catch a glimpse of very familiar dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. No matter how many times she came to Chamber, she continued to register the same reaction at the mention of Chasity. After all, Jack had been a regular of hers at one point in time.
"Hey Lex," Chasity said winking at her. Lexi's heart skipped at the casual use of the nickname that she'd never really allowed anyone else to call her since Jack made it sound so incredibly sexy. "I was actually just chastising Trina for acting like a bitch to Mary here. You're on the team, right? You should learn to keep her under control." Chasity swirled her h*ps in time with the music looking all the more sensual for her adoring customers. She flipped a bottle of Jack Daniels three or four times experimentally in her hands before tipping it upside down and emptying it into a glass brimming with cubed ice.
"Oh no, I'm not on the team," Lexi corrected hastily. "I just practice with them."
Last semester, Lexi had received an email from Krista, the captain gymnastics team, asking if she was available to attend a meeting with the coach. Lexi had thought it was a cruel joke. She had only told one person about her desire to be on the gymnastics team, and well, she hadn't spoken with him since that fateful night in October. Her response had been dripping with sarcasm and questions in regards to the real sender. Krista had instantly responded that in no way was she joking about the offer, but that if she wasn't interested then to forget it was ever mentioned. As fast as she could get a reply out, Lexi apologized and agreed to the meeting.
Krista met her at the entrance to the athletic training facility. She was petite, even compared to Lexi, with stick straight brown hair to her shoulders covered in red and blonde highlights. A distinct hole in her eyebrow, nose, and lip showed where piercings were beginning to close up. An old destroyed university warm up shirt hung loosely on her tiny frame sliding off one shoulder and allowing her bellybutton ring to peek out from underneath. The elastic of her grey sweatpants had been cut off so that they barely hung on her narrow hips. Lexi liked her already. The meeting with the coach went surprisingly well considering the fact that the lady was the epitome of bitchiness. Shortly afterwards, they had set up some time on the mat, and Lexi had wowed them into allowing her to practice with them. It had been like a dream come true. The only thing that could have made it better was if they allowed her to compete. She wasn't going to hold her breath.
Lexi had been fortunate enough to begin training out that same week. The first day at practice she met the guy standing behind her. Spencer was a student athletic trainer for the gymnastics team that season; though his ultimate goal was to become a physical therapist. He frequently attended practices to get more comfortable in his role. Lexi's entire body felt physically assaulted after successfully completing her first practice. After seeing the amount of pain she was already in, Spencer had pulled her to the side and offered to do a post-stretch with her to soothe her aching muscles. At first, she had turned him down, but when she found she could hardly make it to the locker room, he had insisted. He nursed her over-used muscles making sure that she hadn't done herself any serious damage. After proclaiming her fit, he had nervously asked her out that same day. Agreeing to the offer was a no brainer, and they had been dating ever since. Seven months later their relationship was still going strong.
"No one can keep Trina under control especially if she is trying to make up for Krista's absence," Lexi said leaning back from the bar and glancing up into Spencer's warm chocolate colored orbs staring lovingly down upon her. His dark blonde hair was buzzed so short it was almost military official with just enough in the front to spike up. Cheek bones were prominent against his pale skin; a strong square set jaw line fit perfectly with the rest of his features. A crisp black and red polo fit snug on his broad shoulders; black cargo shorts and Reef flip-flops adorned the lower half of his body.
"And no one can make up for Krista," Chasity said flipping the tops off several Dos Equis bottles.
"She's probably glad to have graduated," Trina commented. Lexi narrowed her eyes at her. Trina had been making similar comments since she had been named captain. "What?" she asked defensively. "I just mean that now she doesn't have to take her piercings out every January."
The group laughed along at Trina's joke. Lexi found she could only produce a forced half-smile. She really did miss Krista and her spontaneous vivacious personality that seemed to light up any room. As soon as she had graduated, Krista had hightailed it out of town. She had ended up in Las Vegas and was now performing nightly at some Cirque de Soleil show. The team wouldn't be the same without her.
Lexi pulled her phone out of her tiny black purse to see if anyone else from the team had responded to her mass text. Sighing, she looked at the blank screen. "Guess everyone else is busy tonight," she mumbled under her breath.
Just then, her phone vibrated in her hand. Lexi perked up excitement running through her. She flipped her phone open and stared numbly at the name that flashed onto the screen: Jack Howard. Lexi quickly glanced backwards at Spencer. He was occupied by Ashley, a blonde leggy gymnast in her third year. She had never mentioned anything about Jack before to him, so even if he had seen the name, it wouldn't have meant anything to him anyways. But despite that fact, she angled her body to block his view of the screen.
She was unsure whether or not she should click the little green button. He had messaged her several times shortly after he had confessed to have a girlfriend. However, he had ceased his attempts at contacting her when he realized that she refused to answer a single one. It had been difficult, of course. She had wanted to reply. After all, she had fallen head over heels for the boy, but she couldn't share him. All or nothing. She hadn't heard a peep from him since February, when she had begun practicing with the gymnastics team.
Just enough alcohol coursed through her veins that her finger fell on the button opening the message.
"3 o'clock."
Lexi stared down at the cryptic message, confusion written across face. Her brow furrowed together as she tried to decipher the meaning behind his words. The time was 1:30 in the morning. Was she supposed to meet him at 3 o'clock? If so, where was she supposed to meet him? No, that couldn't be it. He would have said more if he wanted her to meet him; some explanation at least.
3 o'clock.
She stared off into space feeling the alcohol loosen her muscles and continue to cloud her judgment. Then, as if woken from a dream, she turned slowly. There he was. Sitting at the end of the bar, beer in hand, at her 3 o'clock.
He raised his glass to her in a cheers fashion. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He looked so good. She had almost forgotten how his shaggy hair fell messily into his eyes. The natural way he jerked his head to uselessly move it out of the way...only to have it fall back into his amazing blue eyes. The way his smile warmed you inside out.
"Want to go back out on the floor?" Spencer asked breaking her out of her trance. She quickly averted her eyes and forcefully snapped her phone shut.
Lexi shook her head. "I'm going to stay here and wait until I can stand straight. You can go though," she offered. She'd never lied to him before, and she didn't particularly like it. But if Jack was here, she wanted nothing less than for them to cross paths.
"Alright," Spencer said a little reluctantly. "Are you sure?"
"Don't worry about me. I think Ashley needs someone to dance with," she said gesturing towards the tiny blonde gymnast waiting patiently for them to come to a decision.
He shrugged and went to kiss her on her lips. She turned at the last second letting it barely brush her cheek. He glanced down at her a glimpse of pain evident in his eyes. A forced smile moved across her face, but she knew he wasn't satisfied with that.
"I'll check on you in a bit," he finally said before making his way back towards the mass of bodies. Lexi leaned back against Trina's chair resting her head on Trina's shoulder. She didn't want to chance a glance back up for fear that Jack would still be there…or worse…he'd be gone.
"Don't you dare fall asleep on me," Trina said bumping Lexi off her shoulder.
"I'm not. Swear."
"Well, take my chair. I'm going to go dance. You better not be asleep when I get back," Trina said pointing her finger in Lexi's face.
"Have no fear. I'm sure Chasity will take care of everything."
"I sure hope not with your tolerance," Trina said over her shoulder laughing as she walked away.
Lexi watched her friend meander through the crowd of people. As soon as she lost her in the mass, Lexi turned her head, and searched for Jack again. There he was. Seated in the exact same spot. Waiting for her. Without really realizing what she was doing, she stood and made her way to him. As she approached, she fully assessed him. Stubble had grown in across his chin and jaw line making him appear older. The blue vertical striped button-up he wore brought out the ice blue of his eyes. He seemed more fit than the last time she had seen him, but she couldn't be sure under all those clothes. Not that she was thinking of taking them off…of course.
She smiled slyly trying to keep from letting her eyes roam his body further. She wasn't sure how she had forgotten how attractive he was. His gaze met hers. She felt as if he was looking straight through her. A blush rushed up her neck and to her cheeks; she couldn't decide if the cause was the alcohol or the way he possessively looked at her like he could just take her right then and there.
"Lex," he said extending an arm out for her to walk into. She did the motion automatically feeling herself fit against his body like she was the missing puzzle piece. His cologne overpowered her senses, and she hastily backed up a few paces remembering the last time he had been this close to her. Her groin throbbed at the recollection of his knee resting in that same spot. Something about that smell…about him just made her hot all over.
His look of desire hadn't changed despite her speedy retreat. She knew that he shouldn't be looking at her like that. She definitely shouldn't be having this type of reaction in a very crowded, public place with her boyfriend only a hundred feet away. Anyone could walk over and see them together. It's not like anyone could mistake the looks that were cast between them.
"Um…how are you?" she asked awkwardly averting her eyes attempting to break his spell.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Single."
Her body tensed at the statement. That hadn't been her question, but for some reason it was the answer she had wanted, the real question she'd been anxious to find out about. "Oh yea?" she asked trying to remain cool and not let her heart beat speed up any further at the prospect of him being single. "How did that happen?"