Chapter Five
Tasha
As soon as I opened my eyes the following morning, a smile spread across my face. I instantly remembered my “first date” with Stryder, the events of the previous evening replaying in my mind.
Take that, I thought haughtily as I remembered his amusement at my nonexistent dancing talent. Then imagining how he’d looked when I had announced we were going to skydive, that sent me into peals of laughter.
As I changed into a sweat suit, the next memory that flashed in my mind was our passionate kiss on the field. I briefly touched my lips, remembering how it had felt. My body warmed up in an instant and I could feel my libido rising.
I shook my head, literally trying to get rid of the feeling. Checking the clock, I saw that it was only five in the morning. Great. Time for my daily jog.
While many others were preparing to go to work, I was already jogging along the exercise path at Crest Park, loving the way the dark surroundings gradually turned into hues of orange and pink during the sunrise. I guess I was actually also equipping myself for work in a way, habitually making sure I remained strong and fit. That was highly essential in my job.
After an hour, I slowed down right beside the scenic man-made lake in the middle of the park. I did some stretching exercises to cool down before plopping on the grass and simply drinking in the silence. I loved this part of the day when I could just be on my own amidst the beauty of nature. It was no match for the other places I’d been to, but it was good enough for daily nourishment and self-reflection.
A few minutes passed. More people were beginning to mill around inside the park—mostly couples and young families. As I watched them, I wondered if I would ever find someone special enough to marry someday. It had to be someone who understood and shared my love of adventure, someone who could accept me for who I am and who’d be okay with my line of work.
I tucked my knees under my chin, my eyes focusing on a young married couple with a toddler in tow and an older child. They looked really happy, running around and laughing with their children. It tugged at my heartstrings really bad because I never got to experience that kind of happiness with my biological parents. They had passed away in an accident when I was ten years old, but even when they were alive, I never really felt their presence. They were always too busy to play with me.
My phone rang, breaking into my reverie. I looked at the screen and saw that it was my foster mom calling. Now there was someone who had genuinely cared about me and had made all efforts to love me despite my being a difficult kid during my first few years living with them.
I tapped on the green tab and said hello onto the phone. “What’s up, Mom?” I said, smiling. At least my foster family had given me good memories and had somehow filled in the emptiness in my heart.
“How are you doing, Tasha?” she asked in a cheerful voice. “We miss you. When are you coming to visit?”
“Just really busy with a lot of work lately,” I told her. “But I’ll make time perhaps next weekend.”
“Okay, I’d love that,” she said. I could imagine her eyes lighting up. “Your Pop would surely love that too.”
“How’s Pop?” I asked, my voice laced with concern. “Is he still having his dizzy episodes? What did the doctor say?”
“Oh, they said it’s just stress,” she answered. “That’s why I forced him to take a week-long leave from teaching at the martial arts center.”
My foster parents were both teachers. Pop was a black belt in both Taekwondo and Jiu Jitsu, and had spent most of his younger years competing and his older years training others in these two martial arts. Meanwhile, Mom was a gymnastics teacher at the local high school. They lived in a humble home in the suburbs of Windfield and had never been able to conceive their own child.
“Tell him to rest well, or I’m never going to show myself again to him!” I jokingly said.
“Oh, I definitely will,” she agreed. “That will surely threaten him.” We both laughed.
She proceeded to tell me about her students in the high school. I listened intently. Afterward, I shared with her about the recent TV commercial shoot I was taking part in.
“You be careful, Tasha,” she told me, her tone a blend of warning and fear.
“I’m always careful,” I assured her. “And we have all sorts of safety equipment on every set I work on. Our agency takes good care of us, too.”
“That’s good,” she said. “Are you still pursuing your dream of putting up your own school?”
“Yes, a training school for stuntmen and women, with its own agency, of course,” I said proudly. “I’ve been saving up for it.”
“Okay, but don’t scrimp on food!” she warned. “I don’t want to see you all skin and bones the next time around.”
I laughed. “I won’t, I promise.”
We talked a little bit more before hanging up. I wasn’t able to chat with Pop because he was sleeping.
I stood up to leave, but not before my eyes locked with someone’s across the park. To my disbelief, sauntering toward me was the football player who’d invaded my dreams last night.
“Hey,” Stryder greeted when he was close enough.
He was wearing sweatpants and a shirt, with beads of sweat dripping on the side of his face. For some reason, that made him seem even more irresistible to me. I’m totally losing it.
“Hey, yourself,” I answered, cocking my head to one side and giving him a questioning look. “Are you stalking me?”
He scoffed in response. “You wish! I’m here for my usual morning jog.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding with approval. Something in common.
He continued. “After what you did to me yesterday, you’re lucky I’m still talking to you!”
He was joking, of course. I smiled, but didn’t laugh. “You deserved it, big time football pro.”
He stepped a whole lot closer and leaned forward with a meaningful grin. “Do you mean I deserved the surprise skydive or are you talking about the kiss?”
My heart skipped a beat. “Maybe both,” I answered boldly, meeting his gaze defiantly.
“I see,” he said. Then with a smile, he took my hand in his and asked, “Care to have breakfast at my place? I happen to make the best pancakes in town! I’ll throw in some bacon and eggs, too.”
I laughed. “You make it sound so convincing. I’m starving already.”
“Great!” he exclaimed, taking my hand.
“But you have to catch me first!” I shouted, pulling away and sprinting to the exit of the park.
He came after me quickly and had a good run before finally tackling me to the ground. Both of us stumbled onto a patch of grass by one of the benches, startling some toddlers. I was pinned underneath him, our faces inches apart from each other.
“Don’t ever challenge a football player like that,” he whispered, his eyes shimmering mischievously.
Giggling, I said, “Yeah, my bad!”
We gazed into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, oblivious to the people passing by. At that very moment, I felt as if it was just the two of us in the whole world. My heart was beating fast, anticipating and yearning for his kiss. He began to lean closer, but then stopped and lifted himself up—to my utter disappointment. I knew he was playing me, just as I did to him yesterday. We were teasing and mocking, but I could tell with confidence that he was just as attracted to me as I was to him.
His apartment was a fifteen-minute walk from the park, located on the fifth floor of a fairly modern and upscale building.
“So it’s true what they say about football,” I commented as he opened the door to let me in. I found myself whistling with admiration at the rather tidy and well-decorated apartment.
“What do they say?” he asked as he led me to the kitchen.
“That you can earn big doing this sport,” I said. “Too bad there’s no professional league here for women. Maybe I’d have to move somewhere else if I wanted to do that.”
“It’s true, I guess,” he agreed. “For those who train hard and occupy the most valued positions in the team.”
“Congratulations then,” I told him, to which he smiled.
“I bet stunt people are paid well, too,” he said as he tinkered around in the kitchen, preparing the ingredients and equipment. “I mean, with what you guys do and with such great risks involved…”
“We’re paid well, yes, but not enough to make us rich,” I told him honestly as I settled by the kitchen counter. “Life’s unfair, you know.”
“I guess,” he said as he mixed the pancake batter in a bowl and added milk. “Football seems like a kid’s game compared to what you do.”
I laughed, nodding. “Definitely way safer.”
“So tell me,” he said, stopping for a while and leaning forward across the counter. “What’s the most dangerous stunt you’ve performed so far?”
“I had to jump on a real crocodile’s back and quickly use it as a springboard to get into a waiting boat,” I shared.
His mouth dropped open in shock and amazement. “Holy shit! No way!”
I laughed. “Yeah, really stupid. It was far riskier than diving off a cliff.”
“Fuck!” he yelled, half-laughing, half-shaking his head. “You’re one crazy bitch!”
“Uh-huh,” I said, laughing with him. “I’m never going to do it again. We went through six takes, and at one point, the crocodile almost snapped my leg off!”
“Shit, shit!” he said, his face scrunching up as if he was experiencing excruciating pain. He went on to cook the pancakes while still cursing under his breath.
I just kept on laughing, amused at his reaction.
The aroma of the pancakes wafted into my nostrils. “Mmm… smells so delicious!” I said instinctively, my stomach beginning to grumble. “Now I’m really starving.”
He quickly finished the pancakes and then cooked the bacon and eggs too as he begged me to share more of my stunt experiences. I conceded, of course, eager to talk about the spine-tingling adventures I’ve had on various movie sets.
He poured milk into two glasses and put some syrup on his and my pancakes.
“Thanks,” I said, savoring my first bite. I closed my eyes, the heavenly taste sweeping over my senses. “This is sooo good!”
He smiled. “Thank you. It’s my only specialty.”
I laughed. “So what about for your other meals?”
“Uh, takeout,” he answered with a shrug, making me laugh even more. Then bringing back the subject to my job, he said, “But hey, I still can’t believe you were the main stunt woman for the latest Resident Evil movie!”
“Oh, yeah, I got to bring home the bucks, baby…”
“Sometimes I hear of stunt people losing limbs and even becoming paralyzed because of injuries,” he said. “Aren’t you afraid of that happening?”
I nodded admittedly. “Yes, but I try not to think of it. I just focus on the rush that I love and of course on the pay.”
“So you’re not considering any other career?” he asked curiously.
“Not really,” I said. “But I’m planning on putting up a school for stunt people.”
“Wow, that’s cool.”
“Yup. When that becomes reality, I can slow down and lessen the risk I put myself in. And I do think of the future even if I look like a live-for-the-moment kinda woman.”
He laughed before taking another bite. “Yes, that’s my impression of you. It’s great that you care for the future, though. What exactly do you think of mostly?”
“Well, I told you about that dream of putting up a school…” I trailed off, suddenly hesitant to continue.
“And?” he probed.
It was really easy to talk to him, but I was suddenly feeling shy about my visions of a family life. “Just that… I think of having a family of my own, too, someday.” I thought of my own childhood then, and I’d always vowed I would be a more loving and caring mother like my foster mom.
“Hhhmmm,” Stryder murmured, looking quite surprised. “Interesting. Never would have guessed that.”
“So what about you?” I inquired, turning the tables on him.
He was more hesitant about sharing, revealing not more than what I’d read on his public profile.
“Don’t give me your press release shit, Stryder,” I said. “What do you really dream of?”
He stopped, taken aback but seriously pondering my question. “I’ve never really given it much thought,” he finally replied thoughtfully. “Perhaps it’s because my father had always pressured me to be the best football player I could be and it was like I was left with no other option…”
“Well, aside from football, what else do you like to do?” I prodded.
He paused before answering, his brown eyes brightening in a different way. “I like to take pictures,” he said. “Sounds lame, huh?”
“No!” I answered immediately. “It’s not lame at all. I mean, we all have different interests. So you do photography? It’s actually cool. Never would have guessed that one.”
“Well, I’ve never told anyone before,” he said, appearing to be surprised at that realization. “Come to think of it. Nobody had ever asked me before what else I was interested in apart from football.”
We found ourselves smiling at each other, a deeper connection established between us. I asked him more about it as we finished the rest of our breakfast. He slowly opened up, talking about his secret trips to galleries and even attending some photography workshops during his free time.
“Nice!” I said. “Can I see some of your work?”
He hesitated, before finally getting up and leading me to his bedroom. He closed the door behind us and a nagging thought entered my head. After sharing a hidden part of himself to me, was he still just after getting into my pants? Despite thinking that earlier, too, I had still gone with him here. So then, maybe I also wanted him the way he wanted me.
But then he rummaged through his closet as I looked around curiously. His room was average-sized, but neat like the rest of his apartment. There was a display of football awards and framed photos of his family. That’s when I found out that he had a younger sister and a younger brother. Before I could ask about them, though, he brought out a box and placed it on the bed. He took out several photos and laid them out for me to see.
I sat on the bed across him, our knees almost touching. I picked up the first photo I saw. It showed a couple with their backs on the camera, snuggling under a tree in front of the lake at the park while the sky changed colors.
“I’m guessing this was during the sunrise at Crest Park,” I noted. “It’s so beautiful!”
“Yeah, thanks,” he said.
I picked up a second one. This time, it showed a tight shot of a cute little kid enjoying his cone of ice cream. Some of it was dripping from his hand and on the sides of his mouth.
“Oh, this is so cute!” I said. Checking out the other photos, I was astounded by his skill and talent. “You’re really good,” I told him honestly.
He smiled as he packed away the photos and placed them all back in the box. “Thanks for the compliment, but you can be brutally honest.”
“Well, I’m certainly no artist or expert on this stuff, but I can tell that you have a gift,” I said sincerely.
He looked genuinely touched as his eyes met mine. Suddenly, I felt the urge to kiss him, to connect with him intimately, to make him feel appreciated. Without waiting for him to make the first move, I leaned across and placed my lips on his with much longing. He responded with the same pining, our kiss quickly turning passionate and lustful.
He pressed against me, his hands caressing my back as I wrapped mine around his neck. He gently pushed until I fell back on the bed with him on top of me.
I could feel the stiffness between his legs, growing prominently and rubbing against my thigh. It escalated my carnal desire and I found my hands clutching at his back and sliding downwards to his full, round butt. I slipped a hand to his front, stroking his manhood over his sweatpants and boxers. He moaned with pleasure.
His mouth devoured mine some more, our tongues slithering and twisting around each other, before he moved down to my neck. His hands opened the front zipper of my long-sleeved sweat top, revealing my sports bra. He went down to lick on the top of my breasts, making me arch my back in anticipation and desire.
With one click, he unlocked the front clasp of my bra. My heaving breasts tumbled out, and he eagerly kissed each one, sucking on my nipples until they were taut and a little sore.
Meanwhile, I had slunk my hand into his boxers, touching his huge, long cock. It was now nearing its full size, ready and raring to go.
Without warning, I pushed myself downward beneath him so I could pull off his sweat pants and boxers. He quickly took off his shirt, too, his well-defined abs now visible before my very eyes. I ran my fingers across them as he watched me with intense desire. Then I lifted my head off the bed to kiss them gently, my lips eventually moving downward to the tip of his length.
I used my tongue to tease him first, making him moan with expectation and yearning. It was all he could do not to beg after some time. I gave in and took his entirety into my mouth, sliding down his shaft, my tongue licking him all throughout. I went up and down, my hand and mouth working together to give him an incredible blow job he’d never forget.
He groaned with pleasure repeatedly, encouraging me to do better and to satisfy him even more. After a while, he shifted his position, turning around so that his penis was still inside my mouth while his mouth was right on top of my now soaking pussy.
I helped him pull down my own pants and underwear. Without wasting a second, I spread my legs apart as he leaned down to lick my wet slit, his tongue pushing through the mass of hair. I moaned loudly despite him being in my mouth.
We continued to give each other staggering oral sex, our sounds of pleasure echoing against the walls of his bedroom. His tongue thrusted aggressively into my entrance, wriggling inside and then steadily moving in circles. I felt myself climbing higher and higher in unbelievable ecstasy, the intense sensations enfolding me in bliss until I finally erupted into an amazingly erotic climax.
I hadn’t even recovered yet when he turned around once more, this time ready to enter me. His hard cock penetrated me fully, tingling my sensitive walls and sliding smoothly with my immense lubrication. He shoved into me many times, each one growing harder and deeper. I was once again lost in a sexual trance, my body temperature rising fast with my sexual stupor.
He went on and on, his eyes thick with lust and his face divulging the extreme pleasure he was feeling. I could sense him nearing his climax just as I reached another one. I gave out a scream as a loud and long groan escaped his lips, accompanied by thick, gooey, warm liquid spurting into me. Some of it spilled down my inner thighs and onto his bed. He rolled over to my side, both of us panting with great satisfaction.
We lay there spent, but craving to have another go.
“You don’t have work today?” he whispered, turning to me and propping his head on one hand.
“Nope,” I said with a grin.
He grinned back, his eyes sweeping across my naked body with desire. He reached over to play with my nipples, his touch once again electrifying my whole body.
“Good,” he answered seductively. “I intend to keep you here for another few hours, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Giggling, I pretended to be scared. “Ooh, I’m scared…”
“You better be,” he whispered, snarling and snapping his teeth jokingly.
We both laughed as we tumbled around in the sheets, our kiss deepening and our bodies heating with passion.