Monday morning I was ready to start a new flirty friendship with Ryker but Coach G informed me he’d be gone all week for a wrestling matches. Damn. The kids were out of school for MLK, Jr. Day, so we had a professional development day and I’d looked forward to getting to sit by him and flirt a little. Maybe next time.
Tuesday I’d resolved to text him. The Friday before, I’d started bringing a sack lunch and eating in Coach G’s office since I only got twenty-five minutes and the cafeteria was on the other side of campus. I’d gone there the first two days but by the time I stood in line then got my tray, I had five minutes to eat and get back. Coach G went home for lunch, so I had the office to myself and decided I’d text Ryker to get the friendship/flirting ball rolling. I’m not going to mention that my hands were shaking so badly that I almost dropped my phone in my cup of ramen instant lunch thingy.
I scrolled through my contacts and found MFRyker which stood for “My Friend Ryker” to remind me what Mrs. B had told me. I also kind of got a kick out of the fact that it looked like something else especially since he’d been a jerk the last time I saw him.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:14 a.m.
Me: Hi. It’s Frankie. I just wanted to wish you luck at your match. Also, you’d have been proud of Jack, the little third grader with brown hair who’s already got more muscles than I do, because he asked Coach G if they could wrestle like Coach Powers does. Okay, well, take care
Holy shit that was nerve-racking. I was sure he was busy and wouldn’t text back until later so I was surprised when my phone chimed right away.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:14 a.m.
MFRyker: Hey Francesca. Thanks for the luck but it takes skill and strength to win, which I’ll be doing at the end of each match. Tell Jack he’s badass. You wearing that sweet little t-shirt today that makes your tits look so fucking good?
Wow. Did I really want to be friends with this guy much less try to get in a relationship with him? I knew he was just being an ass on purpose. His teammates were probably around so he was trying to be cool. Jerk.
I tried maintaining a light and flirty disposition but I could feel it slipping because he riled me up more than any other person I’d known.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:16 a.m.
Me: You’re definitely confident in yourself. I hope that works for you. I’ll be sure to tell Jack you approve.
A couple seconds later he texted back.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:16 a.m.
MFRyker: Shirt? Tits? Good? C’mon, sweetheart. I wanna know
Flirty, flirty, flirty. Must maintain flirty attitude.
Fuck that. I could sense the tone behind his sweetheart and it wasn’t nice.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:16 a.m.
Me: I’ve got on the shirt. Do you have on the sweet little singlet that displays your package so nicely, SWEETHEART?
Let’s see how he liked being objectified.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:16 a.m.
MFRyker: Have you been checking out my package? If so, you’d know my singlet is not little because of the size of my package alone, SWEETHEART
Dear God. I’d thought Mrs. B had something here, I mean, it’d been better advice than what Sharee and Gladys had given me, but still. I began to think I’d bitten off more than I could chew. Ugh.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:17 a.m.
Me: Well, I need to go. The kids will be coming in soon
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:17 a.m.
MFRyker: Your lunch is over at 11:30. You’ve still got time. I want an answer
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:17 a.m.
Me: An answer to what?
Playing dumb was my only out.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:17 a.m.
MFRyker: You know, I’m not gonna make you answer because I know you’ve checked it out up close and personal. Fuck. I can’t wait to get up close and personal with you again
God. I’d be willing to bet Mrs. B and her husband’s flirting never got this graphic. I sat staring at his message not knowing what to say. Did I say I couldn’t wait either only to find out I was still just a hookup? Did I tell him he’d have to work for it first?
Man, I sucked at this so bad.
Instead of answering, I let time run out before texting him back, coward that I was.
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:27 a.m.
Me: I’ve really got to go. Good luck! Let me know how you do! <3
Text Message—Tues, Jan 20, 11:27 a.m.
MFRyker: Coward… Gonna call tonight at 11. Be ready
Be ready? What’d that mean? I was definitely afraid to find out.
~*~*~*~
I hate when people give you a time for something because when the time passes, you get all nervous and jumpy wondering if they forgot or they were just joking or they were setting you up to make you look like an idiot, and then each minute past the time takes an hour to go by.
All these things were running through my mind that night as I lay in bed when I looked at my phone for the thousandth time.
11:08 p.m.
Now to figure out which of the aforementioned Ryker was pulling. All three worked but I hoped it was option four: He’d been so tired from competing he’d fallen asleep.
At 11:11 p.m. I decided I didn’t care anymore. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d played me and I was the fool who’d fallen for it.
11:16 p.m. and I was pissed for even checking my phone again.
By 11:21 p.m. I was done. My feelings were hurt and I knew if I checked my fucking phone again I’d probably start crying. I turned off the ringer and put it on my nightstand and just as I turned to go to sleep, my phone started buzzing.
Shit.
I can’t explain what went on in my head (and stupid heart) when I saw MFRyker Calling on the screen. Excitement. Anger. Elation. Relief.
I slid my finger across the screen and answered, “Hello?”
“Hey. Sorry I’m late. Fuckin’ Martinez took for fuckin’ ever to get out of the locker room then we stopped and ate then Coach had a meeting in his hotel room. I just got out.”
“Oh,” I whispered.
“Where are you?”
“In bed,” I answered which made me shiver for some reason.
“Mmm… good.”
I could hear talking in the background. “Where are you?”
“In my hotel room. Rooks, my roommate, is staying in his girlfriend’s room.” Ah. The talking was the TV.
“Isn’t that against the rules?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Yeah. Only if he gets caught, though.”
“Oh. So how’d you do today?”
“Pinned my opponent in the second period. He was pissed too. All-American last two years, thought he was the shit. You should’ve seen the look on his face when the ref blew the whistle. Priceless.”
I laughed. “I’ll bet. Good for you, Ryker. Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Francesca.”
“Um, I don’t really understand wrestling since I was always playing basketball, so don’t think I’m dumb if I ask the wrong questions.”
“I’d never think you’re dumb. Ask whatever you want and I’ll answer.”
“Okay. So do you wrestle again tomorrow?”
“No, not until Thursday then again on Saturday. This is some tri-state thing that we do every year. Washington, Oregon, Idaho. This year we’re in Portland. Last year it was at home. Year before it was in Boise. We stay the week and all three schools compete against each other.”
“That sounds like a good idea but I’ll bet you’re tired when you get back,” I said.
“It’s tiring just like a tournament but not too bad. We’ve got managers who do all our laundry and we get fed, so we’ve got it pretty good.”
“What hotel are you staying at?”
“The Radisson which is pretty nice.”
“Oh, good.” I thought I heard him lying on the bed. “So I didn’t get to tell you the other night that I met your brother, Loch. If he hadn’t told me you were older, I’d have thought you were twins.”
He chuckled. “People are always saying that. Before Zeke and Gable graduated, they were always mixing us up.”
“You have three brothers? And you all look alike?”
“Yep.”
“So the Powers brothers have had all the women at Hallervan mesmerized for going on six years now?”
He barked out a laugh. “Mesmerized, huh? Do I have you mesmerized, Francesca?”
My toes curled at hearing him laugh and at how deep his voice was. Gah. “I’d have to say you do, Ryker. And most people call me Frankie.”
“I like Francesca. So tell me how I have you mesmerized.”
I bit my lip unsure what I should tell him. I tried channeling a young Mrs. B to see what she’d say. She sounded like she’d been pretty feisty when she was younger, was probably pretty straightforward, so I tried going with that.
“I’ve always wanted to know you, but you seemed untouchable so I stayed away.” I didn’t tell him about our getting married and having three kids since it’d probably scare him off which made me snort.
“You stayed away?”
“Well, yeah, until your party.” My face flushed just thinking of that night.
“Mmm… the party. That was a good night.”
I laughed. “You practically kicked me out of your bed. And then you didn’t even remember me.”
“I remembered you.”
I rolled my eyes. “You were making out with that stripper chick with the VW Bug when I came by.”
I heard him let out a breath. “Why did you come by?”
“My roommate talked me into asking you out.” He was quiet for so long I thought he may have fallen asleep. “Ryker?”
“Fucked that up, didn’t I?”
I shrugged as I lay there. “Yeah, but everything happens for a reason.”
I heard him shift in the bed. “I meant what I said that morning.”
I closed my eyes, remembering as another shiver ran through me.
“Baby, I meant it when I said you were the best.”
My breathing sped up and I barely got out, “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Tell me what you’re wearing,” he rumbled, his voice suddenly all husky and sexy.
Well, he wasn’t wasting any time here, was he? But, by God, I suddenly found I was all in, finished with trying to be feisty and probably not accomplishing it anyway.
“A tank top and shorts.”
“Can you do something for me?” he asked.
“What?” I breathed.
“Can you put your hand under your tank top…”
“Yes,” I whispered, throwing my covers back and doing as he said.
“Now move it up to your gorgeous tit and run your thumb over your nipple.”
“Okay,” I breathed out.
“Use your thumb and finger now. Roll it between them. Imagine it’s my mouth on it, sucking hard, licking, kissing, flicking my tongue over it.”
A moan escaped as I pictured him doing all of that. God.
“That’s it, baby. Do the same to your other breast now.” I knew he could hear me panting when he said, “Good girl.” That was a huge turn-on making me arch up off the bed letting out a soft moan. “Now move your hand down over your belly… down inside your shorts, inside your panties and touch yourself.”
“Ryker,” I moaned turning my head to the side and my face was in his hoodie I’d hung on my bedpost. God. I reached for it with the hand that held my phone, pulling it down so I could smell it, him. That amped things up fast and another low moan slid from my throat.
“Fuck,” I heard him mutter. “You rubbing your clit, Francesca?”
“Yes.”
“Put a finger inside yourself. Tell me how wet you are for me.”
“So wet, God, so wet for you…”
“Mmm… put another finger inside and move them in and out.” At my gasp, he ordered, “Now put another finger in. Imagine it’s my cock stroking inside you.”
I heard him groan and realized he had to be touching himself too. The image that came to mind made my body tremble as I felt my orgasm building. “Oh, my God,” I moaned loudly.
“Fuck yourself with your fingers, baby. That’s me fucking you right now, fucking you so hard,” he growled.
And just imagining that got me there. “I’m gonna come!” I cried, pumping my fingers harder, picturing him above me, his hips driving into mine, his big shaft thrusting in so deep. A wave of euphoria immediately shot through me as I climaxed, my hips bowing up off the bed as my fingers went deep.
I heard him bite out another “Fuck!” and knew he was coming too which was so erotic I felt another wave blast through me causing my toes to curl, my body to lock up for a moment before I collapsed on the bed breathing hard. Holy damn.
I listened to him breathing just as hard as I was then heard him say, “You there?”
“Yes,” I answered between breaths.
“God, you turn me the fuck on, Francesca,” he rasped.
Even though I was thoroughly physically wasted at the moment, I mentally did a freaking happy dance.
“You kinda do that to me too, Ryker,” I responded breathily.
“Hang on,” he said. I heard him get up then water was running and I knew he was cleaning himself off which made me smile that I’d made him come too. I grabbed the hoodie and pulled it to my face, breathing in deep. Damn. “Back,” he remarked a minute later and I heard him getting back in bed.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hey,” he answered right back. “So tell me about your family. Any brothers or sisters?”
“Nope. I’m an only child.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t even have known how to feel if I didn’t have my brothers.”
“It was lonely sometimes but I always had friends over, so it wasn’t too bad.”
“Have you always live in Seattle?” he inquired.
I told him about living in Texas before moving before my sophomore year in high school. I learned he’d been born and raised here and he now knew I’d been an All-American basketball player before tearing up my knee.
We talked until four in the morning and the only reason he let me go was that I’d accidentally fallen asleep but had awoken suddenly, apologizing to him.
“You get your rest, baby,” he whispered. “You’ve got to deal with kids tomorrow.”
“Okay. ‘Night,” I whispered back.
“’Night, beautiful,” he replied and then he was gone.
I curled into my covers and fell asleep with a huge smile on my face.