Greece - Part 3

Hey guys! I'm so sorry for not getting a post up. I had a really bad reaction to the T3s, and the holiday weekend made it hard to get into a clinic. I know that many of you have been checking the blog, and I feel terrible that I've let you down. I'm finally feeling human and will try to get some bonuses up to make up for my absence. Here is the awaited Greece, part 3 - let me know what you think!

*****

I woke up to find myself curled up in Gavin's arms. Immediately our conversation from last night rushed back to me. I carefully disentangled myself from him and climbed into the shower so I could think things through.

Are we seriously going to do this? Can I actually do something like this? I struggled to find my bravado from the night before, but this morning I had a lot more doubts that were hard to shake. 

As the water ran down my body, I tried to consider the situation logically. Marc and Leila were fun people, they were both attractive, and best of all, they lived very far away, so we would never have to see them again if things went sour. On the other hand, what if one of us got super jealous and it broke our sense of trust? Or what if Gavin liked doing this so much that he'd never be satisfied with just me again?

My thoughts spun around and around, until I finally let myself acknowledge the less rational part: how incredibly turned on I felt just thinking about doing it. 

I turned off the shower, grabbed a towel and headed into the bedroom, where Gavin was now sitting up in bed. "Hey babe," he said, lifting an arm for me to settle in beside him.

I greeted him with a kiss, and snuggled into his side. "So, I've been thinking about the whole Marc and Leila thing..." I trailed off, not sure where to go from there and curious to hear what he had to say.

"Yeah, I've been thinking too, and we totally don't have to do it. I don't want you to feel like I manipulated you into anything." Gavin looked down sheepishly.

For some reason, that one look, that one statement, was all it took to assuage my doubts. I didn't know Marc and Leila, and this situation was totally foreign, but I knew Gavin. I knew I could trust him no matter what.

I reached over and tipped his face towards mine. "Actually... I think we should do it."

His eyes widened. "Seriously? Are you sure?"

I smiled. "Yeah. I think it would be super hot to see how much someone wants my sexy boyfriend." I ran my hand down his bare chest and down under the covers, where I could feel him getting hard.

He rolled over on top of me. "You are the coolest girlfriend ever. And the hottest. And the sexiest. And the -"

I cut him off with a kiss. We made out for a bit, before I deftly turned out of his arms and hopped out of bed, calling over my shoulder, "Save some for Leila! We're gonna miss breakfast!"

As we headed down for breakfast, we  giggled like teenagers about what we were about to agree to do. Every few steps, one of us would whisper, "I can't believe we're doing this," or "This is crazy," and we would be hit with the giggles again. It's hard to say whether giddiness or nerves were driving our laughter. As confident as I'd felt in our decision, the prospect of actually broaching the conversation was making me feel a bit shaky.

We stepped into the breakfast bar, both of us scanning the place for Marc and Leila. My eyes fell on them almost immediately, and when they did, my hand flew to grip Gavin's arm.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing right now?"

Gavin's gaze followed mine to where Marc and Leila were sitting with another couple. Leila sat beside the guy, a tall trim blonde wearing a bro tank. She laughed into his eyes, letting her hand drift to his arm or his thigh. Across from her, Marc had his arm casually slung across the back of a petite redhead's chair, his fingertips just brushing her shoulder. 

"Oh my God," I hissed to Gavin. "They're totally picking that couple up."

"Jesus," Gavin said. "They move fast."

Gavin had to physically turn me away from Marc and Leila and shove me towards the buffet. Still, I couldn't help gawking backwards over my shoulder.

"Allie, stop it," Gavin whispered sternly. 

"I just think that is terrible!" I whispered back indignantly. "Last night, they proposition us, and now this morning they're all over them? What the hell is that?"

Gavin shrugged. "I guess they do this a lot."

I shuddered. "It's just.. Creepy. Like they're these predators skulking around for easy prey."

Gavin choked on his cereal, laughing. "Easy prey? Really?"

I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't bother you that all that stuff they said was just bullshit to get us in bed?"

He shrugged again, laughing. "I don't know. Maybe it would have bothered me if we had actually done it, but right now I kind of just think they seem ridiculous."

I looked back over, and for the first time saw a bit of humour in the situation. "Well call me an old-fashioned Midwesterner, but if I'm going to swing with another couple, I'd like to be more than just a notch on their bedpost." I smiled at Gavin, who laughed back, shaking his head.

We headed out to the beach, and spent the day lazing in the sun, before packing up our bags for the shuttle to the ferry. We didn't see Marc and Leila again until after dinner, when we were loading our stuff into the shuttle. There they were, with their new best friends, heading back towards the rooms. I ignored Gavin's warning look, and walked over to them. 

"Hey guys! I thought you were leaving tonight too."

Marc looked embarrassed, and stared at his feet. Leila, however, looked right into my eyes with a big smile and said, "Change of plans. These two are headed the same way as us, so we changed our flight out so we could travel together."

I smiled back. "Aw, that sounds nice!" I turned to the other couple, and said, "These two are just so much fun, you guys are in for a great night." I gave them a conspiratorial wink, confusion on both of their faces, and turned on my heel, walking back to Gavin. 

He shook his head and smiled at me. "You had to get a dig in, huh?"

I laughed back. "Of course! Besides, they deserved to know who they were getting involved with."

We mounted the shuttle, and settled into our seats, taking one last long look at Corfu. Gavin pulled me closer and dropped a kiss on my head. "You're crazy and I love you," he murmmured.

"I love you, too," I said back, and snuggled into his chest as we set off on the journey to Santorini. 

Hey guys!

I had my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday and basically spent the day popping T3s and sleeping. I'm hoping that by tomorrow, I'll actually be able to use my time off work to get a post up! I know I promised a bonus, and you'll get one, it just might be tomorrow or Sunday, when I'm a bit more coherent.

Enjoy Bad Thursday!

Greece - Part 2

This post is crazy long and I still didn't get to the end! Greece - Part 3 will be up during the week. Let me know what you think in the comments!

*****

I woke up the next morning feeling slightly blurry around the edges. Beside me, Gavin stretched and yawned. "Maybe we should bail on the booze cruise," he said. "I don't know if I'm up to another night like last night and kicking off the day by drinking at 11 am doesn't seem like the best idea."

I laughed. "Come on, old man, you can do it. We'll pace ourselves. Besides, we told Marc and Leila we'd hang with them on the boat."

Gavin managed to drag himself out of bed and we headed down to the breakfast buffet, where Marc and Leila were already sitting.

"Heyyyyy!" Leila trilled.

"How do you have this much energy?" I asked. "You were destroyed last night!"

"She is impervious to hangovers," Marc said, shaking his head. "It is one of life's greatest injustices."

We settled in for breakfast, and chatted about the different stops on the boat cruise. Apparently we were supposed to do some cliff jumping and hit some beautiful beaches along the way.

At 11, the four of us grabbed our stuff and headed to the beach. We waded out to where the boat was anchored, and climbed up the ladder on the side.

The boat was PACKED. You couldn't move without brushing against at least three other people. And every single one of these people seemed very ready to party.

Before they had even drawn the anchor up, the crew was passing around beers for us to  shotgun. I looked at Gavin, who rolled his eyes, smiled and muttered, "So much for pacing ourselves." I grinned back sheepishly.

Luckily, the coastal views were beautiful and we soon got caught up in the party atmosphere. We were sitting on the benches that ran along the sides of the boat chatting with Marc and Leila, and I had a nice buzz going on, when we came to our first stop: the cliffs.

"Alright," the crew member shouted through a megaphone. "We are going to jump out of the boat, swim to the cliffs, climb up, and jump off the other side. For the TRUE Pink Palace experience, you jump NAKED and drink for free for the rest of the cruise!" He gestured to a wall of photos behind him of girls and guys clutching their relative parts as they jumped off of the cliffs.

Right away, there was a mass exodus as roughly three quarters of the boat jumped off and headed for the cliffs. Gavin turned to me, "You up for it?"

I was uneasy. "Just let me watch a few people do it, and I'll see. But there's no way in hell I'm jumping naked."

We watched a few people jump off in their bathing suits, before one tiny blonde girl proudly stripped off her bikini, tossed it into the water, and jumped off to a chorus of cheers. This seemed to embolden the people waiting and soon it seemed like every second person was jumping nude.

As the first few jumpers made their way back on board, I noticed that many of them had nasty-looking cuts and scrapes on their feet.

"What happened?" I asked one ruddy-faced  guy in a bro tank.

"Oh, the rocks near the top are super sharp, you gotta be really careful or your feet will get cut up."

I turned to Gavin. "I'm out."

Marc nodded in agreement. "Me too."

Leila and Gavin groaned. "Come on, baby, don't be lame!" she pleaded, tugging on Marc's hand. He shook his head and laughed.

"You guys go ahead," I said. "We lame-os will stick together."

Marc and I watched as Gavin and Leila jumped off, scaled the rocks, and made their way to the top of the cliffs. Just as she was about to jump, Leila looked back over her shoulder, whipped her bikini top off, and tossed it to Gavin, before jumping off to resounding cheers from the drunken crowd in the water.

Marc grimaced and shot me a sidelong glance. "Sorry about that, she gets a little carried away."

I patted his arm reassuringly. "It's cool, honestly. Gav and I are definitely not the jealous types. I actually wish I could've seen his face when she tossed him her top." I laughed, picturing his eyebrows shooting up practically into his hairline.

Soon, Leila and Gavin were making their way onto the boat, along with the other cliff jumpers. Once he was aboard, Gavin pulled me aside, away from Marc and Leila. "Okay, am I crazy, or is it kind of weird that Leila tossed me her top like that?"

I considered it, before shrugging it off. "I think she's just a bit of an exhibitionist. Marc kind of hinted that she gets a little crazy sometimes."

Gavin still had a slight frown. "I don't know, it just seemed like weird thing for her to do, especially knowing you and Marc were watching."

"Just shake it off," I said to him. "I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it."

The afternoon passed without any more weird incidents between the four of us. Around us, however, the rest of the crowd was getting wasted and shit started to get weird. We pulled up to a beach to stop and eat lunch and go for a much needed swim. We had just sat back down on our towels when Leila suddenly yelled, "Holy Fuck!"

We followed her gaze to where two people from the boat were completely naked and screwing less than a hundred feet from where we were all sitting.

Marc laughed, "Bold move on that guy's part."

We watched as the two went on, seemingly oblivious to the fifty-odd strangers gawking at them.

"It's like a car crash. I want to look away, and yet... I can't," I laughed. "I actually don't know if I find this more horrifying or hilarious."

An Australian guy traveling with a large group stood up and began narrating the action. "The male presses the female into the sand as they rut, exerting his dominance. In return, the female whips her mane back and forth in an exuberant display of pleasure." He went on and on, and soon we were all in stitches.

I wiped tears of laughter from my eyes. "I think I'll skip the grand finale. You guys down to head back to the boat?"

We waded back to the ladder. As we began to climb back up, an explosion of loud cheers behind us announced the climax of the beach scene.

Unfortunately, the drunken shenanigans didn't end there. As the boat headed towards the next destination, more and more girls started to lose their bikini tops, and soon we heard an announcement over the megaphone that body shots were starting.

"I think this might be our cue to go hide on the back of the boat." I said to Gavin.

He was about to reply, when one of the Australian guys stepped up to the makeshift bar with one of the topless girls and dropped his pants. A crew member poured tequila all over his dick, and the girl proceeded to lick it off. In front of everyone. No shame whatsoever.

I turned to Gavin, eyes wide, too shocked to even form words. He mouthed WHAT THE FUCK?

"I'm too Canadian for this shit," Leila said, "Let's get away from these animals!"

We quickly packed up our stuff, and made our way to the back of the boat, where a few other people were hiding out. We spent the rest of the cruise chilling out, chatting and keeping to ourselves. From the sounds of it, the antics at the front of the boat just got more and more belligerent.

By the time that we dropped the anchor at The Pink Palace, I was more than ready to get the hell off the boat. We shoved our way through the drunken hordes and made our way up the beach.

"Okay, I'm down for a quieter night after that ridiculousness. You guys down to grab dinner and then just hang on the beach or something?" I asked.

"Oh God, yes." Marc agreed.

"First I need to wash away the memories of what I just witnessed," Gavin added.

We all laughed in agreement, and made plans to meet at the Disco.

*****

After dinner that night, the four of us grabbed a stockpile of drinks and made our way to the beach. It was the last night for all of us in Corfu. Marc and Leila were headed to Ios in the morning, and we were off to Santorini.

"We'll miss you guys! It's been so fun hanging out with you!" I exclaimed.

"I know!" Leila agreed animatedly, throwing an arm over my shoulders. "We've had so much fun too! We were actually thinking of switching our plans and doing Santorini before Ios so that we could all travel together a bit longer."

"That would be amazing!" I agreed.

Marc piped in quietly, "Yeah, we've really enjoyed getting to know you guys, and we'd like to...." He trailed off, looked down, blushing and laughed awkwardly. He cleared his throat and started again, "We actually wanted to ask you guys something." He gave Leila a look that was loaded with meaning.

She smiled reassuringly and picked up where he had left off. "We just think you guys are really cool and fun, and well... we were wondering if you'd consider having a foursome with us." Her hand stroked my shoulder gently.

I suddenly felt completely sober. For a moment, neither Gavin or I said anything. I looked at him, sure that my expression mirrored the complete surprise that was written all over his face. "Uh..." Gavin began before trailing off.

I turned to Marc and Leila, and casually disengaged my shoulder from her grasp. "We don't really do stuff like that."

Marc wouldn't make eye contact, but Leila pressed on, "Well, would you consider it?"

I hesitated, looking back at Gavin, who simply shrugged and shook his head at me.

With every second, I could feel the awkwardness mounting. I smiled tightly at Leila and said, "I think that maybe Gavin and I should talk about it privately."

She nodded enthusiastically, "Of course! We would never want to pressure you guys into doing anything. But let me just assure you that we would all talk it through beforehand, and lay down some ground rules so everyone could feel comfortable and enjoy themselves." She reached over and squeezed my knee.

At that moment, I was feeling anything but comfortable. I stood up, and Gavin scrambled to follow my lead. "Okay, well, we'll talk it over and let you know." I pasted a bright smile on my face and chirped, "See you at breakfast!" I waved awkwardly and dragged Gavin behind me, hurrying up to the steps and leaving the other two behind us.

We basically sprinted to our room, and when the door closed behind us, Gavin turned to me with wide eyes and said, "What the actual fuck?"

"I know!" I whisper-yelled back. "What is this, a key party? I didn't even know people still did this kind of shit!"

"I TOLD you it was weird that she threw me her top!"

"Okay, yes, you were right, you can have that one. I won't even argue."

"This may have been the weirdest day of my life," Gavin said. "I think my brain is imploding trying to process this clusterfuck."

"And they seemed totally normal!" I whisper-yelled again.

Gavin laughed and whispered back, "Why are you whispering?"

"I just feel like they can hear us or something, I dunno I'm freaking out!" I replied.

Gavin laughed and we both sat down on the edge of the bed. We sat in silence for awhile, both of us trying to process the bomb that Marc and Leila had dropped.

I turned to him. "What if they change their plans and come with us to Santorini? How weird is that going to be?"

Gavin simply shrugged. We sat silently again for a few minutes and then Gavin turned and looked at me. He had this weird look on his face, almost embarrassed.

"What?" I asked.

"Well... The idea of it is actually kinda hot." He laughed sheepishly and looked down at his lap.

"Seriously?"

"Well... Yeah. I mean, she's really attractive.   When she was stroking your shoulder, it kind of made me picture of the two of you together, which is super hot."

"Okay, I get that," I replied. "But this wouldn't be a threesome. Marc would be there too."

"I don't know, the more I think of it, the more I think it might be a huge turn on to watch you with someone else." Gavin blushed but maintained eye contact.

I considered it. I tried to imagine myself watching Gavin with Leila, or even hooking up with Marc. I shook my head, "I'm not saying no... I just can't really see it."

Gavin moved behind me, running his hands over my shoulders as he leaned in and whispered into my ear, "Imagine you and me making out, my mouth devouring yours, my hands all over your body." He runs his hands down onto my breasts, stroking and squeezing them gently.

"Then all of a sudden you feel Leila's mouth on your neck." He pauses and sucks gently on the spot where my neck meets my shoulder, before whispering again, "The two of you kiss as her hands reach for my hard cock, and your hands reach down to stroke Marc." He takes my hand and leads it down to his shorts, where I can feel he's hard. I stroke him gently as he plays with my nipples through my thin sundress. He moans softly, biting down on my neck.

"I gently ease you into Marc's lap as Leila climbs onto mine. You grind down onto his hard cock as he goes wild on your breasts." I turn around and straddle Gavin, who squeezes my breasts harder, before undoing the halter top and baring them to his mouth. He lifts each breast to his mouth, tugging on my nipples with his lips and teeth. I start to writhe on his lap, bucking my hips against his.

"Marc slides his hands up your dress and pulls your panties off," Gavin acts out his words, sliding my panties off my legs and onto the floor. He gently begins stroking me as he continues, "He slips inside you, and you look over and see me doing the same thing to Leila. She moans on my lap, as I fuck her and Marc fucks you."

I smother Gavin's mouth with mine. I don't know if it's the image he's spinning or just his sexy words but I feel like I might explode. I pull his hair as I tug his head back and moan, "I need you right fucking now."

I reach down and ease him out of his shorts before lowering myself onto him. I moan deeply as I throw my head back and begin riding him hard. No more words are spoken as he drives up into me, meeting my intensity.

I feel my body begin to tighten up around him, and I come hard, clenching him deep inside me and digging my nails into his shoulders. He comes a split second later, biting my cleavage as he explodes inside of me.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, clinging to each other and breathing hard. "Holy shit," Gavin whispered as he pulled my head down for a kiss.

I eased myself off of his lap, and we shed our remaining clothes, lying down to face each other on the bed. I can't believe I'm even considering doing this, but I can't deny how much it turned me on listening to Gavin paint that mental picture. I'm not sure which of us is more surprised when I look into Gavin's eyes and say, "Okay, let's do it."

Greece - Part 1

This post and the next one are a departure from what I've posted so far, but they give more of an insight into Gavin and Allie's relationship. Come back on Saturday for Part 2!

*****

Before I knew it, my internship was over, I was turning in my keys at the firm, and the part of my summer I'd been looking forward to had finally arrived!

Gavin and I landed in Athens late at night and were met by a driver from the company we were renting an apartment from for a few days.

We got to our apartment, carried our bags up three flights of stairs rather than using the American Horror Story elevator (no way that this was up to code, just sayin'), and promptly crashed for the night.

The next few days in Athens passed in a whirlwind of sightseeing, shopping, and chowing down on the best damn 2€ gyros the world has ever seen. Whether it was the gorgeous weather, the stunning Acropolis, or just the intimacy of navigating a foreign place together, Gavin and I felt like infatuated teenagers. We were touching each other constantly; I'd reach for his hand as we walked down the steps to the metro, his hand would drift to the small of my back to guide me through a crowded marketplace. We'd often just look at each other, share a secret smile, and steal a kiss, no matter where we were.

We were still tightly wrapped in our love-drunk cocoon when we took 6 hour overnight bus and ferry trip to the legendary Pink Palace in Corfu. Gavin's friend Ryan from work had suggested it. It was supposed to be tons of fun on a gorgeous beach, which also happened to be super cheap. Who could say no to that?

The bus pulled up at 6:00 AM to a bunch of bubble gum pink buildings right on a stunningly beautiful beach. The island was a mix of vivid green plants and rugged cliffs that seemed to have just been dropped into the strikingly blue Ionian Sea. After four days of running around Athens, I couldn't wait to stretch out on the sand.

We got in to the lobby, and were immediately force-fed shots of Ouzo to commemorate our arrival while we were given the rundown of the different activities available to us. As I choked back the vomit threatening to rise in my throat, I looked at the pictures and signs covering the walls. Even in my nearly comatose-like state of exhaustion, I couldn't help but notice that there were a LOT of naked people in these pictures. The signs with the "rules" of the Pink Palace all seemed to start with, "There is no such thing as a boyfriend/girlfriend at the Pink Palace." This should have been a sign of what was to come, but in the moment I was too sleep-deprived to pick up on the ominous foreshadowing. Gavin and I signed up for a quad safari and a booze cruise, before carrying  our bags to our rooms and promptly passing out.

A few hours later, we woke up refreshed and ready to take on Corfu! We climbed into the shower and experienced something we'd only dreamed about since landing in Greece - water pressure. "I love it here," I said dreamily to Gavin.

We met up with the group in the lobby and headed out to where the quads were parked. There were three gorgeous guides hanging out in a hut where all of the helmets were stored. As we went to grab a helmet, Gavin elbowed me and nodded towards the back wall. It was literally covered with pairs of panties in all different colours. One of the older guides caught us looking and smirked. "I see you're admiring our trophy wall," he said.

"Dear God," I muttered under my breath as Gavin and I exchanged a look.

Our guide was an Australian guy named Mike who looked like a sculpture of Adonis come to life. His bare tanned torso was perfectly chiselled, with abs upon abs upon abs. I saw a group of girls giggling and blushing as he began explaining how to use the quads. One of the girls lost her head so completely that during her test run around the parking lot, she screamed and almost hit four different cars. "You are a danger to us all," Mike drawled wryly. "You're riding with me."

Gavin leaned over to me and whispered. "I don't think she's too heartbroken." Sure enough, the giggler hopped on behind Mike and eagerly wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling like she'd just won the lottery.

We spent the next few hours touring the island on the quads. So many of the roads were so narrow that the quad was the perfect way to navigate them. We drove to the highest point on Corfu and pulled up next to a tiny white church. From this spot we could see the whole island sprawled out in all directions. It was unbelievable!

We hopped back on our quads and sped off to our final destination. As we came to a stop and pulled off our helmets, it looked like we'd arrived at an old decrepit stone house. "This," Mike said with a flourish, "is what I like to call Instagram Point, because it is the best place to take a beautiful Instagram photo that makes everybody jealous of your trip."

We followed him into the roofless house, and there was a collective gasp. Through the square holes that were once windows, we had a breathtaking view of the coast of Corfu. A wall of green gently sloped down to a golden beach, which curled around to meet a craggy cliff rising out of the jewel-bright waters. The sun was just beginning to set, bathing the whole scene in a rosy light. We all just stood in awe and took it in for a moment. (Then, of course, we all took a million pictures for Instagram.)

I felt sleepy and content as we wound back through the streets to the Pink Palace. While we took our helmets off, I turned to Gavin and said, "I think I could use a quiet night tonight."

"Same here," he replied.

Mike overheard us and snorted with laughter, "If you're looking for a quiet night, you are definitely in the wrong place."

We laughed, ignoring him, and went back to the room to shower and change before dinner. Dinner was included with our stay, and was served en masse in a round pink building called "The Disco." As we entered, I saw signs that stated, "HAPPY HOUR FROM 6-11! SHOTS 1€!"

We claimed seats at an empty table, and joined everyone flocking to the bar to take advantage of the happy hour prices. Groups of guys were literally buying trays of shots and passing them around to nearby girls. Many people seemed on their way to being completely wasted, and it wasn't even 7:00!

I bumped Gavin's shoulder with mine and smiled, "Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

We ordered shots and then headed back to our table, where another couple was now sitting. They introduced themselves as Leia and Marc. She was a tiny, gorgeous Filipina girl, wearing no makeup on her flawless caramel skin, her silky dark hair falling to her waist. His dark good looks contrasted strikingly with his brilliant blue eyes, making them pop from his face. As we chatted, I caught a slight lilt in Marc's voice. "Where are you guys from?" I asked.

"Québec," Marc replied, his accent slightly more noticeable.

"I love it there!" I exclaimed. "I took a trip to Montreal and Québec City in high school! Both are such beautiful cities."

It turned out that Marc and Leila lived in Laval, a suburb just outside of Montreal. They asked me about where I'd been and what I'd seen while in Quebec, and soon we were comparing travel stories from everywhere we'd visited. They were finishing up a summer-long Eurotrip, and enthralled us with all of their stories from Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Croatia.

Before we knew it, dinner was over and The Disco was living up to its name. Our newly formed foursome made many trips to the bar for shots and were soon wending through the many bodies on the dance floor.

We danced drunkenly for what seemed like forever. The four of us moved like one unit. Sometimes I was dancing with Gavin, sometimes with Marc, and sometimes with Leila. Finally, I grabbed Leila's hand and dragged her outside, gasping for fresh air. The boys followed, and we made our way down a long flight of stairs before collapsing on the moonlit beach.

I laid between Leila and Gavin, staring at the stars. The silence was interrupted only by an occasional drunken giggle. Leila reached down and grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers. "You guys are the best," she slurred, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek.

I laughed and slurred back, "No, no, no. YOU guys are the best."

Gavin sighed contentedly beside me. "I think I'm just gonna sleep here tonight, k?"

I pushed myself up and dragged him into a sitting position. "Time for bed." I turned to Leila and Marc, who showed no signs of moving. "What are you guys up to tomorrow?"

"Booze cruise," Marc murmured sleepily.

"Us too!" I replied. "We'll see you guys at breakfast!"

Gavin and I wandered hand-in-hand up the stairs. At the top, I looked back and saw Marc and Leila, curled together on the beach.

"They're really cool. I'm glad we met them," I said to Gavin.

"Mmmhmmmm," he replied, his eyes half-closed.

"Okay sleepyhead, let's get you to bed." I laughed and guided him to our room, where he was asleep before his head hit the pillow. I snuggled up beside him, and soon drifted off into sleep.

Wistful

Midway through the season, Reid left his unofficial coaching position on the sidelines and joined us on the bench. In marked contrast to Jim's jovial, vocal presence, Reid was quiet and intensely focused on the game, only occasionally calling out advice to players.

He and Sarah joined us for beers regularly after the games, and it was there he slowly began to reveal more facets of his personality. Over the next month, I came to appreciate his dry sense of humour. He still wasn't chatty, but every once in a while he would unleash a zinger that would have the rest of us in stitches.

One evening, in the middle of an intense 0-0 game against a rival team, Reid called me off the field and pulled me aside. "What the hell is going on up front?" He raked a hand through his hair with frustration. "Ainsley can't get within a mile of the net."

"Honestly, I think we need to switch up our formation a bit," I replied. "Here let me show you what I mean."

I took his clipboard and drew out what I was thinking. He listened intently, a slight frown creasing his forehead. When I finished, he nodded brusquely and went over to Jim. They talked quietly for a few minutes before Reid came back over and patted me on the back. "Looks good. Get out there and make the changes."

"Me?" I said, puzzled.

"Yeah, you. It was a great idea. You be the one to take credit."

"Oh." I hesitated. "Can't you just call it? I don't want to look bossy."

"Since when?" He laughed.

"Hey! Rude!" I replied, shoving his shoulder.

He slung an arm around my shoulder and squeezed me close to him once before dropping his arm back to his side. I felt a swoon begin to rise, but I quashed it, taking a step away. "Just get out there and do what you do best," Reid said with a smile.

"Will do." I smiled back, filled with a little bubble of warmth at being the one player he had singled out for advice.

We ended up winning the game, and after that, it became a little ritual for Reid to pull me aside before and during the games to discuss strategy. He would turn that laser like focus on me, and I couldn't help but glow under it. Who doesn't revel in that feeling of being singled out, of being special?

The summer seemed to fly by. One night in early August, we were all enjoying our post-game beers and wings, when Reid turned to me and said, "Next week is going to be a tough game."

"You guys will have to survive without me for that one," I joked. "I'm on vacation for the next two weeks."

He frowned. "What?"

"My summer internship at the firm ends Friday, and my boyfriend and I are going to Greece for two weeks before fall classes start." Gavin and I had been planning this trip for months. It was my last summer as a student, and I knew my final year of law school would be unbelievably stressful. This trip was going to be my last chance to truly relax before being swallowed in the chaos of classes, job applications, and interviews. Gavin was using up most of the vacation time that he got from Hot Off the Press, the apparel printing shop where he worked as a graphic designer. We had a beautiful trip planned, dividing our time between Athens, Corfu, Paros, and Santorini.

"You guys are so adventurous," Rachel sighed enviously. "Derek and I have never been further than Florida. He has, like, an actual phobia of leaving the continental US." She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Yeah, you and Gavin are real globe-trotters," Ainsley added.

Sarah was intrigued. "Where else have you gone?"

"Well, one year when I was still getting my my undergrad degree, I took winter semester off and we travelled through Australia and New Zealand for a few months. Then, when I graduated and Gavin got his diploma in graphic design, we took a celebratory trip through South America for six weeks."

"That sounds amazing!" Sarah exclaimed.

"It really was. I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world," I said. "Even though we come close to killing each other at least once each time we take a trip. In Peru we did the Inca trail, and by day three, I was literally fantasizing about ripping Gavin's heart out and offering it as a sacrifice to the Incan gods."

The girls erupted into laughter, and chimed in with their horror stories of travelling with their boyfriends. Jen was in the middle of a story about her boyfriend Dave being peed on by a monkey on their trip to Mexico when Reid turned to me.

"I'm really jealous of you guys. I can't imagine what it would be like to see all of these exotic places."

"You guys should go on a trip! I'd be happy to pass on any of the guidebooks from places we've been."

One side of his mouth quirked up ruefully. "That's not really our style. Sarah gets really freaked out by being somewhere where she doesn't know the language and can't communicate with anybody. I end up having to do all of the talking and navigating and it just becomes incredibly stressful."

"Well, I think that's true for everyone, to an extent. I'm fluent in French and Spanish, and that definitely helps in some places, but certainly not everywhere. Often if you figure out a few crucial phrases beforehand  and don't mind looking slightly ridiculous when you mime everything else out, you do fine. If all else fails, you can go the Ugly American route and just assume you'll find someone who speaks English," I added, teasingly.

"Yeah, I dunno, I just don't see it happening for us," Reid smiled that wistful half-smile again and turned away.

I felt a pang of sympathy for him. I knew how lucky I was to have Gavin, who relished the opportunity to see the world together. So many of my friends, like Rachel, had boyfriends that were so xenophobic that they refused to travel beyond the US and five-star resorts in the Caribbean. I had always pitied them for that, seeing how they were held back by their partners. I would never have expected Sarah to be that way. She was so outgoing and bubble, I'd expect her to be one of those people who can fit in seamlessly everywhere they go.

I guess no couple can be perfectly matched, not even Sarah and Reid, I mused as I sipped my beer.

Vulnerable

Wow - 100 page views on the first post! I'm a bit  ahead of schedule, so here's a little bonus post to get you guys through the week. Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think of the story so far in the comments!



Reid soon became a fixture at all of our games. He stood on the sidelines alone, watching attentively. He came out with Sarah for drinks and snacks afterwards, occasionally contributing a comment to our boisterous conversations, but usually just quietly listening and laughing at our antics.

One game, we teased Sarah about our new enthusiastic fan. Jen joked, "Man, your husband sure is wrapped around your finger. I've had to drag guys kicking and screaming to come watch me play."

"Agreed," I added. "Gavin gets so bored that I don't even bring him anymore."

"No, he loves it!" Sarah said. "He used to coach my old team, and he loves watching and strategizing. It's so cute, on the way home, he always talks about different plays he'd want to try with our team."

I didn't think much of her comments, but later on during the game, the ball went out of bounds. By this time, I was so used to Reid grabbing it, that I just waited for him to toss it to me. I swear, I didn't even feel the tiniest swoon as I thanked him and turned to throw in the ball.

"Look for Ainsley coming over. That defender's no match for her."

I quickly took stock of the field. He was absolutely right. We had so many set throw-in plays that I hadn't even looked for Ainsley.

"AINS!" I called, and arced the ball to her feet. I threw Reid a grateful grin and ran back into the game.

That became our pattern. Every time the ball went out, Reid would grab the ball and pass on little tips and comments on strategy. Insightful ones, too. He had a really good eye for the game.

After one game, over beers, I mentioned to him, "As much as I'm enjoying having my own personal sidelines coach, you should actually help coach us."

Reid blushed as the attention of the table became suddenly focused on him. "Nah, you guys have a coach already."

Jim, one of our teammate's husbands and our coach, replied, "I'd be happy to have the help. I have to miss games when I travel for work and sometimes I leave the girls in a lurch. Plus it'd be nice to have another man on the bench to balance out all the estrogen." He winked at us. Jim was sort of a father figure to most of the girls on the team. He and his wife, Karen, were in their early 40s, whereas most of us were in our early to mid-twenties. They had formed the team years ago, and when their original lineup started dropping off, the rest of us were just ageing out of youth leagues. Now they were the only two of the OG Dolls left.

Reid shrugged. "I'll think about it."

"Just as long as you don't play favourites with Sarah and make the rest of us ride the pine!" Mel joked.

"Yeah, right!" Sarah laughed. "He's harder on me than anyone else. And I may be his wife, but I'm definitely not his favourite player on the team."

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true." Karen protested.

"No, it is!" Sarah assured her good-naturedly. "Allie and Ainsley are his two favourites for sure."

I felt an instant rush of pleasure and heat rose in my face, but I laughed it off. "Well who wouldn't love this killer combination? Ains brings the finesse, and I bring the brute force."

The girls all laughed, but Reid just flashed me his shy half-grin and said, "You have a strong presence on the field and you're  a real leader out there, Allie. Plus our playing styles are really similar. Sometimes I feel like I'm watching myself play."

This time I couldn't mask the blush in my cheeks. His compliment was so genuinely given, and it felt wrong to brush it off in my usual self-deprecating way. I ducked my head and dropped his gaze, which for some reason was making me feel strangely vulnerable, and mumbled, "Thanks."

For the rest of the night, I couldn't fight the small smile that came to my face when I thought about what he'd said. I loved the team and I gave it my all out there. It felt really, really nice to have someone else see that.

His words played over in my head as I drove home, and they were still on repeat when. I snuggled into my bed that night. I sighed contentedly, and for the first time, I fell asleep with Reid's words echoing in my mind.

At First Sight

I can't remember the first time I met Sarah. I mean, I know the facts of how we came to know each other, and my brain can fill in the blanks with logical details, but I have no real memory of us actually meeting for the first time.

On the other hand, the first time I saw Reid? That memory is burned into my brain. I couldn't forget it if I tried. And I have tried. God, how I've tried.

Maybe that should have been the first sign of what was to come, the fact that I could recall every detail of such an innocent, insignificant meeting. If someone was watching a movie of my life, maybe it would've been obvious. Maybe they would've been screaming, "No, don't do it, you idiot! RUN!"

I wish I had.

But in that moment, I can honestly say I had no clue. It was just a soccer game, like any other game I'd ever played. Sarah had recently joined Dolls With Balls, the ladies' team that I had played on since I aged out of youth sports. She was friends with one of our longtime players, and she immediately blended into our tight knit group that had played together for the last five years. With long, wavy blonde hair, clear blue eyes and a body that stayed thin no matter how many hot wings she hoovered after a game, you'd think she would've triggered that innate insecurity and envy that seems to be bred into womens' DNA. Yet she was so sweet, good-natured and bubbly that it was impossible not to like her. I adored her immediately. We all did.

It was a month into the season, and we were playing in a small town about forty five minutes outside of the city. We'd all had to rush like crazy to get there by 6:30 pm kickoff, the field was in some weird hard-to-find location, and to top it all off, these women were straight up thugs. Women's soccer is pretty rough at the best of times, and this team was downright vicious. Thrown elbows, hip checks, kicks to the ankle. They were throwing their considerable weight around, prompting many unflattering comparisons to livestock. (We were the modicum of class, obviously.)

Midway through the first half, one of their heifers, I mean, players, hoofed the ball way out of bounds. I jogged over to get it, bitching under my breath the entire way. I had only gone a few strides when a guy on the sidelines grabbed the ball, and started jogging over to bring it to me. As I opened my mouth to thank him, I found myself momentarily stunned.

I looked into the face of the most ruggedly sexy man I had ever seen. Stubble shadowed olive skin and a chiseled jaw. His hair was thick, dark, and slightly mussed from the summer breeze. In that moment, I felt my entire insides melt, as I stared spellbound into his caramel-coloured eyes. Any perceptions I had of myself as a nonromantic, sarcastic, contemporary woman shattered. I was straight up swooning like a cheesy Harlequin heroine.

He smiled. Just a half-smile, almost shyly. "Looking for this?" he asked.

Somehow I managed to make words happen. "Thanks!" I chirped, immediately wanting to kill myself.  Allie, you are not a bimbo, for God's sake, get your shit together.

I turned and threw the ball in, stretching and arcing my body to propel the ball down the sideline. As I ran back onto the field to  rejoin the game, I heard it.

"Nice throw," he said, so quietly I almost missed the impressed note in his voice.

I grinned back over my shoulder at him.  It was a throwaway smile, one I would have given to any spectator that had paid me an offhand compliment.

That was it. No fireworks. The earth didn't shatter, the heavens didn't open up. It was an ordinary interaction that I could've had with anyone.

And yet I couldn't shake it. For the rest of the game, I felt his presence, like something just on the edge of my peripheral gaze. I was aware of him with every pass I made, every ball I stole, every opponent I sent flying into the grass. (Yeah, I might be a bit of a thug, too. Regina George cross-checking the goalie at the end of Mean Girls? That's totally me.) I played harder and better than I had in years.

At the end of the game, as we packed up our equipment, Sarah said, "I'm so happy we won! I've been bragging about how good we are to Reid for weeks, because his men's team kind of sucks this year. I was kind of worried that I'd jinxed us for when he actually came to watch."

"Your husband came to watch this game in the middle of nowhere? That's so nice!" Rachel, one of my close friends on the team, replied.

"Oooooh, which one is he?" our keeper, Jen, asked.

"The guy standing on his own in the black jacket." All of our heads swivelled to the sidelines at once. So subtle.

Once again, my eyes fell on the delicious man on the sidelines, no longer a stranger. I glanced back over at Sarah. I can honestly say that I didn't have a single malicious or jealous thought. They were a good match. His darkly sexy good looks were the perfect foil for her angelic natural beauty. "You guys are the hottest couple ever. Your babies will be models," I said jokingly.

"No shit. He is gorgeous!" added Mel, another midfielder who played on my line.

"Awww, you guys are too sweet." Sarah laughed as we made our way over to greet our fans, aka the boyfriends and husbands we dragged out to come watch and who spent most of the game staring at their phones. Not Reid, though. It made sense now, knowing that he played too. The only guys who care about women's soccer are guys who play soccer.

Sarah introduced all of us to Reid, who waved shyly and muttered, "Hey." I fought the blush that tried to rise as we made eye contact again. Don't make an ass of yourself, Allie.

And I didn't. As Rachel and I drove to the town's drive-up stand for ice cream (luckily far easier to find than the field #priorities), we chatted and joked about the game and how hot Sarah's husband was, and I felt my swoon dissipating. By the time I was swinging my legs over the picnic bench, hot fudge sundae in hand, I was back to my normal self.

Reid and Sarah sat down across from me. "Reid and I were just talking about what a great game you had!" Sarah said.

Reid smiled. "You're pretty fearless out there."

"What can I say? There's a reason my boyfriend nicknamed me She Beast after the first time he saw me play." I said, wryly.

"He really did." Rachel confirmed.

As we all relived the highlights of the game and regaled Reid with tales of past glory, I felt it again. Just a slight tingle of awareness when he laughed at one of my jokes or when our gazes met for a second. It was barely noticeable, barely anything at all.