Heat of Tennis Ch. 03

Brook felt like a complete slut. Here she was, renewing her interest in Will, and every day since her little escapade, Casey has been calling. She felt completely cornered and she totally regretted being so thoughtless and such a tramp. Who in their right mind does what she did?

Casey just wasn't getting the hint. She had a difficult time just blowing him off because she was an equal part of what caused the problem. However, she wanted to be completely free to finally focus on Will. She had been waiting so long and now it seems as though she may have ruined things.

She figured as long as Will didn't find out, things would be okay. But, how on Earth could she stop Casey from blabbing? She decided the best thing would be to just come clean with Casey and explain how stupid she had been. He was a grown man, he could handle it.

Waiting in the lobby of the pro shop, her stomach was doing back flips. She was just praying Will didn't happen to be working that day so she wouldn't have to be worried about him stumbling in on the conversation.

Casey walked in with a face that looked like murder. He looked right at her, and a beautiful, fake smile spread across his face.

"Brook! How are you?" He spoke as if they were long time friends just meeting up for lunch. "Haven't heard from ya. Don't you return phone calls?"

"Hey Casey, yeah, about that," her palms were getting clammy and she couldn't ignore that whiny tone slipping in, "we need to talk."

"Well it's about time. I was wondering when we could get together, maybe dinner and a movie?"

She couldn't believe the way he was acting. He should be mad, he should demand an answer. He shouldn't be acting like this.

"Well, how 'bout we go get some coffee or something, so I can talk to you." Her voice felt weak.

They drove in his car to the shop across the street. It was quaint, and like all the rest, smelt strong of coffee. Brook was feeling more comfortable in this atmosphere. She felt a little more in control. They sat down at a table in the corner and Brook sucked in a long breath.

"Casey, I made a mistake the other day." There, that wasn't so hard.

"It's okay, I forgive you. You just got flustered."

"Yeah...wait, what? It's okay, just like that?" She managed to stammer after the realization of what he said.

"Yeah, you got scared. Thought we were going to get caught, so that's why you kicked me out. It's cool. So, dinner and a movie?" His face looked nearly innocent but she just couldn't believe that was what he actually thought.

"No, no, no. You're misunderstanding me. See, what we did together was a mistake. I mean, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, it was amazing, but..." She paused to gather her thoughts, "Geez, I mean, I'm interested in Will. I don't know why I showered with you. I guess it'd been a while and you're so attractive and well, I suppose I lost control of myself. But, the point is, I'm not interested in you...in that kind of way, y'know?"

There, it was out. Now, she just had to make it through his judging and acting pissed off and that would be that. She didn't want to be best friends with him or anything. She just wanted to be free and clear.

"No, Brook, I don't know. You two-timing slut! I'm twice the man Will is, and you're going to be with me." He explained while his jaw contracted and his face contorted into something menacing that scared Brook more than she thought it should.

"Wait now, don't get mad. I mean, you obviously have a right to get mad. I did something really terrible to you and it was thoughtless. But, I don't want to be with you, I want to be with Will." She felt like she was quickly losing control over this situation. She began to wonder how long it was fitting to sit and take the abuse before she was entitled to leave.

Casey reached across the table and grabbed her hand hard. Slowly, he pulled her palm to his mouth and brushed a kiss across it. "Honey, it's you and me. When I want something, I get it. I want you. Enough said. Don't worry about Will, I'll tell him to fuck off for you."

WHAT? Was he insane? She was seriously beginning to think so. Clearly, she had to play ball a little rougher. "Look Casey, you are extremely mistaken. I don't want to be with you at all. I made a mistake and it will never happen again. But, I am not your girl nor will I ever be. I'm interested in Will and that's all there is to it. "

His face became menacing again so she quickly pulled her hand away and stormed out of the coffee shop. She hopped in her car and drove off. Jesus Christ! What the hell was that? She didn't know where she was driving, just that she had to get away. She couldn't believe that she picked up such a crazy. But, she made it perfectly clear to him how she felt and she would just have to hope that he wouldn't tell Will.

She drove around for a long time, thinking, not paying attention. She finally made it back home and felt exhausted. Today had been one of the strangest days she could remember. Slowly, she walked up the stairs to her apartment, unlocked the door and walked in feeling a strange aimlessness. Dropping her keys on the counter top she plopped down on the couch. Looking over, she noticed the light flashing on her answering machine. Maybe it was Will.

She reached over and pushed the button.

"You have eight messages. Message one:

'Hey babe, it's Casey, I didn't really appreciate the way you talked to me earlier. Pretty bitchy. But it's cool. Just callin' about the dinner and movie for tonight, call me back."

Message two:

'Hey Brook! It's Casey. Where the hell are ya? I might think you found a better guy. Just joshin', there's nobody better me. Call me.'

Message three:

"Brook, where the fuck are you. You'd better not be sleeping around you little whore. You're my girl. Give me a fucking call back!"

Messa..." She reached over and erased all the messages. She would just have to phone Will and see if he called. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sitting in silence, she was suddenly startled by the phone ringing.

Oh shit, she thought, what if it's Casey. She just couldn't deal with him right now. But, what if it was Will. Weighing her priorities, she hesitantly picked up the phone and meekly answered,

"Hel...hello?"

"Brook, is that you? Is something wrong?"

Thank god it was Will.

"Uh, no, no, nothing's wrong. What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking that you could come over to my apartment. We have a pool, I figured we could pick up where we left off so long ago...Does that sound okay?"

It sounded way more than okay to her, it sounded terrific! She quickly got the instructions to his apartment and brought her bathing suit. This was all falling into place so nicely that she hardly had a thought to spare on Casey and his insanity. She knocked on his doors with butterflies dancing in her stomach. And then, there he was.

Her heart skipped a beat. He looked strong and rugged. Definitely not a pretty man, but so sexy and so tempting. She couldn't believe she had ever had trouble getting sexual with this man. Her and her stupid youth. But now, now she saw something amazing and virile.

"Y'know, as long as I have know you, you've been a starer." Will smirked in a very self-satisfied sort of way and Brook realized he had always known why she stared.

"Well, if you didn't look so good, I wouldn't have to take a moment to take you in." Brook was pretty satisfied with that one. Sounded coy and intelligent.

"Come on in, if you need to change the bathroom is over there, I'm gonna change real quick and we can mosey on down there." He strode into his room as Brook took a quick look around. One could say the style was "Bachelor Eclectic." It was definitely a manly pad. She thought she could fix that.

She quickly changed and exited to an ecstatic whistle. "Damn, Brook. Did you always look like that in a bathing suit."

Brook blushed and attempted to cover up with the towel she had found. He looked damn fine himself. Since she last saw him, he was definitely leaner, but the muscles were still easily discernable and Brook found the want to trace them with her hands, where ever they may lead.

"So, you ready?"

"Let's go."

The pool was the perfect temperature and though they started out at the polar opposites, the magnetism between them quickly took effect. Will was completely enjoying himself tickling and playing with Brook and she didn't seem to mind too much either. Brook couldn't find any sign of the hesitation she remembered from before. In fact, he seemed more than willing to flirt and play till the cows come home.

"Will, can I ask you a question?" She looked at him questioningly.

"Anything you want."

"Well, remember so long ago, when you sort of ditched me. Why did you do that? You looked at me like I was a monster or something." She watched his face fall from delight to something very uncomfortable.

"I knew you''d need to know an explanation. See, I really liked you then, really. But, I have to admit, I was more driven to get one thing, and when you kept showing me a side that was so innocent I just couldn't take what I wanted. I don't think I could have lived with myself. And I just wasn't ready for any kind of relationship." He stared waiting to see what kind of answer was coming.

Though it had been a really embarrassing time for her, she really appreciated his honesty, and his integrity. She smiled and he let out a breath of relief.

"Well, though I wish it hadn't take so long for me to get with you again, I'm glad I didn't force something prematurely that would have just been a disappointment to me." She reached out her hand to caress his cheek. Just then he turned his head to a rustling in the bushes.

"Must have been a cat. Look, I made a big mistake so long ago. You've been on my mind so much since, and not just in that way, either. The day when your next practice was scheduled, and you didn't show up, well, I never felt more like scum." He reached out and massaged her hand.

This was the moment she needed to tell him. Things would never work if she didn't.

"Um, speaking of scum," she swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure, "I did something really stupid, and I don't know why I did. I think I was trying to prove something or be spontaneous, I don't know." She looked at him beseechingly.

"Well, it couldn't be all that bad. What could you have done already?" He looked at her quizzically.

"Well, see...the day we met again at the pro shop. I was there much earlier, and I have a plan to basically seek you out and try to spark things up again. Well, I walked in and this man Casey approached me..."

She saw him scowl. Apparently he wasn't the best of friends with Casey.

"So, instead of practicing with you like I had originally planned, I took a lesson with him. And one thing sort of led to another...and I was being so, so stupid. But, we got together after the practice and did some things." She sighed, even she couldn't believe she had been so idiotic.

They both sat there very quietly. Brook certainly wasn't going to say the next thing, she had already said enough. So she waited for him.

"When, exactly, did you do this?" He seemed restrained and even a little scary.

"Well, I did it before we met each other..." her voice lowered in disgust, "we were in the shower together." She felt like a child being punished. She didn't like it, but she felt it was worth trying to attain the man she had wanted for so long.

"Are you interested in Casey?" "Not in the least. Like I said, I don't know why I did it. I guess I was just proving I was a woman and could do anything. But, it was so stupid and it didn't prove I was a woman, it was childish. I'm so sorry, Will, I want you, not him." His scowl lightened a bit. "And now, he just won't go away, but I swear, I want nothing to do with him."

Will looked up into her eyes. He was still obviously mad, but now there was worry.

"He won't leave you alone?"

"Oh, no, I'm sure it's nothing, but he just keeps calling and he seems to go through mood swings. One minute, it seems like he wants nothing more than to see me, and then the next, he's just so angry."

"Look Brook, be careful with him. He's a piece of crap and the only reason he has a job at the tennis club is because he happens to be a great tennis player." This time Brook turned to look when the leaves rustled. She quickly looked back to Will, hopefully.

"Will, can we start fresh? I'll forget the issues we had before, and you forget the huge, stupid mistake I made just recently. Is that okay?"

"Think that sounds brilliant."

He leaned in and cupped her face in his hands. He lightly rubber his lips against hers, igniting a fire inside her that she wasn't sure if she had ever felt. He pressed his lips harder and against hers and she accepted his tongue and avidly reciprocated.

His hands slid down her soft neck to her shoulders. He massaged them gently while intensifying his kiss. She moaned in delight, a low, guttural sound that she hardly recognized as her own voice.

He slowly pulled away and looked stunned and not just a little hot. "Let's go upstairs." He voiced breathlessly. He took her hand and she followed behind him back up to his apartment.

...................

That stupid little whore, Casey thought to himself. Who in the hell did she think she was? Playing with him like some toy and the ditching him for Will! And Will of all people. He would have to put a stop to this and explain to Brook why he was the one she wanted to be with. He didn't want things to turn ugly, but what's right is right, and he was with her first.