Running Mate Pt. 01

* * *

As soon as I got home, I signed up for the 10K right away on my MacBook. It cost money, but they provided a technical tee-shirt with the race kit and I thought that was cool. Then, sexually frustrated from my encounter with Amanda, I opened up a porn site, and selected a video at random. It just happened to be about a neighbour fucking his gorgeous next-door neighbour. I jerked off thinking of Amanda and came in less than a minute. I closed my laptop on the porn site and cleaned up. I felt better and hit the shower. I changed it from hot to cold water and tried to get images of Amanda having sex with me out of my head.

I dried off and dressed in shorts and a golf shirt and went downstairs to make a smoothie. I was just adding frozen blueberries to my blender when the doorbell rang. I tossed the blueberries back in my freezer and went to the door and opened it.

Amanda stood on the other side of the door holding her hands in front of her. She was dressed in shorts and a blouse. She had showered and cleaned up. She looked great and I admired the healthy glow of her skin.

"Hi Amanda, what's up?"

"I wanted to remind you to sign up for the race."

"Oh, well, I did. I'm all signed up for the 10K."

"Oh good! Can I show you something on the site?"

"Um, sure come on in."

She entered my house and looked around. "Where's your computer?"

I led her into the family room and pointed at my MacBook. "Right there. Do you want a smoothie? I was just making one."

"Oh, gosh, sure!" she said and sat on the leather couch and reached for my MacBook.

I added more yoghurt and another banana to my blender and turned it on. The sound was loud as the blades cut through the ice and frozen fruit. I watched it a moment and then looked over at Amanda. She was staring at my laptop. The screen was filled with the climax of the porn video I had been watching. The dude in the video nutted all over the face of his next-door neighbour.

I turned off the blender and heard the male actor moaning loudly and the actress asking for more cum on her face.

"Oh, fuck," I said, mortified.

Amanda turned and looked at me. I could see the horror and disgust on her face. She threw my laptop down on the couch and fled.

"Amanda! I'm sorry! You weren't meant to see that! I didn't know you were coming over..." My words were cut off when my front door slammed.

I held my head in my hands. "Ah, fuck, Betty. What do I do now?"

* * *

Race weekend arrived. I had trained hard for the 10K and I was ready and excited. Picking up my race kit had been fun, and I had met all sorts of new people all equally excited and into running. I felt like I had joined a club. I found the queue for the first letter of my last name and soon was handed my kit. They asked my shirt size and handed me the correct one.

I stepped away and rummaged through the bag. I found a race bib with my number on it. There was a strange little device attached to a piece of paper that explained it was my chip for my race time and how to attach it to my running shoe. I found coupons for race material and a free subscription to a running magazine for a year. I smiled to myself. This is fun!

I heard my name and looked up and found Amanda standing in front of me.

"Uh, hi Amanda." I hadn't seen her since she had fled my house five weeks ago. Thankfully, she didn't look angry to me. She looked nervous.

"Hi John. I see you have your race kit. Can I see your shirt?"

I held up my shirt and showed her the front logo. She showed me hers. The shirts were different for each race length. Hers looked a lot cooler to me and I said so.

"It's the marathon shirt. They do a better job, I guess, designing it, you know?"

I nodded not really knowing but suspecting she was right.

"Um, John, I'm sorry for the other day. I shouldn't have run out like that. I was just so shocked, ya know?"

I felt blood rush to my face. "You shouldn't have seen that. I forgot. It was just a momentary thing. I... I..." I ran out of words.

Amanda moved closer to me and whispered. "It was some guy fucking his neighbour!"

I nodded. "I just clicked one and that was it."

She searched my face for a moment, and I wanted to look away, but I didn't. I was aware of how close she was and just how many people were walking past us. I was worried she would make a scene. This was all just a horrible mistake.

"So, you weren't thinking about me? I was sure you selected that one because of me."

I swallowed. When the video had played, I had imagined it was her. I couldn't tell her that. I shook my head. "No, it was just a coincidence." My cheeks grew hot and I looked away for a moment.

Amanda looked into my eyes and squinted. It grew uncomfortable and I blinked at her. I could smell her breath and her hair. She smelled of mint and lavender. I could see how full and moist her lips were. Her eyes were brown like her hair and her pupils were lost in the colour. She looked so sexual to me. I licked my lips.

"Liar," she whispered and then smiled and turned away and disappeared into the crowds.

I tried to spot her in the crowd, but she was gone. What the fuck is going on? I thought.

The 10K race was the next day on the Saturday. I arrived early and wandered about. People were everywhere. I could see the start line and the fences along the sides. Vendors were selling race things like energy gels and hats and shirts. I had a belt on that held two little water bottles at my lower back. It was all I needed.

A lady watched me trying to pin my race bib on and came over to help me. She laughed at me and told me to attach it before I put the shirt on next time. She was putting on the first pin when Amanda stepped up and told the lady she could do it.

"I'm a friend, thanks though," said Amanda with a smile. The lady smiled back, wished me luck, and left.

Amanda stepped up close to me, took the safety pins out of my hand and started pinning the bib to the front of my shirt. I liked her attention. I stared at her while she focused on the pin. She looked gorgeous in her running gear.

"Hi Amanda." I said.

"Hi you," she said.

"What are you doing here?"

"I signed up for the 10K, too. I thought I would surprise you and run with you."

My mouth opened and then closed. "Really?"

"Yup." She pinned the last corner of the bib down and patted it. "Here, you can put mine on."

She pulled a rolled-up bib out of her running pouch with four safety pins. She put them into my hands. And smiled up at me. I looked at the bib in my hand and the safety pins. I looked at her front and saw the swell of her breasts and how they stretched the material into a tight line between them. Her breasts were the perfect size. Each one stood out on her chest as a separate glorious orb. She was easily a C cup. I had always wondered how they would feel in my hands. Putting on her bib would mean touching her.

"Go ahead, I did yours," she smiled. I swear she pushed her chest out a little toward me.

I lifted up the bib and unrolled it. It didn't want to straighten out. I lifted the bib toward her chest and saw my hands shaking a little. She was standing so close to me. Inside my personal space. The air felt electric to me. I started to place the bib higher up on her chest, but she shook her head.

"No, lower," Was all she said and watched my hands.

I placed the upper left corner of the bib up against the start of the swell of her breast. I could feel the softness of it under the fabric. I held it there and fumbled with a safety pin. She tutted and took them from me and opened one and handed it to me.

I started to pin it when she stopped me. "Don't jab my boob," she said with a smirk. "Lift the material away a little."

I put the pin in my mouth and with my free hand I tried to pinch the fabric away from her chest. The material was slick, and it took me a few attempts. I realised my fingers were brushing her breast but there was little I could do. I was committed to getting this done. Finally, I managed to pull the material away. I held the fabric and the bib with my thumb and forefinger, removed the pin from my mouth and pinned it neatly.

"Three more to go!" she quipped.

I nodded and moved my hand to the other corner of the bib. I put another pin in my mouth and tried to grasp the material of her shirt again. I saw her nipples had hardened and made tell-tale points in her shirt. My cock lurched. This was somehow so very erotic to me. My skin buzzed and I felt the little hairs on my neck and arms rise up.

My fingers stroked the top of her breast and I admit I wasn't trying very hard to get it. Finally, I pulled the material free and pinned the corner. Her bib was rolled up in a tube across her breasts and I knew I would have to unroll it. I could a couple of ways of doing it but some part of me wanted to do it in a way I would always remember.

I reached out and used the flat of my hand to unroll the bib down across her breasts. My palm stroked her full left breast. I felt the hard nub of her nipple. Amanda's eyes flickered and I heard her draw in a breath. I held my palm firmly against her breast and fished out another safety pin. I smiled at her and let go of the bib. It rolled back up like I wanted. I took the pin and opened it and then put my hand back on the bib and rolled it down over her breast. I was blatantly stroking her tit. It felt glorious under my hand and I took my time. Once it was rolled down I pulled the shirt material out and pinned it.

"One more," I whispered.

"Uh-huh," she said in a husky voice. I could see I was having an effect on her. Her eyes were half closed and she wasn't moving. Her breathing lifted her breasts slightly and I watched them. Her left nipple was prominent through the material now. I raised a hand and slowly unrolled the bib down over her breast. I pressed slightly, pushing against the glorious soft flesh of her boob. Her nipple pressed hard against my palm. I paused and gave the tiniest of squeezes and Amanda drew in a shuddering breath. I looked into her eyes and she stared defiantly back at me. She licked her lips and I felt the sudden need to kiss her.

I resisted the urge and rolled the bib out. I took the safety pin and secured the corner and then ran my hand across the bib, needlessly smoothing it out. It allowed me to run my hand across her breasts in a delightful way. I couldn't believe we had progressed from seeing her pussy while stretching, to her finding porn on my laptop, to this.

I looked into Amanda's eyes again. They glinted in the morning light and I could see a little desire there. My heart was pounding. I squeezed her right breast a little and she smiled the smallest of smiles at me. She inched closer to me and I hitched my breath. My desire for Amanda rose within me and my cock surged hard in my shorts, straining against the material and feeling cramped.

Amanda reached down and ran a hand up the outside of my thigh and then brushed against the side of my cock. It was subtle but standing so close to one another it was a clear indicator and I almost thrust against her.

I drew a breath and gathered my wits. I was suddenly reminded we stood amongst several dozen runners. I looked around and saw a couple of people looking over at us with interest. I released her breast and stepped back. Her hand tried to remain on my thigh but with my movement she had no choice but to let go.

We stood staring at each other and I smiled at her. "Thanks, Amanda."

She nodded and then looked down at her bib. "Thank you, John. It's on perfect. The race will start soon, we should get in position."

I looked around and saw the people watching us resume whatever they had been doing before Amanda and I had put on a display. "Where do we go?"

Amanda looked over at the corral. "What time do you think you'll get?"

"I'm hoping for under an hour."

"An hour?" she repeated. I couldn't tell if she thought that was long or short. "Okay, we should head toward the middle back. About a hundred feet from the start line. That's normally the hour group."

"Huh?"

"You should go into the corral along with the others with the same time. It's easier that way. You won't be blocking faster runners and you'll be ahead of the slower ones. It's a madhouse at the start. Everyone jockeying for position. You'll be weaving in and out of people for the first bit. Stay with me, I'll guide you through the start."

She surprised me by taking my hand and pulling me toward the corral. People were already inside and talking to one another and laughing. Energies were high and I was one of them. People were friendly, spoke to strangers, shared secrets of running, and horror stories about peeing and pooping during a race. It was like a drug and I found myself laughing and talking with the surrounding people.

Amanda was a natural. She started up conversations and laughed at the right time and made jokes. People found her delightful and so did I. I couldn't help but steal glances her way. I was still thinking hard about what had just happened with the bibs. I caught her looking at me several times.

I didn't know what was happening, but I was glad whatever it was, was. My cock was firm inside my shorts. I was sexually excited, and it added to my race jitters. I asked Amanda about a starting gun and she and several people around us laughed.

"No, silly. It just starts. There's no gun. The front of the race is reserved for the true competitors. They'll be told to start, and they just start. The rest of us just plod along behind them. Watch, we'll see them heading for the finish line before we're have way through."

It was all new to me and I just nodded my head trying to imagine people running the 10K that fast.

The corral filled up fast and people started getting serious and focused. We were all turned toward the start line and all I could see in front of me was a swarm of people. Hundreds of them. The start line was a long way off, and Amanda explained that I would have two race times. A race time and a chip time; the latter being the time from when I crossed the start line to when I crossed the finish line. When I didn't seem to understand she explained better.

"When the race starts the clock starts. Problem is, it will take you time to actually reach the start line and the start of your race. That can be as much as thirty to forty seconds. Your chip time is the true indicator of your race time."

I nodded finally understanding.

Someone was speaking into a microphone, but I couldn't make out what was being said. The voice stopped and I saw the start of movement up ahead. I was standing there, and we weren't moving. I asked Amanda what was happening.

"The race started, silly! It takes time for the people in front of us to start moving. Wait for it, once it happens, it happens fast. Take my hand!"

I took her hand and suddenly the people in front of us started walking forward. We walked with them and then we were jogging slightly. Then the pace picked up and I crossed the start line. I was racing! Amanda held my head for a moment and then let go. She looked back at me.

"Follow close! Right on my heels!"

I followed her and she darted and weaved around people. She made it look easy and I struggled to stay with her. Her pace was faster than mine, but I couldn't tell her to slow down, not yet. We ran that way for about two minutes before I noticed the crowd thin. Soon we were able to run beside each other and she slowed down to my pace.

We ran in silence for ten minutes. Soon there were little packs of people running together and we had lots of room. I looked over at her and she beamed a smile at me.

"Do you feel you can pick up the pace a little?" she asked.

I wasn't sure and didn't answer.

"I can pace you. First time runners go too fast during their first races and burn themselves out. On the back stretch they run out of power. We should speed up a little though. You have more energy than you realise. The adrenalin of the race should let you go faster. Trust me?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay, let's speed up. I think you can do this in under fifty minutes." She checked her watch and then sped up a little. I ran beside her and she checked her watch again. "Okay, this is good. We'll run the next four kilometres like this. You okay?"

"Yeah, this is fine."

"Great! Enjoy yourself, John. This is your first race!"

And I did. I watched the fans cheering us from the sidelines. They cheered us on and clapped and hooted. I couldn't help but grin and Amanda saw it and laughed with me. Signs were held up for loved ones and some were pretty funny. I was high fived by strangers and little kids. I loved it. My legs felt great, my breathing was easy and controlled. I felt I could run forever.

Amanda was watching me throughout. Looking for any sign of difficulty. I was so glad she was with me. It made the race that much better. I could see the pace was very easy for her, but she stayed with me and I was thankful.

"Thank you, Amanda. This means a lot to me. You running with me."

"My pleasure, John. I remember my first race. It was so confusing. I wished I had someone to run with me back then."

"I'm a lucky guy."

She looked at me and smiled. "Me too." She ran in silence for a moment and then gave me a light hip check. "I liked how you put on my bib."

I stared at her and she laughed at me.

"It was fun. I want you to know I liked it. I didn't mind at all."

I grinned at her. "Either did I. It felt nice. They're amazing."

"They're only a B. Not very big."

"So? They're still soft and warm. It's been a long time since I... you know..."

She shot a look at me. "How long, John? Can I ask you that?"

I didn't mind. "It's been a long time. Betty hadn't been well long before we knew it was cancer. She was so tired all the time. Not eating. We should have known long before. The signs were all there. We never thought cancer. Not once. She didn't even see a doctor until she had lost a lot of weight. The doctor did say that it was bad and probably wouldn't have been picked up. But we spoke often about what ifs. And what could have been. By the time it was diagnosed as stage four, it was far too late."

"I'm sorry, John. It's horrible."

"It was and thank you. So to answer your question, it's been eight months since I slept with Betty."

"So the porn..."

"A release. Nothing more."

"And choosing next door neighbour porn?"

"Unintentional."

She looked at me. "I believe you. It's too bad, though."

"Why?"

"I was hoping you were going to say you were imagining it was me."

My steps faltered and I almost fell. I caught myself and Amanda grabbed my side to steady me. Once I had my feet she laughed and let go.

"Come on, speed up!" she laughed and darted away.

I grinned and ran to catch up to her.

At the eight kilometres mark there was a water station. I had discovered at the four kilometres station that drinking water from a little cup whilst running is not an easy thing to do. I had inhaled half the water and choked for a quarter of a kilometre before clearing my lungs. Amanda told me what to do and this time I drank the water easily. You take a sip and hold it in your mouth, breath through your nose, and then swallow. I held my little cup until Amanda took it from me and threw it to the side, laughing at me again. I hadn't wanted to litter.

Soon we spotted the finish line. A large digital display with the time was positioned on top of an inflated archway and it read forty-five minutes and twenty-three seconds. I was feeling winded and struggled to keep the pace. Amanda yelled at me to keep going and her words drove my feet one in front of the other.

"At a hundred yards back, start sprinting!" she yelled at me. "Cross the line with intent! No dragging your sorry ass across!"