Taking Your Shot Ch. 03

"You look so fucking hot," she screams. "Give me a spin."

I slowly spin to my left giving Elaina the full view of my outfit. Elaina reaches out and slaps my ass from under the swirling skirt.

"What was that," I asked her.

"Just my stamp of approval," she says laughing. "Take a look at yourself."

I see Natalie standing in the mirror. The look has a preppy but still yet flirty feel. Elaina finished my makeup with a blue smokey eye with a bit of white towards the inner part of my eyes. The fake lashes add considerable volume to my natural lashes.

Each new time I see myself I feel less like I am looking at Natalie but looking at myself. It is hard to believe my own eyes and not think it is another person.

"I love my makeup," I tell Elaina, giving her a hug.

"Just make sure you call me tomorrow and tell me how everything went," she says.

"You know I will," I responded.

"Nicholas should be here in 10 minutes, so I am going to take off," she says. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Oh wait, you have already exceeded me."

I smile and give Elaina another hug before she leaves.

I grab my phone and take a photo of me standing in the mirror. I hit share and sent the photo to my mother with the following message "He is taking me to the beach and to grab dinner!".

I set my phone down on the kitchen island with my wallet and keys. Carrying these things around just isn't going to work I think to myself. My mother normally has two or three purses laying around the house, but I do not see any in the normal places.

Checking the entryway closet I find two purses. A large dark brown and gold designed Michael Kors and a black Kate Spade clutch. I grab the clutch and place my keys and wallet inside. I keep my phone in my hand waiting for a response from my mother.

Being impatient I sent another text "I am borrowing your Kate Spade clutch :)".

I know that she won't have any issue with me using her clutch, but I am hopeful it speeds up a response.

Standing near the front door I hear the faint sound of a vehicle door closing. I peer out the window next to the door and I see Nicholas' truck sitting in the driveway. I open the front door to see him coming around the front of his truck.

Nicholas predictably is wearing a polo and shorts. I giggle in my head as he is wearing a dark blue polo with white shorts. The opposite of my dark blue skirt and white polo.

Nicholas gives me a big smile as he sees me stepping out of the house. I sense his eyes looking me over as I walk towards him.

I feel a mixture of butterflies and nerves as we embrace. I wrap my arms over his shoulders as he does the same around my torso. The smell of his cologne reminds me of the night on the couch and I start to feel slightly aroused.

As we separate from our hug Nicholas says, "You look amazing!"

"Thank you. We are like twins, almost," I responded with a quick twirl.

"That is just a crazy coincidence," he says.

"Or we are connected more than we realize," I say, giving him another smile.

Nicholas just smiles at me before placing his hand on my back and guiding me to the truck. As expected, his firm hands grip my small frame, and he lifts me into the truck. My mind focuses on my nerves as I wait for him to join me. Nicholas jumps into the driver's seat, starts the truck, and backs out of the driveway.

I look over at Nicholas who looks happy as we drive down the road to the beach. I can't help but think about the nerves I am feeling. The thought stays in my head as I watch him.

He holds a firm grip with his left hand on the steering wheel. His right-hand rests on his thigh. I remember something Savannah said to me earlier. "You are the first person to show up to support him in hockey in years" is what she said. I feel another emotion at the thought of him having no support. Sadness.

I take his right hand in mine and pull it onto my lap. Nicholas looks over at me. I just smile as I grip his hand tighter.

I finally break the silence by saying, "Thank you for taking me to the beach today."

"It is a beautiful day for it," he responded.

"I haven't been to the beach since last summer," I add. "Plus, this is a first as well."

"I figured we could walk the beach, sit on the jetty, and grab dinner on the pier," he says.

"Sounds fun," I say.

I place my free hand on his forearm and pull his arm in a little closer.

"I really enjoyed your practice last night," I told Nicholas. "I don't understand it but it was exciting to watch."

"I was very surprised to see you there," he says.

"I wanted to see you," I responded. "It was also a great way to expand my photography portfolio before school."

"It was really nice of you to do that," he responded.

His tone changed slightly as he spoke. I could see it in his face that he was thinking seriously about something.

"Is something wrong," I asked.

Nicholas doesn't respond immediately and continues to stay focused on the road in front of us. He does tighten his hand that is now gripping mine.

"Nicholas," I start saying but stop myself.

The two of us sit in silence as we finish the drive to the beach. Along the way I rub his forearm and continue to hold his hand. I can only wonder what is going on inside his head.

Nicholas is able to find a parking spot not too far from the beach. He exits the truck and comes around to my side. After he lowers me to the ground, I take his right hand in my left hand. We start walking to the beach.

Being early summer the beach area has a large number of people driving through the area, on the sidewalks, and coming and going from the shops and restaurants. Nicholas navigates us through the congestion of people as we make our way to the beach. He on occasion positions himself behind me to guide me through the crowd.

Walking out on the sand I decided to remove my sandals. Nicholas and I walk towards the water. His hand in one hand and my sandals in the other. I began to realize that he was locked into his own thoughts and was not going to break from them.

I step in front of him and begin to walk backwards. I take his other hand and attempt to hold it around my sandals. My eyes lock on to his. I see a small smile appear in response.

"There we go," I say, breaking our silence.

"I'm sorry," he responded. "This is not how I wanted today to go."

"It is okay if you don't want to talk about it," I let him know. "I am happy to just walk the beach with you."

"No," he says. "I want to, but I don't know."

I stopped him from walking further and let go of his hands. I place both hands on his chest waiting for him to continue.

"It's actually two things," he continued. "One. I am really nervous."

"Why are you nervous," I asked him.

"I have been racking my brain since last night wondering if this was going to be a date," he states and lets out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god," I exclaimed, catching him off guard. "I was all in my head today about it as well."

"Really," he asked.

"We haven't talked about what this is," I say. "I know you tried last night before I interrupted you."

My face starts to blush considering my interruption led to me giving him a blowjob.

He gently places one hand on the small of my back. I look into his eyes waiting to hear him speak.

"I want this to be something," he finally says.

I immediately pulled him into a kiss after hearing his words. His strong arms pull me tightly into him.

I break our kiss and say, "I want this to be something as well. I want this to be our first date."

The nerves I felt earlier about the idea of being on a date released from my body. I realize I wasn't nervous about this being a date but nervous that he didn't feel the same way.

"Then we are on a date," he says.

I am overcome with joy and begin to kiss him again. With his arms wrapped around my body he gently lifts my feet from the sand. It feels as though I am floating in the air as we kiss.

Releasing me from his embrace and our kiss I notice a true smile come across his face.

"So much better," I told him, returning the smile.

We hold hands and continue walking the beach. Nicholas engages in small conversations about the ocean, birds, and a memory of his time at the beach when he was a child until we reach the jetty.

Nicholas helps support me as we walk across the rocks and find a good spot to sit. Nicholas sits down on a flat rock. I sit down on the rock in front of him between his legs. He gently places one arm around me and rests his hand on my leg.

He leans forward when he speaks. I feel his breath on the back and side of my neck each time he talks. My body tingles causing me to be mildly aroused.

"You said there were two things bothering you earlier," I reminded him.

"Yes," he responded, taking a deep breath.

I turn on to my knees and look him in the eyes. I place my hands on his thighs and wait for him to speak.

"Seeing you last night at my practice made me really happy," he starts. "It has been a long time since someone has come to watch me."

I hear the sadness in his voice as he speaks. He breaks eye contact and stares off to the ocean. I gently place a hand on his face before giving him a small kiss on the cheek.

He turns his head back towards me and I see tears building in his eyes.

I tell him, "I am here for you."

Nicholas lets out a sigh before saying, "My mother used to be at all of my practices and games."

There is a pause before he continues, "My parents divorced about three years ago. I don't blame her because my father is a real asshole. She needed to leave. He was abusive to her."

I am caught off guard hearing Nicholas talk about his family.

"Before she left my father rarely came to a game," he says. "Since she left he hasn't come to a single one. When you showed up last night I was truly excited to see you because I wanted to see you. I don't know what I am saying."

I look him in the eyes and say, "keep going."

"Reflecting last night on you being there just brought on a lot of emotions for me," he continued. "No one, since my mother, has even attempted to support me or my interests."

I cannot help but feel empathy for him as I am unable to relate given my family's dynamics. I embrace him in a hug.

"It just really means a lot to me," he says before wiping a tear from his face.

"I want to be there in the future for you," I tell him. "Not just your hockey games."

**I bet you are feeling like you got the ole bait and switch. "Didn't you say there would be flirty behavior?" I did and we will get to that. I also said that there would be character arcs and world building. That is what is happening here. Who says your erotic, sex fueled reading can't have some real substance?**

I wrap my arms around his neck and position myself onto his lap. I rest my head on his chest as his arms grip my body and legs. I gently kiss his neck from time to time as we sit and listen to the sounds of the ocean waves hitting the jetty and the occasional bird.

All of the emotions and feelings over the past few days seem to wash away with the tide. I feel present in the moment. I close my eyes and allow my other senses to take in the world around me.

The moment is eventually interrupted when my stomach gurgles.

"Sorry about that," I say.

"Dinner is part of the plan tonight," he responded. "We can walk back to the pier now."

I frowned at him lifting my head from his chest.

"Just one more minute," I asked him.

Nicholas kisses my forehead and holds me a slight bit tighter.

Eventually we both stand and make our way back to the pier. We are no longer holding hands as Nicholas now was draping one arm around me as we walked. We discuss dinner options before deciding on the bar and grill at the end of the pier.

There is a short wait before a table would be ready for us. Nicholas and I stand outside of the restaurant. He stands behind me with his arms around my waist. I lean back into his chest trying to be as close to him as possible. It is comforting being in the arms of the man you are attracted to.

We casually talk about the pier, what we will order for dinner, and what to do afterwards. I suggest that we stay at the beach and watch the sunset to which he agrees.

A cute brunette hostess takes us to a tabletop next to the window at the very end of the pier where we sit down next to each other. Looking out over the water you cannot see an end to it.

"I have a hockey game on Friday if you are interested in coming," Nicholas tells me while looking over the menu.

"Oh, I know," I responded back slyly.

"How do you know that," he asked inquiringly.

"I met Savannah last night and she offered me a job," I told him.

"A job? Doing what," he says, inquiring further.

"I brought my camera equipment to build my portfolio," I say. "She saw me in the bleachers, looked at my work, and then invited me down to the benches where you eventually saw me. I am now the team's photographer."

Nicholas looks at me with a slight look of shock on his face.

"So, I am going to be at all of your games!" I exclaim to him.

"Wow, that is really great for you," he tells me.

"I think it will be great for us," I responded, giving him a smile and a wink. "I hope you aren't upset."

"No. I am not upset," he says. "You just continue to amaze me."

"How so," I asked.

"All of the years we were in school together created an impression I had of you," he starts saying. "I couldn't have been more wrong."

Nicholas continues by telling me how captivated he has been with me the last few days. He goes into details on the small things such as smiles and touches but not the sexual touches. Lastly, he tells me that he is attracted to me physically but more so my confidence.

Hearing that last part shoots a jolt of arousal through my body. I reflect on the conversation I had earlier with my mother about certain men who like a certain type of woman. A trait in women that I share with her. I think about how much I enjoyed being held in his arms on the jetty. I also think about how much I enjoyed taking control sexually. Is this Nicholas' way of telling me he wants me to be confident, I wonder.

I place my hand on his lap high on his thigh so that the edge of my hand just brushes against his crotch. Nicholas responds by widening his eyes and looking right at me.

"What is your favorite part of me? I asked him. "Physically, of course."

I lean closer to him smiling as I push my hand over the top of his crotch and squeeze.

Nicholas stutters as he attempts to respond.

"I love your arms," I told him, lowering my hand between his legs and gripping what felt like his penis and balls. "The way they look, how strong they are, and how they feel wrapped around me."

I cannot help but start laughing at the look on his face. I sit up and remove my hand from his crotch.

"Too much," I asked.

Nicholas still struggles to speak but eventually says, "Uh, you are very pretty but I love your ass."

"Well you will get to see plenty of it at your games," I told him. "Savannah bought me some tight warm leggings."

I laugh again as Nicholas repositions himself in his chair. Having been a born male I know exactly why he shifted around. To give his growing erection room in his shorts.

The waitress arrives and takes our order. I ask Nicholas to explain hockey to me so that I can be better as a photographer. He goes into incredible detail of the roles of the positions, places on the ice, and the rules. I attempt to keep up for the first five minutes but eventually give up.

I resort to looking at his hair, face, and the flexing of his arms as he animatedly speaks about hockey. I struggle with my thoughts as I want to be held in his arms but I also want us to leave so I can take off his shorts and put his penis back in my mouth.

Our food arrives and we start to eat. Nicholas is less animated but continues to talk about hockey.

"If you love hockey so much, why don't you want to play in college," I asked him.

"I do love hockey," he says. "It is the emotions that it brings me. I miss my mother. I only see her two times a year when I visit her in California."

I reach across the table and hold his free hand.

"I didn't start playing hockey because of my father," Nicholas continued. "My mother was a hockey fan. My father only became interested when I showed promise. Something for him to brag about to his friends and colleagues."

"That must be really hard on you," I state.

"I just want someone to give a damn about me," he says.

"Nicholas," I start saying. "Like you, I wrongly judged you in school. The past few days I have learned that you are a gentle, caring, and deserving human being. I know it sounds crazy but I care about you."

I take a sip from my drink to gather my thoughts for what I am going to say next.

"Through all of the emotions and feelings that I have had recently I can tell you that I care," I continued. "Earlier when I said I wanted to be there for you. I mean that."

I pause again to see if Nicholas has a response.

"I know that this is our first date," I continued on. "I want this to be the first of many. I want you to hold me when I have a bad day. I want to comfort and support you when you have one. I want to explore so many of my thoughts and feelings I have for you. I want to be with you."

I can feel tears develop in my eyes. Not tears of sadness but of vulnerability. I had no intention to bare my soul to him, nor did I know that I really felt this way until the words came out.

"You want to be with me," he asked, locking eyes with me.

"Nicholas Wheeler, I want to only be with you," I stated.

Nicholas leans forward and pulls me into a passionate, semi appropriate for the restaurant setting we are in. He ends the kiss with a light peck on my lips before moving his head away.

"I want the same," he says.

The conversation turns to something lighter and easier to maneuver. Nicholas asks me about my love of photography and where it comes from. I told him that I got a camera when I was ten from my parents. Having the ability to capture and freeze a moment in time that can never happen again in exactly the same way just spoke to me. He asks to see my work the next time he is at my house.

"Maybe next time you are at my house you can be the subject in my photography," I say to him.

He just smiles and shakes his head at me.

"I think you could be a model," I say.

"No," he responded, starting to blush.

"I am not saying you need to be hanging everything out," I explain. "But definitely shirtless."

I reach down and grab his crotch as I continue saying, "this is just for me now."

Nicholas places his hand on top of mine adding pressure to my grip. I feel his penis grow under my hand through his shorts.

"Yes it is," he responded.

My own penis comes to life causing it to free from being tucked in my panties.

Nicholas' other hand reaches under my skirt and grabs the inside of my thigh.

"You are mine," he whispers in my ear as he leans into me. "All of you."

**Whew. Things are starting to get hot in the restaurant. Thank you for sticking through this much needed part of the story to further the main characters' stories. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Chapter 4 will start right off from where this one ended.**