The Competition Begins (Ch. 02)

All characters are 18 years of age or older. Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

Welcome to the little college town of Ballister! I hope you enjoy your stay. This is a multi-part serial. If you've arrived at this part without reading the ones before (and you care about understanding what's going on), you may wish to start at the beginning of the story.

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The black Audi barely jostled its driver as it crossed the railroad tracks marking the east part of town. The other side of the tracks. It wasn't merely a cliche. Marco's car stood out now. At the college, the Audi was practically understated, at least until he drove it. Pickup trucks, old minivans, and beat up station wagons lined the streets on this side of town.

Marco looked around as if at a foreign country. Sam came from a different world, and a somewhat impoverished one by the looks of it. Was that part of her appeal? Or, was he here because of Kyle and a competitive impulse? Yeah, that was probably it. Marco liked to win.

A water tower rose on a hill to his left. A shuttered gas station stood fenced and desolate to his right. Was he really in the same town?

Competition might explain why he wanted Sam, but could it explain why he'd seduced a woman in the registrar's office to gain access to Sam's college application? The woman had sold the information fairly cheaply: a long, full-body hug, a little groping, and a rather chaste kiss. Had he really expected a small-town, low-level college administrator to show great ambition? Anyway, he now knew a lot about Sam: her home address, place of employment, financial situation, and college dreams. She wanted to be a doctor and had the class schedule to prove it. So, perhaps there was also some curiosity. What would this smart, ambitious girl be like? What would she do with a man like him?

Marco turned the Audi smoothly onto Seventh Street. The market where Sam worked stood at the end of a block of middle class storefronts: a shoe store, the town's one Thai restaurant, and a used book store. He found a street-side parking spot and made his way inside the market. A skinny young man at the clerk's counter greeted him. Marco nodded perfunctorily. He wasn't here to shop.

The store was medium-sized, too large to be a convenience store but too small to be a full-fledged supermarket. A tough niche to fill, Marco thought, but he didn't know of any other large stores on this side of town. He'd arrived near closing time in hope of fewer patrons, and he was right. There seemed to be only one couple touring the aisles with their shopping cart.

Marco found Sam working in the back corner of the store. She was lugging a crate full of milk cartons toward a large refrigerator. The crate seemed too big for her tiny frame, but she was managing. Not so weak, then, Marco noted in approval.

He watched her for a moment, noting how the apron she was wearing, embossed with the store logo, was also too big for her. Such a small thing. She couldn't be more than five feet tall. The apron swelled nicely over her breasts, though. He couldn't wait to get his hands on them. She'd swept her brown hair into a ponytail, which better framed her high cheekbones. With her pert little nose (everything about her seemed little to Marco) and pale skin, she had an almost elfin appearance. Her eyes were light and luminous, and Marco wanted to spend a day looking into them. He wanted them to fill with awe and admiration of him. A surge of lust swamped Marco's senses. He wanted to ravish her right then and there.

This was nuts. She was some small-town freshman girl. But...when was the last time he'd gone out of his way to meet a girl? When was the last time he'd been the hunter?

Marco took a deep breath before striding up the aisle toward her. He stepped into Sam's path and reached down, deftly slipping the crate handles from her grasp to his. She looked up in surprise, and Marco watched her beautiful eyes widen. Holy fucking shit, they were amazing. Stunning, really. So bright and guileless. Defenseless. He wanted nothing more than to throw down the crate, lift her into his arms, and fuck her hard against the nearby refrigerator. Spectators would be welcomed: let everyone see how he conquered this sweet, little wood sprite. Marco gritted his teeth and refocused his attention as she took a step back, crate forgotten.

"What are you doing here?" she said, shock plain in her tone.

He tried for an innocent smile, but it proved difficult, so he swung around and carried the crate to the fridge.

"I wanted to see you."

"Me? But I'm...you're the...this is..."

Marco let her struggle for words as he noted the brands of milk, filling the appropriate slots.

"I'd like to get to know you." That sounded innocuous, right?

Sam appeared at his elbow. She reached around his solid bulk for the milk carton in his hand.

"I can do that. It's my job."

Perfect. She had come close on her own. Marco tipped the last carton into the slot and pulled her reaching hand to his chest, pressing her palm into the hard muscle. At the same time, he captured her other wrist. Instinct almost drove him to pin that wrist to the glass, but he restrained himself and held it in a soft grip.

Sam blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting to touch him. He'd purposely worn a thin cotton polo, open at the neck. She flexed her fingers tentatively, testing the unyielding tissue of his chest muscles. Her eyes widened.

This was going well so far, so Marco took another small step. He tightened his hold on her wrist, drawing her attention. She was shockingly small—the smallest woman he'd ever touched. His strong hand seemed to completely envelop her narrow wrist.

Sam's eyes wandered up his arm, taking in his thick forearm. He pressed his fingers together to make the thick sinews flex without tightening his grip. He didn't want to hurt her, at least not yet. Her eyes traced up his bulging bicep, which strained his short sleeve, up to his thick shoulders. Her eyes settled on the yoke of his shirt, stretched open by the broadness of his chest and shoulders. She swallowed hard.

Marco waited. That's right, Sam, take me in. Then you'll want me to take you.

One corner of his mouth tipped upward in a smug smile. Her eyes slowly made their way to his face. He could see a range of emotions in her spectacular eyes: surprise, wonder, a little fear, and, yes, desire. Her breath was coming in little gasps.

"Do you want to hang out sometime?" Marco asked softly.

Sam didn't move for a long moment. Then, she nodded. Marco smiled, and this time he didn't have to hide its meaning. Triumph.

"Let's hang out this weekend."

She nodded again. Marco almost laughed at her dumbfounded expression. His work was done.

"See you tomorrow, Sam."

***

The next morning Sam was a nervous wreck. She almost missed her bus fretting about the right clothes to wear. She did her best to keep track of the calculus lecture, but her mind kept veering off to daydream of Marco.

Her nervousness doubled as she walked to her writing class. The only way she kept putting one foot in front of the other was to convince herself the whole thing had been a mistake. Sam scolded herself. Get to know her? More like play a trick on her. She'd been an open book of attraction, and she'd seen the smirk on Marco's face. God, his face, though. Talk about wow. At least she hadn't said the word out loud. Marco's face was chiseled magnificence: a strong, square jaw, full lips, those intense green eyes. His black hair had looked so soft sweeping across his brow. He had even smelled good, too, of soap and leather.

He was probably just messing with her. Someone had made a bet--that was all. She'd get to class, all the fancy girls would laugh in her face, and the big joke would be over.

Like before, she was first in the classroom. She took the same seat; she might as well remain the odd one on the "boys' side." The order of arrival was the same as before, the bevy of beauties first, then Kyle leading his handsome knights around the other side of the table.

Marco arrived seconds after Prof. Ellard. This time he didn't wait in the doorway. He walked directly to the seat next to hers, which no one had taken as if by his order. He placed one of his long, strong arms across the table parallel to her notebook.

She stared at it, taking a moment to gather the courage to look him in the face. When she did, he was studying her. His eyes seemed to pull her into him, and she had to grip the side of the desk to keep from leaning her head on his shoulder. A faint smile crossed his lips before his gaze released her.

Sam looked back to the front of the room. One of Professor Ellard's eyebrows was raised, but he didn't comment. If Ellard was wondering, then Sam knew everyone in the room was wondering. True enough, several of the elegant girls were staring with shock writ across their faces. Sam hazarded a look at Kyle. His open face and twinkling eyes had closed into a frown.

Their reactions were nothing compared to her reaction to Marco. He acted naturally, but his proximity was distracting. His brawny arm crowded into her space. She could have moved over, but a part of her wanted to stay close. She stared at the smooth skin of his forearm. He spun a pen around his thumb from time to time, causing muscles and tendons to ripple along its length.

Sam dared not look beyond his forearm, as she knew she'd find the rest of his impressive arm. She hadn't touched him there last night, and the desire to put a hand on the bulging muscles of his upper arm was practically a visceral need. She was close enough to smell him. She tipped her head slightly to draw his scent into her nostrils. Soap and salt and leather and man. So much man.

As the course wore on, the coil of lust in Sam's belly grew and tightened. She stumbled on a simple answer to the professor, and only a few moments later he had to call on her twice before she responded. All this from Marco sitting next to her! Sam worried about what would happen if they touched again.

When class ended, Marco stayed close. The girl crew noticed and filed out only after sending murderous glares Sam's way. She tried not to notice and focused instead on putting things in her bookbag. Everything seemed more difficult with Marco so close.

Once she had loaded her things, she swallowed. He was obviously waiting for her to turn and acknowledge him. She was suddenly afraid, and a feeling of overwhelming shyness clogged her throat. What should she do? What could she say?

Marco broke the silence. "Would you like to go out on Saturday night? We could go see Blue Crush. I hear it's good."

Sam looked up at Marco and her brain stuttered. She opened her mouth to say something, but it was as if she'd looked up to discover a glorious sunrise. He was simply stunning, and all that awesome beauty stole the air from her lungs.

Marco's lips tilted into an arrogant smirk, and Sam's belly tightened into a knot. Her thoughts narrowed to one overriding conviction: god, he's hot, so fucking amazingly hot.

Marco waited a beat, then continued as if the moment had not become weird and awkward. "It's about a surfer girl who falls in love with a football player."

She could fall in love with a football player. Maybe it was happening right now. Sam moved her lips but no words came out. She tried again and managed a raspy "yes."

Marco's smirk transformed to a relaxed, expectant smile. "Pick you up at 6?"

Sam nodded, not trusting her voice, then watched with a weird feeling of delighted terror as he raised his hand toward her cheek. Professor Ellard's voice halted Marco's hand in midair.

"Sam, could you please stay after class? I'd like to talk with you about the pathways program."

Sam turned toward the professor. Marco, however, didn't move. He frowned and seemed about to speak when a shout came from the doorway.

"Marco, hey man, get out here, we gotta plan the weekend," Kyle said, appearing in the doorway.

"Sam," Ellard repeated.

Kyle looked between the professor and Marco, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, professor," said Sam.

As she stepped around Marco, she noted how the muscles had flexed along his jawline. His face had closed to scowl. She watched as he nodded to Kyle and left the room without a backward glance. Without the handsome quarterback so near, the oppressive fog of lust clouding Sam's mind lifted. It was like the man triggered all her hormones when within a ten-foot radius.

"Thank you for staying." Ellard's voice called Sam back to herself. "Are you okay?"

"What? Yes. Yes, I'm okay. Of course."

Ellard perched on the edge of the table, leather bag draped against his knees.

"The transition to college can be a difficult one," he said gently. "You'll want to find people who make you feel uplifted and positive about your future."

He sounded like her high school guidance counselor.

"I understand," she said, though she wasn't sure she did. "This is all very new."

"Yes," the professor said. "New place, new studies, and new people. Do you feel safe here, Sam?"

His change of subject caught her off guard. "Uh..."

Sam didn't know how to answer. Nothing bad had happened to her yet. She knew there were dangers for girls, for women, she corrected herself. She was an adult now, though she wasn't sure what that meant yet. So, she just nodded.

Professor Ellard sighed. "Well, if you ever fear for your health or your personal safety, I want you to come to me, okay? The university has a lot of resources to help students." He smiled, his expression gentle. "Now, you said you liked Chopin. Let me show you a first edition. 1899, if I remember correctly."

"What? Yes," said Sam, interest piqued. "That's, like, a 103 year-old book!"

Ellard's expression grew amused. "You're right," he said, holding up a finger. "And, I have even older books than that. My office is upstairs if you'd like to have a look."

Sam nodded, surprised that a professor would take an interest in a lowly freshman student. She followed Ellard from the classroom.

Marco stood to one side as Kyle and a group of fellow athletes discussed weekend plans. He nodded when they looked his way, but his attention was fixed on the classroom door.

What was Ellard saying to her? The best thing about Sam right now was her straightforward vulnerability. She wasn't putting on a show or trying to lure him. She hadn't been exposed to any stories or rumors. Marco didn't want her poisoned against him in advance.

Then, there was Kyle. Marco studied his blonde-haired friend as Kyle told the group about some party he was planning. They'd made a pact, but Marco still wondered if Kyle's shout had been a coincidence. His friend had arrived at exactly the right moment to pull him away. Kyle's gaze flitted to Marco for a moment, and Marco detected a hint of wariness.

Yes. The game was afoot. He'd have to be on his guard.

Marco looked back toward the classroom in time to watch Ellard leave with Sam in tow. Sam didn't even look his way, instead talking excitedly to the older man. Marco took an involuntary step toward her, as if by moving he might catch her attention.

What the fuck? Should he wave his arms? He'd just asked her out and now she was walking away as if it were no big deal. He was Marco fucking Panatta, for god's sake. A wry grin spread on Marco's face. Sam was so...different. And, maybe, that was great. He was used to people staring; it might be refreshing to be ignored for once.

"Hey," Kyle said as he wrapped an arm about Marco's shoulders. "Who's that girl you took home last week? Megan? Melody? Davis wants to ask her out but only, you know."

Marco sighed, annoyed that Kyle had again derailed thoughts of Sam.

"Only if I'm done with her."

Kyle laughed. "Well, yeah, exactly."

Marco looked at his closest friend. Kyle's eyes were trained on the hallway. Was it merely because Marco had been looking that way? With any other woman Marco would have been surer of his position; Kyle rarely won against him. But Sam wasn't just any girl.

Marco shrugged his shoulder. Kyle's arm fell away. "I'm done. Davis can have her."

Kyle cocked his head and took a breath, but Marco stepped around him.

"I'm gonna be late. Let me know what you decide about the weekend."

***

Sam had survived her first week of college, which was worth a small celebration. There was a smoothie place next to the bookstore in the student union, so Sam splurged on a large strawberry banana concoction with some special immune boosting powers. It was a bright, sunny day, so she took a leisurely route to her bus stop. She could catch a later bus; there was no need to hurry. She had a lab tomorrow, but there would be time to do her other work over the weekend.

Oh god, her weekend! She kept forgetting that she'd said yes to going out with Marco. With Marco! The whole thing was unthinkable, and every time she did remember, the idea of the date made her so nervous she forced herself to think about something else.

"Ugh," Sam moaned as the cold smoothie caused a brain freeze. Her head pounded, and she wondered if she had a tumor. That would explain her forgetfulness and this sudden pain. If she had a tumor, she wouldn't be able to go on a date, right? The headache soon calmed, but her nerves did not. No, it wasn't tumor-induced forgetfulness. It was huge, handsome quarterback-induced terror.

Sam rounded the corner to find Kyle leaning against a lamp post. His handsome face brightened.

"There you are. I've been looking all over."

Sam choked on the dregs of her smoothie. She managed two words, "for me," between coughs.

Kyle smiled and rubbed her back, his large hand firm.

"You okay?"

Sam nodded.

"Me and my roommates are throwing a house party on Friday. Can you come?"

Sam blinked. A party? A real college party? "Um, I work until nine on Fridays," she replied, still a little dumbstruck.

"That's fine," Kyle said, his smile so bright her retinas ached. "Things won't get started until then anyway. Here, let me give you the address."

While Kyle pulled a notebook from his bag, Sam's mind spun. First a date and now a party? What was she doing? She barely knew anyone at this school and already she had plans on Friday and Saturday. Oh god, what was she going to do about Saturday?!? She couldn't go out with Marco. It was insane. Saturday? What was she going to do about Friday, which was tomorrow! She didn't know what to do, what to wear, what to say.

"It's a welcome back sort of thing," Kyle said, handing her a slip of paper. "A few friends hanging out. No theme or anything."

Hanging out. That's what Marco had said he wanted to do. Was this what he'd meant? Maybe this was part of his plan, first some hanging out, then a date. A social terror welled up in Sam, and she suddenly felt a desire to flee. She sucked on her smoothie instead, imagining its immune booster was also boosting her confidence. That done, she forced herself to ask a question.

"Can I bring someone?"

Kyle's eyebrows rose. "Like a boyfriend?"

Sam flushed. She could feel her face growing redder by the second. "No, you know, a friend. I don't really—. It's more that—. I don't know anyone." Sam looked at her toes.

"Hey," Kyle said, voice gentle. "It's okay. Sure, you can bring someone. And you'll meet new people. That's what parties are for."

Sam swallowed, looking up at his handsome features. Kyle squeezed her shoulder, gracing her with a charming smile.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

***

A pair of slim fingers snapped in front of Sam's nose.

"Hey, wake up sleepyhead!"

Sam blinked. Her friend Harumi stood beside her. A can of peas, suspended in midair, hung from her fingers. She put it on the shelf.

"Where did you go?" Harumi asked.

"I...I was thinking about...oh, I don't know." Sam had always had a hard time lying to her friends.