Tuesday Tales - Word Prompt "Pan" - Another Episode from "The Kicker, Part 1"

 

Welcome! This week our word prompt is "pan". We have another episode of "The Kicker's Story, Part 1." Things take a turn you might not expect. Thanks for coming. Don't forget to read all the great stories. Find them HERE. 

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Unable to sleep, Dale curled up into a fetal position and wrapped the quilt around her. A light snow fell. Warmth and safety surrounded her, but not drowsiness. Nope, damn – wide awake. Pushing up, her gaze panned the room from one end to the other and spied a bookcase. Books? This man read?

It was crammed with paperbacks. Perusing the spines she spied lots of sports biographies, a few books on history, then half a shelf on relationships! She laughed out loud, then clapped her hand over her mouth.

She took a well-worn book down. A self-help book? The book fell open to the chapter on parents. The apartment grew chilly. She climbed back into bed, snuggling under the quilt and read the chapter about mothers and sons.

After twenty minutes, there was a light tap on the door.

“Yes?” Uh oh. Was this it? His middle of the night seduction?

The door creaked open a crack.

“Are you awake? Are you decent?”

“Yes.”

“Can I come in?”

“It’s your house.”

“But this is your room tonight.”

“Of course.” She shoved the book under the covers and pulled the quilt up.

Clad in a  terry robe, he entered the room.  “Can’t sleep?”

She shook her head.

“Me, neither.”

“How come?” she asked.

He shrugged, but his cheeks pinked.

“Because I’m here?” Dale asked.

He fidgeted with the sash of his robe, accidentally exposing a sliver of his chest, smooth skin and dark hair. Her eyes didn’t miss an inch. So he slept nude? Her breath quickened. Her fingers itched to part the robe and get a good look. He was slender, a fine physical specimen of a man, even if he was messed up about women.

“Maybe.”

“Do I make you nervous?” she asked.

He nodded.

She laughed. “Really? Why?”

“Because you’re so much above me.”

Now she laughed harder. “No, I’m not.”

“I’m just a dumb athlete, a kicker. Nothing special.”

“That’s not true. First, I can see by your choice of books, you’re not dumb. And it takes a lot of skill to do what you do.”

“You think so?”

The hopeful light in his eyes touched her heart. Whoever told this guy he was ordinary?  

That's it for this week. Thanks for stopping by.