Crush(ed)

Luke Davis moved in the water like he was born for it. His long, muscular limbs thread through the water with power and grace, propelling him forward at incredible speed. The sun coming through the window illuminated his corded back as the muscles tensed under the strain of movement. Water droplets in the air glimmered like tiny stars, illuminating him like a spotlight. Like he was the main character of my favourite show.

With a single powerful push he burst through the water and held on to the pools edge. He grinned, with those beautiful full lips, and raised his swimming goggles up, revealing his long brown lashes. His chest expanded and contracted as he drew big heavy breaths to recover from the exertion and I nearly whimpered, when he hauled himself out to sit on the edge, revealing his thick, muscular thighs and that tight underwear. God, how I would like to be that tight underwear.

Dear Christ Sam, get a grip.

I groaned at my inner Sam, which seemed to have a mind so different to mine that I considered that I might be schizophrenic. I couldn’t argue too much with her though, because there was one thing we both agreed on. Luke Davis was the man of my dreams, and my biggest obsession and he didn’t even know that I existed.

I first met him during freshers week. It was my first time this far away from home, and I was alone mingling with other students and laughing awkwardly at jokes I didn’t quite understand, when he walked into the room wearing a toga made out of a bedsheet and a crown of golden laurel leaves. Time froze as I watched him move, his muscular yet lean arms exposed by the skimpy toga, his thick thigh flashing through the gap. He was already surrounded by people, he was clearly someone other people noticed right away. He passed me on the way to the fridge to get a beer and brushed past me, sending a torrent of heat through my body where his skin met mine.

The image of him turning to me and giving me the most gorgeous smile I've ever seen in my life and the wave of warmth that washed over me, ingrained itself in every cell of my body. Luke was the only person I have ever been attracted to in that way and from that moment I knew I didn’t want anyone else. After that fleeting moment, he walked past me and started talking to someone else but by that point it was too late, I was completely and utterly lost in my one-sided crush.

“Hey, are you going to get out the way?” A harsh voice above, slapped me out of my day dream, making me lose my balance and take in a huge gulp of pool water. I spluttered unattractively and looked up at the tall stranger, with chiseled facial features that were undoubtedly attractive but nothing compared to Luke. He had a large tribal tattoo on his left arm. “So?” He repeated, glaring at me and a different kind of heat rushed to my cheeks.

I shimmered out of the way, pressing myself to the pool edge but the man didn’t wait for me to get out. He simply leap into the air and with the agility of a dolphin disappeared into the water almost entirely slash free. I watched the spot where had vanished a little stunned.

“Show off,” I muttered, then glanced back at Luke.

He was standing talking to his friends all the way on the other side of the pool. Though I have been coming here three times a week for the last twelve months to spend time with him.

My inner Sam rolled her eyes.

Okay. Fine. To look at him, I always picked the lane furthers away from him, worried that my heart might actually stop if I ended up swimming next to him.

What if our hands brushed under the water? What if I struggle and nearly down and Luke has to rescue me? My body flushed with fantasies of Luke resuscitating me, and I had to fight off the sudden urge to pretend that I am in fact drowning. He was a nice guy, but there was no guarantee that he’d actually try and save me. And in that case, I wasn’t sure if I would prefer to just drown or die of heartbreak.

I turned back around in my lane. The dolphin guy was now miles away. I dove under the water and let it surround me like a cocoon. Going swimming three times a week had other benefits, rather than just looking at Luke. My body became stronger from the exercise and I noticed muscles on my legs I didn’t know existed. Liv even mentioned the rigid line along my leg when I wore shorts and it made me grin to be praised for my body by a professional ballerina. Well ballerina in training, but that was definitely far more professional any dancing I have ever done.

I pushed myself further, starting to feel the welcoming burn in my chest and relishing the feeling. I closed my eyes, leaning into the rhythm of drawing air and moving my arms, and when I sensed the wall I flipped and kicked off with my feet without stopping. When I reached the other side and came out the water, I was startled to find the stranger from earlier sitting on the edge watching me.

He had whipped off his swimming cap, allowing his mid length black hair to fall on his face, his blue eyes out of contrast with his dark features. I whipped my goggles off, planning to ask what he wanted, but before I could open my mouth the sound of female laughter filled the pool and drew my attention to the women’s locker rooms. Erica Bailey waltzed into the room like she was walking the runway and the world inside the pool seemed to stop.

There was no other way of putting it, Erica Bailey didn’t walk, she glided into space with the energy of a panther mixed with an angel. She was somehow elegant, yet brimming with the energy of a sensual animal. Her bright red bathing suit hugged a tiny waist and cradled her large breasts while she tried to tame her long, golden-brown curls in a bun, a few sexy strands falling just ever so seductively down her long neck and onto her shoulders. Her almond eyes ran across the room with a warm playfulness while also giving off the impression that she didn’t really mind everyone staring at her.

She smiled at the lifeguard, who just about managed to stay in his chair and then pulled on her swimming cap. Even in that ugly, rubber thing, she looked better than most in heels and a cocktail dress. The moment she looked away I noticed the lifeguard subtly rearrange himself. What kind of hot did you have to be to give a guy a hard-on just by smiling, you ask? Erica Bailey hot is the answer. Even I felt a small flutter in my chest when she bent down to stretch.

Erica Bailey was perfect and unfortunately for me, Luke Davis thought the same.

Within moments he swam up to the edge of the pool and said hello to her, the two of them falling into easy conversation. Erica laughed at something he said and each sound ricochet painfully into my chest. Luke had never made me laugh, he had never even really spoken to me before. Whenever Erica showed up at the pool, she reminded me that my fantasies and daydreams of a future with Luke, were just that. Because can someone like me ever compete with someone like her?

I tore my eyes away from the two of them and took a deep breath, trying to convince myself that not all is lost. I had the little leg ridge, and guys like Luke might be bored of the ultra-gorgeous, heavenly types and might prefer a quieter, shorter, mousier girl.

Have you seen her legs Sam? I don’t think your little ridged muscle can compete with that. Little Sam scoffed in my mind. She could be such a bitch sometimes.

I rubbed my thigh absentmindedly, feeling the hard muscle there almost as reassurance but the cold empty feeling of patheticness pooled inside me. The truth was, that no one was impressed. How would anyone care when Erica was waving her seemingly endless, toned legs in the water just a few meters away.

“Hey,” the guy sitting in front of me said and my head snapped to him in surprise. I had completely forgotten about him for a moment and I couldn’t stop my heart from fluttering a little, at the thought that he was looking at me and not Erica, like everyone else. “Are you going to swim or just sit there?” he tilted his head and I drew back. I was blocking the lane again, hovering right in the middle.

“Sorry,” I blurted and heaved myself out of the water. There was no way that I could keep my focus now anyway, so I headed for the changing rooms.

As I walked, I promised myself I won’t look back but like the foolish heroes of old, I did, to find Luke pulling Erica playfully into the water. Her happy yelp made my heart ache.

I clenched my fists, trying not to let it get to me. I promised myself that this year was going to be different. Luke was infatuated with Erica, because he simply didn’t know I even existed. If he got to know me, there was a small, infinitesimal chance that he would like me.

I was determined to do anything to make it happen, starting by becoming his housemate.