Bab 21: Bike Ride
As Clara took her bike from the locker, she thought of multiple ways to get out of her promise because somewhere along the way, from her office to the lockers, she lost her courage. When she saw Sebastian outside, riding his bike around the parking lot, she knew there was no backing out.
It surprised him when he saw her. ‘My girl has so many different facets to her personality. And each time she looks different and more beautiful,’ She looked so hot in her tight spandex shorts that his desire shot up, and he had to adjust his shorts to make his bulge less obvious, but making it uncomfortable to sit on his bike. He had to think about something that would keep his mind out of the gutter otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to ride with her.
He was like a schoolboy, watching her a little too closely while she carried her bike out. So he didn’t miss her cue when she got on and told him to follow her to the trailhead. He knew better than to ogle women, especially one as classy as Clara, but he couldn’t help but admire how sexy she looked. It was like her shorts had been painted on her like a second skin, hugging every curve.
They started out riding at an easy pace because she didn’t want to kill him by going too fast. She usually rode around the lake at a much faster speed but didn’t want to be a show-off or injure one of them during the ride. The feel of the air whipping through her hair always made her feel good. It was exhilarating, and it relaxed her whenever something was bothering her.
They were quietly gauging each other’s capabilities for the first half-mile and got into a comfortable groove as they rode abreast the remainder of the trail. Was she imagining it, or did Sebastian make the perfect riding partner? It felt like they were so evenly matched.
They rode in companionable silence until she started a conversation, ‘So tell me, why are you here today?’ She looks at him sideways. ‘We both know that it’s not about the system we installed. It’s performing flawlessly and has undergone multiple rounds of rigorous QA testing. I’m sure you are not here to give me feedback or suggestions either. So tell me, why are you really here?’
He looked at her. She has the spunk to confront the situation head-on, and he liked that. ‘Hmm... if I lie. Clara will definitely see right through it. If I try to flatter her, she might run away. I guess I just need to be honest,’ he thought, as he listed his options.
‘I came to see you,’ he began, ‘I’m not sure, but for some reason, I’ve been missing you for the last 3 weeks ever since you told me to stop meddling with your work. It was refreshing for someone to have big enough balls to tell me off. Plus, my office hasn’t been the same since you got rid of that perv following you around during the installation.’
She shrugged. So what if her challenge turned him on? Nothing to be excited about.
‘There’s a small rest area where I always stop at, we should take a break there. It’ll give you a marvelous view of the lake and the office. You know it’s very nice and serene out here, helps you think,’ she said.
Clara took some pictures on her camera phone when they stopped. She was choosing photos to post on her social media when he asked, ‘Would you mind if we took a picture together?’
‘I do,’ she said, rolling her eyes and turning away from him. She smiled when she looked the other way because she was trying to be difficult. A bike ride always puts her in a good mood, and his honesty had her heart fluttering a bit. This was the only time she could feel free and with no care in the world, and it was nice to share it with him.
‘Why do you even want a picture with me in it?’ she raised her eyebrow.
‘Oh, don’t answer that. You’re just going to try to flatter me. And I don’t do well with people lying to my face. So no,’ she finished.
While she was going on her spiel, she did not notice that he had been snapping away happily.
‘Geez, fine! It’s okay. We don’t need to take a picture together if you don’t want to,’ he retracted his request. ‘This bike ride is enough to make me happy.’ Plus, he took enough pictures to last him a few more weeks. ‘God, she was gorgeous even when she’s on fire,’ he wanted to kiss her mouth.
She frowned at him. He had been so eager to take her picture earlier; she wondered what happened. Was he trying to throw her off and confuse her? She looks at her watch and notices the time. If he wanted to have lunch and get to his meeting in time, now is the right time for them to leave.
The distance around the lake was around 9 miles. It was a good workout, and they got back a little after 11 am, so there was enough time to shower before lunch.
She carried her bike and led him to the lockers when she said, ‘I ordered lunch with Max and Jeremy, so we don’t have to rush. Why don’t you go upstairs and take a shower while I put my bike away?’ She wanted him out of her shower by the time she got up there. It would feel weird to know that he was naked in there moments ago. And it might not be healthy for her imagination, feeding it naughty naked thoughts of him in her private space.
‘Why don’t you go up first, and I’ll lock up the bikes,’ he said. He wanted to sneak his way into leaving his bike in the lockers and did not want her to see him do it.
He bought this bike specifically so he'd have one at her office every time he visits. This would not be the first time they were going biking together. Sebastian planned to be here every few weeks to unwind and see her. He thought he had the perfect plan, so he smiled. ‘You’re not getting rid of me that easy, Clara. I’m here to stay.’
Clara ran to her bathroom and made sure she was dressed before he came up. She finished in 5 minutes flat and laid on the bed with the towel wrapped around her head. It felt very relaxing, so she decided to close her eyes to relax them a bit. Swimming for 2 hours, and now the bike ride wore her down. She needed more energy for her meetings later. ‘I’m just going to get some shut-eye. I’ll get up when he comes in,’ she said to herself, but she fell asleep.
He knocked, making sure she was dressed before entering. When she didn’t answer, he came in and saw her sleeping on her bed with her wet hair sprawled on the pillow. She looked very peaceful. So he went about his business and let her rest.
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