Laurel cleaned herself up; drying her tears and re-applying lip gloss in the mirror. She scanned the place again and quickly noticed Ben outside. He was at the back of the garden, leaning against the fence, beer in hand, looking pensive. Cindy was nowhere to be seen.
''I was looking for you,'' she started, unsure of herself. And he nodded, but his eyes were distant.
''Look, I should have done this before,'' she continued, ''Way before. I want out of the deal. I won't reveal your figure skating alter ego. I'll sign your stupid paperwork if you want but you have my word on it. You're free. You don't have to train me anymore.'' She frowned and looked at the floor.
''And sorry,'' she said, ''I wanted to say sorry for how I behaved. I'm not usually in the habit of blackmailing people.''
He grabbed her arm as she started to retreat and spun her round. He cupped her face in his hands and planted a delicate kiss on her mouth.
''Stop it!'' she protested and pushed him off her. ''What about Cindy? I thought you liked me and then you turn up with her!''
He laughed and she hated him once more.
''Come here,'' he said, leading her back into the bathroom, the only private space available. ''Sit,'' he said, pointing to the edge of the bathtub, ''We need to have a chat.''
''Go on,'' she said sulkily.
''I don't know where to start. I have trust issues. My high school girlfriend was a cheerleader. She was unfaithful to me.'' He looked into her eyes and she finally saw him, the real Ben, vulnerability and honesty hiding behind the cocky and arrogant façade.
''She cheated on me with my best friend. For three months! And her stupid cheerleader friends were in on it too. Laughing at me behind my back. Ever since then I've not really been that keen on cheerleaders,'' he continued. And then smirked shyly, seeming to realize how ridiculous he sounded.
''I got her back,'' he added brightly, ''I screwed all of her cheerleader friends. Every last one of them,'' he smirked.
''Oh God,'' Laurel groaned and put her head in her hands, but she couldn't help giggling. At last she was finally beginning to understand him … a little.
He kissed her again, more passionately, and she didn't hold back until Cindy entered her head.
''Hang on a minute,'' she gasped. ''What about Cindy?''
He sniggered and held off explaining, enjoying her growing annoyance.
''Seriously!'' she snapped, ''Explain now! Who is she?''
''Chill,'' he drawled. And took a deep breath. The look on her face had told him not to stay silent any longer.
''Cindy is my friend and she's a lesbian. She thought you were hot and wanted me to introduce her to you. But you weren't exactly friendly,'' he mock-grimaced and laughed.
''Oh,'' she said, her eyes glazing over with realization and then delight. She tried to play it cool but the beaming smile that crept over her face couldn't be controlled.
Suddenly they were back in one another's arms, kissing and caressing each other, undoing buttons, pulling off clothes frantically, until they were writhing naked on the floor once more. This time without the sting of the ice but with added fervor and urgency. Before she knew it he was inside her, plunging deeper and deeper, his power and desire building up and up. He slowed down suddenly and gazed at her, stroking her face and showering her neck and breasts with soft kisses. She tugged and pulled at his thick dark hair and squeezed his huge strong shoulders and then his sculpted buttocks, pulling him deeper.
He slowly drew himself out, Laurel purring with pleasure, and pulled her up, bending her over the bathtub. He entered her from behind, cupping her cute pert bottom in his rugged hands. He rubbed in between her buttocks gently with his finger and she moaned with delight. He then took a strong hold of her curvy hips and pulled himself deeper and deeper inside of her until he exploded and collapsed on top of her, embracing her and fondling her breasts and stomach. He laid her back on the floor and kissed in between her legs, licking and sucking until she could take no more. He pushed his finger up inside her and flicked his tongue quick and hard until she wailed quietly and uncontrollably, her body shaking in spasms of pleasure and relief.
They lay there for a moment or two, recovering, before hearing knocking on the door. ''Seriously, whoever is in there had better hurry up! Someone's puking in the other bog.''
They grinned at each other. ''Charming.'' Ben said. They pulled on their clothes quickly and hurried out of the bathroom, Laurel unable to make eye contact with the growing queue of annoyed people with full bladders. Lucky the music is so loud, Laurel thought, alarmed.
''I have one more question for you,'' she said as they walked back outside where the band were singing their last song. ''Well I have many actually. But was the only reason you trained me because I blackmailed you?''
''You really have to ask that question?'' he teased with raised eyebrows. ''I liked you from the start Pompoms. I was just scared of trusting you. I didn't know if I loved you or I hated you. Those emotions can be pretty close sometimes!''
She wacked him over the head gently, giving him a look.
''So you started trusting me when I started blackmailing you?'' she said.
''Something like that,'' and he winked. ''Come on, I'll introduce you to my friends.''
He dragged her over to his boisterous bunch of teammates, most of whom Laurel was familiar with due to the unsavory offer he had made them.
''Finally, you guys are together!'' one of them commented. ''It was so obvious you liked each other from the start.''
''You would've beat the hell out of us if we'd done anything with her!'' another one laughed.
Ben sniggered, flattered that his teammates knew him so well, but embarrassed in front of Laurel.
She grinned, and waved her friends over to join them. By the end of the night everyone was happy and drunk and even quiet little Amy was sitting on the knee of the huge goalkeeper giggling and flirting.
''Wanna go for a walk?'' Ben asked Laurel and she nodded happily.
''Bye guys, we're leaving. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!'' he yelled at his friends.
''Dude, don't forget the time changed for figure tomorrow. It's 11 instead of 10.'' One of them yelled back.
''Great, an extra hour in bed!'' he replied and laughed a little nervously, giving Laurel a sideways glance.
''Figure?'' she said slowly, ''As in figure skating!! What the hell? You said it was a secret!''
She flounced angrily away but he was jogging next to her laughing uncontrollably.
''You really thought you were blackmailing me!'' he cried, ''It's so funny! You're so funny!''
And he grabbed her and kissed her again and again until she calmed down and saw the funny side of it too. ''You sweet, evil, irresistible girl'' he told her, and kissed her once more.
''But why were you so weird with me some days? And so mean at the beginning?'' she asked, still puzzled and trying to get her head around everything.
''I was angry that you snuck in on me and watched me. And at the start I really didn't want anyone to know that I figure skated. At my high school they made fun of me for it. I even beat up a kid real bad after he said something.'' He grimaced, ''I'm not proud of that. And my Dad, well he's old-fashioned. He was the ice hockey star of this college in his day and that's all he wants me to be too. I hope he'll come around eventually.''
She stroked his face, looking concerned.
They reached the diner, and he held the door open for her to walk inside.
''Plus you were always hanging out with that tall nerdy guy. I was a bit jealous, I have to admit.''
''Me and Paul are friends, nothing more,'' she smiled, remembering the incident at the diner where they were sitting right now.
''As far as the blackmailing goes, I was resentful at first, obviously,'' he said, ''and then I was disappointed that you still continued with the deal even after we … you know.''
''Yeah, I know,'' she looked at the floor, ashamed, ''I wanted to. But I was scared. I didn't want to lose you. Or my training.'' She glanced at him, wondering whether they would carry on as usual.
''I love training you,'' he reassured her, ''Of course our sessions will continue. You have real talent, you know! I'm so proud of how far you've come! We'll have you at those state championships for sure!''
Laurel beamed from ear to ear and said, ''Really?''
''Yes! And I have something else to ask you too. I want to start pair's figure skating. And I want my partner to be you. What do you say?''
It was all too much for her to take in and she started sobbing again although she didn't really understand why.
''Pompoms!'' Ben was laughing at her and then she was laughing again too. ''What am I going to do with you? It's ok, you don't have to be my partner if you don't want to,'' he said, teasing.
''Of course I want to be your partner,'' she whispered up at him, hardly able to believe the turn of events in the space of the last hour or two.
''Well good,'' he said, ''Because you're coming to the training session tomorrow at 11. You're ready for it! And I have a little something for you too.''
He opened his bag and pulled out a beautiful new pair of skates. They were gleaming white with shiny new blades.
Laurel couldn't believe her eyes; they were beautiful! ''Thank you so much!'' she muttered, almost in tears again.