Laughing Fate (18 page)

Potter was leaning against his car when he saw Puck come out. She looked hot. Her hair was down, and though she wasn’t wearing a bikini, she looked dang good. She was dressed in play clothes, but they still hugged her curves. He could see a hint of cleavage and a bit of skin, which was good enough for him. She was a goddess. Best of all she was smiling for him, happy to be with him, which is all he could ask for.

"Where’s the bikini?" Potter asked as he opened her door for Puck. Puck smiled up at him as she climbed into the car. Normally, Puck hated it when guys opened doors for girls, but when Potter did it, it was cute. Puck buckled her seat belt and waited for Potter to get in. They drove down to the cove with beach boys blasting from their speakers and their windows down. They sang at the top of their lungs, both off key, and laughing the whole way down.

Potter swelled with pride when he saw Puck’s grinning face. She’d been grinning nonstop since he’d promised her a surfing lesson. He silently thanked his Aunt Rose for giving him the idea, he’d have to remember that the way to Puck’s heart was adventure. He lifted her board off his rack and together they walked towards the shore break. The waves were a gentle four footer, perfect for Puck to learn in. As they walked Potter lectured her on the basics of surfing.

"Remember, once you feel your surfboard being picked up by the wave, jump up onto your feet. I’ll be right beside you the whole time."

"Got it."

"And if you get caught in a rip tide you need to paddle sideways to get out of it"

"Uh huh..."

"Oh, and if a shark appears, which technically you’re more likely to die from sand than a shark, catch the first wave in!"

"Yup."

"And let me know the second you start to get cold, I don’t want you getting hypothermia, are you listening to me?"

"Sure..."

"Puck! Listen, these are serious concerns!"

Puck sighed and glanced up at Potter. He’d been lecturing her the whole time they’d been walking on the sand about stupid things like sharks and sand. Who needed warnings about sand? God, he could really be a spaz sometimes. Couldn’t he just shut up once in a while?

"Potter...can’t we just get in the water now? I think you’re worrying too much, I know the ocean like the back of my hand."

Potter sighed and placed her board on the sand. Puck was not someone who thought of danger, so he was probably wasting his breath on his warnings. The thought of Puck getting hurt in any way, though, made him want to hyperventilate. Had he warned her about jelly fish?

Puck could see him drawing in breath to warn her about some random danger so she quickly distracted him. She smiled up at him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He smelled so good, that for a brief second she rested her cheek against his, but then she pulled away.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Potter. It was really nice of you! Can’t we just get in the water now?"

Potter had completely forgotten about jelly fish and the dangers they imposed when Puck had kissed him on the cheek. It took all of his will power not to pull her into his arms and kiss the hell out of her. He was amazed at the power of such an innocent kiss.

"Okay. First things first, waxing up your board. Do you have your sex wax?"

Potter guided Puck on how to wax up her board and then led her into the shore break. He stood in waist high water and coached her on how to catch a wave. Surfing was different than body boarding; you could be a great body boarder and suck at surfing. He watched proudly as Puck took her first spill without complaint, and laughed when she stood up on wobbly legs on her first real wave. An hour had passed, and although Puck would still be considered a kook for at least a month, she had progressed pretty fast.

Puck grabbed her surfboard and walked out of the water with Potter. The lesson had gone great. She’d wiped out a lot, but she had also caught several small waves and managed to stay standing. She looked up at Potter and had to force her eyes away. It was too easy to stare at that man. Her inner drill Sergeant Bill, was once again yelling that Potter was a man whore who had a girlfriend, what was she doing staring at him like that?

She was glad Potter hadn’t caught her looking at him, the longing must be written all over her face. When it came to Potter, Puck felt hungry, starving even. She just wanted one itty bitty taste of him, would that be so bad? One small kiss and maybe some heavy petting, and then Baby could have her boyfriend back.

Puck groaned and dropped her surf board in the sand. She was going to hell and if hell didn’t exist God was right now building a hell for her. She had to stop thinking about Potter. She definitely had to stop lusting for another girl’s boyfriend.

She glared at Potter, who was drying his hair with her pink towel. What was so special about him anyways? He was a complete spaz that warned her about the dangers of sand for goodness sakes! He was completely stubborn and a two timing, lying son of ... but he was also sweet. He had a boyish type of charm and his eyes were so warm when gazing down at her. He was hot, no doubt about it, but what was it about him that made her turn into a sex fiend? She didn’t want a romance, yet every time she turned around she was kissing Potter or wishing she was kissing Potter. He must have put a spell on her.

"Do you practice voodoo? Black magic? Any history of witches in your family?" Puck asked half seriously as she caught herself once again staring at him.

Potter glanced at her quizzically and said slowly, "No..." the way you would respond to a crazy little kid.

Puck sighed and sat down in the sand. He had cast a spell on her, he just wasn’t admitting to it. She wondered briefly if he would break under torture and admit that he was a witch. Puck shook her head to clear her thoughts and went back to staring at Potter. He was taking off his wet shirt now, real slow because it was stuck on his body. Puck leaned forward and licked her lips. She could stare all she liked because his head was covered by the shirt. She wondered what he’d do if she stood up and licked his abs...

****

Potter tugged on his shirt, trying to pull it over his head. The water was making it stick to his body and he was having a heck of a time trying to get it off. He finally pried it off his body and threw it on the towel. He glanced at Puck and did a double take when he saw her look. She was leaning forward, eyes glued to his chest, licking her lips, and panting slightly. He took a step forward before he’d even thought about it.

Puck had looked sexy from the moment she stepped out the door, but now she looked like she belonged on the cover of a play boy. Her hair was hanging wet around her shoulders, lust was written all over her face, her shirt was plastered to her body, and water was running over her body in little rivulets. Just one little kiss wouldn’t hurt... maybe if he just lay with her in his arms for a little bit.

‘Screw that’, Potter thought, ‘She wants to be kissed. She wanted his touch, she wouldn’t say no. No one’s around, I could make her moan and sweat and …’ Visions of Puck flashed through his brain, all of them x rated.

"You stole my towel."

"What?" Potter asked, completely bewildered. He’d been a second away from making fantasy a reality when she’d interrupted him with her towel accusation. Couldn’t she just shut up and let him kiss her?

Puck turned her head and said again, "That’s my towel you were using. You stole my towel."

"Oh. Sorry?"

"That’s ok, it’s only a towel. Let’s get going, I’m kind of cold."

Potter groaned and turned around. Puck had to have seen that he was aroused, had to have known what he intended. Hell, she had wanted it to happen, why did she shoot him down?

It wasn’t until after Potter came out from his impromptu return to the sea, that he remembered that Puck didn’t want a relationship with him.  She had Tony for when she got lonely, the thought of which still made him want to punch something. He forcefully pushed his jealousy aside and focused on Puck. She wanted a friend and friends don’t jump each other on the beach like a bunch of sex crazed maniacs. Besides, he still hadn’t broken it off with Baby yet. He was such a schmuck! Anyways, today was about repairing their friendship after their LAST kiss. Potter smacked his forehead and vowed never to kiss Puck again... unless she initiated it.

Potter looked around for Puck and saw her sitting on the hood of his car, wearing her hoody over that sexy body, and chatting with a bunch of guys. Potter cursed when he saw it was his gang that she was talking to. His friends were womanizing bastards, what was she doing with them?

"So what are you wearing underneath that hoody?" asked one very dead friend.

Potter pushed his way thru the circle of guys flirting with Puck and put his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Now, Brad, didn’t your mother teach you not to ask girls that?" Potter said as nicely as possible. What was screaming in his head was "Back off! Mine!", but Potter was more civilized than that.

Potter flinched as Puck elbowed him in the ribs and jumped off the car. She glared at Potter and then turned to smile at the boys who were laughing and nudging each other.

"Why are you guys friends with him again? He’s such a bore! For your information Brad," Puck leaned in close and whispered loudly in his ear, "I’m wearing a bikini that makes me look dang hot." Puck smirked at Potter and opened the passenger door, "Are you ready to leave?"

Puck watched as Potter’s face turned red with satisfaction. Stupid men were all the same, once they’ve kissed you they think they own you. She’d been waiting for Potter to come back from his last minute dunk in the sea (the reason for it had not escaped her notice, it had taken all of her will power just to cool herself down) when all of his friends came up. She had been getting to know them better when Potter shoved his way to her and put a possessive arm around her. He might as well have peed on her and marked her as his territory. Even that, she could have forgiven for the sake of keeping the peace, but then he’d barked at Brad, "Back off! Mine!" and tightened his hold on her, practically dragging her on his lap. She was no man’s possession! Besides, the stupid man had a girlfriend! Had he forgotten that little fact?

Potter jumped into the car and slammed his door. There was a nerve in his jaw twitching...interesting. Puck waved good bye to the gang and blew a kiss in Brad’s direction. The twitch in Potter’s jaw was definitely more noticeable, and it seemed as if his whole face was clenched. Maybe she had pushed him too far? She hadn’t meant to start a fight, just make a point. She noticed a vein popping out of his forehead and grew a little afraid. He wasn’t just jealous or angry, he was pissed.

They drove in silence for awhile, Puck shooting Potter nervous glances. Just how mad was he? They were almost home when Potter turned on the radio. He surfed around a bit until he found an alternative rock station. He seemed less tense, so Puck breathed a sigh of relief and started chatting with him. She had been so afraid that she had pushed Potter too far. She smiled up at Potter, so grateful that he’d done all of this for her. He was really a great man.

Potter glanced at Puck to find she was smiling up at him, hero worship in her eyes. What was that all about? He’d been a prick to her, and here she was smiling at him? She did not make any sense. He had been so jealous when she’d whispered in his friend’s ear. He had no claim on her at all, but he definitely didn’t want another man touching her or smelling her. She was his, damn it!

"What?", he asked incredulously.

"Thank you for the surf board, the lesson, the adventure...it was awesome. Thank you, Potter. I’m sorry I got so mad at you the other day. It was just a kiss, I shouldn’t have made such a big deal about it. It was a mistake, mistakes happen. I’m sorry about the kiss too, you have a girlfriend and I …I’m not available either, so we had no business kissing like that. Truce?" Puck stuck out her hand and smiled at Potter.

Potter shook her hand, while still driving, smiling at Puck. It looked like they could still be friends then. "I’m sorry, too. I’m stupid, what can I say? I just know that I really like you. I want to be friends with you. It was killing me to think that I might never talk to you, play with you. I’m sorry, too, for overreacting today at the beach. My friends are womanizing bastards ...I just don’t want them to bother you. I’ll act better next time, I promise. As for Baby, It’s over between us, we both know it. We just don’t get along, you know? You’re right though, me and you are good as friends, I’d like to keep that. "

Puck grinned and sat back in her chair. Potter liked her. She closed her eyes and listened to the happy humming inside of her brain, the world was good. They could be friends again and play. He liked playing with her. Puck was so happy she couldn’t stop grinning. She kept replaying what he’d said: he liked her, liked playing with her, he wanted to be friends, he was sorry. It was the most beautiful speech he could have said, because he had meant every word of it.

Potter smiled to himself. He must have said something right, because Puck couldn’t stop grinning. She had her head resting against the seat, her eyes closed, with a huge grin pasted on her face. She was doing the cutest thing; she was humming happily to herself. Dang, she was cute! Potter pulled up into her drive way and nudged her shoulder.

"Ok, get out."

"Bye Potter, I’ll see you later right? Oh! And thank you again! I really mean it, I had a great time." Puck jumped out of his car, still smiling, and ran into her house.