The Neighbor #2 (The Neighbor Romance Series - Book #2) (5 page)

“Hello, I’m Seth Martin. I have not seen you here before.
Are you new here?” He asked. He was definitely a freshman. Seth was about 5’5”
and fit, of course. He looked like a gymnast. He was built like a little tank.

“I am new. Isn’t everyone? This place just opened.
I’m Jenna Walsh. I am meeting my golf instructor here. I don’t see him yet so I
think I will warm up on a bike.”

I approached a bike.

“Allow me to show you how this is done.” Seth
mounted the bike next to mine.

“I know how to ride a bike but thanks anyway Seth. I
got it.”

“Cool, I will let you work up a sweat. If I see your
teacher roaming around, I will head him in your direction. What does he look
like?” he asked.

“He is about six feet tall, tan and short black hair.
He has a big smile and green eyes. There are few people here though so I am
sure he will find me. I appreciate your assistance,” I said.

Seth was beginning to bother me.

I could not help but look at myself in the mirror.
They surrounded me. I was trying not to appear as if I was trying. I had tried
on every piece of Spandex in my closet as I looked for something that
accentuated my assets. I was wearing black pants and a neon pink tank with a
built-in bra. My sneakers were fuchsia and grey. I loved pink because it was a
hopeful color. I usually included something pink in my wardrobe and tried not
to overdo it. I did not want to look like a bottle of
Pepto
Bismal
.

I looked up to see Seth coming at me with Ryder in
tow.

“Look who I found. He was walking around like a lost
puppy,” Seth said. Ryder shot him a weird glance.

Ryder looked amazing. He was wearing a loose pair of
blue and white Tar Heel basketball shorts and a white Adidas t-shirt.

“I recognized Professor Curran as soon as he walked
in. You didn’t tell me that he was the freshman Sex Ed. teacher. I don’t know
how you manage to teach a class and manage a side job as a golf instructor,”
Seth said.

He was not leaving.

“I do not have many golf clients. Ms. Walsh is a
holdover student from the summer. Thanks for hooking us up Seth. I’m sure you
will be easy to find if we need your help.” Ryder was cordial but it was
apparent he was anxious for Seth to move on.

“I will check in with you in a few minutes. I would
love to give you a tour. We have a whirl-pool, sauna and a lap pool,” Seth said
and finally walked away.

Ryder and I were finally alone. He put his hand on
my bicep. The gesture sent a shiver down my spine.

“What are you doing? We don’t have complete privacy
in this place.” As I spoke, Ryder started massaging my upper arm.

“I am checking out your arm muscles. We will have to
work on your upper-body strength.”

Ryder’s fingers journeyed up my spine. They reached
my neck and he gently squeezed.

“You are tight. Loosening up will go a long way in
helping your game. We will hit the mat and do some stretches. I will teach you
some moves that you should do before putting your hands on the,” Ryder paused.
“Sorry, I lost my thought.
Before you put your hands on the
club.”

If this sexual tension were to continue, I would
enjoy playing this game with Ryder. We headed to the mat. Because there were
few people in The Gym we had the surface to ourselves.

“What is with the North Carolina shorts? You seem to
have your Carolina’s confused,” I commented on his attire.

“I spend quite a bit of time up there. Coach Dean
Williams said God made the sky Carolina Blue. I am a big fan of their sport’s
programs. Before I ended up at Stanford, I had my sights set on UNC. They have
epic golf courses in North Carolina. Pinehurst
hole
two
is my favorite place to play a round of golf. I will take you up there some
time,” Ryder said.

“I am sure you taught Sammy these exercises?” I
could not help bring up the name.

“Something similar.
Every person has a unique body type that requires specific stretches.”

“How is my body type compared to that of Sammy’s?”

“Your body type is my type. I think I have made it
clear that I love your body. We just have to adapt it to golf. Your legs are
toned to perfection from running and soccer. We need to improve your range and
flexibility. Having a strong back is essential in the game of golf,” Ryder
said. I was stuck on the words
perfection
and
my type
. Our young
relationship was still hard to wrap my mind
around
.

“You are taking this golf thing seriously,” I told
him.

“It may just be the way we are able to see each
other in public but I always take the game seriously.”

“You are sexy when you’re focused,” I said and Ryder
smiled.

“Lay on your back like me. We are going to stretch
out your hamstrings. These should come naturally to you. Lift your legs up, one
at a time and pull them towards you.” Ryder demonstrated the move. Boxer briefs
were in place beneath his shorts for support. “Pay attention to the hammy pulls
and stop looking at my dick.” Ryder laughed.

“I can’t help it.” I blushed. “I am getting used to
this rouse but my mind wanders sometimes.”

“Okay, now we are going to do a side stretch. The
swing of the club is jarring to the tissue and muscles in this area.” Ryder
gently placed his hand under my arm. He came close to touching my breast. He
moved his finger down my side tracing the outline of my hips. “Now reach up for
the stars and rock to the side. If you pay attention on television, you will
see the pros doing this all of the time. It will become something you do
involuntarily. A simple exercise makes a great deal of difference”

“How long should I do these stretches?” I asked,
trying to keep the conversation going. Plus, I was hoping he would say “not
very long” because I was beginning to feel the burn.

“I think they are vital. About twenty minutes a
day.”

“I think you will have to keep a close eye on me.
Make sure I do them.”

“It will be a chore but I think I can manage.” Ryder
smiled. “Are you up for some lunges?”

“How about a water break?”

“Sure, we can discuss my instruction fee over
water.”

“Seriously Ryder?”

“Seriously Jenna.
I am providing a service so you will provide payment. It is how things operate
in the real world.”

Was he screwing with me?

Shit.

We walked to a lounge that was set up for breaks. It
was stocked with energy bars, bananas and bottled water. Without thinking I
grabbed a banana and slowly started to tear down the peel. I placed half of the
fruit in my mouth and devoured it. The entire time, my eyes were fixed on
Ryder’s
.

“Okay Ryder. Let’s talk payment,” I said, swallowing
my banana as I spoke.

“I know that you are a broke college student.” Ryder
steadied himself against the wall. “I will let you pay whatever you think you
can handle.” He almost slid down the wall.

“I will give it some thought,” I lied. I wouldn’t be
paying him. Unless he could wait until I was out of college. He’d have to find
that out later.

For about thirty seconds we stared at each other. It
reminded me of staring contests I used to have with my brother. The only
difference was that Ryder was definitely not my brother.

Ryder finally blinked and suggested, “How about a
conditioning run? I realize that it’s late but you will be safe with me.”

Was he trying to get me alone?

“I will go slowly to accommodate your pace,” I said
as a grin spread across my face.

“My legs are longer than yours are and I’m a man. I
am sure I can hold my own.”

“You are going to wish you hadn’t said that. You’ll
realize you’re not the
man
. You will
be chasing my wagging ponytail,” I said.

“No, if I am chasing anything it will be your perky
little ass.”

I laughed. “Yep and I’ll still be winning if that’s
the case.”

Ryder chuckled. We planned a four mile loop around
campus. The area was buzzing with students. The campus did not shut down after
dark and many of the people were rushing in or out of the library. Only a few
of them were actually studying.

We ran past Leach Hall and I saw my room light still
on. Kelly must have been studying instead of going out. The girl would probably
sleep in late to accommodate her night hours, which usually stopped at 3 AM. We
would have to work on a compromise.

He really didn’t mind the other students seeing us
together. I did though. I wanted people to think he was really my coach.

“Too fast for you
coach
?”
I spoke easily. Running was my thing and I was hardly winded.

“Easy Jenna.
I think I am in trouble,” Ryder said gasping.

“What the hell is wrong? Are you having a heart
attack?” I fumbled for my phone.

“Stop!
Don’t call 911. I am in trouble because I am having a huge endorphin rush from
staring at your sexy body.” Ryder laughed and he stopped to catch his breath.

“Asshole.”
I liked his eyes on me though. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“I am 33-years old, not 60.”

“You take golf seriously and I take running
seriously. When I commit to a four- mile loop I stick with it. They have great
showers at that so-called secret gym of yours. I’m sure Seth will be happy to
show you the way. I’ll finish my run.”

“You are fucking evil Jenna,” he said and grinned.

I laughed and started running again. I looked over
my shoulder and he followed me. The thought of him chasing after me was weird.
I usually chased after guys. He was 10 feet behind me at this point. The bushes
were tempting but I was enjoying the game. I also did not want to make any
impulsive moves that would blow our cover. It would only take one student to
see us doing anything slightly inappropriate to ruin everything.

We finally arrived back at The Gym.

“That felt excellent.
Especially
since I kicked your ass.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, a work-out is a great way to end
the day. You definitely have promise,” Ryder said and my eyes widened. “As a
golfer I mean.”

“Yeah, my golf game is coming along nicely isn’t it?”

“Well, there’s plenty to still work on. I am
thinking we should hit the greens in a couple of days since I know you have
classes the rest of the week. How about 3 PM on Saturday? We can work on your
chipping. We don’t want your time in the gym wasted. Let’s put it to use,” he
suggested and then winked.

I never knew if he was joking or not about making me
a better golfer but I’d do anything to spend more time with him.

“I think I can fit it into my schedule. I will meet
you at the public course. There will not be many of your students there.”

“It’s a date,” Ryder said.

“No Ryder, it’s a lesson – remember?”

“I remember…”

“I will see you in class in the morning. It is a
large class. See if you can pick me out.”

“That will not be a challenge since you’re the most
beautiful woman in class,” Ryder said and then smiled as he walked back into
the gym.

All I could do was blush and wave goodbye.

I decided to skip showering at the gym. Knowing Ryder
was lathering up in the next room was more than I could handle. I ran on the
path back to Leach hall.

Chapter
Five

It had become routine. I would roll out of my twin
bed to see the fuzzy slippers of my roommate. Kelly slept with the blankets
pulled over her head. Her odor did not emanate until she awoke and yawned. It
was at its worst first thing in the morning. Morning breath was common but
Kelly’s was unbearable.

Kelly started to stir. She sat up and as I expected
she yawned. Like a hippopotamus, her mouth opened wide. She had good teeth so
the bad breath was not a result of tooth decay. I had looked up the possible
causes of bad breath. The fact that there was so much information on the topic
led me to believe that I wasn’t alone. I could imagine the questions.

Q.
     
How did your roommate end up in the
hospital?

A.
     
Bad breath.

It was not going to end well.

“Good morning Jenna. You were out again last night.
How is the professor?” Kelly asked.

It made sense that she was curious. It is not every
day your roommate comes with such a fascinating story. Even the cleaned up
version of my time with Ryder sounded spicy. She probably loved it.

“I am taking golf lessons from Ryder. We talked
about it and concluded that his career and my college education were more
important than a silly tryst,” I lied. I felt guilty because one lie often led
to another. I did not want to go down that road.