"Come on, Eddie, go with me. There's some real hot chicks here for the competition, especially one, Simona Petrescu. Man, she is smoking. I want to meet her. You have to go with me," pleaded Darren, my all too horny roommate.

Reluctantly, I got up from my bed, pulled on a pair of ratty jeans, sniffed my armpits, sorted through a mound of dirty laundry to find a somewhat clean shirt, then slid my feet into old, worn leather flip flops. "Okay, let's go," I said

A look of horror flashed across Darren's face. "No fucking way are you going like that! Get in the shower," he demanded. "I will find some clean clothes for you. Geezus, what has come over you, Eddie? You used to be such a neat freak, but lately you are a slob, you stink."

"Sorry man, grad school is busting my ass. I don't have time for anything but studying. No partying, no pussy, no fun… nothing but study, study, study. Hell, I even turned down a modeling job, because I couldn't afford the time to fly to the Virgin Islands for the shoot. My life sucks," I wailed.

Out of my clothes, I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, "Oh my god! I do look like a bum," I thought. My mother, the consummate Grande Dame, would be horrified. I stepped into the hot shower and scrubbed myself, hard. Washing my hair, I realized it had been months since I'd had it cut.

As I dried, Darren was starring at me, smiling. "What?" I asked. "You're not lusting after me, are you. I can't handle that, dude."

He burst out laughing, "Fuck you, man. I was just recalling that night in our senior year, after the Gators kicked our ass, we picked up that Gator gal, fucked her silly, tag team fucking, and then double fucking her. The ultimate revenge! God, that was fun."

As hard as I tried not to, I devilishly grinned, remembering what a night that was. I composed myself and frowned. "It was fucking weird dude, me in her ass, you in the pussy, me falling out, putting it back in, only this time, accidentally, in the vagina with you. Ugh!"

"Weird? Why? Because your dick touched mine inside her vagina? I thought it felt good, so tight," he replied.

"Yeah, it was weird, especially when Mr. Quick Shot came all over my dick inside her. Damn, dude, why did you bring that up? I have spent countless hours, days, months, even, trying to forget that. And now you tell me you liked it, What the fuck?" I asked with a raised voice.

"Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. Comb that ratty hair and let's go, we're late." He turned and headed to the door. "Come on, let's go."

We headed for the Trousdell Gymnastics Center where our gymnasts were training and competing with some girls from Texas. Simona Petrescu, on the Texas team, was also a member of Team USA. I had seen her perform on television; balance beam was her specialty. And she was hot, indeed.

Darren wanted me to be his wingman because I knew several gals on our team, which was his 'in' to meet Simona. I, on the other hand, was a bit apprehensive. The gals I knew, particularly one, might be hostile towards me. I had the reputation of being a one night stand kind of guy, no commitments, fuck 'em and move on.

There were so many pressures put on me to succeed, from my parents, my professors, my football coach, who still had not forgiven me for withdrawing my name from the NFL draft. In my defense, I wanted more from life than the rough and tumble life of a NFL player. I love music, all kinds, but mainly classical. My dream was to be a classical pianist. Football and classical piano are not very compatible.

Entering the center, we were greeted by some people we knew. I asked if Lawre was here and was told where to find her. "Hey, fuck machine, be careful, she is on the warpath," a friend shouted as he and all the people around yelled out the Seminole war-hoop and made the tomahawk chopping sign. I shrugged my shoulders, laughed, and walked on.

When we walked into the arena, no one was practicing, most were in conference with the coaches. I saw Lawre and waved at her. If looks could kill, I would have been dead on the spot. I yelled at her to come over. After a few minutes she did.

Before she could say anything, I began groveling, explaining how busy I was with grad school. "And you didn't have time to call? Bullshit, Eddie, total bullshit," she shouted at me. "People warned me about you, but, no, I wouldn't listen. I thought I could be the one who finally tamed you. What a fucking idiot I was."

I am not a complete asshole… close, but not completely. I did feel her disappointment and anger. But, what could I say other than I'm sorry? I managed to say that and asked her if there was any way I could make it up to her. "Lawre, I care about you and I don't want you to hate me."

She softened slightly, "I don't know how you do it. I don't hate you. I probably should," she said. "But, no matter, what do you want? I know there is something, what is it?"

Being quick on my feet, I replied, "Will you have dinner with me tonight? Nothing but dinner, no pressures, just dinner and conversation. Please."

She looked at Darren with a look that could only be defined as, is he for real? Darren nodded. "He's been talking about you for weeks now," he lied.

She explained that the Texas and State girls were going out, "Maybe you could meet us." Looking straight at me, she added. "That will be my safety net, twenty-five girls to kick your ass if something goes down, like my pants or your hand on my tits." Even though she laughed, she was looked serious.

Trying to change the subject to ease the tension, Darren stuttered, "Do you know Simona Petrescu? Will she be there? I want to meet her."

She told us she knew her very well. "Sorry, Darren, she is way out of your league. You would not believe how many guys have hit on her this week. She is all business, nothing but gymnastics. You know how focused those Romanian girls are."

A puzzled look crossed Darren's face, "Romanian? I thought she was American, she is after all on Team USA."

"She was born in this country. However, her dad is Romanian and her mother is Cuban, quite a combination, fire and ice, and not the kind of girl you want to fuck with. On the other hand she is one of the nicest girls I know. I will introduce you but, trust me Darren, she is not your type."
After telling us where they would be that evening, she left us standing there, a bit bewildered and confused. "Well, son, looks like you have a challenge on your hands, think you can handle it?'' I teased. That was totally unfair. Darren Fletcher is one of the most confident men I know, a brilliant student, an excellent athlete and my best friend.

We walked out of the center, chatting about his strategy for the night. Darren's enthusiasm was infectious. I knew I should be studying, but I had to be there to see how he made out with Simona. Was she truly out of his league? I doubted it.

First, I needed to get my hair trimmed and buy a new shirt. I had nice slacks, but no decent shirts; well, none that were clean. I had to get my laundry done this week, for sure. I dreaded going home with bags of dirty laundry. Mother would give me holy hell about it.

I love my mother, but she still thinks of me as her little boy, her child prodigy, and if I let her, she would be up my ass, in my business all the time. This is the reason I do not live at home; not since my freshman year. Living in the dorms during undergrad, and now in an apartment with three other guys was my feeble attempt at being an adult.

That thought made me chuckle. Me, an adult! Ha! I still go home when I can no longer take the cheap, meager food I subsist on. The only time I ate well was on a modeling assignment, all first class restaurants and hotels. I resolved to do better, at least try, after this last mountain of laundry was done.

The salon where I go to get my hair trimmed was busy. Since I had no appointment, I had to wait. The receptionist told me they had a special on pedicures and there was an open chair if I wanted one while I waited. Oh, hell, why not? I was taken to a comfortable chair, where an Asian lady was waiting for her next customer.

In her broken English, she told me to take off my shoes. She looked at my feet, giggled, "Bad feet!" I didn't think my feet were that bad, just needed some attention. She began her work, soaking the feet, scrubbing them, shaving off the old dead skin. I am highly ticklish when it comes to someone touching my feet. She smacked my leg when I moved and told me to be still.

I don't know why, but this was turning me on, I began to chub up. "Think of your grandmother, your mother, Mozart, whatever it takes to keep little Eddie under control," I thought. Thank God, it worked. When she was finished, I was amazed, my feet actually looked good, really good.

After having my hair trimmed, still long, but now above the shoulders, I stopped by a men's store, an old fashioned haberdashery, where I had shopped since I started wearing men's sizes. I wondered how they stayed in business with all the big stores in malls offering similar merchandise at cheaper prices.

I was greeted by Mr. Brockett, the owner I had known for years. "Eddie, I am so happy to see you, it has been ages. Your father was in here last week and I asked about you. I was so surprised when he told me you were not playing professional football… you were such a good kicker. What can I help you with?"

After looking through a ton of shirts, I selected two, a pair of crisp linen shorts and a new pair of leather flip flops. As he was ringing up the sale, I noticed a couple of framed pictures on the wall behind the counter. One was of me in my Seminole football uniform and the other was me in a designer suit from a fashion shoot I did last year.

He saw me looking at them. "That is my superstar customer. I tell everyone I have known you since you used to come in the store with your father as a little kid. I am so proud of you, Eddie." I detected a tear in his eye.

"Thank you, Mr. Brockett, that means a lot to me." He came around the counter, hugged me and thanked me for being a long time loyal customer and told me not to be a stranger.

I had to hurry home, have another shower, dress and be ready to go out on the town. I had not done this in weeks and I needed it. I needed to be around people. I needed pussy. I jumped in the shower, soaped up and promptly sprung a boner. I had to relieve myself, even though I wanted to wait. But there was an urgency that I could not suppress. It did not take long before I was unloading a massive load. "Ahhhh!"

Darren was patiently waiting for me, dressed, looking sharp and ready to go. I walked out in a new long sleeved shirt, rolled up to mid forearm, the linen shorts and the new flip flops.

"Damn it to hell, dude, you look like you just stepped out of GQ. It's not fair, fucker, not fair." He was looking me over, head to toe. I did my best runway pose. We burst out laughing.

"Don't stand next to me tonight, man. I would prefer not to be overshadowed by you," he pleaded.

I told him to stop it. "Dar, you are a handsome man. What are you worrying about? That is just stupid. Gals will be falling all over you."

After completing his assessment of my appearance, he continued, "Dude you have the best legs of any of us guys; perfectly shaped, so damn hairy you can barely see skin and look at those feet. Did you get a pedicure?"

I explained about getting my feet done. "It was almost an embarrassing situation, I started getting a chub when the gal slapped my leg when I moved. It was hard to keep still, you know how ticklish I am on my feet."

We laughed at my dilemma as we walked out the door heading to the venue where the girls were hanging out. Darren was excited beyond words. After we parked and walked towards the door, panic set in. "Eddie, what if I fuck up? Oh shit, what was I thinking?"

I grabbed his arm before he could bolt and ushered him inside. "Be cool, dude, you got this." The room was full of students, many I knew. Music was blasting as we made our way around until I found Lawre.

"Well, look who showed up, and looking fine, I must admit. How are you Darren?"

Ouch! That stung, but I was happy for Darren, he needed that to boost his confidence.

"Where did you pick up this ragamuffin?"

"Hello Lawre, you are looking pretty good yourself. Can I buy you a drink?" I asked.

She told me there was no alcohol being sold. "We're all in training, let me get you a Coke or something. How about you Darren, what'll you have, Coke, water?" she said.

"No thank you," I answered. I excused myself and starting checking out the room, looking for friends. I was not going to let an obviously disgruntled female ruin my evening.

Then I saw her: Simona Petrescu. She was gorgeous, long, dark brown almost black hair, eyes just as dark, tiny shapely body, a perfect specimen. I walked over to introduce myself. "Hello, I am Eddie, what's your name?"

It seemed like an eternity before she spoke. "I know who you are, your reputation precedes you," she laughed. "I am Simi."

I was taken aback for a second, but recovered quickly. "I see you have been talking to Lawre Richards. She doesn't like me very much, so I expect anything she had to say about me was not complimentary."

She smirked, "Actually, most of the girls here had less than favorable things to say about you. Well, no, I take that back. They said your were a very good football player and musically talented."

Quickly searching for an answer, I said, "I guess that is something positive, but I am much more that that. I am a nice guy, a good friend, focused on my education and my future. I do not lie, can be brutally honest, which sometimes comes out as arrogant and self-serving. I never disrespect or hurt anyone intentionally. When I do, I always apologize."

"Hmm! I am a very good judge of character. On the surface, you seem to be what you say you are. I have to tell you, I am intrigued, but, get this straight, I am not going to become one of your conquests."

My eyeballs must have rolled back in my head, I was not expecting that reply. "Simi, I did not say anything about you being a conquest. I spoke to you, being friendly, to tell you that I admired your athletic skills. Also, my best friend Darren wants to meet you."

"Well, where is he, this friend of yours," she said, looking around the room.

"Follow me, I think he is talking to Lawre."

We walked toward where I last saw them. Looking all around, I could not find them. I asked another friend if he had seen them or knew where they were.

"I think they left," he said.

I turned to Simi. "I guess they left. Want to go somewhere else, did you eat yet?'

"Nah, I think I will hang with my girls. Nice meeting you. Hmm, what was your name again?" she asked coldly.

Disgusted with her cynicism, I remained silent, then turned to walk away. She caught my arm to stop me. "I'm sorry, Eddie, I am being an ass. Yes, we can go somewhere to talk, eat, whatever, somewhere quieter than this place?"

I almost said, "Fuck off," but I didn't, just kept walking towards the door, Simi still holding my arm. Truthfully, this short meeting had me wondering who she really was and, beyond the sarcasm, what was she really like. Talk about being intrigued, I was that and slightly smitten to boot.

I walked very quickly, easy strides for my long legs, not so much for her. "Will you slow down, Eddie? What's the rush?"

Stopping, looking around, I said, "Damn. That bastard left me here, the car is gone. I guess I will have to walk home. It was nice to meet you. Good luck in your competitions."

"Hey, there is a coffee shop across the street. Let's go there, doesn't look too crowded," she said, grabbing my arm and directing me across the busy street. "You like coffee, don't you?"

Inside, she told me to find a table, she would get the coffee. "What do you like?"

This was new to me, a girl buying coffee for me. I know this is the day of modern, liberated, confident women, but I am still a southern gentleman, I usually pay. She completely ignored me when I offered money.

"I will have a decaf latte with skim milk," I responded, obviouslyto her amusement. "What?"

She shook her head. "Find a table."

After she set the coffees on the table, I asked, "Why did you laugh at my order, not manly enough for you?"

After a brief pause, she answered, "All I have ever had is robust, strong coffee. My father drinks it black. My mother likes Cubano, strong with lots of cream and so sweet it would put you in a diabetic coma. I like mine strong with the cream foam on top." She offered a taste, which I took. Yuk! I guess it is all in what you are used to.

We sat there talking about sports, education, a multitude of things. I was finding out that she was a well-rounded, well-adjusted, smart, intelligent woman. Being a sapiosexual, her intelligence turned me on. I knew at that moment, I really wanted her in my life. Crazy, perhaps, but when I see something I want, I go for it.

When the conversation edged on sex, I tried my best not to be the macho asshole I had been in the past. Did I want her? Absolutely. However, she had set the ground rules earlier: she was not interested in being one of my conquests. That was not what I wanted, I wanted a more permanent relationship. Me? The fuck machine, wanting to be serious?

I told her I had better get moving, since I had a long walk home. But, first, I wanted to walk her back to the dorm where she was staying. At the entrance, I stuck out my hand to shake hers, but she pushed it aside, put her arms around my neck and kissed me deeply. What the fuck!

"Bye, Eddie. I think you are a nice man. I hope our paths cross again some day," she said.

"Hold on a second," I said as she walked away. "What was that about? You kiss me like that and leave me here, panting and sweating like a racehorse."

She looked over her shoulder, smiled and continued on inside the dorm. Damn it! Some of her teammates from Texas were walking up to the entrance. I stopped them to inquire when they were leaving and where they were going. They were going across country to California, leaving in the morning. Shit!

I practically ran all the way home, burst into the apartment, first to yell at Darren for leaving me high and dry and to tell him about Simi. I was not expecting what I saw: Darren with his dick deep in Lawre, fucking the hell out of her. Both of them scrambled to cover up.

Disgusted, jealous, a flood of emotions were coursing through my mind. I thought, "Go for it, Darren, you can have her, I don't want her. I want Simi."

I plopped down on the couch, deep in thought, frustrated, depressed to some degree, wondering what was I going to do.

Darren and Lawre were now fully dressed, sheepishly apologizing. "Look, forget it. I don't give a flying fuck. Do what you want, I just don't care," I shouted. They left.

I knew I had to get over myself and get back to my studies. I had a test in two days for which I was ill prepared. "Get a grip, Eddie!"

The next couple of days were a blur and how I managed to ace my test is beyond me. My mind was consumed with Simi. Asking all around, I found out where they would be in California. The decision was made, I was going to drive to California. I had to see her again.

The chase was on...