Coach Me

“Oh, okay.” He chuckles, sliding his hands into his front pockets. “I see how you want to play this.”

I turn in the direction of the haunted boat ride then glance over my shoulder at him, and just as I suspect, he follows. My heart beats madly when he catches up to my side, his dark irises falling to latch onto mine.

I fight a smile, looking ahead. I didn’t think he’d take the bait.

What the hell am I even doing? Everyone knows the haunted boat ride is a two-person ride. One boat at a time goes and, most times, rides like these are for couples, especially at night. Torres and I aren’t a couple, but I have to admit that when he showed up at the bench and shared his hot dog with me, it meant a lot to me.

He could have easily ignored what happened, left the carnival, and gone about his night, but he came to check on me, despite not being all that sentimental about it. I’m glad he wasn’t. The last thing I want is his pity.

I can’t ignore how my body reacts when he’s close either. The other day, when he was rolling my ankle, I tried to play it cool as I laid on the table with his large hand wrapped around my leg. His hands were warm, and he smelled like the outdoors and a whiff of whatever manly soap he uses. I thought for a moment he was trying to resist looking at me, but he’s my coach. He was just doing his job.

Today he’s wearing a cologne and smelling even more delicious, and those damn gray sweat pants aren’t helping when it comes to denying my attraction to him. Torres is sexy and all man, and he knows it. Everyone knows it.

I’m making excuses now, trying to get him to stick around a little longer. After the haunted boat ride, that will be it.

We’re only hanging out and he’s trying to cheer me up about the situation with Stephen. There’s nothing wrong with a coach cheering up his runner, is there? Most of the people here don’t even know he’s my coach, so does it even matter?

When the ride is over, I’ll find Kendall and Janine and go about my night and let him do the same. Hell, I might even crack open the vodka Kendall brought and get drunk. It’s a simple plan, and one I’ll have no problem sticking to.

The boat ride needs four tickets and fortunately I have just enough. I hand them to the ride operator and he opens the gates for us. There’s a boat already waiting, chained to the gate, painted yellow and sky-blue. Green vines are painted on the boat as well, but the paint has chipped a bit where the vines are. I climb into the boat and slide across the seat as it sways.

When I look up, Torres is standing on the walkway on the opposite side of the boat. “You really want this to be your dare?” he asks, and I nod.

“Get your ass in this boat, Torres.” I can’t for the life of me fight my laugh as I mock him from earlier. Like a champ, he climbs into the boat, and I almost regret having him do this when I realize how long his legs are and how small the boat is. He has to bend his legs and sit up really tall to fit in, but he makes do.

The ride operator walks to the station and presses one of the buttons. A buzzer goes off and silly Scooby Doo music begins to play.

Torres rolls his eyes. “This is such a joke.”

“Shush, it’ll be fun.”

I face forward, hugging the orange dragon I won to my chest. Torres exhales as we approach the tunnel. As soon as we’re inside it, it glows in neon greens and blues, the music is louder, and the water sloshes against the boat.

“I know this isn’t your thing, but thanks for checking on me,” I say as we ride beneath a swinging cardboard ghost.

“Don’t mention it,” he murmurs. A loud witch cackle pours out of the hidden speakers. The speakers sound like they’re about to pop. Torres shakes his head. “This is ridiculous, you know.”

I bite a grin. “I know.”

“I mean, this ride was literally made for children. It says it on the poster outside. For kids 6-10.” Just as he says that, a monster with one eye and sharp teeth springs out of one of the prop boxes, coming really close to Torres’ face as we ride by.

He shoves it away. I laugh.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask in a smaller voice.

“What’s up?”

“Do you think I should have chosen a different college?”

He blinks several times before sighing and looking ahead. “No, Lakes. I don’t think you should have chosen a different college.”