Summer Wind

Chapter 2 –A Summer Night

She was sitting on the steps just as he had left her the evening before. Leaning back on her elbows, she was watching the moths circle the overhead street light. Dressed again in running shorts, tennis shoes, and halter top, she had a bit of fair skin showing between the top of the shorts and the bottom of the halter. A bit of skin that rippled with a layer of muscles as she stretched backwards to lie upon the steps. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and Warren noticed that she was frowning. She didn’t appear as carefree as she had the night before.

When she noticed him approaching, she jumped up and joined him on the sidewalk. “Come to run with me,” she asked, starting to jog in place.

Warren raised one eyebrow sardonically. “Sorry, didn’t wear my workout clothes,”

“Yeah, I guess biker boots would be rather inconvenient for running.” She stopped jogging and started walking, leading him down the quiet street towards the park where they had met the previous evening.

“I told you before, I only run if I’m being chased.” He noticed she had grabbed a small back pack from the beside the bike rack when he had approached. The day before she hadn’t had anything with her on her run. He wondered why today was different.

“Pity, that,” she said, watching him from the corner of her eye. He had on the leather again despite the fact that it was late August. Kohl rimmed eyes, full lips, and tight black pants. She really was going to have to be careful with this one, or she could end up falling hard.

“Pity, what?” he asked, puzzled.

“It’s a pity that you run when you’re being chased, I mean, do you run every time you’re chased, or does it depend on what’s chasing you?” She turned to walk backwards in front of him, just because she knew it would annoy him.

“And is there a time when you’re being chased that you don’t run? What are the parameters? Do you only run from monsters?” She paused to consider the night before. “You seemed ready to take on what ever you thought was chasing me last night. So, it would seem that muggers must be okay, not really worth running from.”

She turned and fell back in step beside of him. “So what merits running? Is there a size factor to consider, or special powers? Crazed robots? Are humans mild enough that you aren’t worried about ordinary citizens? Then again,” she teased, “you seemed pretty ready to take off when I invited you to the movies, so do I qualify for the flee factor, as opposed to a crazed robot or demon drone.”

“Wait,” Warren stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, “Did you just mention killer robots, and demon drones?”

“Actually I think I said a crazed robot,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, into the entrance to the park. “But, yeah, I did. I’m hoping that the fact that you were patrolling the park last night, trying to jump on baddies means that you’re a hero in training, not some vigilante. Although, I must say the black leather and red hair is a little off-setting and perhaps not the look you should be going for if you really are considering this hero job thing.” She laughed at the startled expression on his face.

“Although, as a vigilante,” she stopped to consider his clothing, “You might be pretty dead on, as far as wardrobe goes.” She watched him a moment. “And with that said, I think I should mention that you don’t appear to be the type that runs away from trouble, despite your protests.”

Warren rubbed his hand across his face in an effort to cover the exasperation he felt as being discovered so easily. “Do you always talk this much?”

“In class, at school, no, not really, don’t say a word.” She paused to think. “Not the hallway, either, but with my friends, yeah, I do tend to ramble on. Kind of out loud musings.” She glanced around looking for the correct path, the one that would lead them deeper into the park.

Warren stopped walking, and let her pull ahead of him on the pathway. “So, we’re friends, then.”

He watched the way she moved, the way the muscles rippled in her legs, the way her hips swayed. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his emotions and body under control as he studied her. He felt the familiar warmth seeping out from his core, flickering down his arms toward his fingertips, felt the heat warming other parts of his body. He looked away to inspect the nearby trees, to try to gain some control.

“No, never really said that.” She realized that he wasn’t following her anymore. She turned back to face him. “But you did come back to find out my name, which is Jameson, by the way. So, why did you try to save me?”

“You just looked like you needed saving.” He had been averting his eyes, but at her question he looked up to meet her dark grey ones.

She seemed stunned. “Wow,” she whispered.

“What?” he couldn’t believe that she was that amazed by his concern for her welfare. After all he had walked her halfway across the park the night before.

“That’s one come on line that I’ve never heard before,” she teased him, laughing at the outrage that quickly appeared on his face. When he turned to walk away, she knew she had gone too far. She would need to find a way to bring him back, to make amends, and quick.

“Wait, Warren Peace,” she called. “What’s your power,” she asked as he turned back towards her.

“I’m a pyrokinetic,” he said, watching her close the distance between them. “I can control fire, heat things up,” he explained.

He was wearing a black t-shirt underneath his leather jacket... The sleeves had been cut off of the shirt, the neck line snipped away also, the shirt slit half way to his navel. His well-defined chest was visible as she stood watching him. She licked two fingers then reached out to rub them across one of his nipples, felt it pull taunt, heard his intake of breath, saw his eyes begin to glaze.

“Me, too,” she said licking her lips.

Warren’s breathing quickened and he moved towards her.

Jameson withdrew her hand and stepped back out of his reach. “Huh-Uh, not yet, we’ve got plenty of time.” She could swear that she saw the flames flickering in the pupils of his eyes. She would definitely have to be careful with this one.

“Here,” she pulled a small book from the bag on her back. “After you take your cold shower, you might enjoy this story. It’s part of my summer reading assignment. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a Shakespearean comedy.” She watched him catch the book deftly. Good reflexes, despite his preoccupation with her breasts, she noticed.

He studied the book cover then looked up to watch her as she started to move away on the path way.” Is there a hidden message here?”

“Hidden message, no.” She replied, moving backwards. “Subtlety is not my art, but if that were the case, I would have given you Romeo and Juliet”

She saw the look of confusion on his face and laughed. “Two doomed lovers, Warren,” she called back over her shoulder as she began her run. “Two doomed lovers… subtlety doesn’t work with you either, does it”

“See you tomorrow.” He heard her call as she disappeared under the trees.

Tbc…..


Let me know, how was that?

Is WP still in character?

Any comments appreciated.