24. Sophia
24
Sophia
August – Mt Panorama, New South Wales
My phone buzzing at 7:00 a.m. wakes me up. It’s a text from Nikki asking me to come for a hike with her and Dave today. Yeah, I should probably make use of the day off and great weather. I reply with my confirmation and ask for a time to meet downstairs.
Nikki replies for me to meet in the lobby in an hour.
Bloody hell, 8:00 a.m. Alright, I’ve already said yes, gotta go now.
I get up, get coffee, and get dressed. As I reach for the door, there is a knock at it. Startled, I jump back, compose myself, and open it. Javi is standing there. We’ve been keeping our distance, being back on track with everyone the last couple of weeks. I have even asked him to let me finish up on the project as a lot of it is data analysis until at least one more track day.
“Morning.” I eye up and down the hallway.
“Good morning!” he beams.
“I’m just heading out,” I anxiously say, still keeping a look out.
“Oh! I ran into Dave, and he invited me along with you lot for the hike! They are downstairs. I said I would pass by your room and pick you up,” he replies enthusiastically.
A little shocked, I manage an, “Okay,” and walk out the door. We head to the elevator.
When the doors close, I look over and remind him, “No funny business out there, remember? We are work acquaintances.”
Javi pulls a sour face. I can’t help but laugh.
“Well, don’t walk in front of me. I won’t be able to hike with a hard on watching your ass in those tights in front of me. Not even being able to touch them,” he rebuts, eyebrows raised. Always with his cheekiness.
I raise my hands in mock defeat, “Fine!” and smile.
He stays to one side of the elevator and looks ahead at the closed doors, determined to be nonchalant.
The elevator doors open, and he exits first so I am not in front of him. Dave and Nikki greet us with smiles and warm hugs.
We jump into a cab to take us to the hiking spot.
Nikki sits in the front as she knows where to go, and the rest of us squeeze in the back. Javi offers to sit in the middle, his leg pressing against mine. I can feel him gently and subtly push against me. He moves his leg that was on Dave’s side up to the middle floor mount, then crosses his arms across his knees. His fingertips graze the top of my thigh in the process. A position that appears innocent from anyone else in the cab. But to me, this will be the start of a hike with subtle, secret touches. It’s going to be his game. His touch sends sparks through me that I find hard to ignore.
Twenty-minutes later, we get to the hiking trail and pile out of the car. Nikki arranges for the cab to be back at a certain time to take us back to the hotel.
“This hike is a loop and lets us out at the same place. It will take a few hours. We’ll get to a cliff lookout and then back here,” Nikki explains.
We begin to walk with Nikki leading the way, then Dave, Javi, and me at the back.
The hike starts off fine. No funny business from Javi.
We come up upon a large tree with low branches of white flowers.
“Oh! Magnolias! These smell wonderful!” Nikki exclaims and stops to bring a branch down to her nose to smell them. Dave approaches her and she moves it to his nose.
Javi stops in front of me and brings a branch down to his nose.
“Mmm, you’ve got to smell this, Sophia,” he says as he grabs my hand to get me closer. He brings the flower to my nose, still holding my hand.
I inhale the delightful floral scent, my eyes closing. It does smell wonderful.
I feel Javi’s fingers trail up and down my arm. I open my eyes to see him watching me.
I crinkle my nose at him and ask, “And what do you think you are doing?” with a half smiling.
“Why, nothing at all,” he replies, his fingertips continuing.
“Let’s keep walking,” I suggest, motioning him forward to follow the path.
He lets go of the branch, prompting loose flowers to shower down in a white petal storm over us.
He gestures his arm out, “After…me,” and then walks ahead of me again, adhering to my elevator request.
We all continue on. Nikki and Dave start walking a little ahead of us, Nikki’s excited pace forgetting us for a moment. Javi takes this opportunity to play up again. He reaches his hands to the back of his waistband and slips his pants down, exposing half of his tight ass. I am mesmerised, watching his ass take each stride. The muscles firming and stretching with each step up as we ascend some makeshift rock stairs. Imagining what that ass looks like in bed with me. Firm and confident thrusts, reaching further into me with each movement. Hitting me just where I am most—
He suddenly stops, causing me to run into the back of him, taking advantage of my distracted mind. My hands instinctively rise up to brace myself, but end up on his exposed ass.
“Excuse me, ma’am! Keep your hands to yourself!” he whispers, feigning mock indignation, quickly pulling his pants up. Taking advantage of our proximity, he leans down to my ear and continues, “And your thoughts to this lovely walk!” His warm breath skates down my neck, sending goosebumps down my arms.
I shake my head and quietly laugh.
Fucking hell, this is going to be a tough hike. He is not going to making it easy for me. He’s all about the flirty fun. And I feel a little giddy at the secrecy.
Nikki and Dave slow to look at some wildlife in the nearby brush. When we walk again, Nikki and I take off first while Dave and Javi trail behind us.
“This is such a beautiful hike, Nikki. Thanks for inviting me. I feel like I am actually doing something productive on a day off!” I say.
“You guys all work so hard, it’s understandable to want to flake out on days off,” Nikki reply.
Nikki was fortunate to be a partner who can travel with us when she wants. She is a writer, so she can do that anywhere. She and Dave are also my closest friends, but I haven’t dared confess to them what I have been up to lately. They are both always asking about my personal life and if I want them to set me up with anyone, but I always say no, focusing on my career is my priority.
“Yeah, this is true.” I take in all the different trees, the edges of the mountains peeking through them in the distance, a promise of what we are walking towards.
“You know, when we ran into Javi and told him what we were up to today, he practically bowled us over when we said you were coming with us. He didn’t hesitate to run up to your room to collect you,” she offers.
Wow, Javi. Not subtle at all.
I internally face palm.
“He probably wanted to use this time to bend my ear on the motocross project. He keeps making passing comments about being impatient to get the bikes back on track for the last part of testing, but I wave him off. I need to review the data some more.” Not the honest answer I wanted to give, but it protects the other truth.
“Oh, my days!” Nikki exclaims. “That’s such quick progress in such a short time!”
I wave my hand. “We aren’t there yet. We still have a ways to go,” I say, quelling down her excitement quickly.
We carry on our conversation while walking for a little longer until we finally reach the lookout.
It is breathtaking. A huge valley sprawls in front of us, assaulting us with the sheer abundance and variety of greens. Mountain ridges zig-zag down to a ferocious river cutting down the middle of the scene.
Nikki takes out her phone to start snapping some photos, and asks me to take some of her and Dave with the glorious background. I snap a few, and then Nikki motions for me to join them. I hand the phone to Javi and stand next to Nikki as we put an arm around each other. When Javi finishes taking the photo, Nikki suggests, “How about a photo of the two of you?” as she gestures between me and Javi.
I open my mouth to protest, but Javi interrupts me and says, “Absolutely!” They all exchange places, leaving me to try and play this cool.
I brace myself. What will it be? Will he cheekily put a hand on my ass, a gesture hidden from Dave and Nikki? A sly hand up the back of my shirt?
To my surprise, he places his arm across my shoulders, gently squeezing it. He smiles towards Nikki, and I do the same. When she calls out that she got it, I look at him and whisper, “Not what I was expecting.”
He smiles, knowing what I was referring to. “I am definitely full of all sorts of surprises.”
I smile back, then realise we have a potential audience, stepping away from him.
Dave and Nikki have already walked in another direction to continue taking photos of the view. Javi, waiting for them to walk a little further away, takes my hand, keeping me in place as he whispers in my ear, “And I thought I asked you not to walk in front of me? Watching your ass in those tight tights has made me think about nothing else but taking them off with my teeth when we get back to the hotel.” His words are said in a cheeky but raw tone. Butterflies soar in my stomach and my heart skips.
“Oh, no, no. You started this little parley today,” I rebut.
“Moi?! Partake in tête-à-tête?!” he mocks exasperated.
I roll my eyes at him and walk towards the cliff edge, taking in the phenomenal view a little longer.
Nikki checks the time and calculates we have walked quite fast getting here, so we have some time to sit and enjoy the view. All four of us sit down on a rock, admiring the landscape some more. Nikki had the foresight to pack some snacks for us, ever the kind and caring person she is.
We stand up to head back to the road via the other half of the loop. Nikki and Javi walk ahead, while Dave and I walk behind them. Their pace is quite brisk for the second half of the hike, rejuvenated by the rest.
“Javi said you guys are close to getting the motocross bikes back on track,” Dave starts.
Well, at least our stories are consistent.
“Yeah, I think that was his ploy to tag along today. Keep brainstorming ideas. We are making good progress, but we aren’t quite there yet,” I reply, absentmindedly running my hand through the brush along the hiking path.
“Always keen to get the gas on. Do you need extra hands on it? Get me and some of the team to help out?” Dave asks kindly.
“Maybe in a few weekends. I have a bit of data to keep working out. A strategy day with the team might be helpful,” I reply, thinking.
“No worries, but don’t take too much on yourself. We’re all here to help. You have a team behind you,” Dave offers. This is why I respect Dave, always backing me.
I reply, “I know, I know.”
Nikki stops to take a photo of some native birds in the distance, the halt causing us to change walking partners. Dave and Nikki walk in front while Javi and I trail behind.
“Sounds like we are on the same wavelength today. This is why we make a great team.” He looks me up and down.
“Let’s save this conversation for when we are back at the hotel,” I reply.
“Yes, we have a lot to discuss back at the hotel. Top of the list has to be you and the removal of those ridiculous little tights of yours.” He brushes his hand over my ass ever so slightly.
My breath catches in my throat as images of what we could be doing once back at the hotel flash through my mind. I feel my face flush red.
“Didn’t think this would be challenging for you, Sophia!” Nikki calls out from atop a sloped part of the track. She and Dave stop in front of us, looking back to Javi and me. Clearly, my red face and quickened breath is not as subtle or hidden as I thought.
I laugh and wave them off. Javi chuckles and walks ahead of me, allowing me to catch my breath.
I finish the hike composed and engaged in our four-way conversations; a feat I am surprised I could pull off. We enter the street and the cab is waiting for us. A miracle! Dave sits in the front this time while Nikki, Javi, and I are in the back. Javi offers to sit in the middle again, but doesn’t push against me or inconspicuously touch my leg. Which I am only a little disappointed by.
We reach the hotel and exit the cab. I purposely get out opposite of the three of them to prepare myself for an achingly slow walk to my hotel room, exhaling and fixing my shirt first. The cab drives away, and I turn to them with a smile, ready to make my way in.
Nikki is speaking with Javi. “Did you want to join us for dinner tonight? It will be at the pizza place in town. I can text it to you once I call and book.”
Javi steals a look at me. This is getting too close. Going out and being seen by others? Say no, say no, I find myself repeating in my mind. “I would love to!” He seals the statement with a sincere smile and a hand over his heart.