Chapter 19—Kooper
This is a bad idea. It has to be. Anything that makes me second-guess what I’m wearing is probably the worst idea I’ve ever had. I even freaking googled what to wear. Me. A guy who gives zero fucks about anything. I spent twenty goddamn minutes looking up what’s best to wear to physical therapy.
Loose-fitting clothing. No shit.
But still, I dug through my clothes and found some I felt comfortable in. You know, ones that are soft to the touch for anyone to feel. The kind that are tight enough to show my definition without it looking like I’m trying to show off. Some that bring out the color of my eyes.
Yeah, I threw something across the room at that last thought. I would puke if I could at how stupid I’m acting, but I haven’t eaten this morning. I read somewhere that PT can lead to expressing yourself in other ways. Last thing I want is to fart when Ruby has my legs spread and her face close.
And yeah, I looked up what some of the moves are going to be.
This will be a testament in strength, I know.
I also hope that it helps expel whatever it is I’m feeling toward her.
If I get her close for a bit, have that feeling, then I can just get it over with and go back to wanting her out of my way.
Again, I know how stupid that sounds. I’m not fooling anyone, not even myself anymore. I want her.
I want Ruby.
Still can’t have her, though. And that’s what I need to focus on to get over this so I can move on and live life beyond all this bull.
I drive to her work. She prefers to do this where someone can step in if she messes things up.
Though I doubt she’s the type to. If I spent twenty minutes looking up how to dress, I know she spent hours researching how to do the moves properly.
That’s just the way she is. She never does anything half-assed.
I wish I had my bike, but I read that some people are sore after these sessions. I don’t need to cause further issues by straddling a bike after I was just stretched wide.
“Can I help you?” a young kid asks as I walk in.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone else here.
Not sure if that means this place sucks or that it’s just a time that no one wants to come.
8:00 a.m. is a bit rich for my blood, too, but it was all Ruby gave me.
She called yesterday, told me the address and the time of the appointment, and then hung up.
Never took any of my calls when I tried to get a different time.
She thinks it’s an issue for me. That I would be the type to sleep in because of a long night of drinking or something. What she doesn’t know is that I had to switch shifts at the gate for this, and that was the headache. Nothing more, nothing less.
“I got him, Alister.” Ruby comes out from the back hall, and I just stare. I’ve never seen her in professional attire before. Her pink scrubs are tight in so many places and loose in others.
“Right-o, boss lady.” Alister smiles at her and nods me in her direction. “Just follow her, and she’ll get you all fixed up.”
I nod once and move to where Ruby’s standing. When I get close, she turns and walks down the hallway. I keep a close distance. You know, in case I get lost in this one-hallway place.
“Boss lady?” I ask.
She turns, seeing my smirk, and rolls her eyes.
“You tell one Gen Z to stop playing on their phone and actually do work they were hired for, and they get all fussy about it.” She opens the door marked five and allows me to enter first before she follows and shuts it.
“Unfortunately for him, I don’t let a few eye rolls and small jabs at my age deter me.
After he saw I wasn’t having it and the others were asking me to deal with him, he just started calling me that.
Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
I chuckle. She almost sounds like herself. Except her eyes didn’t light up as they would have if she were her true normal self.
“I had General send me your notes on what happened.” She holds up a hand before I even open my mouth. “No, he didn’t tell me anything more than what the injuries are, where they’re located, and how he treated them so I can do my job. The guy’s not one to blab secrets, unlike others. Take a seat.”
“Still mad about Abigail?” I slowly sit on the treatment table and ignore the way the plastic creaks and starts sticking to my legs almost immediately.
“Still mad? It happened a week ago. Actually, it’s been longer than that. Months or who knows. We just found out. How can you be over it already?”
I shrug. “I’m not.”
She purses her lips and folds her arms, pushing her boobs together. In the tight scrubs, there’s major pulling on the fabric to keep them confined.
“If you don’t get to be over it, then neither do I. Plus, I get to be pissed off more. Lie back.”
“How so?” I ease myself down and let my feet dangle over the side.
“Scoot up more so your head’s at the top and your legs are mostly flat on the table.
” I do as she says and adjust when she moves me a bit.
“And I can be mad because she was my best friend. We practically grew up together. She could have told me. She could have told me there were issues with her landlord or the town, or whatever Jack said she was having issues with. I would have helped. But no. She went it alone, and then she just rolled over to this C8 group without a second thought for me or anyone. It’s utter bullshit. ”
I grunt as she starts moving my leg.
“Oh, sorry. Try to relax. I’m going to move you around to work on some areas to see how tight you are.
Then we’ll do some moves so I can fully stretch you out.
We’ll finish with me showing you a few moves to do at home.
Next time you come back, you can show me what you did.
The moves are to be done slowly and consistently.
You should get more flexibility each time you do.
So while today might suck, and, well, tomorrow and a few days from now, by next week, you’ll be able to do things you can’t do today. ”
I nod but don’t speak. I can’t. Not when she’s this close, her scent in the air and her heat hitting my body.
Then she does the unimaginable. She drapes herself across me and starts stretching both my shoulder and then—fucking hell—my hip.
I bite my cheek. I claw my nails against my palms. I pinch my toes together.
Anything I can do to cause pain to myself.
Sure, she’s doing that too. But with her doing it, it hurts so good. I get the whole pain-pleasure aspect on a whole other level.
And holy shit, she just instructed me as to what she’s doing next.
I need to run out of here. To make up an excuse that I have to go.
But my brain freezes on any ideas other than “ahhh” when she lifts my leg, puts it over her shoulder, and leans down to me.
Her fingers interlock around my upper thigh, and she holds the position.
With. Her. Hand. Touching. My. Dick.
If it were a guy, or hell, anyone but her, this would be no issue. I could overlook it as a gentle graze. A subtle shift and I could move it enough that she wouldn’t feel it.
Till it starts to grow.
I want to die, but I also want to watch how she reacts. I look at the ceiling, seeing a poster of a damn possum hanging upside down. It’s ridiculous but better than the overused cat hanging from the tree branch.
I take a chance and look at her. Her head is bowed down, looking away from me as she holds her position. I will myself to remain flaccid, but it’s not happening.
So, I do what I always do: say fuck it in my mind and go at this head-on.
I stare her down and wait for the moment that she either feels more of me or notices the tent growing in my shorts. I don’t have to wait long. And her response? Not something I would have expected.
Her head turns, and she looks at my cock, not moving other than a small gasp leaving her lips. Just watching and watching. The more she looks, the harder I get. And when she licks her lips, fuck, I feel myself leak a bit.
But then she snaps out of it and jumps back, no longer touching me as her eyes bounce around the room till they land back on me. She seems flustered. Either this has never happened to her at work, or….
She clears her throat. “I’ll, uh, get you some pamphlets.” She all but runs out of the room.
Sitting up, I wait. And wait some more. Just when I’m about to go find her, the door opens and Alister from the front walks in.
“Here you go. Take these home and do the stretches every other night if you can. We’ll have you back at the end of the week.” He slips me an appointment card and then walks out, leaving the door open.
I grab my shit and follow him.
I look around, but Ruby is nowhere to be seen. I get to my truck and pull up my app. She’s still in the building. Well, her phone is. Either she left it, or she got scared and wasn’t going back in there. Not till I left.
No idea why, but that makes me smile as I start the engine and head home.
After all, I’ve got some stretches to practice.
And some Google searches to run on how to prevent what just happened.
Because while I don’t give a shit about getting a boner, I’d rather not have one if it lets me see Ruby longer.
It’s gotten easier over the past few weeks. Still get a boner, but I’ve willed it down to a solid chub most of the time. It helps when I close my eyes and just picture Law dying. It’s morbid and fucked up and just what I need.
We don’t talk about that first session. I don’t bring it up, and neither does Ruby. But she does blush. Not that I call her out on it, but I do smile. And she glares when she sees my smile. It’s there, but it’s unspoken.