30 - Run

Cade had been surprised when Meg ran up beside him. He hid it, but she impressed him by keeping his pace. Although he slowed down slightly, she was well conditioned as a runner.

Cade had taken part in three seasons of track in high school. His favorite was cross-country in the fall. The entire team ran in a herd during the after-school practices and the companionship and encouragement taught him how to be a team player. The skills he learned pounding the pavement with a bunch of sweaty teen boys helped make the CEJ team a success.

Running around the track in circles felt like torture compared to being on paths and streets surrounded by sights and sounds. Cade appreciated his surroundings again. Living close by he trekked over the bridge to Boston and he felt safe on the popular paths. There were miles of them, he could keep running all day, but he kept it between six to ten miles.

Hearing the labored breath beside him brought back memories. Cade focused on high school before his mind relapsed to another moment when she gasped for breath as she said his name. He had been jealous for weeks over the Hathorne guy, but when she came she yelled 'Cade'.

Fuck! He couldn't think of her while he ran. Again he wondered how far she could run. He considered pushing himself to keep going. It wasn't like he had some place to be. Confetti decided for him when he bee-lined for his favorite bench. Cade didn't know why it had better smells around it than all the others. Maybe he was tired of running. They normally ran in the morning, but Cade had a meeting to discuss a new project. It was typical design work, but it would keep him busy. Busy was the best thing for him. Idle time let his demons in. Seeing Meg beside him, he put her on the list. No good could come from thinking about her, except he did every time he gave himself some relief.

When Meg said that she thought he liked her, it took all his control to hold back. He had trouble looking at her dressed in running shorts and a tank top. Too much skin showed, the same skin he remembered touching and tasting. Keep your cool. His own running shorts couldn't hide a twitch, never mind an erection.

Cold and aloof protected him from her charms. At least he was prepared for her on Saturday morning when they came up behind her. Confetti had fallen for her and he tried to ignore her laugh at his cute expression. The more she talked, he felt sorry for her boyfriend. His jaw dropped when she implied she wasn't beautiful. She was gorgeous, the girl next door, especially dressed for a run.

He honestly didn't know why he agreed to run with her again. A part of him felt sorry for her while another part wanted to take her and run right to his bed. Would she have been a willing participant? He tried to piece together her story with the guy, Tyler. She sure as hell didn't have to get turned on with Cade. She was an inferno. Stop thinking!

Cade spent a quiet Saturday. After he ate pasta and jarred sauce for dinner, Confetti barked at the window while he mowed his small patch of grass. He had thought about a landscaping company, but he had the time, so he bought himself an electric mower.

As he walked back and forth, his mind wandered to Meg. Maybe he should ask her what she wanted. He was afraid of the answer. As afraid as he was of what he wanted. One piece of his anatomy kept annoyingly nagging him. The rest was leery of fate with the temptress.

Cade was not the same person she met. He had anxiety and found it difficult to trust. Obvious Leigh, Joe, Renee and Eden were no brainers. His neighbors were fine to chat about the weather when he walked Confetti, but he was not about to mention his near miss from a one-way ticket to prison.

When he turned off the mower, the boys were on their driveway eating Popsicles. Sanjay had purple down his chin. Leigh liked the grape ones. The brothers reminded him of growing up back when he felt safe and he thought his family was perfect. They did some of the same things the boys did. After dinner, they ate Popsicles or freeze pops by sucking on the plastic tubes. Gross! They also drew on the driveway with chalk. When they were older, they rode bikes forever or played in the treehouse their dad had built in the backyard.

Even as an adult, he never understood what went wrong with his parents. Sure they fought even when Cade considered his life perfect, but it was over small stuff like not enough money or household chores. Unlike the doom of his sister's marriage, his parents' union slowly died. He was too oblivious to notice until it was too late.

After staying up later than he should playing video games, he was late crossing the bridge from Cambridge to Boston. Cade wasn't a shoot 'em kind of guy. He always loved colorful graphics, so he played Nintendo games like Mario.

When he saw her he felt foolish for wondering if she would wait. She suggested it, and like a true jerk, he didn't bother to give her an excuse or even acknowledge he was late.

She just smiled and greeted Confetti. His dog took to her the first time she appeared, but so had he. Once again in her shorts and no show socks under running shoes, she didn't resemble the girl in the lobby. She was an enigma, a puzzle that he shouldn't want to solve.

"Ready?" He cocked his head in the direction he always went.

"Yup. Let's go slowpoke."

He had to admit she could run. Curiosity got the best of him. "How long have you been running?"

"Years. High school track."

He nodded. "Yeah. Me too."

"Do you compete?"

"Always too busy. You?"

"I've run marathons, but I got a bone spur three years ago. It took months to recover. I'd rather run every day without the injuries."

"I'm impressed. I never had the desire."

Meg smiled. "We didn't know we both ran."

Cade smirked slightly. They knew next to nothing about each other that wasn't intimate. He knew she had a large freckle on her hip, but he didn't know what magazine she worked for until after he learned her last name.

They had run three miles, and he expected Meg to struggle, but she kept pace with him. He had slowed his pace a little, but he had made a habit of chasing demons when he ran. They weren't nipping at his heels as often. Confetti enjoyed the slower speed.

"How long have you had Confetti?"

"Not too long. After I wasn't homeless." That was one thing she knew about him.

"Right. Are you in Cambridge now?" He slowed. She looked back. "Come on, Cade. It was just an observation. You come from the bridge."

He picked up pace. "I'm not the same man. I don't..." Trust, so I keep to myself.

"I can't even imagine the trauma and how scared you were. I remember your phone call."

"I'd rather not talk about it. I'll never move on."

The sound of their feet hitting the pavement in sync felt comforting. Even though there were people around when he ran, he was alone. Other early birds were running, walking and bike riding. There were even some parents with coffee watching their kids play.

When they reached the bridge, they each paced to lower their heart rate. Confetti sat first and looked up at Cade. It was like he was telling him to be nice. He was in the odd predicament of appreciating the company, but not wanting to open up. Needing to say goodbye felt awkward.

Meg turned her attention to his dog, petting and talking to him. Even with her porcelain skin red from exertion, he couldn't drag his eyes away. She looked up at him and smiled. He shut down a vision of their two sweaty bodies in the shower.

"Come on, Confetti." He clicked his tongue but his dog ignored him.

Meg giggled. "At least he likes me. When will you run again?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Oh. Not evening?" She pouted and looked away. "I don't have time to come here before work. Are you? Do you work?"

Cade nodded. "Freelance. I make my own hours."

She yawned. "I should go. I was out late last night."

"Yeah, me too." He watched her as she walked away. When he turned back to Confetti, the dog whined. "Traitor."

Cade hadn't been out late. His Saturday evening was spent like a slew of ten-year-olds. She specifically said she was out. He imagined her dancing at a club. As he walked home, he wondered if he would miss his running partner. When he met Meg on the other end of the path, it been a coincidence. Maybe they had just run into each other the morning before where she was just waiting. If the past was a predictor, they would run into each other again.

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