Bend It Like Becker

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Chapter 17 - DREAMY DISCOURSE

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Becker was unbuckling straps. He'd started at her ankle and slowly moved up her shin, past her knee, and along her thigh. The straps continued up under her skirt, and he began to reach underneath, ready to undo the next buckle...

He awoke with a jolt as the pillows beneath his head suddenly shifted.

He opened his eyes to darkness, disoriented. It took him a full minute to realise that pillows, as a general rule, don't shift, and another to realise that those same pillows were, in fact, the very thighs he'd just been dreaming of.

The memories of last night came flooding back to him. They'd had an amazingly pleasant dinner with Abby and Connor, listening to the couple regale them with stories about the Pet Show as they all laughed and drank ale. There seemed to be none of the tension that had been present the night before, and Becker wondered if Jess had actually talked to them already. After all, Abby brought up the topic of "when we get our own place" several times, though it was usually in reference to the various animals she hoped to one day acquire. No hints were made, subtle or otherwise, about Jess spending time away from the flat, which made Becker stop worrying so much about her. Abby even insisted that she and Connor must do the dishes - such a change from their attitude this morning.

After dinner, Jess offered to drive Becker home, but Abby suggested he stick around and spend the evening with them.

"You know what movie I've been dying to watch all week, ever since we started practicing?" Abby asked. "Bend It Like Beckham."

At Jess and Becker's laughter, Connor asked, "What? You two watch it already?"

"Not exactly," Jess admitted as Abby popped in the DVD.

As Abby and Connor curled up together in the comfy chair, Becker decided to sit on the couch, his head slumped against Jess's shoulder. He was physically exhausted from pushing the car all afternoon, and as he started to doze off, he vaguely recalled Jess absently running her fingers through his now-dry hair, which had only relaxed him further. The last thing he remembered was Keira inviting Parminder to come to the team try-outs.

In the night he must've slumped completely, his head ending up in Jess's lap. She must've fallen asleep, too, he realised, since she was still sat beneath him. Clearly the film was now causing some sort of Pavlovian response in both of them, making them instantly fall asleep.

But Becker couldn't sleep now, not after the dream he'd just had. He groggily propped himself up on one elbow and, twisting around, gently placed a hand on Jess's shoulder. "Jess," he whispered through the darkness.

Instead of waking, she shivered and, mumbling something incoherent, shifted her position so she was now facing him, her warm garlicky breath upon his cheek. His eyes had adjusted somewhat to the darkness so he could just make out her pretty face. Her lips were slightly parted, and he suddenly felt the urge to lean over and kiss her.

Becker shook his head, trying to rid himself of the notion. What was he thinking? Nothing had changed. It was still a bad idea to get together with Jess. They were friends, and it was pointless to pursue anything further because he'd simply ruin everything.

Yet it suddenly occurred to him that, only hours ago, he'd given her the key to his flat!

"Jess!" Becker whispered more urgently this time as he sat up completely, trying to get a little more space between them.

"Huh?" she mumbled, her eyes fluttering open. "Becker? Why are you-"

"Jess, you need to go to bed. It's late."

"You take the bed," she mumbled, closing her eyes and burrowing further into the couch, clearly trying to get warm. "It's your turn."

"Jess, you're at home. You need to go to bed. YOUR bed."

"Yeah, bed," she mumbled, though she made no effort to get up and head for her bedroom. A sudden chill caused her to shiver, and she tried to tuck her feet up under her. "'S cold. You should keep me warm."

The invitation to "keep her warm", as it were, was something that Becker would've been more than happy to accommodate, but he knew her words were merely half-asleep ramblings. However, it was clear she truly was cold, thanks in part to the short skirt she was wearing. And this one, far from being magical, had ridden up as she'd shifted around and was now exposing way more of her thighs than he imagined she'd be comfortable with. Thinking only of her modesty, even though it wasn't likely that anyone else would see her like this, he reached over to try and pull her skirt down and, in doing so, gently brushed her thigh with his hand. The touch, slight as it was, didn't go unnoticed, and Jess, her eyes still closed, placed her hand atop his.

"Mmm, that's nice," she mumbled. "But not now. Not while Abby's here."

"Abby?" Becker repeated absently, having trouble focussing on anything now that his hand was being pressed against her warm thigh.

"Abby'll tell," Jess mumbled. "She always tells. Even the Look."

Becker had no idea what Jess was talking about. He only knew that if she kept his hand there for much longer, he might start thinking about kissing her again.

"Not the key though," Jess continued. "'S'okay. She'll stop now. She just cares - they all do."

Becker wasn't even listening anymore. Using every ounce of willpower he had, he pulled his hand free, in the process accidentally pushing her skirt up even further. Becker gulped and mumbled to himself, "Blankets," before asking directly, "Jess, where are the blankets?"

"Don't need 'em," she mumbled, sleepily stretching her hands out towards him. "Your arms will do fine."

Becker leant back to avoid her reach and stood up. "I'm, uh, gonna go get us some blankets. In your room, yeah? I'll be right back."

He hurried up to her bedroom, trying to be careful so as not to trip and wake the others. As he reached the door, though, he suddenly paused. It didn't seem right to go barging into her private bedroom without her permission. Of course, it also didn't seem right to leave her shivering on the couch uncovered with her skirt riding up to near indecent levels, so he opened the door and walked on in.

Without thinking, he automatically turned on the light switch and was blinded by the sudden glare. He quickly shut it off again, but his pupils had already contracted, which meant he had to stand there in the doorway for several minutes as his eyes adjusted once again to the dark.

It often happens that when one sense is removed, the others become more heightened. In this case, standing there in the darkened doorway, he couldn't help but notice how the scent of Jess filled the room. It was subtle, something he might've not even noticed if he'd entered during daylight hours, but here in the middle of the night the aroma seemed almost overpowering. There wasn't one particular odour that stood out - the fragrance wasn't flowery or fruity or perfumy, though he thought he could detect the slight essence of a chocolate-scented candle amidst it all - but the combination was just...nice. Sweet. Wonderful. One whiff, and his head was filled with images of Jess. It was so distracting, he knew in an instant he'd never be able to sleep in this room...at least not without Jess at his side!

Realising his eyes were now adjusted, he approached the bed and pulled off the duvet and several pillows. The blankets that he'd slept under the night before were neatly piled in the windowseat, and he grabbed up these as well before heading back down to the living room.

Jess was still fast asleep on the couch, but in her efforts to stay warm, she'd curled up into a fetal ball, her teeth chattering. Becker threw the duvet over her shivering form and gently lifted her head to place her pillow underneath. He then tenderly brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, momentarily thinking about that kiss again, before tucking the duvet in around her shoulders. In her sleep she grasped the duvet and rolled over, holding its warmth close to her as her shivers started to ease.

Once he was certain she was settled and warm, he grabbed the blankets and another pillow and found a spot on the floor far away from Jess. Lying down, he noticed that even the pillow had Jess's scent on it, which did not bode well for a peaceful night. But what else could be done?

So he closed his eyes and, taking a deep whiff of the pillow, hoped that perhaps he'd be able to resume his dream precisely where he'd left off.

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"Morning, Sleepyhead."

Jess opened her eyes to see Abby standing over her, fully dressed.

"You're up early," Jess said, yawning and stretching.

"Not really," Abby laughed. "You clearly needed the sleep, though. Sweet dreams?"

Jess smiled as she remembered. "Mmm, yes."

"I see," Abby said knowingly. "Well, I wanted to make sure you were awake before we left."

Jess nodded and closed her eyes again, not quite ready to get up yet. "I'm awake. Have fun today."

Abby nudged her again. "C'mon. You should get up. Or at least go into your bedroom."

It was only then that it occurred to Jess that she wasn't already there. "Did I sleep on the couch last night?" As she said it, she realised how much her back was hurting and how her hip seemed to be pressing uncomfortably into a button. Shifting to try to get comfortable, which was difficult still clad in her frock from last night, she asked through a yawn, "What time did Becker go home?"

Abby eyed her warily. "Jess, his car's at the shop, remember? You fell asleep, so he stayed over."

"Oh." She felt bad that she hadn't been awake to drive him. "Is he still here?"

"Yes and no - he went for a run this morning, but he should be back shortly."

"Mmm," Jess answered, her eyes falling closed again as she imagined him jogging. Another thought entered her drowsy brain and she asked, "Did he sleep in my bed?"

"No, he seems to have slept on the floor."

"Oh, strange," Jess mumbled, remembering the conversation they'd had. "I told him he could have the bed."

The conversation!

Jess suddenly sat bolt upright, her heart pounding in her chest! "Omigod!" she said as the full impact of what she'd just remembered started to sink in. She covered her face with her hands as she repeated, "Omigod, omigod, omigod!"

"Jess, what is it?" Abby asked worriedly, sitting down next to her and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Jess looked into her flatmate's face as the adrenaline continued to course through her veins. "I talked to him last night, Abby! In the middle of the night! And I told him everything! About how I'd told you about the Look and you'd told the others, and how it was going to be okay now because you weren't going to tease us anymore and didn't even know about the key, and oh Abby, I told him I wanted him to keep me warm and omigod, what am I gonna do?"

Abby stared at her as if she were insane. "Jess," she soothed, slowing rubbing her arm as if that was somehow going to make everything better, "I think it's going to be okay."

Didn't Abby understand anything? Jess threw off the duvet and leapt to her feet, not even noticing the sudden draft. But before she could take a step, Abby reached up and yanked her skirt down for her.

"In the state you're in, you probably don't want Becker walking in on you with your skirt hiked up past your knickers," Abby stated matter-of-factly, but this only made Jess more hysterical.

"Omigod!" Jess said, staring down at her flatmate in horror. "Becker did the same thing last night. That must've been why he...but then I thought...omigod, it's even worse than I thought! I've made such a fool of myself! Omigod omigod omigod!"

"Jess?" Connor asked worriedly, scurrying down the stairs. "What's happened? Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" she asked hysterically. "I've just ruined everything! I practically threw myself at him, even though he only wants to be friends. I'm such an idiot!"

Connor hurried over and put his hands on her shoulders in an effort to calm her before then sharing a look with his fiance, who merely shrugged.

Clearly they didn't understand! It hadn't been a dream, as she'd initially thought. Instead it was a nightmare!

"What am I gonna do?" she asked Connor frantically. "He's gonna think-"

She stopped as she heard the front door open down below.

"Omigod!" she exclaimed as she freed herself from Connor's grip and ran up to her bedroom. She slammed the door and then leant against it, both curious and dreading what she was about to hear.

"Hey," she heard Becker's voice say. "She finally wake up?"

There was a longish pause, and Jess could envision Connor sharing a look with Abby before answering. "Yup. Just up now. In her room changing."

"You brought food?" Abby asked.

"They, uh, had chocolate croissants at the cafe when I passed, so I just thought..."

"Not for you, Connor," Abby scolded, and Jess could imagine Connor quickly setting the bag back down. "We were just about to leave for the Pet Show. We could give you a ride home if-"

"No, that's okay. I'll, uh, just wait for Jess," Becker was quick to say.

"Well, I guess we'll be off then," Connor said, "and leave you two alone together to, uh, sort this out."

Jess leant her head against the door in despair, accidentally making an audible knocking noise.

"Um, I'm sure Jess'll be out any second," Abby said, clearly trying to cover for her. "And you know, if you two aren't busy doing anything else today, you should stop by the Pet Show. I'm sure you'd both have loads of fun."

"Spending the day with creatures I don't get to shoot?" Becker asked drily, and Jess could practically feel Abby's glare through the door. He then continued, "We'll see. I don't know what Jess is up to today, and I don't want to interrupt her plans."

"Oh, she don't have any plans," Connor blurted out before adding, "...that I know of. But Abby's right - the Pet Show's fun. Just think about it."

"And give us a call if you decide to come and we can meet up for lunch or whatever," Abby said.

"Will do," Becker agreed, and Jess listened till the front door closed.

Omigod, what was she going to do? Now she was left here alone with him, and she didn't want to face him.

But she couldn't stay hidden in her room all day. He was stranded here, without his car, and she'd have to go out eventually.

So maybe she should just face the music now. Go out and see what kind of damage she'd done last night. She put her hand on the doorknob before realising it might look strange to go out there in the same frock she'd slept in when Connor had already said she was changing. So she grabbed her robe off the back of her door and threw it around her before walking out of her room and down the stairs.

"Hey, Jess," Becker said casually, looking up from where he was sat on the couch, his shirt a bit sweaty after his run. "I brought you a chocolate croissant."

"Uh, thanks." She noticed he didn't seem freaked out by her mere presence. She wasn't quite sure what she'd expected, but if her nighttime ramblings had ruined everything, she would've thought he'd make some mention of them.

Instead he continued, "So, uh, I don't know what your plans are for today, but Abby suggested that we meet them at the Pet Show. I don't know if that'd be something you'd be interested in, but I thought-"

"Yes," Jess blurted out. "Yes, that would be lovely." Spending the day with him in the company of her flatmates, who could come to her rescue in case things got weird, would definitely be good.

Becker nodded and gave her robe a once-over. "If you need to take a shower or whatever, I'm happy to wait. And if you wouldn't mind swinging by my place so I could take a quick one as well, plus get some fresh clothes and-"

"Do your hair?" Jess asked with a smile. She still couldn't believe how neurotic he'd been about his hair last night...and then she remembered how good it'd felt running her fingers through it when he'd dozed off.

Becker nodded, actually looking a bit embarrassed for possibly the first time since she'd known him. "If it's not too much bother. I know it's a bit of a drive."

Jess shook her head. "No problem. And yeah, let me jump in the shower real quick. Then we can head over to your place and still have time to meet Connor and Abby for lunch."

Becker smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

Jess felt relieved. He wanted to spend his day with her, even after she'd practically thrown herself at him last night, He didn't even seem upset over her confession about spilling all to Abby. She'd just need to be careful about what she said today and not blurt out anything embarrassing.

Though she was off to a good start - she hadn't blurted out that they could save time if they simply showered together, which she just might've if they'd been having this conversation last night!

Clearly she needed to avoid all future late-night conversations with Becker if she didn't want to scare him off for good!

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to be continued