Bend It Like Becker
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Chapter 23 - RUN-DOWN & REUNITED
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The sun was already starting to rise when the last creature was shooed back through the anomaly. Becker was thankful to be done with the night vision goggles, though he wasn't looking forward to having to work a full day after getting almost no sleep last night. Jess insisted that, instead of hurrying straight back to the ARC, they should stop and pick up some hot coffee and breakfast on the drive in. Unfortunately, she'd yawned over the comms during her request, which triggered non-stop yawning amongst Becker and the others until their return.
Becker kept himself busy and awake all morning by working on his incident report, but he was eagerly awaiting lunchtime, when he could have a lie down in the Quiet Room. Of course, his garage called at half eleven to tell him his car was fixed and ready for pick-up. Becker considered just leaving it be so he could still get in his noontime kip, but then he realised that would mean another night of Jess on his couch – THAT couch – so he ended up having her drive him to the garage at lunch after all.
By mid-afternoon, Becker was having trouble even keeping his eyes open, so he decided that a quick 20-minute kip in the Quiet Room would tide him over. However, as he opened the door and flicked on the light, he realised that Jess was already inside, fast asleep on the sofa. He quickly switched the light back off and then considered his options. He'd be no good at practice if he didn't at least try to get some sleep. And while Jess was on the sofa, no one was using the comfy chair - surely it wouldn't hurt anything to kip together in the same room, right? It wouldn't be as if he were invading her privacy or anything – they'd both be fast asleep. So he quietly shut the door behind him and collapsed into the comfy chair.
He was so run-down, he assumed he'd fall asleep immediately. Unfortunately, he could hear Jess's somnolent breaths nearby in the darkness. Although the couch she was currently kipping on wasn't anything like the couch in the movie last night, Becker's mind couldn't help but go there, thinking about how it might feel, after engaging in certain movie-inspired activities, to fall asleep with Jess wrapped in his arms, her warm breath upon his cheek.
But he shouldn't be thinking such thoughts. There were valid reasons why he shouldn't pursue anything more than friendship, though he was too tired at present to remember exactly what those reasons were. He just knew that he shouldn't be thinking such things and tried to push those thoughts from his mind.
As he started to relax and fall into a light slumber, though, all his defences fell away and he began to dream of Jess. However, his lips had barely touched hers before he was rudely awakened by a blaring alarm. He sat bolt upright, trying to get his bearings. It took him a moment before he realised the noise wasn't coming from the ARC itself but from Jess's mobile instead. By the light of its screen, he saw Jess pick it up and turn off the alarm. She yawned loudly and stood up, turning on the overhead light.
"Becker!" Jess gasped, obviously surprised to find him there. "Where did you come from?"
"Sorry! I just needed a quick kip, and I figured you weren't using the chair."
"Oh no, that's fine. I just…you startled me is all." She gestured to her mobile, adding, "I'm sorry my alarm woke you. Hopefully you can fall back asleep, yeah?"
Becker shrugged. He didn't want her to know that her alarm had so surprised him that the adrenaline would still likely be coursing through his veins hours from now. "It's okay," he lied. "I should probably be getting back to work now anyway."
"Are you sure? You're welcome to sleep more-"
Becker stood, certain he'd never be able to fall back asleep now, despite his desire to see where his dream might've taken him next. "No, really, Jess. I'm fine. The afternoon's almost over anyway."
He opened the door for her, and she stepped out, commenting, "I know we're all tired, but at least we'll have a referee at practice today."
"Yeah," Becker answered noncommittally, wondering how he was ever going to make it through practice in one piece, exhausted as he was.
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When Jess arrived at the field after work, she saw Becker talking to Neela and a fit blond man. Even from a distance, Jess could tell the soldier's boyfriend was incredibly boy-next-door good-looking, not at all the tall-dark-and-handsome sort she'd imagined Neela to be interested in.
As Jess approached, Neela turned to her and began to introduce her boyfriend. "Jess, this is-"
"Chas Whigham!" Jess exclaimed, recognising him the instant she saw him properly.
Neela looked back and forth between them, surprised. "You two know each other?"
"Do we," he replied, grinning from ear to ear as he looked Jess over. "If it isn't Lil' Nosy Parker, as I live and breathe."
Jess could instantly feel her face turning red at the sound of the old nickname.
Neela gave her boyfriend a friendly swat on the shoulder. "'Nosy Parker'? How old are you? Twelve?"
"No, but SHE was," he insisted.
"I was fifteen!"
"Whatever. You were still a little runt, making us all look like right idiots." He turned to Neela to explain, "She was in a bunch of my computer programming classes at Uni – ran circles around the rest of us. Totally a maths genius. Luckily, she was willing to complete my assignments for me, weren't you, Lil' Nosy?" He winked at Jess, who could feel her face growing even redder.
Neela shook her head. "Why on earth would you help out this loser, Jess?"
"'Cuz she had a major crush on me," Chas stated with a glint in his eye. "Kept hoping that, by doing my homework, I'd eventually get around to asking her out."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jess teased coyly, since that's exactly what she'd been hoping for at the time. He was one of her first real crushes, and she could still remember how it used to feel when he'd smile at her as they sat side-by-side at the computer.
"Oh really?" he teased back. "So my name doodled all over your margins didn't mean nothing, yeah?"
Jess laughed. "As you were so quick to point out a moment ago, I was just a kid at the time. Clearly I didn't have any taste back then!"
"Well, you've obviously grown up now," Chas smiled, giving her an approving look up and down. "Filled out rather nicely, if I do say so myself."
Jess couldn't help but blush. She remembered now why her crush had lasted so long - Chas was a champion flirt and flatterer, and who doesn't like that when they're 15? Hell, Jess liked it now, even though she recognised it was all meaningless. Still, it was nice to be complimented directly for a change!
And Neela clearly didn't feel threatened by this reunion because she was quick to point out, "Oh, you ain't seen nothing, Chas. You should see her at work – she wears the shortest skirts imaginable. Has every guy in the place drooling."
"Ooh, I must see that," Chas insisted, turning to Jess to add, "You must invite me by sometime."
"Official Secrets Act," Becker said shortly, speaking for the first time since Jess had arrived. "No one's allowed at the ARC without special clearance."
"Becker here's the Head of Security," Neela was quick to explain. "Bit of a stickler for the rules, aren't you, Coach?"
"Ah well," Chas said with a wistful sigh. "I guess I'll just have to dream, eh, Lil' Nosy?"
"We should be starting practice," Becker announced coolly, pointedly looking at his watch.
"Oh, let me go get the bag of balls from my car," Jess said, suddenly remembering that she'd left them in the car in order to come over straightaway to meet their new referee.
"I'll give you a hand," Chas said, following her before anyone could protest. Once out of earshot of the others, he gave her a big smile. "It's really great to see you again, Jess. I always wondered what happened to you."
Jess shrugged coyly. "Nothing special. Grew up, got security clearance, went to work for a top secret government facility – the usual story. And you?"
"Became a computer programmer, made loads of money, met an amazing girl playing footy, and am having a grand old time."
"Yeah, Neela's brilliant. You're lucky to have her."
He nodded. "So what about that Becker fellow? Has he asked you out yet?"
Jess laughed. "Asked me out? What are you talking about?"
"Oh please, Jess. Didn't you notice the way he acted the instant I started flirting with you? Talk about jealous! Clearly he's smitten, he's probably just slow to make his move - probably intimidated by your brilliance." Chas got a wicked glint in his eye as he offered,
"You know, if you think my kissing you might get him to come around faster, just say the word – I'm sure Neela wouldn't mind me taking one for the team!"
Jess couldn't help but smile. When she'd been fifteen, she would've given anything for one kiss from Chas, but now the idea only thrilled her with the prospect of making Becker jealous.
But she could never do that. "Thanks for the offer, Chas, but no. Things are weird enough between us as it is right now. And I'm not a big fan of those kinds of games."
Chas smiled. "Glad to see you haven't changed a bit," he commented as he chivalrously hoisted the bag of footballs from Jess's boot and tossed it over his shoulder. "You always were a sweet girl. It's good to see you doing so well for yourself. And don't worry, he'll come around – if you look half as good in your short skirts as you do in your gym clothes, I'm surprised you two aren't a couple already. But just remember – the offer for the kiss is still open, if you change your mind."
Jess flashed Chas a grateful smile as they headed back towards the others. Becker seemed to be watching their every move like a hawk, and Jess couldn't help but feel a bit pleased with his jealousy.
And clearly Chas was amused by it, too. Dropping the bag down at Becker's feet, he purposely said, "Okay, Beckham, let's get this practice started, yeah?"
Jess was glad looks couldn't kill, for she would've hated Neela to be deprived of such a fun boyfriend.
…
to be continued