Overcoming Fear (Growing Pains #2) (2 page)

“Great. See you then,” Sean said
shortly.

Ray clicked off.

Sean looked at the earpiece
for a long time. Ray didn’t usually hang up on him without saying
goodbye. He didn’t usually give him so much grief about the girls
he chose, either. He
certainly
didn’t lose faith in him so readily. It made Sean
feel uneasy. But it didn’t change his mind.

He had to see; to end this curiosity once
and for all.

~*~*~*~

The morning of the barbecue, Krista got on
her scrubs and went for a run. She needed to calm her nerves before
meeting Sean in a personal setting. She had told Kate and Jasmine
to be on their best behavior, but she knew they would start acting
up as soon as Sean threw a line. She was worried.

Her running route wasn’t a tough one; it was
a flat, paved path that ran along a four-lane highway directly
above Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Krista was on the fourth mile,
sweaty and loving it, when she saw a surfer coming up from the
beach.

Out–of-shape surfers were extremely rare
around those parts. It was a sand breaking beach, which meant there
was no coral; just a steady rise of earth where waves came in and
broke multiple times before they slid onto the sandy beach. It
meant surfers had to paddle, paddle and paddle some more to get out
past the breaking waves. It took a lot of energy and perseverance,
not to mention a high-calorie breakfast, to keep going long enough
to make it worth it. It was another reason she didn’t surf
there.

As always, she watched as the surfer
approached the path, his wetsuit pulled to his waist. Most of the
time these guys had great bods, and only some of the time they were
old, so chances were that being creepy paid off with eye-candy.

This dude was no exception. He had chest and
arms that would make a gal drool. He wasn’t over-built, like he
spent his whole life in the gym, but he probably did some weights
to fill himself out. He had just the right physique to fit casually
into a trendy muscle shirt. Also for a girl to show off to her
friends.

He quickened his step across the path,
trying not to impede her way, when he stopped suddenly.
“Krista?”

Her eyes were lazily traveling up his
glistening chest, as she always did when surfers dared show skin,
when she heard her name. Her eyes jumped to his face and directly
into Sean’s almond shaped eyes.

Shock rocked through her body, causing her
legs to stiffen and get tangled together. Being that she was nearly
done with the four miles, and her body was severely taxed, she
couldn’t recuperate gracefully. Instead, she dove, head first, into
the dune shrubbery beside the path. She skidded on her side, swore,
then rolled to a stop.

As was customary around Sean the Savior, she
felt two big, strong hands lifting her up. Overtired, she let
them.

When she was nearly upright, she locked her
legs to make it easy on him to set her to rights, but in reality
she still looked like a toddler learning to stand. She wobbled
around for a minute, testing her balance, and noticed Sean’s left
hand on her arm to steady her.

“I’m good,” she said, raising her eyes to
meet his. “Sorry about the sweat.”

His eyes were vivid green and worried. His
dirty-blond hair was wet and tossed every-which-way. The sun
glinted off his high cheekbones, accenting his noble features.
Krista watched a droplet of water glimmer as it made its way down
the middle of his six-pack. She shook herself out of creep
mode.

“
Holy crap, McAdams, where
did that body come from?” she laughed, seeing two more surfers
approaching. They had wet suits intact, covering up the goods, the
cheaters.

Krista bowed and put her
hands on her knees to catch her breath, filing away the image of
Sean’s body into her mental Rolodex.
Christ on a cracker
she was tired.
She looked at her watch while he was befuddled and complimented
herself on the good time. Next week she would break her current
record, she was sure of it--if she wasn’t still sore from this
week.

Sean, finally recovering even though he
hadn’t been the one running, laughed in embarrassment. “Uh,” and
gestured toward his surfboard.

Krista nodded and looked around. She was
about a quarter mile from finishing. Also from her house. It was
far enough.

“Can I escort you to your car?” she asked,
looking for something to lean on.

“Are you sure you aren’t going to die on the
way?”

“No.”

Sean grunted and started walking, and she
followed in a collection of wheezes.

“You were really moving,” he said as they
made it down the slope to the street.

“I like to keep it in gear. It makes it more
entertaining than just loping along.”

“You look like crap.”

“Gee, thanks man.”

He laughed as he led the way to a house
across the street. There were no houses actually on the beach, like
in L.A. Here, there was the beach, a small highway, the narrow path
that Krista ran nearly every day, a small hill with dune plants
that she’d just dove in, which led down to a street, then a row of
houses. It depended on the height of the small hill if the houses
had an ocean view or not. The one they were walking toward did.

Sean stuck a key in the garage door to open
it.

“Oh, wait, you live here?” Krista asked,
turning around to check out the view.

He squinted into the sun as he considered
her, his expression guarded. “Yeah.”

“I thought you lived closer to work?”

“I live
at
work, actually. But I sleep here.
I surf, so this is ideal for my lifestyle. Plus, I’m not such a
city boy. I like being out here where there’s limitless
ocean.”

“Well, not limitless. If you had better
eyesight you could see Japan.”

“Maybe I’ll get a telescope,” Sean
laughed.

“Why didn’t you ever mention you lived so
close to me?”

He shrugged, not properly hiding his
vulnerability. Personal lives versus work lives. Krista got it. She
changed the subject.

“Well, you are welcome to come over to my
house for a pre-barbecue drink if you want. You can meet the girls
and go over their portfolios. God only knows what they made up to
put in portfolios, but that way they won’t have to truck their
stuff to Ray’s.”

Sean was hosing himself off so Krista pulled
up some cement to have a seat. Then she decided, why sit when you
can lay?

“Shouldn’t you stretch?” Sean asked after he
turned off the hose. He had taken off his wetsuit and put a towel
around himself. Krista was sad she missed it.

“Actually, what I should do is some sit-ups,
then some squats, then stretch.”

“All that?”

“For now. Tomorrow is jumping rope and other
muscle toning stuff. I have yet to get into yoga, but I will.
Someday.”

“Let me get some shorts and I’ll do it with
you.”

She wanted to ask if he was serious, but she
didn’t really want to look up to get his expression. Instead she
just closed her eyes and willed some strength into her body. Sean
came back a moment later with a glass of water.

“C’mon. Up,” he said, bending over to help
her.

“Are you one of those irritating fitness
guys?”

“Yes. Here, drink.”

She did as instructed, finishing the glass
of water with thirsty gulps. Next she peeled off her sweaty shirt
and wiped her face. She was thankful her sports bra was somewhat
new. She had more holey ones than good ones these days.

“Jesus, Marshall, where did you get that
body?” he asked with a laugh.

Her mushy four-pack wasn’t as exciting as
his six-er. Her arms and legs were toned, not over-muscled, and she
was healthy. She felt great and looked okay. It was exactly what
she was after. It had to be, she didn’t have time to work out any
more than she already did!

“Steroids,” she said dryly. “Wait until you
see my stomach workout, McAdams. I’ll wipe that smile off your
face.”

“Ready when you are.” He sounded so dang
chipper about it. It was irritating.

“Alright, I grudgingly do this, you know,”
she tempered. “This isn’t the highlight of my life. Yeah, I feel
good after, but it is forever a chore, so please drop the upbeat
attitude. It makes my ass clench.”

Sean laughed and gave her a light push. Then
they got down to business.

They spent the next twenty minutes doing
various stomach exercises, then another ten on squats. Krista’s
legs were so tired from the run that they didn’t appreciate the
squats, and gave out a few times.

Once done, and to Krista’s intense
bitterness Sean kept up easily, she laid down on the garage floor
again. He could have gotten completely naked and she wouldn’t have
noticed.

“Do you want to come in?” Sean asked with
slight apprehension.

It seemed like meeting outside of work was
doing a number on his comfort level, which didn’t make much sense,
since he’d met quite a few work women after hours for
non-work-related activities of the naked persuasion. However,
Krista was in no mood to point fingers. Or even raise fingers.

“Nah, I need to get home. It’s going to take
some work to get this pile of doggie poopie to look
presentable.”

“Do you want me to walk you?”

“It‘s the middle of the day, Sean. I don’t
think boogeymen are on duty.”

“Fair enough. When should I stop by?”

“
Give me an hour. I should
have some semblance of structure by then. Wait, what time is
it?”

“Uh…” Sean stepped into his garage, then
back out again. “About eleven.”

“I gotta get going. An hour.”

Krista shakily got to her feet while Sean
laughed at her. She gave a behind–the-back wave as she lumbered off
toward home, beyond tired.

Once home, Krista showered, shaved, and
checked the weather in the East Bay. It was amazing how large the
weather differed from San Francisco to the surrounding areas. It
might be sixty degrees in the city, but you crossed either bridge,
and suddenly it was ninety.

It was supposed to be eighty-five where they
were going, so she picked out a cute summer dress that she wished
she could wear more often, and her new wedges that made her legs
look stellar. She nearly grabbed her underused summer hat, but
thought it might be a bit much. Instead, she grabbed some
bracelets.

The doorbell rang before she could get to
hair and makeup. She answered to Kate and Jasmine arguing about the
best way to get to her house, even though it was already too late
since they were, in fact, at her house.

“Hey, Kris.” Jasmine said, walking in the
door, followed by a still-arguing Kate.

Jasmine was tall, lanky and a doomsday
parade in her thoughts. She was a glass half-empty type of girl who
tried extra hard to make things fun and entertaining to combat the
boredom.

“I have to get ready,” Krista said, checking
her watch. “Go play with Ben. He’s going, apparently. Sean asked
him before he asked me.”

“Are you bitter about that?” Kate asked with
her hand frozen halfway to her bag.

In opposition, Kate was short and dainty,
until she opened her mouth and threw out the first f-bomb. Swear
words were her forte. She also knew the most about Krista’s
troubled past with Jim, her abusive ex-boyfriend. She took it upon
herself to police Krista’s interest in the charming, and
womanizing, salesman.

“…
no,” Krista
hedged.

Kate looked at her in warning, but didn’t
say anything. Jasmine ignored the whole issue.

“Guys, I need to get ready. Go away.”

“I know,” Jasmine said, “You look like a
monster.”

When Krista was mostly done with her makeup,
hair already blown out, Kate came clattering in.

“He’s here!”

“Who, Sean?”

“Yes!
He wants to see our
work!”

Krista turned to Kate, “That’s what you’re
here for, Kate. Aren’t you ready?”

“Krista Marshall, of course
I’m ready!” Kate said, putting her hand on her hip. “I was only a
few points behind you through the whole of our senior year.
But
man
—he looked
at me like I had better deliver
or
else!”

“Oh. That.” Krista turned back to the
mirror. “That was probably just his business look. Don’t worry
about it. He’s analyzing things. Not judging. Not yet.”

“You’re…” Kate hesitated. “You know him
pretty well for such a short period of time.”

“Kate, get over this, will you? I’ve worked
with him in my grill for about a year. Just…do your thing,
okay?”

Kate looked at her askew. “You’re
bitchy.”

“Want to see worse?”

She smiled, “Kind of.”

“Oh shut up and leave me alone!”

“Thought Jaz was rubbing off. Damn.” Kate
laughed and turned away.

Chapter Two

When Krista was done getting ready, she
wandered out to the living room where everyone else was gathered,
except for Abbey, the master-tenant and third roommate, who was
blessedly at work. It was a godsend that she worked on the
weekends.

Sean was sitting at the table looking at
Jasmine with intense focus. Jasmine, for the first time ever,
looked nervous as she opened her portfolio. Apparently the job
interview had begun.

“Anyone want a beer or wine?” Krista asked
over the din.

Jasmine raised her hand while looking for a
page, Kate gave a grunt which generally meant “yes,” and Sean
looked over in greeting. His eyes scanned her and the corners of
his mouth quirked.

“Please,” he said as he met her eyes.

She ignored the following shiver. And the
sexual desire. And the need to strip and lay her naked body on his
naked body.