“Um, Melis, are you sure this is where you wanted me to go,” Jon asked.
“Don’t you trust me,” she asked.
“Well, yeah, but-“
“No buts, lets go,” she said getting out of the car and grabbing her bag from the back seat.
Jon exited the car and followed her to the building where she unlocked the door with a key from her ring. “Where are we,” he asked as they entered the building.
“You’ll see in a second,” she said leading him down a hallway until they reached a set of large doors. “You have your stage, but this is mine,” she said as she opened the doors revealing an Olympic sized gymnasium.
“Do you own the place or something,” he asked looking around.
“No, I’ve been coming here for years and I know the owner. The team had a meet down south this weekend, so I asked for a little favor,” she said smiling.
“I’m surprised. You don’t strike me as a gymnast,” he said.
“Should I be offended,” she asked putting her bag on one of the mats.
“Well, gymnasts are usually small and well flat,” Jon said not sure if he was getting himself into trouble.
“And I’m,” Melissa asked as she slipped off her tee shirt uncovering a lavender leotard underneath.
“You are all woman,” he said grinning.
“Good answer. So are you ready to see what this is all about,” she asked.
“Absolutely,” he said.
“Good, you can grab one of the folding chairs over there, while I stretch out quick,” she said pointing to a far corner.
“You got it,” Jon said as he jogged across the room to retrieve the desired chair.
Melissa stretched out the necessary muscles and was surprised to see Jon staring at her when she turned around. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you its rude to stare,” she teased.
Jon tried to stammer out an answer as she walked over to where he was sitting dragging her bag along. “May I,” she asked gesturing to his lap.
“Of course,” he said as she sat, and gave him a quick kiss.
“Do you have any requests? Bars, beam, vault, floor,” she asked pointing to each.
“Nope. My gymnastics knowledge exists in the context of every four years for two weeks,” he said.
“Well since the floor’s right here,” she said standing and sliding her pants off.
Jon couldn’t help but watch the woman in front of him as she undressed and Melissa could feel his eyes. As she threw her pants by her bag and turned to walk away he noticed something on her hip. “Wait a second, come back here.”
“Yes,” she asked turning back to him.
“What is this,” he asked running his fingers over what looked like letters on her hip.
She gently pushed his hand away and strategically put her hands on her hips. “It’s nothing,” she said quickly.
“It’s a tattoo,” he said and her eyes grew wide. “It is, isn’t it?”
“Maybe,” she said not moving her hand.
“Are you gonna show me,” he asked.
“Nuh-uh,” she said shaking her head no.
“Oh come on, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” he said throwing on his best pair of duck lips for extra effect.
“You promise you wont laugh,” she asked.
“As long as it’s not my face, not that I wouldn’t be flattered, I promise,” he said.
“Fine, you and those damn lips are gonna get me every time. I wanna see first,” she said her hand still firmly in place.
“Fine,” he said and he rolled up each of his sleeves showing his famous Superman and longhorn tattoos. “And,” he said pulling up his pant leg a couple inches showing the dragon around his ankle. “Now it’s your turn.”
“Fine, but remember you promised,” she said. Slowly she moved her hand, and pulled back the material revealing the entire tattoo. Three simple words in an elegant black script, It’s My Life.
Jon read the words slowly, taking in each one. She watched him trying to read his reaction as he reached over and traced the words with his finger. His touch was gentle, but it set her skin on fire and she sucked in a silent breath as his finger traced.
“No laughing here,” Jon said with a sincere smile. “That song really did it for you, huh?”
“Oh, yeah,” she said.
“I like it,” he said as she fixed the fabric leaving most of the tattoo covered.
“That’s not the only one,” she said with a smile.
“Well, let’s see it,” he said.
“I can’t. It’s on my back. When I change I’ll show you, I promise,” she said.
“I’ll just have to wait, even though I held up my end of the bargain. But I came to see you put on a show,” he said.
“That you did,” she said as she grabbed a remote from the mats. “Not to make you uncomfortable or anything but I’m warning you about the music. It’s an old routine, I haven’t been by much so it’s old music.”
“Ok, I’m warned,” he said.
“Now I’m gonna play it and you can let me have it, and then I’ll start again. But I just loved it; I swear it still gives me chills,” she said pressing the play button waiting for the music to fill the speakers.
The a cappella version of Livin’ on a Prayer rang out over the speakers, and Jon couldn’t hold in his laughter and Melissa paused the music so he could contain himself. “This is the song that you chose that has that kinda effect on you?”
“It’s not the song necessarily, it’s the version. The way you sing this, mm-mm,” she said. “If it wasn’t all choreographed to this I would’ve changed it,” she said almost a little embarrassed.
“Well I’m ready for you, well us I guess,” Jon teased as she shot him a look.
Melissa stated the CD again, this time adding her routine to his words. Jon watched as she turned and flipped her body across the mat perfectly in sync with his music. The fluid and seemingly effortless motion of her body mesmerizing his attention no longer hearing himself in the music. When the music cut out, and she was laying on the middle of the mat, he gave her a wild standing ovation.
She jogged over to him breathlessly as she turned down the music, but his applause continued. “Is that for me or yourself, wise guy,” she asked.
“100% you. I’m just trying to show my appreciation as enthusiastically as you did last week. How am I doing,” he asked.
“Wonderfully,” she said.
“And that was, wow. The way you, and then how you,” Jon said trying to demonstrate with his hands.
“That good huh,” she said laughing.
“Oh yes, that good,” he said with a kiss.
“Well there’s more than that you know. We’ve got a whole gym here,” she said. “Lead the way.”
“Me? Yup your choice,” she said.
“The um, bars,” he asked.
“You got it,” she said grabbing grips from her bag before walking him over. “There’s stuff you can sit on, the floors just pretty barren. Can you do me a favor?”
“Name it,” he said when they reached the beam.
“Can you drag that over for me,” she asked pointing to a nearby springboard.
“Sure, where do you want it,” he asked dragging it across the floor.
“Right in the middle about 4 feet back from the high bar,” she said adjusting her grips and digging in the chalk.
“This good,” he asked when she walked to him.
“Yup,” she said adjusting it to her liking. “Just when I tell you drag it outta the way, or I’ll break my neck falling on it for the dismount.”
“And I can’t have you breaking your neck on me,” Jon said.
“That’s always nice to hear,” she teased. “But until I say so, I need you off the mat so I can’t see you.”
“Yes ma’am,” Jon said sitting on a nearby stack of mats.
“And I do need some music on in the background, but I’ll keep it low,” she said as she continued the CD to Wanted Dead or Alive. She looked over to see Jon biting his lip to keep from laughing. “I don’t see what’s so funny. It was ok last week when you were playing it.”
“You got me there,” he said.
“Any chance there’s someone who’s not me on this cd,” he asked.
“Oh yeah, Richie’s on here too,” she said. “But let me concentrate here.”
She handed him the remote and walked about 15 feet back from the bar and counted herself down before running down the mat and using the springboard to launch herself onto the bars. She did a variety of handstands and spins before transferring to the lower bar. She stood on the bar and turned to Jon and asked, “Can you move it now?” He got up from his perch and quickly dragged it away for her, and she waited until he was seated before she continued. He watched as she swung herself from bar to bar using her arms to propel herself and watching the crisp lines of her body. After a complicated dismount he once again gave her a rousing ovation to which she bowed to this time.
“Unquestionably one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” he said letting his applause die down a bit. “Why didn’t you tell me you could do this?”
“You never asked. And if I told you all my little secrets what fun would that be,” she asked.
“You got me there. Where to,” he asked.
“You wanna try,” she asked.
“Me?”
“You dragged me on stage last week didn’t you? And I bet that when you watch on tv you think it’s easy. Don’t you,” she asked.
“Well, I mean in theory it doesn’t look that hard,” he said.
“Then you’re up for it,” she asked.
“Ok, I’ll do it. But remember I’m a rock start I cant be breaking any bones,” he said.
“Come here rock star, how do the rings look to you? All you’ve gotta do is hold on,” she said pointing to two rings hanging from the high ceiling.
“Just hold on,” he asked suspiciously.
“That’s all,” she said. “Just climb up the steps and grab on.”
“Ok,” Jon said looking up at the rings. He climbed up the platform and grabbed onto the rings with both hands leaving him on his tiptoes.
“Holding on,” she asked.
“Yup, I’ve got ‘em,” he answered as she slid the platform out from under him and he began to squirm.
“I bet you’re in pretty good shape, how bout trying to pull yourself up,” she teased.
“You’re an evil woman,” he said trying to maintain his grip as it was proving to be much more difficult than it looked on tv.
After almost 30 seconds Jon lost his grip and landed on the floor, safely on his feet. “You lasted longer than I thought you would,” she said smiling.
“That was a lot harder than it looks,” Jon said.
“I know, but I had to show you,” she teased. “Come on, to the beam?”
“Far away from here,” Jon said.
Melissa took his hand and led him to a set of three balance beams. “You can sit on one of those. Do you need help getting up there?”
“Very funny,” he said.
“There’s a box around here somewhere that the little kids use,” she teased.
“I’ll be just fine thanks,” Jon said feeling the burn still fresh in his arms as he tried to propel himself up.
Melissa watched him struggle a minute before she carried a box over for him, “Don’t be so proud, use the box.”
She heard grumbling as he climbed up on the beam as she chalked up her hands, her feet and rubbing down the beam. She could hear the squeaking of Jon’s beam as she stood next to her own ready to mount. “If it wouldn’t be too much to ask, could you stop moving so much,” she teased.
“Ok, ok,” he said shaking his head at her.
He watched as she began another routine, what to him looked like flawlessly, though there were a couple moves that he thought looked a little awkward. Down on one knee, turning around in a circle and posing, but hell what did he know about what it should look like, and it didn’t seem to bother her one bit. I’m not about to say anything or she’ll make me get up there, he thought as he watched her. She backed up against the back end of the beam preparing for a long series of aerials before her final dismount. She felt herself go around once landing on her feet, but the second time she felt herself leaning to the right. Before she could react to catch herself she was falling. First her shoulder into the beam, and with a quick thinking tuck of her head she landing squarely on the same shoulder.
She lay there for a second as everything around her started to fade to black as the pain in her shoulder intensified. Jon stared at her a minute in shock before he awkwardly tumbled off of the beam and ran to her.
Dropping down on the ground next to her thinking the worst he called her name. “Melissa, can you hear me,” he asked. Unable to get words out she nodded. “Mel, can you say something for me, or open your eyes?”
“Jon,” she grumbled as she tried to open her eyes slowly, the pain radiating.
“Mel, I’m here, you’re gonna be ok,” he said trying to figure out what to do. “Where does it hurt?”
“My shoulder I landed on it,” she said feeling more coherent though the pain only strengthened.
“I’m calling an ambulance,” Jon said grabbing his phone from his pocket.
“No,” she said firmly.
“Melissa, I’m taking you to the hospital,” Jon said.
“Fine, but no ambulance. We’re right down the street from the hospital, just help me up,” Melissa said though she still hadn’t moved.
“Melissa, please,” Jon said.
“I’ll be fine. We could be there before the ambulance even gets here, its usually about 15 minutes before they come anyway,” she said. “Just help me up.”
Knowing she was probably right he agreed. “Start slow, roll over on your back and then I’ll help you sit up,” he said as she quickly complied. As she moved she let out a moan and her face grimaced. “You ready to sit up,” he asked.
“Just gimme a second, can you get my clothes,” she asked and he hurried to her bag. Come on Melissa this isn’t anything that hasn’t happened before, she told herself.
He returned a few seconds later with her shirt, sweats and a chair. “How are you doin’?”
“I think it’s just dislocated,” she answered.
“Just dislocated,” he asked.
“I’ve done it before, just help me up,” she said.
Jon knelt behind her and helped her sit, “How’s that?”
“Not worse, so we’re ok,” she answered.
“I’m gonna help you up, and just sit in that chair right there and I’ll help you get dressed,” he said pointing to the chair he brought.
“Ok,” she answered.
He helped her stand, through her cries of pain and had her sit in the chair. “Here, I’m gonna slide these on for you and then I’ll help you stand, ok,” he asked holding her pants. He slipped them on to her knees before he turned to her trying to look her in the eye but she couldn’t hold his gaze. “I need you to stand for me,” Jon said as he helped her up with her good arm. He slipped the loose pants up over her hips, as he saw her legs start to shake. Desperately looking into her eyes he saw little response to him. “Mel, I need you to stay with me. Melissa, can you hear me?”
She wavered in front of him trying to keep upright, trying to focus on his voice. “Jon, I,” she started.
“Mel, I’m right here. How ya’ doin’,” he asked seeing something was wrong.
“Jon,” she said weakly, before she fell into his arms and succumbed to the blackness.
Instinctively Jon caught her before she hit the floor and he laid her down gently. In a panic Jon leaned next to her. She’s breathing, so she’s ok. She’s not ok you ass, she’s unconscious. What do I do? He grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed 911.
“911, what is your emergency,” the operator said.
“I need ambulance,” he said franticly.
“Sir, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened,” the operator said calmly.
“She fell, and she said she was ok, but she just passed out,” Jon answered.
“Sir, is there any obvious trauma?”
“No she said it was just her shoulder, that it was dislocated,” Jon said.
“Sir, I need you to listen to me. I need you to find something to elevate her feet. Do you see something you can use?”
“Yes,” he said spotting the box that minutes ago she had given him.
“Ok sir, I need you to leave her for a second and go get that.”
“Ok,” Jon said as he grabbed the box quickly returning to her. “I’ve got it, what do I do?”
“I need you to prop up her feet.”
Jon slipped the box under her legs. “Ok, now what?”
”Did she change positions right before she passed out?”
“No, wait kinda she had just stood up a minute before that,” Jon answered not thinking quite clearly.
“Ok, sure I’m sure that’s all it was, she should be waking up soon. I just need you to give me your location and I’ll have an ambulance dispatched to you.”
“My location?”
“Yes sir, where are you?”
Shit, where the hell am I?
1 comment:
Oh poor Mel...And Jon, keep your cool, isn't your phone GPS equipped? More Rachel!!!
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