Numb

Leaves rustled through the trees as the wind blew softly. The hot June sun beat down on the Earth, making everything hot and the humidity made it sticky. Sam squirmed in her seat on the bleachers and took another drink from the water bottle in her hand. Alex strolled restlessly around the empty playing field, moving from base to base in a diamond pattern. He wore a pair of cut-off shorts, a baseball jersey and a cap, and he looked the picture of a ten year old boy, eager to learn to play.
Sam reached up and tugged at the strap of her purple bikini top, then brushed a bit of dust off her khaki shorts. They had been here almost twenty minutes and there was still no sign of Luka.
She had been surprised when he had caught up with her before she left from work the day before and told her he was off the next day. It was his first day off since promising Alex to teach him baseball, and true to his word, he asked her to meet him at the park with him. She really hadn't expected him to set up a date to play, even after he told her he meant it. She hadn't expected him to take time out of his life to help a kid he really didn't even know. Now she sat, sweating and sun in her eyes, wondering if maybe she had been right.
Then Alex looked up and ran over to the fence. Sam stood and followed where he was running to and sure enough there was Luka.
Sam's breath caught in her chest. She hadn't been prepared for what was now before her. He stood on the opposite side of the fence from Alex, black hair dangling over one eye, wearing a pair of well-fitting navy blue cargo shorts and a red tee shirt that stretched across his sculpted chest. His dark, golden skin tone almost glowed in the afternoon Sun and his face was covered in a smile that Sam had rarely ever seen. He looked relaxed, comfortable. The change from the suit and tie, serious work attitude she was used to was almost incomparable with the casual, laid back easiness that emanated from him now.
She made her way to where he and Alex were standing and smiled up at him.
" You made it. " she commented.
" Yeah, I'm sorry I'm late. Traffic was awful. " he explained.
" Hey, you made it, that's all that matters. " she answered.
He walked casually to the gate, carrying a bag with a baseball bat sticking out of it over his shoulder. He came to the bleachers and started unloading the bag, taking out balls and bats and gloves.
Sam sat back down at the top of the bleachers and watched. She watched as the muscles in his chest and arms rippled under his shirt every time he threw the ball to Alex. She watched his thigh muscles tense as he ran from one base to another. She watched every move he made and after hours of sitting there enjoying the show in front of her, she decided that she definitely liked baseball.

Luka finally came to rest on the bottom seat of the bleachers and turned to look up to the top where Sam was sitting. She looked beautiful. Luka had noticed how attractive she was before, but now she was breathtaking. Her wild, blond locks were secured in a ponytail behind her. Her face was shadowed by a purple visor that matched her bikini top. Brown eyes, full of amusement and mirth darted around the field watching as Alex ran from one end of it to the other.
Luka panted slightly from the exertion of playing. He hadn't played ball in years and his age was definitely showing. He had told Alex he needed a break and came to rest for a minute. Alex had taken off, so full of excited energy at having hit his first ball that he couldn't stop to rest for even a minute. He had always been amazed at how much energy a child could use. It was like they had some never ending storehouse.
" Has he worn you out yet ? " Sam called from above him.
" I think so. Maybe I'm not as young as I used to be. " Luka answered, shielding his eyes from the sun to look at her.
" None of us are. " she smiled, standing and making her way to sit beside him.
" Youth is wasted on the young. " he commented, turning his attention back to Alex who was now acting like he had just hit a home run, casually running around the bases, waving at his invisible fans.
" I really appreciate you doing this for him. It was great. "
" I loved it. He had so much fun. I think it was contagious. "
Alex ran back over to them and stopped in front of Luka.
" I had a lot of fun. Thank you very much for coming and teaching me to play. " he said, smiling brightly.
" You are very welcome. I would love to doagaiagain soon. " Luka answered, smiling as well.
" That would be great. I'm so bored with school out. I mean I have like nothing to do and no friends really. " he said, excitedly.
Sam chuckled at the boys rambling and reached up to muse his hair.
" How do you feel about pizza ? " Luka asked.
" I love pizza. " Alex answered quickly.
" You mean now ? " Sam asked.
" Yeah, I think we worked up quite an appetite. " he answered.
" I don't know. We have already taken up so much of your day off. " she said.
" I don't mind. If I wasn't with you, I'd be eating alone in my apartment. I have had enough of alone for a while. " he explained.
Sam couldn't help but smile back. " All right, pizza it is. But I'm not dressed to go out. Can we stop at my place and let me change first ? "
" Yeah, I could a little cleaning up myself, if you don't mind. "
" Of course not. "

Sam opened the door to her apartment with the key and stepped inside. Alex and Luka followed behind her.
" Excuse the mess. The maid doesn't come till tomorrow. " she joked.
Luka laughed. " It isn't anywhere near as bad as mine. " he assured her.
" Bathroom is the first door on the left. " she informed him, pointing in the right direction.
" Thanks, I won't be a minute. " he called backing his way to the room.
" Go get changed. " she told Alex. " And please wear something clean. "
" Yes, Mom. " he said, taking off down the hall.
Sam made her way quickly to her bedroom and shut the door, before beginning to discard clothing. She pulled the strings behind her neck fastening her top and realized to her dismay that a large knot had worked its way into the strings. She tried to stretch the loop enough to lift it over her head but it wasn't loose enough. She tugged at it uselessly.
" Alex, " she called, making her voice carry through the apartment.
Alex came to the door a minute later and poked his head in.
" My top has a knot in it. I can't get it out. " she explained, turning her back to him and kneeling so he could get to it.
Alex fiddled with the strings for a second. If she had been looking behind her she would have seen the mischievous smile on his face when he let the strings go." I " I can't get it. Hang on, I'll ask Luka. "
He was gone before she could tell him to stop. She stood and began tugging at the string desperately, trying to get it undone before Alex returned with Luka.
A second later, Luka appeared alone at her bedroom door.
" Alex said you needed help with something. " he said, sticking his head in the door.
Sam turned to him and smiled, shyly. " I seem to be stuck. "
" Stuck ? " he asked, a quizzical look on his face.
" My top has a knot in it and I can't get it out. " she explained.
Luka smiled at her and motioned for her to turn around.
Sam did as she was instructed and held her breath waiting for him to move closer to her.
She heard him move, then felt the heat from his body as he came up to her. He moved his hand up slowly and gently pulled her hair over her shoulder, out of his way. She shuttered as she felt his fingers brush the tender skin of the nape of her neck. She knew he could feel it.
After a few seconds and several more brushes against her skin, she felt the pressure of the strings fall from around her neck. It was only at the last moment that she remembered to move her hand to hold the top in order to preserve her dignity.
Luka still hadn't moved away. His hand was lingering on the soft skin of her shoulder and she could swear he felt warmer now than he had a moment before. She could feel his chest against her back as he breathed raggedly in and out.
She was mesmerized, her feet glued to the spot where she was standing. His smell penetrated her senses.
Then his hand moved with agonizing slowness down her arm and rested at her elbow. For an excited moment she thought he was going to turn her around and kiss her.
" Sam, " he whispered softly, his breath airy against her neck.
Then his head dipped down and stopped millimeters away from her shoulder.
" Are you two ready ye" Al" Alex asked, barging into toom.oom.
Luka stepped quickly away from her and turned to Alex.
" Yep, all done. " he said, striding to the door quickly.
He disappeared before Sam had a chance to turn around.
" Alex, you have the worse timing. " she scolded.
" I'm sorry, Mom. I'm hungry. " he answered, leaving the room. " Hurry up. "
Sam watched in dismay as the door closed behind him.

The local pizza restaurant was crowded and noisy. Aled did disappeared into the back where the arcade was and they hadn't seen him since. Luka sat staring across the table at Sam and trying to ignore the feeling that was starting in his chest. He couldn't, however, ignore the fact that she was absolutely beautiful. She had changed into jeans and a soft, white, short sleeve, off the shoulder sweater. It came to a vee in the front and crossed itself, making her waist seem so small, Luka thought he could probably encircle her in his hands.
He was trying desperately not to let her see his hands shaking as he watched her take a drink from her glass, the straw resting against her full, red bottom lip.
He hadn't said much since the bedroom. He wasn't sure if he should mention it or not. The urge to kiss her had been almost overwhelming. He was afraid if Alex hadn't come in he would have made a mistake that could take these two people out of his life and he was certain he didn't want that to happen. He was enjoying spending time with them. He felt drawn to them. He couldn't explain it. Alex was wonderful. He loved being with him. He was exactly what he imagined Marko would have been like.
And Sam, Sam was so different from Danijela. They were complete opposites. Sam was actually different from any of the women he had cared about. She was so strong, so opinionated and so in control. He had seen her watching him while he played with Alex earlier. He knew she was attracted to him as well. He jussn'tsn't sure she was ready for him to make a move. They had known each other such a short time. He was certain it would take time for Sam to trust him. She didn't seem like someone who trusted easily.
He absently wondered what had happened to her to make her that way. He sensed something in her past that she wasn't willing to talk about. But then again, he hadn't exactly been forthcoming about his past either. For now he was happy to just live in the moment and enjoy feelgoodgood again.
" So, are we going to talk about earlier or just pretend it didn't happen ? " Sam asked suddenly setting her drink back down and looking at him with liquid chocolate eyes.
Luka shifted uncomfortably and stared back at her. " Would you prefer not to talk about it ? " he asked.
" I'm not sure. I'm not sure how I feel about it actually. " she admitted.
Luka was quiet waiting for to to lead the conversation, not sure of exactly what he should say.
" I mean, everything is happening so quickly. I've only known you a couple of weeks. I just don't want to move to fast, unless what you're looking for is something casual. Then I don't have a problem with that. But I have to make Alex understand. " she said, absently wrapping a strand of hair around her finger in a way Luka had noticed her doing whenever she was uncomfortable.
Luka smiled. " When was the last time you got what you wanted out of something ? "
Sam let the hair drop from her finger and just stared at him.
" I don't remember. " she mumbled after several moments of silence.
" Well, then how about you tell me what you are looking for right now and we can just go with that. " he answered, taking a drink from his glass.
Sam was still silent and staring at him when Alex came back to the table and sat down.
" What's up with you guys ? " he asked, looking back and forth between them.
" Nothing, " Luka smiled, " Your mom and I were just talking. Did you have fun on the game"
"
" Yeah, they have the coolest racing game back there. It's like your really sitting in a car. It's great. You have to come and play with me after we eat. " then he paused and looked at Luka uncertainly. " You do play video games, don't you ? "
Luka chuckled, making Sam look up at him startled. " Yeah, I play video games. I even own a playstation 2 and an X Box. " he answered, looking back at Sam.
" Do you really ?" Alex exclaimed. " All I have is a regular Playstation. Can I come over and play with you some time ? "
Sam had finally begun paying attention to their conversation and looked at Alex who was practically bouncing on his seat.
" If your mom doesn't mind, I don't mind. I also have a thirty-six inch flat screen television to play them on. "
Alex grabbed Sam's arm and began to tug it. " Can I go live with Luka, Mom ? "
Sam laughed out loud and playfully slapped him on top of the head.
" You can go and play at Luka's whenever he wants you to. " she told him.
Luka felt his chest tighten again. Sam trusted him with Alex. That was definitely a start.