Dream Walker

Chapter 6 | Sports and Leisure

Being surrounded by obnoxious sports fans pumped full of beer and school pride was not how Callie would have chosen to spend a Saturday night. Unfortunately, it wasn't her turn to pick the restaurant. Jonah wanted to watch their football team playing an away game, and, since it was his turn to pick, he chose a sports bar. She was the only one that seemed averse to the idea, so she decided to suck it up and act like a normal person for the night.

It had been a shockingly fun time. The food was great, the drinks were cheap, and the laughter flowed easily around their table. The game was currently paused for halftime, meaning they had a brief rest from listening to Jonah yelling at the flatscreen televisions scattered across the bar. Instead of talking about football strategies, the conversation around the table had switched to more lighthearted subjects, like Quinn's shaven legs.

"Guys, everyone does it, stop laughing," Quinn groaned. His hand wiped across his face as if he could block out the teasing.

Quinn's girlfriend Maira was trying to recover from a bout of laughter that had left her face red and her eyes watering. She had just revealed to the group that in preparation for his upcoming swim meet, Quinn had shaved every inch of his legs. Though he was already an incredibly powerful swimmer, he apparently wanted an extra burst of speed to edge out the other club teams that he would face. Thus, the smooth, dolphin-like legs had emerged from an extended shaving session.

Lyn, sitting next to Callie, somewhat recovered from her laughter but still spoke in a gasping voice. "Oh, we get it, Quinn. I've taken a class on dynamics. You just needed to reduce all that...friction." The laughter returned, louder than before.

"Yeah, man. I've heard that friction can really burn. I hope you used plenty of shaving cream or you're gonna have one hell of a rash," Jonah added with a wide smile and a quick wink. He was on the opposite side of the table from Callie, with Natasha next to him. They were all squeezed into one large curved booth away from the bar's loudest patrons, but no distance could dull the noise.

"I don't mind the change, babe," Maira said coyly. Her eyes were full of mischief. "Less friction will be good for both of us."

Quinn's grimace turned into a confident smirk at her suggestive words, while the rest of their faces screwed up in disgust. Nat threw a balled-up straw wrapper at his face, but his happiness could not be deterred. Callie only shook her head, quietly laughing at the turn of events.

Listening to the teasing had improved her mood and brought her around on the whole 'let's go to a sports bar with a bunch of loud, smelly strangers' idea. Plus the two beers she drank before the wings were delivered to the table had helped her unwind. Maybe she'd become a sports fan while she was in the mood to try new things.

"You know you're all just jealous of these beauties." Quinn bent his leg and rested his foot on the booth next to him, pulling up his pant leg. His other hand began rubbing the smooth skin of his calf and gave it a little smack for emphasis. "I think I'm gonna start doing some calf modeling. These babies could sell themselves."

Callie's eyes wandered around the room, taking in the people. Most of the tables were overflowing with college students and adults reliving their college days. She recognized a few people she'd seen around campus, but she figured the rest were the type of students she would never meet in her daily routine.

"So, Callie, who are you checking out?" Quinn had leaned closer, conspiratorially talking in a loud whisper. He probably thought he was being quiet but was too inebriated to tell the difference. "That guy in the green shirt? Or maybe the hot girl he's been cuddled up to for the past hour?" He motioned in the direction she'd been looking.

Callie narrowed her eyes and raised one brow at his questions. It was certainly less obvious than the time he'd asked whether she preferred melons or sausages. Quinn's obsession with her lack of romantic trysts usually consisted of harmless teasing. A few times he'd even tried to set her up with members of the swim team.