#proximity

Gator’s eyes were fixed on you like he was hunting prey. 

From the moment he noticed you in the bar, he couldn’t bring himself to look away. Not only because you were gorgeous – he would never deny himself the pleasure of staring at a beautiful woman – but because you clearly didn’t care for him one bit. You hadn’t even spared him a glance in the 10 minutes he had been there. 

Most women stared. Rarely because he was handsome, but mostly because of his reputation. All they really knew about him was his father’s name, and that their parents told them to “stay the hell away from that boy”. Of course, that was all they needed to hear to throw themselves at him, but they would eventually learn their lesson. Gator would make a mess of them, and then he would be the freakshow they’d glare at in disdain. 

You on the other hand, carried yourself as an entirely different being. He watched as you sat at the bar with poise, legs crossed, talking to the bar tender like you’d known him for years. Your laugh was soft and genuine, causing your eyes to crinkle and your shoulders to fold forward slightly, but not loud enough to carry. 

Gator suddenly felt naked as you glanced up and caught his hazel eyes latched onto you. You looked away first, seeming completely unbothered by his gaze. He finally managed to look away, even though it felt wrong. He needed to seem as nonchalant as you, but he didn’t know why it felt like a competition. 

Another 10 minutes went by of him occasionally glancing up, secretly hoping you were already looking at him, and then slowly panning the rest of the bar, rinse, repeat. He then instinctively straightened up as he watched you carefully lift yourself from your seat, carry yourself with grace directly towards him, and head straight for the door. 

He shamed himself internally for not approaching you. He was incredible at ruining a perfect opportunity – a gorgeous woman, who somehow looks too cool for him yet so welcoming at the same time, sitting at a bar with no other guys in sight. What the fuck was he doing? Even the desperate women who threw themselves at him didn’t make it seem that simple. Interrupting his own thoughts, he shook his head and bolted toward the door, storming through it on the off chance you were still around. 

And there you were, leaning against the cool brick wall scrolling on your phone. He stood still like an awkwardly carved statue as he contemplated the best way to approach you. Not that his critical thinking was of any use, as he finally decided to bolt right up to you and loudly say, “Hey,” a little too pointedly. 

You quickly looked up from your phone and shuffled yourself back in defense before seeing who it was. You immediately relaxed your posture and gave a small eye roll to the absurdity of his approach. 

“Hey.” You said with a nod. “You’re the guy with staring problem.” You pointed your thumb behind you toward the bar. 

Gator looked slightly taken back before shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and chuckling nervously to himself. “Uh, yeah, um... sorry for being so forward- or, uh, maybe not forward enough, but, uh...” he was mumbling like an idiot, pissing himself off even more before finally clearing his throat. 

“I just wanted to say you’re real pretty.” For the first time that night, Gator found himself too scared to look at you. His eyes darted around the street trying his best to avoid your gaze, focusing on how the streetlights reflected off the wet asphalt. Your silence almost killed him, until you finally responded with a calm confidence. “I know.” 

Gator’s eyes shot back to you, catching the sly smile that graced your lips. He huffed out a small laugh, almost in disbelief that you had said such a thing. But then again, you were clearly a smart, confident girl – of course you knew you were pretty. 

The way you were dressed was simple, elegant, and sexy all at once, perfectly reflecting the way that you carried yourself. You dress was black and clung to your body, but had a high neck and longer sleeves that came to your elbows. Your hair was pinned up with a few strands intentionally falling across your face. It made you look powerful – sure of yourself. It turned Gator on like crazy and he’d never been so proud of himself after deciding to finally approach you. 

“D’ya live around here?” He asked, one hand gesturing around him. 

“Sometimes.” 

Gator’s smile widened, a hint of his confidence coming back. 

“Well then...can I get the pretty lady’s number?” 

You rolled your eyes playfully, turning your head away from him to think for a moment. As you saw your ride pull up, you turned back to peer up at him through your lashes with a knowing look in your eyes. The look that always got you exactly what you wanted. And you knew you wanted him, but you needed to make him work for it – make him desperate for you. 

You took a few steps toward him until you were pressed against his chest, reaching your hands up to rest on his collar. You could feel the heat of his body warming you from the cold, stagnant air as he looked down at you with half-lidded eyes. You knew that if you reached up to kiss him, he would be yours. But you needed to dig your hooks deeper than that and leaving him hanging would be the perfect final blow. 

“You know what,” you said, voice getting low, “if I see you again, then it’s meant to be. Fair?” 

His breath stuttered against your cheek. He wanted more than anything to grab your hips right there, but your close proximity made him feel paralyzed. “Fair.” He murmured. You gave him a satisfied smile which he knew he needed to see again. 

Gator’s lungs felt empty and shriveled as you dragged your hands down his chest and retreated from his body. He watched the curve of your ass as you drifted toward the car, suddenly realizing he didn’t even have a name to go with it. 

“Uh, I’m Gator, by the way.” He called out in hopes that you’d give your name in return. 

You opened the back door of the car and turned to look at him one last time before sliding in. You gave him a sweet yet mischievous smile that he would eventually come to dream about. 

“Bye, Gator.” 

And with that, Gator was standing on the sidewalk, full of yearning as he watched you be carried away, probably never to be seen again. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall, the coolness of the bricks grounding him and allowing him to take in what felt like his first deep breath in years. 

This wasn’t going to be easy, but he had to see you again.