They jogged past each other almost every day. Him traveling one way, her traveling the other. They would exchange a glance, a smile. Every now and then, he would wink at her. They would meet around the same place every lap, keeping up with each other's pace. He would try to outrun her, and she would push to keep up with him.
The sky filled with angry black clouds, as they circled the gray path. She could hear his heavy breath behind her, his firm legs flexing with each step. He moved up beside her, and they ran in step for a few feet. He looked at her and smiled, and pulled ahead. She pushed herself forward, regaining the edge from him.
They went back and forth for nearly a lap, pushing each other along. As they rounded the turn, she felt the large wet drops falling on her face. Soon, it was pouring. Not breaking stride, she looked up into the black clouds, and heard the thunder in the distance.
Picking up the pace, she started running to the nearby picnic area, getting under the roof just as the worst of the storm was coming. The rain had soaked her completely, and she stood dripping under the roof. He had been right behind her, following her to safety. When he emerged from the rain, he was soaking wet, his face red with exertion. He leaned for a while on the brick wall that closed in one side of the building.
It was then she noticed the bulk of his frame, the fact that he towered over her. He took his water bottle from his jacket pocket and drank noisily. They stood by the picnic tables, catching their breath, staring out into the sheets of water falling from the roof. The drops, falling fat and heavy were already making puddles, their rhythmic cadence pounding out on the roof.
He offered her the water bottle, and she happily accepted. When she handed it back, she felt his hand touching hers, his large fingers rubbing over her skin. He looked into her eyes, holding her gaze. She looked up at him, feeling the energy pulsing between them. With a boldness she never possessed before, she stepped towards him, backing him up to the wall. Resting her hands on his muscled chest, she pressed the length of her body to his. His arms enclosed around her, and she felt their weight in the small of her back. She reached up and pulled his head to her, kissing him firmly on the lips, tasting his salty flavor.