Chapter 8
Rhys
“I need to cut my hair.”
I raked my fingers through it as I stood in front of one of the gym mirrors, looking at it critically.
“Oh my god, yes!” Drew came over, pulling out his phone. “I’ll call my barber and see if he can fit you in. Shit, I’ll tell him I’ll pay extra to make sure he can.”
“What?” I looked my business partner up and down. “Do I look that bad?”
I wasn’t used to dissecting my appearance. Usually the mirrors were used to check my form during an exercise, not to see if I looked pretty or not.
“This?” He went to ruffle my hair and earned himself an elbow in the ribs for his trouble. “You look like a mop. The whole scruffy skater guy thing was hot like ten years ago.”
“I was a skater guy ten years ago,” I replied with a huff. “I still like to go for a skate sometimes.”
“But you’re a man in your thirties, not some kid anymore.” He looked me over with a critical eye. “You could shave the sides, go all Viking looking, or maybe high and tight.” I stared at him. “Y’know, kinda paramilitary styled.” He reached out to grab my jaw, forcing me to jerk away, and that’s when his eyes narrowed. “Why are you suddenly interested in changing your look? I mean you’ve mastered basic grooming and showering regularly, thank god, but you don’t give a shit how you look…” He smiled slowly. “This is about that girl.”
That girl.
I baulked at that classification. Katie was a goddess among women. She needed one of them plinth things to stand on and be all remote and gorgeous, like an ancient statue or something. I, of course, would get down on my knees and?—
“It is.” The prick started to wave his finger in my face. “This is about Mandie’s sister.”
“Katie.” That came out 100% more mournful than I meant it too. “Her name is Katie.”
“I know.”
I was about ready to punch that smug smile right off his face.
“I asked Mandie for her number—” I said.
“And she hasn’t replied.” Drew crossed his arms and looked me up and down. “She also hasn’t come back to the gym for another session. You want to clean yourself up to try to impress her.” He shook her head. “You really like this girl.”
“I mean, I think so.” I started to pace back and forth. “I don’t know. We’ve barely spoken two words to each other, but…” I stopped and stared at my reflection, but it wasn’t me I saw. “It’s been a while since anyone’s caught my eye, y’know?”
“I know.”
Shit, Drew was going all Yoda on me now, calm and quiet.
“And maybe I’m just building it all up in my head. I mean, she took me by surprise.”
“That, or you have an erotic fascination with being doused with smoothies.” My eyes narrowed as I stared at him, but the bastard just hit me with his biggest shit-eating grin. “Do you have wet dreams about girls making ‘milkshakes?’”
“Great,” I growled. “I’m being vulnerable, showing my soft side here, and you’re?—”
“Giving you shit, like you always do me,” he replied. “Alright, so let’s think about this logically. You think you might be into her and want a chance to find out?”
“Yep,” I said.
“And the fact she’s not replying to you is kinda driving you crazy.” His eyes went to my hair. “So much you’re thinking about lopping off all that hair.”
“I gotta do something, right?” I looked him up and down. “Like how did you know Greg was the one for you?”
“I looked across a crowded bar and his eyes locked with mine.” Drew looked a little misty eyed then. “The loud music, the noise, the sweaty atmosphere, that all fell away and there was just him. I made my way over to him and introduced myself.” He shrugged. “And that was it.”
“See, that.” I stabbed my finger in the air. “That’s what I’m talking about. Sometimes this shit is just written in the stars.” I pulled out my phone, googling local florists. “I’ll ask Mandie where her sister works and have a bunch of flowers sent over.” I looked up for a second. “Two bunches. Not roses, they’re way too basic. Maybe sunflowers?” I scrolled through the flower shop’s catalogue. “What’s a lisianthus?” I turned the phone screen around to show him. “Do you think Katie would like these?”
“Whoa there, buckeroo.” He plucked the phone from my grasp and then placed it face down on the counter. “I get that you’re keen.”
“Keen was a day ago,” I replied. “I’m way past that point now.”
“Don’t let keen earn you a restraining order,” he advised. “Just take a breath and …oh.”
“Oh what?” I spun around to follow his line of sight, and that was the moment when the doors slid open. Not an uncommon occurrence at the gym, but this was no ordinary client walking in the door. Just like in the movies, the sunlight framed her head, turning that red hair of hers fire bright. “Holy shit, it’s her.”
This had to be fate. My feet started moving before I did, walking towards Katie. I caught the moment she looked around, then blanched at the sight of so many dudes lifting weights before looking down at her phone.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “No, no, no. Goddammit, Mandie.”
“Anything I can help you with?” I asked. “We’ve got some fresh smoothies over there if you need something to toss around?”
“What?” That pretty pink flush had me grinning, and right then I swore I’d do whatever it took to make that happen over and over again. “Oh.” She took a step backwards. “Oh god…”
“Hey, I was just joking. You looked like you were having a particularly bad day.”
“In a way,” she admitted ruefully. “My stupid sister organised to meet me at the gym and then spaced without telling me. Apparently she’s got some ‘thing.’” Katie shook her head, then scanned the gym. “I’ll just go?—”
“Or…” I stuck my arm out like gents did in those horny period dramas women like. “I could take you through your paces. I’m a pretty good personal trainer, if I do say so myself.”
Say yes, beautiful , I thought furiously.
“New year, new me…” She muttered that under her breath, thinking I didn’t hear her, but I did. “So, I don’t think I’m ready to tackle anything weight bearing right now.” She flinched when someone dropped a barbell weighed down with hundreds of kilos of plates. “That looks… scary.”
“Not scary if you know what you’re doing.” I wiggled my arm, and she stared at it, then shook her head and put her hand on the elbow. “And I know what I’m doing, no matter what people say about me.”
“What do they say about you?”
I was doing so well, but her feet instantly slowed as she stared up at me.
Impulsive, headstrong, more balls than brains, they were a few of the insults levelled my way, but none of them mattered right now.
“That I always look after clients and we run a chill place here. Anyone tries to give you shit? I’ll sort them out for you.” I turned to face her. “Its important people feel comfortable here, but if you don’t want to try weights today, could I interest you in some cardio?” As I walked over to the treadmills, I turned and stared, realising why Katie seemed so familiar. I remembered now the hot girl walking past when I was spotting my friend, Noah. “You know how to use these just fine.”
“Yeah.” Her cheeks flushed brighter. “I came here a bit after…” She shook her head. “Last year. That’s when Mandie started to get on my case about working out with her.”
“Alright.” I turned on the machine, tapping on the screen so she could adjust the settings to suit herself. That bag was plucked from her grip and then I took her ear buds out of their base and placed them in each ear, resisting the urge to stroke her hair. “Got water?” I saw the water bottle stashed in a side pocket of her bag and placed it in the drink holder. “Need an iPad to watch Bridgerton as you’re walking?” I asked. “You could pretend you’re a fine lady taking a turn about the gardens.”
“You lend clients iPads?” she asked, climbing up on the stationary treadmill. “This is some gym.”
“Umm… I could look to see if we have one,” I said, “or I could change the channel on the TV screens.”
We usually played sports replays on the big screens and while I was fairly sure you’d be able to hear the guys’ howls from space, I’d throw on Netflix for Katie, if that’s what she wanted. I don’t know what it was, but as my hand came to rest on the rails of the treadmill, something in me wanted to move. I wanted to cover it with mine, claim it, maybe cradle it against my chest as I?—
“I’ll be fine, but thanks.”
She turned away, drawing out her phone to put on a playlist, which meant my job here was done. There were a million other things that needed doing around the gym, but I couldn’t remember one of them. You’re gonna freak Katie out, staring at her like that , a little voice told me and I was right. If she was already feeling weirded out, I couldn’t let myself make it worse, so I turned and walked back to the counter.
“That looked like it went well,” Drew said. “Though you’ve both still got your clothes on.”
“Shut up.”
I didn’t say that with any heat, settling back against the counter.
“Or maybe that’s the problem,” he said with a grin. “Maybe you should work off some of that barely repressed sexual energy hauling some cartons of drinks out here. The fridge needs restocking.”
I mumbled some insult in his direction, but went and did as I was told. That was how it worked around here. Drew was the brains and me? I lifted heavy things.
He was right, though. Once I’d carried out several armloads of drink cartons, some of the frantic energy in me started to settle. I was feeling calmer, more centred.
Right up until the point I saw him.
“Uh oh…” Drew hissed as we both watched Steve amble over and then point at his ear. Katie kept on powering on, ignoring him completely, until he moved into her line of sight.
“That prick…”
I hated the guy with a passion and wanted to rescind his membership but Drew always said no. There wouldn’t be an argument this time. The arsehole loved to glom onto clients, particularly women, tearing them down subtly, right before offering his nutritional and training routines for the tidy sum of $54.99.
“You better go and rescue your girl,” Drew said, but I was already striding across the floor.