9. Lucia
nine
Lucia
Ari isn’t in the gym when I finish my workout, which is unexpected. I can’t imagine the only thing he wanted to use was the treadmill, but whatever.
I grab my towel and wipe my brow, take a sip from my water bottle, and then walk back to my bedroom to clean off in the attached bathroom.
Really grateful Ari and I don’t have to share a bathroom.
I close my bedroom door behind me and peel off my sweaty clothes, ready to jump into my shower and clean myself off.
Before I make it into the bathroom, though, I hear a noise.
A noise I can’t quite place.
I walk toward where I heard the sound and stop at my wall.
The wall my bedroom shares with Ari’s bedroom.
And I hear the sound again.
No mistaking it this time.
The walls here are apparently thin because I can hear Ari jacking himself off on just the other side of the wall.
He groans now, louder than before, and I assume that means he’s finished.
I hate to admit that it’s kinda… hot.
And it reminds me just how painfully single I am.
I get the feeling that Ari isn’t aware of how thin these walls are since he’s never had a roommate, but I know a fun way to show him.
I reach into my nightstand drawer and pull out my favorite yellow vibrator before I settle on my bed. I lean back against the pillows, spreading my legs wide as I position the toy between them.
A gasp escapes me as I start pushing inside, slowly working the entire length into me. A moan slips out when I turn it on, the rabbit ears vibrating against my clit and the shaft moving inside me.
I don’t control my volume; I’ve always been enthusiastic in bed, even if it’s just myself. I know Ari can hear me, and I don’t feel an ounce of shame over that.
Honestly, I like the thought of him being able to hear me.
Not because it’s Ari.
I don’t like the thought because it’s Ari.
He irritates me beyond belief.
But I’ve never been shy about what I like in bed, and I don’t mind a man hearing me get off.
Though that man does happen to be the one I can’t stand.
My fuckboy of a roommate.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Ari was flirting with me earlier, telling me all about how he’d give me the best night of my life.
I told him I didn’t believe him.
I lied.
I don’t like him, but I won’t deny that the way he carries himself and the confidence he has tells me that he knows exactly what to do in the bedroom.
Not that I care.
I’m never falling into bed with Ari.
But strangely, the thought does push me closer to release.
Whatever, though. Cute men make me horny.
And I’m not going to deny that he’s good-looking. There’s a reason so many women have him climb into bed with them.
Even cuter when he wears his glasses. Didn’t know I’d ever be attracted to that, but Ari pulls it off.
I guess.
I thrust the vibrator in again, holding it against my favorite spot. The spot that always sends me to release.
I quickly crash over the edge, crying out as my orgasm overtakes me.
I turn off my toy and lie there, panting while I catch my breath.
And I hear a noise through the wall again.
This one, though, sounded more like the thud your head would make as it hits the wall, which means Ari is standing just on the other side.
I smile and laugh.
He definitely heard me.
“I made coffee,” Ari says as I walk into the kitchen the next morning.
“Thanks,” I reply, grabbing my favorite coffee mug from the cabinet. I ended up moving most of them to my storage unit since Ari already has plenty of mugs, but I did keep my Me Goose-ta mug.
It’s got a pun and a goose in a Flamenco dress. What more could I want?
“Did you, uh…” he stammers awkwardly, “sleep alright?”
“I slept fine,” I respond slowly, eyeing him the entire time. “You’re being weird.”
He scoffs. “I’m not being weird.”
“Whatever you say, Morgan.” I roll my eyes, fill my mug with coffee, and pour some peppermint creamer in before I take a seat at the island.
Ari lets out a deep breath and follows me over. “I heard you last night.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Ah, that’s why you’re being weird.”
“Sorry that I don’t know how to act after hearing my roommate get herself off,” he chides.
I just shrug. “You don’t see me acting weird after hearing you. Can’t be that hard to just be normal.”
His eyes widen in surprise. “How thin are these fucking walls?”
“You tell me. You own the place.”
Ari scrubs a hand down his face. “I didn’t know until now. I assumed you were being loud on purpose.”
“Oh, I was,” I interject with a smirk. “I heard you, and I thought that would be a fun way for you to find out about the thin walls.”
“You’re fucked up, Torres.”
“I’m just unashamed.” I lean back against my barstool and point my gaze at him. “Why would I be?”
He tries to hide it, but I feel the heat from his eyes as they leer over me. When he realizes what he’s doing, he quickly clears his throat and rights himself.
Was Ari just checking me out?
“Right,” he stammers. “You wouldn’t need to be ashamed about that.”
“Exactly,” I concur. “Nothing wrong with being vocal about what I like in the bedroom.”
Ari clears his throat again, and I swear I can almost see the slightest bit of pink tinge his cheeks.
Is he… blushing?
Ari fucking Morgan is blushing as I sit over here talking about sex.
The man has more sex than anyone I know, and yet I’m making him uncomfortable.
Gonna add that weapon to my arsenal.
Might be able to have some fun living here, after all.
“So, how awkward was yesterday?” Ella asks before taking a sip of her water.
Water today because, as she told us, she’s ovulating and isn’t letting anything “keep Josh from putting a baby inside her.”
Her words.
“It was definitely weird when he came home,” I reply. “We’re not friends, so it’s not like we know how to spend time together. The evening was better since I only ran into him in the gym. Didn’t see him again until this morning.”
“See?” Harlow says, nudging my shoulder. “We told you it wouldn’t be bad living with Ari.”
“It’s been a day,” I chuckle. “Give it time.”
“I think you’re going to come around,” Rory shrugs.
“Don’t hold your breath.”
Rory rolls her eyes. “Ari is my husband’s best friend. I think living with him is going to finally let you see how he really is. He’s not whatever you made him up to be in your mind.”
I sigh. “It’s not in my mind. He’s always made it clear how much he doesn’t like me.”
“But why?” Lo pleads. “What happened between the two of you?”
What happened is I’m a prideful bitch, and he seems to be just as stubborn as I am.
We were always bound to butt heads.
“Nothing,” I state, waving my hand dismissively.
No one needs to know about Matt.
No one needs to know that I should’ve listened to what Ari told me.
I should’ve considered it.
But I just hated the way it felt like he was condescending to me.
Like he was the expert, and I should have just taken him at his blind word.
We had just met—I didn’t even know if I could trust him yet.
And his smug attitude just had me desperately wanting to prove him wrong.
Look where that got me. I’ve been single for the last eight months, and I’m now living with Ari just to save face with my shitbag ex-boyfriend.
I used to be so put-together. What happened to me?
I thought life was supposed to be better in your thirties. I’m nothing but a hot mess anymore, though.
I need to just not worry about romance right now. Sure, I can feel my ovaries shriveling more by the second, but I need to focus instead on how to get the head trainer position over Logan.
“Got any plans for Christmas?” Olive asks, breaking me out of my trance.
“Oh,” I say, regaining my composure. “No, I don’t. I haven’t gone home for Christmas in years.”
“Why is that?” she asks softly. “You always speak so fondly of your parents, so I’m surprised you don’t see them for the holidays.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to see them,” I answer.
“It’s more that by the time Christmas rolls around, I’m all traveled out.
I love seeing new places, but after spending half a season on the road every year, I prefer to just relax at home instead.
Plus, my parents always head to Spain, so I wouldn’t even be flying to California. ”
“Are you going to bake again this year?” Ella questions as the waiter drops off our food.
“I’m not sure,” I shrug. “It’s not like I have my own place now.”
“I doubt Ari will care if you do some baking, Luc,” Harlow smiles.
“I have no idea what he cares about, ojitos. I’ve made it my mission to spend as little time with him as possible up to this point.”
“Maybe not the best idea now that he’s your new roommate,” Rory states.
“It’s what makes sense. Neither of us wants to spend time together. We’re just cohabitating until I figure something else out.”
The girls shrug but don’t prod me more. And I’m grateful for that.
They might not know how deeply Matt hurt me, but they were still right there to help me back up. I always act unaffected, but I think deep down, they know it’s just that. An act.
I’m just putting on a performance.
I bet I could make it in Hollywood if I didn’t love my job so much.
But I do genuinely love my job. Dr. Coltrain is amazing. All the guys on the team are amazing.
It would be more amazing, though, if my misogynistic coworker would get over himself.
As soon as I have that thought, the devil himself appears right next to me.
“Lucia Torres,” he says, a smarmy smile on his face.
“Logan Dawson,” I reply as sweetly as I can muster. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
I might hate the guy, but he’s still my coworker, and I won’t be seen as unprofessional. I don’t need to give him any ammunition against me.
“Out to lunch with my girlfriend and figured I’d come say hi to my favorite coworker.”
Professional. Keep it professional.
Mostly, at least.
I take a breath and put on a happy face. “Favorite coworker, huh?”
He’s lying out of his ass right now.
“For now.” Logan looks at me with a smug smirk. “You’ll be my employee after Dave leaves.”
I choke down a laugh. “I’d rather have you as my employee instead.”
I see his eye twitch at my words. “Let’s cut the shit, Torres. You know you’re not going to be my boss.”
“Why is that, hm?”
Logan rolls his eyes. “You know why.”
“Then allow me to tell you exactly what I told my date last month.” I turn and look him right in the eyes. “Owning a pair of tits doesn’t preclude me from working with athletes. I’m every bit as great a trainer as you are, Logan, and you’re not going to diminish my work just because I’m a woman.”
“My work speaks for itself,” he huffs.
“So does mine,” I reply, shoulders back and confidence radiating off of me. “You know I’m the favorite trainer for a reason.”
He chokes down a laugh. “Yeah, and that reason has less to do with your abilities in your job and more to do with what they can do with you.”
“Excuse me?” Fuck professionalism. Fuck taking the high ground. Logan has always thought less of me, but he’s never insinuated something like this before. “Are you saying the team likes me because they want to fuck me?”
“Your words, not mine.”
“I haven’t slept with any of them, Logan.
I don’t mix work and pleasure. At the stadium, I’m nothing but professional with the guys, and they respect me in return.
They aren’t nice to me because they want to sleep with me.
” I take a deep breath. “You should go now. I’m sure your girlfriend is waiting for you. ”
Logan stalks off, and I slink back against my chair.
I’m already going to have to dive into conditioning plans for next season. I can’t let Logan Dawson get the Head Trainer position over me.
I will not accept a man so sexist as my boss.
So much for enjoying the rest of this offseason.