Chapter 11 #2
“It’s yours to do what you want with.” He takes a set of keys from his pocket and chucks them to me. I don’t catch them. They hit me in the thigh then fall to the floor with a clang.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s yours.”
My first instinct is to laugh, it bubbles up my throat and fills the room for a couple seconds before I fall quiet again.
I look around at the space. Everything needs fixing, but the bones of it are here, and with the floor-to-ceiling windows and sheer size of the room…
it would make the most beautiful dance studio.
“What do you want me to do with it?”
He shakes his head. “You can do whatever you want, Anderson. I’m giving you free rein.”
“Why?”
“Lowell. Dickhead.” He grins. “I need you to PT him.”
My shoulders drop along with my short-lived excitement. “No.”
“I owe him one; help me out here. Please?”
I don’t like this. At all. “Why would he even want me to personal train him? It’s ridiculous.”
“I’ve had six guys request you since your shift on Monday.” He smirks as if he is loving this. “Mason was in when two of them asked, he didn’t like it. At all.”
“Six? Who?”
“Just some of the regulars, all of them after more than a PT session. They know not to push the boundaries so don’t worry about that and I won’t be putting you on with any of them.”
“So, this is just yours and Mason’s way of pissing on me. Making them think I’m unavailable.”
“This has nothing to do with me.” He holds his hands up in defence. “Although, I’d never let you date any of those assholes.”
“But you’ll happily push me in Mason’s direction,” I deadpan.
“You know he’s a good guy.” He bends and picks up the keys at my feet.
“He put you out of a job, Logan.” I shake my head, knowing Mason only ever tried to protect me when he did what he did. “I’m pissed at you.”
He just nods, as if he expected it. I hate that he has me backed into a corner, but I can hardly say no when he’s given me not only a job but potentially a studio.
It’s been so long since I danced.
“I’ll PT him,” I relent. “But surely you can see it’s a farce. He doesn’t need a PT.”
“Yeah and I asked you to PT him, I didn’t tell you how you should do it.” He winks. “I’m sure you can get inventive with it. He did put us out of a job after all.”
I tilt my head to the side. I think he is telling me to beast him, but I don’t voice it. The more I think on it, the more I think this could be fun.
“Anything you need for this place—”
“I will pay for myself. Don’t push it,” I cut him off, knowing what was coming next.
“What do you think you’ll do with it?” he asks, looking around with a knowing smile.
“I have an idea,” I tell him, mentally calculating what needs doing and what it might cost. I don’t have much in the way of savings right now, but I have a little. Especially now that Mum isn’t in contact.
“It might not happen right away—”
“Take your time. There’s no rush, no pressure,” he assures me.
“Thank you, Logan.” I take the keys from his outstretched hand, excitement buzzing in my gut.
“It’s like something out of a tacky romance movie.” Megan laughs into her wine glass as I conclude my week’s fuckery.
She isn’t far wrong. Mine and Mason’s entire relationship could be one big bad romance novel.
“And Logan backed him on it. Apparently, I had six people request me for PT sessions, they clearly have no idea how terrible I’d be.
Me with a bunch of girls in tutus fine—I can teach but put me one on one with a raging protein-filled muscle and I’d be screwed. ”
“Raging protein-filled muscle.” Scarlet chuckles, her cheeks flushing. “That’s what she said.”
“You know what I mean!” I give her an elbow to the ribs as she snorts out a laugh.
“Personally, I think Logan is right. Maybe it’ll give you two the opportunity to clear the air once and for all,” she tells me, dropping her head to my shoulder.
I stare thoughtfully down at my coffee table. “I thought we already had.”
“The last time you saw him you got naked, actually.” Lucy cringes as she corrects me.
“Eww.” Scarlet lifts her head from my shoulder in disgust.
“Actually! The last time I saw him, I made a fool of myself in the middle of the gym and split my chin open. What if I’m just as terrible as that? I can’t train him.”
“I have every bit of faith in you. Stop worrying.” Lucy smiles. “This will be a good thing. Imagine if you can eventually be around each other and not want to kill one another. Or get naked,” she adds.
As much as I get what Lucy is saying, it feels impossible.
Maybe—hopefully in time things won’t be as electric with Mase.
Maybe one day I won’t feel the way I do about him.
I don’t tell them about the room above the gym, mostly because I want to take my time, make sure it’s exactly what I want.
It’s been a long time since I danced, well over a year, and I worry it won’t come to me like it used to.
“At least Mason is speaking to you,” Scarlet voices from beside me. “He’s been avoiding me.”
“He hasn’t phoned?” I ask, annoyed. I wish he would be better for her; I know the kind of man he can be and this isn’t it.
“No, but he did text last week. Asked if everything was okay. I mean, what does everything entail? The house? Me? Our parents’ graves? The entire estate I manage alone whilst studying medicine?”
“Someone should have a word.” Lucy peers over at me. “I could speak to Ell.”
“No!” Scarlet exclaims. “I don’t want him to be forced into it! If he cared, he would be there. I’m over it anyway.”
“You shouldn’t be left to deal with everything alone, Scarlet. Have you thought about renting the house out like he suggested?” Lucy asks.
“I could never.” She shakes her head vehemently.
When Scarlet decided to return to studying, Mason thought it would be a good idea to propose renting out the estate. I get the logic. She travels daily to the hospital, and she’s alone in the house at night, but I know without having to even ask her that she could never leave. He knows that too.
“I know, but with your studying do you think you can balance it all right now. What if you just offered a twelve-month tenancy?”
“I know it’s not my place,” I chime in, “but I wouldn’t be comfortable with it either. I take Ellis out there as much as possible, and maybe it’s selfish for me to want you to stay but I would hate to see someone else live there.”
Scarlet smiles gratefully up at me, and I know she will appreciate me siding with her on this. “I couldn’t do it anyway; I love it too much.”
“Does it not get lonely?” Megan asks.
I watch as Scarlet swallows thickly, her throat bobbing. “Not really.”
“You are badass, lady.”
“We should come out, have a girls’ night there,” Lucy suggests.
“I was actually thinking of a party.” Scarlet sits up on the sofa a little. “Or like a memorial ball.” She shrugs.
“Fuck yes! Yes! We can go dress shopping!” Megan bounces in her seat excitedly. “Sorry, that was insensitive, the memorial part is super sweet too!” she adds. “Luce, can you get Jean to sort us dresses?”
I roll my eyes at Megan as Lucy and her buzz between themselves. I turn to Scarlet. “This sounds incredible, Scar. Do you need a hand planning?”
“I was banking on it if I’m honest. It was something I thought about a few months back but I wasn’t sure, but I hoped you girls would help me.”
“Of course.” I grin. “Have you thought much into it since?”
“Not really, but maybe Mum and Dad’s wedding anniversary would work date-wise? It’s only next month but I have contacts.”
I beam at her. “That sounds perfect.”
“And you’ll be safe from running into my asshole brother, so that’s one bonus. There’s no way he’d come.” She swigs her wine, hiding her face in the glass.
To think Mason and Scarlet have always been so close and now they’re barely speaking irks me. They should be helping each other, not avoiding contact. Mason is a big boy; he needs to be better and be there for his sister.
Oh, that asshole will be going to the ball alright. With fucking bells on.
I’m annoyed at myself. For the longest time, I knew I didn’t need Mason. I didn’t want to see him, I had our son, and lived alone as a single mother. But now I stand here with butterflies in my stomach waiting for him to arrive for his five fifteen PT session. How the times have changed.
He became the light in my dark heart for the longest time, but it burned too bright for too long and eventually he burnt me. Now he is starting to glow again, but it’s not the same light as before. It’s like a dull, yellow, annoying gleam that I can block out with the squint of an eye.
Five fifteen on the dot, he bounces up over the steps, ready to work out.
He looks delicious this evening, but so does chocolate cake and too much of that causes diabetes.
I wonder what too much Mason Lowell would cause…
I go with severe vomiting and diarrhoea; it will help me get through the next hour.
He saunters over, drawing the eyes of nearly everyone in the gym.
“Hey.” He smiles, and I roll my eyes, not bothering to hide my annoyance.
“Hi,” I say sweetly.
I’m aware he hasn’t done anything wrong and already my attitude stinks, but I told Logan I didn’t want to PT him and yet here we are.
He frowns at my tone. “Everything okay?”
“Everything is perfect. Are you ready for your session?”
He licks at his lips, studying my face. Is he nervous? “Sure, can we start with—”
“Absolutely not. I have your session planned out already, silly.” I wrinkle my nose and smile. “Come on, let’s go get some cardio.”
Call me a bitch, but I want to see this man sweat.