Chapter 11 #2
Finn felt his cheeks heat. “I could do with a cut.” He flattened the spikes of hair that had been standing up all over his head.
Sam tugged her sweater over her head, emerging perfect, as if she’d just had a blowout.
She was wearing a sleek one-shoulder crop top that highlighted her toned arms and shoulders.
He sucked a breath in as she swooped her hair into a jaunty high ponytail.
How was he going to make it through a training session—fake or otherwise—with her looking like that.
“You promise to take it easy on me?” He blustered as she bent down to slip out of her sweatpants, revealing the high-waisted leggings she had on beneath. His heart pounded as she smoothed her hands over her hips, the leggings accentuating her strong curves.
“I will,” she said, leaning into a stretch.
“Nothing strenuous, I just need to loosen up. Maya is on her way. She said she’d be down soon to take a few photos.
I think we should try to concentrate on catching a good few shots of us.
That way she can post over the next few days.
She said Salvaro are more active at liking and commenting on them, so they might be our best bet. ”
“Maya’s not here yet?” Finn snorted, trying to get to grips with the idea of posing for photos with Sam looking like that. How could he hide how he felt from the camera? Because it was sure to pick up every little detail. “I thought you said she was up.”
“I said she’s up, not awake,” Sam joked.
Finn breathed out. She was making jokes; that was a good thing.
“Listen, about yesterday,” Sam started. Her eyes dropped to the floor. “At your suite. I think it’s best if we put what happened aside. We need to stay focused—on what’s real and what’s not.”
Finn nodded. His words caught in his dry mouth so that nothing came out.
Sam’s big green eyes were staring up at him, her face pale and drawn.
He could see the signs of exhaustion beneath the focus she was wearing.
It would be wrong to add to her worries and tell her that he wanted her more than anything in the world.
“Of course.” He forced a light-heartedness into his voice that he didn’t feel. “You’re one hundred percent right. Focus. Train. Win.” He mentally rolled his eyes. He sounded like a bad cheerleader.
But Sam didn’t seem to notice. Her face relaxed and her shoulders lowered.
“Thanks, Finn. You’ve no idea what this means to me.”
Finn swallowed, his smile sliding from his face as she dropped to the floor and started rummaging around in her gym bag. She sat back on her heels. “I’ve forgotten my towel. Back in a minute.”
She smiled at him, then turned and walked toward the ladies’ changing room.
“I do know,” Finn said to the empty gym, before picking up the battle ropes from their rack. “I know all too well.”
Five minutes later Maya lumbered into the gym. Flinging her satsuma coat over the first treadmill she met, she yawned and rubbed her eyes.
“This time of day should be banned.” Her gravelly voice made Finn laugh. “It should be illegal.”
“Poor Maya,” he grunted as he dropped the battle ropes he’d been shaking. Wiping sweat from his brow with a towel, he moved toward the bench, placing his leg on it and squatting.
“Oh my gosh! Finn! What fresh hell is that?” Maya groaned as she watched him. “Stop it right now. It looks painful, and you’re making me feel like a loser.”
“Can’t stop,” Finn breathed out heavily. “Almost done.”
“Where’s Sam?” Maya strolled around the gym, stopping to nudge a hand weight with the toe of her boot. “I thought you’d be together.”
“Nah, we’re not together, Maya, you know that. It’s all for show.” Finn gritted his teeth through the last of his squats.
“Well, you should be together.” Maya tried to pick up the weight but couldn’t. “That—” she pointed at the dumbbell “—should also be illegal.”
Finn collapsed onto the bench with a grunt, wiping his hands on his shorts. “Tell me about it. My legs are gonna fall off.”
Maya eyed him skeptically. “You’re the one who uses his own free will to come here even when I don’t demand it. Me? I’m just here to make you look great on the ’gram.”
Finn raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t give me that eyebrow,” Maya said. “You know it’s on fire—the whole place is watching you two, and you have them all in the palm of your hand. The two of you are pure chaos and I’m here for it!”
“Chaos?”
“Sam is busy looking all gorgeous and like a snow angel, and you—” she gestured dramatically at his form on the bench “—are the definition of ‘I forgot how to sit down after leg day’. Everyone loves it, and everyone loves you two—together.”
Finn chuckled, but Sam’s voice played back in his head. He said: “We’re just focusing on training now, Maya. We have to.”
“I know you have to.” Maya sighed. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you guys have so much unresolved tension that if I threw a match, I could start a fire. Ohhhh, could that make a good hashtag? Firestarter. I could add the music too … The Prodigy.”
Finn scoffed. “Please, we’re just—” He picked fluff from his shorts.
“Just what? Playing hard to get? Like I haven’t seen this rom-com before.
” Maya flopped down onto a balance ball, almost falling over as it bounced her back up.
“Another illegal monstrosity!” Glancing at Finn, she righted herself.
“And just for the record, I’m team ‘just get it together already’.
You guys are meant for each other.” She pressed her fingers together in a hashtag sign and gave him a dazzling smile. “#FinnAndSamForever.”
“I swear you think in hashtags.” Finn snorted. “Maya, it’s just not that simple.”
Maya looked at him for a long moment. “Hmmmm what is going on here?”
“Nothing, Mai, nothing.” Finn sighed.
“And that sounds like a problem,” she said softly.
“No, it’s not a problem.” Finn pursed his lips.
He had the urge to tell her how he really felt about Sam, and the hot tub, and the shower—but what good would that do?
She couldn’t do anything about it, and it wouldn’t be fair to land her in an awkward position either, especially as she was Sam’s best friend.
No, better to keep his mouth shut. That way no one got hurt.
“So, where is our girl?” Maya scrolled through her phone.
“Here,” Sam called. Finn looked up—his breath blew out in one huge stream. Sam was in the doorway, looking stunning, her skin glowing. She looked a little more refreshed than before. His heart pounded.
“I was about to go through my ideas for content with Finn here.” Maya tried to get off the balance ball. She slid onto the floor, her arms flailing as she went. “Oooof! Don’t mind me—just testing gravity.”
Sam giggled and ran over to help Maya up. “You okay?”
Maya nodded and dramatically rubbed her backside. “Peachy!”
Sam laughed. “So, what’s the plan?”
Maya waved her phone. “Oh yeah, we’re aiming for Olympic-level greatness with our posts. He’s not much help though.” She nodded at Finn. “Me, however, I am an absolute genius.”
“Spill it, genius,” Finn deadpanned. He swallowed, nervous about what Maya was going to say. She stuck her tongue out at him and put her hands on her hips.
“You guys are brilliant for photos, honestly. It’s not even like work, taking pics of you together, so I’ve been mostly concentrating on hashtags and captions.
#FrostyButFabulous for example although #MeltingPoint has really taken off—like through the roof taken off.
Also, what do you think of this for a caption: When your training is on fire but you’re still cute enough to post about it.
I’m not sure. Sounds a little preachy maybe?
Like you’re not supposed to look sweaty or whatever it is that happens to you people when you exercise. ”
Sam chuckled. “I like it, but I get what you mean. Maybe we should actually just work out. Just a bit. Finn already looks the part. That way it gives strength and honesty to the caption?”
Maya tapped her phone thoughtfully. “That’s brilliant!
All right, here’s the shot. Sam, stand here.
Do that thing you do—what do you call it—your routine or whatever.
With the weights.” She danced around taking shots as Sam began her arm workout.
“Unreal! Now—be fierce! Be flawless and sweaty! Grrrr! That’s it! ”
Sam stood with her feet hip-width apart, a dumbbell held steady at shoulder height.
Stray strands of hair stuck to her face, and she looked powerful and in control.
Her leggings hugged every flexed muscle as she braced for the next rep.
Her expression was fierce—focused. Just like that, she was totally in the zone.
Finn watched, completely forgetting to breathe.
She was so good at this. A flush crept up her neck as her eyes locked on his, but she didn’t look away.
Just squared her shoulders and adjusted her grip like the damn pro that she was.
Maya’s voice cut through the moment like a whip. She waved a manicured hand at him.
“Earth to Finn! Hello!” She pointed to behind Sam.
“Get in the frame! Act amazed at how amazing she is!” She flashed a mischievous grin.
He shuffled into his place behind Sam, his face a mix of mild horror and amusement.
“And you know, just put your hand on her waist, no—the other side. I want people to think you’re a team—in the gym and outside it—smolder!
Yes! Come on, Finn—work it! Flex that bicep—just enough to make it look natural.
Perfect! Oh, I can see it now: #TeamWorkMakesTheDreamWork. ”
Finn gently placed his other hand on Sam’s hip. She flinched slightly and he swallowed.
Then Sam ever so slightly tilted her hips backwards toward him as Maya took photo after photo. He groaned and glanced down. Her ass looked so good in those leggings, and she felt ripe under his touch.