Chapter 18
eighteen
Sasha leans back on her hands, pressing her lips together as she gathers her thoughts. “I’ve always loved sports. But during my senior year of high school, I tore a ligament in my ankle during a soccer match.”
“You used to play soccer?” My eyebrows raise in surprise.
She nods. “I was pretty good, actually.” A note of pride creeps into her voice.
“Obviously the injury wasn’t career-ending like yours, but it was bad enough I had to sit out the rest of the season.
During rehab, I got into yoga and other alternative therapies, which helped me recover faster than the doctors expected.
“Since I couldn’t play anymore, I wanted to take what I’d learned from my own recovery to help other athletes get back to doing what they loved. Which is what inspired me to major in sports medicine.”
“So how did the idea for Summit come about?”
“Saw a gap in the market when I was doing research. Places focusing on fitness were everywhere, but there wasn’t anything out there that combined traditional exercise with alternative therapies for recovery and overall wellness.
” She shrugs. “Ryan was in my business class. We started dating, and when I pitched him the idea, he was all in.”
“How many locations do you have?”
“One hundred and twenty-five,” she grins. “Lakeside will make one-twenty-six.”
Fuck. I love a woman who goes out and grabs life by the balls. Now I just need to convince her she wants me just as bad as I want her.
“Damn, that’s impressive.”
“Thanks,” she says. “It hasn’t been easy, especially with Ryan trying to undermine me at every turn.”
“What’s his deal anyway?” I frown. “Why is he so determined to get you to sell?”
“Control?” she sighs, picking at a blade of grass. “He can’t stand that I have the final say in everything. And I think he hates that I’ve moved on from him, even though he’s a cheating piece of shit.”
She pauses, and I swear I can see her blush. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all my baggage on you.”
“Don’t apologize.” I reach out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. A thrill goes straight to my dick when I see her shiver. “I asked. And isn’t that what friends are for?”