Chapter 14 GRAYSON
GRAYSON
Four days, he mused as he pulled up in front of Lexi’s gym. Four days since he’d messaged her, since he’d called, and nothing.
He knew she worked full time at the gym, hell, probably over ‘full time’, but he didn’t believe she was too busy to even look at her phone. She hadn’t even been to the club in over a week; he’d had her card flagged to alert the system when she came in. But she hadn’t.
He looked but he didn’t see her through any of the bay doors facing the street as he pulled up.
So he’d go in, but one way or another he’d find her.
With the Reverse Gladiator opening in just a few weeks, they really needed to come to some kind of agreement.
The contract was ready for her to go over on the seat beside him.
The job and the fights needed finalizing, yes, he thought, but them. He needed his sub to be ready to… well, be his sub. If she was avoiding him, he was going to figure out why, and fix it. Now.
His Ray Bans reflected some of the intense afternoon sunlight, but a bead of sweat ran down the center of his spine, just walking from the car to the squat, grey building. His short sleeved button down unstuck itself from his back as he reached for the front door.
Instead of his Alessandra behind the front counter, a young girl with neon blue hair and tattoo sleeves looked up from her phone at his entrance. Annoyed, he pulled out his own phone.
My Alessandra
Miss Alessandra.
He made it almost a minute with no response before jamming it back in his pocket.
“Where is Lexi?” he asked the girl. From the way she shrank back, his voice must have been sharper than he intended. Purposely gentling his tone, he told her “I haven’t heard from her recently.”
“And who are you?”
Shit. Squinted eyes beneath blue fringe bangs radiated distrust.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I’m a friend of hers. I’m worried about her.”
Worried. Annoyed. Impatient. Whatever. He just needed to see her. All blue-hair did was raise her eyebrows and look him up and down. Even with his smile, she was clearly unimpressed. Without a word she walked away from the front desk.
Taking that to mean she went to get Lexi, Grayson sat and blew out a breath. He’d been on edge all week. After their morning together, between the roof and the ring, he’d been certain they were on the same page.
They would spend time together, she would be his guest at the club, he would figure out what made her tick, and then he’d be able to get her out of his mind once they were in a routine and she was in the ring. Or in his bed.
Except she’d never reached out. He’d been so sure she would. Was she ghosting him? Did she want to go back on the deal? Technically speaking, he knew they had no deal. They had… banter and chemistry.
Gray rolled his eyes as he stood to pace. Banter? What they had was bigger than that. She had to know that. At the sound of footsteps behind him, Grayson turned and was disappointed to see Eddie.
“Watchu need Lexi for, white boy?” he asked, but the smile made the question less of an insult.
“I haven’t heard from her. Is she here?”
Blue-hair had come back with Eddie and went back to her position behind the desk. She rolled her eyes and picked up her phone again. Eddie knocked on the desk hard enough to make the girl jump, and he pointed to the computer. The phone went away.
Eddie walked to the front door and jerked his head, opening the door in front of him so Grayson could walk through. Grayson’s eyes scanned the gym again, casting for Lexi, and after a moment gave up and went outside with Eddie.
Eddie walked towards Grayson’s car, making Gray wonder how he knew which one was his.
Then again, he supposed his hybrid Lexus stood out a little, as his gaze wandered the lot.
His brow scrunched slightly as he realized he didn’t even know what kind of car Lexi drove.
What did he know about her? Eddie interrupted his thoughts.
“Lexi… she’s going through some tings right now. Maybe it’s betta if you give her some space.”
Grayson froze.
“Are you warning me away from her?”
Eddie shrugged.
“No.”
His brown eyes met Grayson’s steadily, and Grayson saw no hints of anger, or possession, or lies. Eddie looked… tired. But he wasn’t about to just walk away.
“Is she okay?” Gray clipped out.
Eddie rocked back on his heels.
“I like that you ask, and yes, she’ll be okay. She’s just busy.”
The girl from the front counter peeked through the door to wave at Eddie, holding a hand to ear to mimic a phone call. Eddie nodded and turned back to Grayson.
“I’ll let her know you were here, yea?”
Left alone, Grayson looked back through the bay doors.
He could smell fresh paint, and was glad they were fixing the place up.
He unlocked his car and paused with one foot in.
Still… she’ll be okay was not the same as her actually being okay.
Something was wrong. If something was wrong she would have told him. Right?
It was difficult to remember they barely knew each other. But she was his, dammit. Or she was going to be. Movement from across the street caught his attention, and he slammed his car door shut to walk across to the deli. Maybe Mama Troisi would tell him what was going on.
The gentle bell above the door made Mama look over and wave from behind the counter.
Two customers formed a line, so he waited at the back.
Although the smell of coffee was the heaviest, he also caught the strong scent of sweet fried dough and lemon.
By the time he got to the counter, his mouth was watering.
“Please tell me I can buy whatever that delicious smell is, Mama Troisi.” Gray said with his most winning smile.
Mama Troisi smiled wide enough to crinkle up most of her face, and to his surprise she walked around the side of the counter to give him a hug.
She was much stronger than she looked, and his ribs felt the crush.
He’d assumed she was a warm person in general, but the hug caused his concern for Lexi to spike. Didn’t people give hugs in bad times?
“Are you alright?” he asked her.
Mama Troisi nodded and moved away.
“I’m happy to see you, Mr. Grayson. Are you here to see Lexi?”
He nodded. Lexi must have told her who he was. It gave him a small glimmer of pride; she was talking about him to people in her life. That didn’t seem like she would be backing out. Maybe she was in the back of the deli? Mama went to the back through a small door.
He was only confused for a moment when she came back out alone, carrying a bakery box. The smell he was after was emanating from it, wrapping around his tongue and murmuring taste me. She set it on the counter and busied herself making a latte.
“Such foolishness. My Lexi will take care of it, you’ll see.
But I’m glad you are here, Mr. Grayson. My girl’s not taking care of herself.
” She nodded towards the box. “That’s why I make her my bomboloni, she’s never said no to them.
You take them to her, see that she eats.
She can’t work so hard on just coffee. Even coffee as good as mine. What about you?”
Grayson had been looking back across the street in confusion. Lexi would take care of what? He turned around to see Mama Troisi staring at him with an empty coffee cup in her hand. She wanted his order.
“Straight drip, please. Cream, one shot.” She nodded and turned back to her machine. He saw Lexi’s cup already next to the bakery box, and took out his wallet.
“Bah.” Mama said, waving her hand. “Don’t you worry about this one. Just go take care of our girl.”
He intended to. At least Mama Troisi was on his side.
“She’s at the gym?” he asked, feeling a little stupid.
Why would Eddie try to get rid of him when she was right there? What the fuck? Confusion was rapidly turning into anger. Mama nodded.
“I saw her go around back a little while ago. Try there.”
He smiled, and tucked a twenty in the little glass jar, making Mama smile. Armed with the coffees in one hand and the small white box in the other, he shouldered the door open.