I look at the three of them behind me. Harrison shrugs but smiles. JD is grinning from ear to ear, and Liam looks pissed. Always the leader of the gang, Liam is. I shake my head, hoping to convey that nothing happened and nothing will.
“Liam, you’re up.” He takes the bench and lies under the bar. I assist him, lifting the bar and watching as he moves the dumbbell up and down with ease. Harrison is just a few steps away using the hand weights, and JD is on the treadmill. JD isn’t keen on lifting weights; he doesn’t want to ruin his figure he says. Harrison does mostly arms, and he and I run at night. Liam is my main focus.
“So you and Yvie, huh?” he asks as he sets the dumbbell on the bar catchers. He sits up and loosens his arms while I add more weight.
“I just met her yesterday,” I tell him, as he lies back down for his next set.
“She has a douche for a boyfriend,” Liam adds, throwing me back a little. She never mentioned a boyfriend and had plenty of time to say something. That is just another reason for her and me to steer clear of each other.
“She broke up with him,” Harrison says, shooting down my most recent reason to stay away. “She’s never been serious about him anyway.”
“You should hit that,” JD says, appearing out of nowhere.
I step back and put my hands up. “Hold on here, guys. First off, she’s your sister.” I point at Harrison who shrugs. “Secondly, I’m not hitting anything.” JD grins. “And third, shouldn’t Harrison be the one giving me the third degree?” Liam doesn’t say anything because he’s too busy pushing the dumbbell back into place. “I just met her. She’s pretty, but give me a break, guys. I’m trying to be respectful here.”
“So you admit that you think Yvie is hot?” JD says, raising his eyebrows.
I throw my hands up and walk away, letting them finish their workout.
“At least we know he can count to three,” Liam says, causing the other two to start laughing. I give them the bird as I disappear into my office.
I’m not in my office thirty seconds when Harrison pokes his head in. “You had to know it was coming.”
“Nothing happened, I swear.”
“It can. I mean, if you wanted it to and she was game. I’m not that big brother, in case you’re wondering. I mean, I’d kill you if you hurt her, but she’s an adult and can make her own choices. Just be sure to wrap your dick.” He shuts the door before I can even respond.
I bang my head on my desk in quick succession. I feel like I’m back in high school stuck in the locker room after watching the cheerleaders practice. Every guy got a stiffy for them, especially our freshman year, except she’s not a cheerleader. She’s a ballerina with a smoking hot body, killer eyes and thinking about her makes me hard. I can’t even consider the fact that she’s one of my best friends’ sister. The only thing that matters is that she’s leaving, and I’m not into long distance romances, Skyping and waiting in overcrowded airports. I want the real thing, in living color.
After the last gym member leaves, I shut off the lights. All this week I’ve let my staff leave early so they can finish their Christmas shopping or prepare their holiday meals. My mom used to start baking the week before Christmas so I know what it’s like. I didn’t cut any hours; everyone has been working during the day, which has proved beneficial since the gym is spotless, all the equipment is cleaned and we’re fully stocked for the New Year.
The chime on the door signals, telling me that someone has just walked in. It would’ve made sense that I locked the door when I turned off the lights, but any sense I had today has been living in my nether region.
“We’re closed,” I yell out as I walk around the corner. I stop dead in my tracks when I see Yvie standing in the middle of the gym glowing like an angel thanks to the street lights shining in from outside. She’s carrying a plate in her hands and is looking everywhere but at me.
“I didn’t realize you closed so early.”
I shrug and take a few steps toward her. The smell of brownies, cookies and all-round goodness meets my senses, reminding me that it’s been years since I’ve had someone bake for me.
“I thought people needed time to shop and didn’t want them to feel guilty that they hadn’t worked out so I’m closing early this week.”
Yvie nods and continues to look past me. “These are for you. The kids and I were baking and I thought… I don’t know, it’s probably stupid. I don’t really eat sweet things because I’m always watching my weight –”
“You don’t need to.” That statement gets her attention, and her eyes meet mine. There’s a small hint of a smile, but it quickly fades. This woman has been damaged, and it makes me see red. No man, regardless of his position, should ever tell a woman she’s fat. Curves or no curves, women are beautiful.
Yvie walks to the counter and sets down the plate. I’m tempted to rush over, snatch it from her hands and rip it off the cover. I have a feeling she’s a damn good cook in the kitchen, which is one reason she worries so much about keeping her weight down.
“I should probably go. I have to find a place to practice. I thought I could convince myself I need a vacation, but I find myself needing to go through my routine.” Yvie looks away and sighs. ”I’m sorry, you didn’t need to hear me ramble. I’ll let you finish closing up.
“Wait,” I say, reaching out to stop her. Our hands touch and the hairs on my arm stand. My skin instantly feels clammy, and if I didn’t know any better I’d think I’m sick, but that’s not the case right now.
“You can practice here. I have the mirrors and can move some of the equipment to give you space.”
I don’t give her a chance to tell me no. I set off and start moving as much as I can without assistance. I’m by no means a weight lifter, but the adrenaline pumping through me right now is giving me enough force to move mountains.
Sweat beads form on my forehead and neck. I pull my shirt off and wipe my face, neck and back. Her gasp freezes my actions. I pull my shirt away slowly and drop it to the floor. The air in the room is thick, laden with tension still left over from last night. I turn away, breaking our concentration on each other, reminding myself that not only is she Harrison’s sister, but she’s just passing through.
I turn on the sound system, and change the station to something softer. When I turn toward the space I just cleared, Yvie is standing in front of the mirror in nothing but a sports bar and some very tight shorts. The pants and sweatshirt she was wearing earlier are long forgotten. She’s barefoot and her legs are slightly spread apart. Her head rolls as her shoulders shrug, loosening up her muscles.