“Fine, if it gets him out my life completely, then I’ll do it.”
“It is time for you to move on, Mia. He’s moved away now, you don’t ever have to see him anymore, it’s done. I don’t like you carrying all this weight on your shoulders. It’s really sad.”
I sigh loudly, trying to gather myself back up before I fall apart again. I refuse to sob in public over what I’ve lost again. I do keep trying to be strong, but Kayleigh has known me forever, since college, she can see right through me. She knows that I’m still somewhat feeling the pain inside which is really hard.
“Yeah, I know. I understand.” I chew on my thumb nail. “I do need to.”
“This means you should find a new man then. You need to open up your heart again.”
Kayleigh is a big believer in dating. She’s always going out to date with guys to get to know them. Dinner only unless she really does like them. I don’t judge, it’s a good way to learn what you do and don’t want out of life and a relationship, but I can’t imagine that ever being me. I’m too awkward for that.
I suppose the only thing I can do is try to make friends with some different guys, to go from there.
“Okay fine. Sign me up to any gym possible. Let’s deal with the hell of the marathon first, then I can worry about meeting a new guy. One step at a time, let’s focus on the easiest thing first.”
Kayleigh laughs loudly and nods. “Okay sure. Come on then, there’s one not too far from here.”
She links her arm through mine and drags me along with her, giving me little to no choice. I guess I’m starting to get fit then against my will. I will just have to turn this terrible negative into a positive.
Stepping inside a gym is like being taken to another world. The machines that look more like torture devices, the sweaty guys pumping iron like gorillas, showing off to each other, the stunning slim women, running effortlessly… it’s immediately far too obvious that I don’t belong.
“Kayleigh.” I grab onto her arm hard. “I can’t do this. It’s too much.”
“Don’t panic, Mia, just trust me. It’s going to be fine. You aren’t alone, you’re with me.”
But my heart doesn’t stop hammering against my rib cage, I can’t get my breaths to a normal level, the butterflies in the pit of my stomach are almost the size of birds of prey.
She grabs her hand and pulls me to the front desk to sign us both up.
“Well, hello there, young lady,” a chocolaty smooth voice calls out. “How can I help you?”
“I’m Kayleigh Manns, and this is my friend, Mia Clark. We want to join the gym. We’re going to be running the marathon this year so we need to get fit. Is that something you can help us with?”
“I sure can! Two gorgeous girls like you, I bet I can work with you.”
Kayleigh pulls me with her and that’s the moment my eyes connect with the man behind the desk. My heart being honest to God stops beating for a moment, every cell in my body explodes with fireworks. I haven’t ever found someone so attractive on first meeting. Usually, I have to know people’s personality before I can feel anything for anyone, but with this man I get a strong bolt of actual lust.
He’s tall, dark, very handsome, strikingly gorgeous… and he has he most amazing, piercing eyes too. Dimples pop up as he smiles, literally lighting up the whole room. Wow, he’s incredible!
It must be because of the conversation that I’ve just had with Kayleigh about moving on, it can’t be anything else. I haven’t suddenly turned into a cray, horny freak overnight… have I?
“So, the first month is half price, you know that right? I wouldn’t want you to miss the deal.”
“We do know that.” Luckily, Kayleigh is doing all the talking for me. “Thank you very much.”
“Great.” He runs his eyes up and down me in a very invasive way. Admittedly, I like it, but he’s definitely too forward for me. I don’t think arrogance is something that I’m attracted to. “That’s good, and when do you want to start? If you pay today then you can start working out today.”
No way, I really don’t want to start working out right now, I want to breathe properly first.
“Yes, that sounds amazing. We would love to start right now.”
I groan silently and slide my eyes closed. It’s funny how Kayleigh can sense everything about me, can read me like a book, but she can’t tell that this is the last place in the world I want to be.
“Okay, well I will have one of my staff members show you around. How about Helen?”
A perky very excitable young girl comes to join me and Kayleigh and she takes us around to each machine, explaining in great detail how each one works, but I can barely listen to her words. Hot blood pumps violently in my ears making it hard to hear anything. I can’t stop thinking about him. The arrogant but hot man who works here. I don’t know what it is about him, but there’s a magnet constantly drawing my eyes back to him.
He isn’t my type, I remind myself angrily. He isn’t someone I’m even attracted to. Don’t be crazy.