I don’t have to follow him to make sure he’s working; everyone here knows, if you’re using that spray bottle, you’re in the shit. Every set of eyes in this place will keep him accountable, even seventeen-year-old Stephen, so I turn away and head toward my office. I have paperwork to file and a lecture to prepare. My first PT client is due in at nine, and after that, I’ll find Jack so we can talk.
Before I forget, I pull out my phone to text Jimmy.
Me:You’re hanging with Jack tomorrow night. Bring your PlayStation.
Jim:The fuck you talking about?
Me:I’m taking Kit out to dinner. You’re hanging with Jack so he doesn’t burn the house down or get arrested.
Jim:Why me?
Me:Because you thought you were cute yesterday. Make me look like a bitch, this is what you get.
Jim:Clearly I didn’t damage your image if she’s still going out with you.
Me:Yeah well, I’m kinda awesome. It’s a curse.
Jim:Fuck you, Pussy.
Me:Solid burn, James. Tomorrow night. I’ll get you her address. You’ll need to be there by 7.
Jim:Fuck. How do you know I didn’t already have plans?
Me:Do you?
Jim:…
Jim:Fine. I’ll be there at 7.
Victorious, I throw my phone down without a reply. He’s not mad. He’s in, and he’s doing me a huge favor. I owe him now, which means next time he flirts with Kit, I’ve gotta suck it up.
I won’t. But I should.
Forty-five minutes later, I get changed into workout gear and head out to meet my first PT of the day. Eliza, a thirty something mom of twin boys whose husband works long hours in the city, says she wants to learn how to fight, but she’s yet to don a pair of gloves in this gym. Mostly, she stretches and walks on the treadmill. Whatever. She continues to come back with a smile on her face, and despite her inability to break out in a sweat, she looks good, so no one is complaining.
An hour later, I walk her out again, and when I step back into the gym, I stop at the sight of Jack with a towel half folded in his hands and a goofy grin on his face. Frowning, I cock my head to the side and move toward him. “What?”
With his obnoxiously popped dimple, he peels his blue eyes – just like his sister’s – away from the front door and stop on mine. “That chick was hot.”
I look back to the front door in consideration.Eliza?I mean, he’s not wrong. She’s beautiful in the traditional sense… but she’s not for me. She’s five-six and thin, but I tend to like strong and tall and sassy. Especially when they have long, dirty blonde hair, big innocent eyes, and a spine that’ll snap straight in a heartbeat.
I’m attracted to Kit. Full stop.
My stomach cramps with dread – I think I’m hopelessly sprung on a girl I see for only three hours a week, a girl who said yes to a date onlyafterI begged and promised a babysitter.
“Yo.” Fingers annoyingly snap in front of my eyes. “You awake?”
I crash back to reality, back to Jack as he watches me curiously. I take a deep breath in, let Kit go, and a deep breath out. Time for a smackdown. “Okay, kid. We need to talk.”
Instant regret for tearing me out of my thoughts, he sighs. “Right, well, I know the gym rules. I know I’m not allowed to fight outside of the gym. I’m sorry for breaking the rules.”
If he thinks that’s the end of it, then he’s fooling himself. “What happened? Don’t bullshit me.”
“Nothing happened,” he snaps. “An asshole at school was being an asshole.” He nervously runs a hand through his hair. “It’s what assholes do best, but don’t worry about it anymore. I know it’s against the rules. I’m doing the punishment and I’m not complaining. Can we just drop it?”
I might drop it if he wasn’t so desperate that I do. “Nope, we can’t drop it.” I lean back against the wall and cross my arms. “Speak.”
“Fuccccck. Okay.” He rubs a hand over his face in frustration. “This guy I used to go to school with was talking shit–”