Gina shrugged. "That doesn't sound impossible to me."
"Yes, nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough and put the effort into getting it."
"That's one thing we agree on." She turned away and bent over to root through her gym bag.
I tried to keep my eyes off her backside but it was impossible, given the way she was positioned—head down and butt pointed straight in the air. Her cheeks—encased in black spandex—were firm and round. If she didn't change position soon, I'd be in an embarrassing one.
She stood straight and spun around, facing me.
My gaze travelled up to her face, which darkened to an intense shade of rose brown.
"I'm sorry", she said, "I wasn't—"
I put up one hand with my palm facing her. "I know. Don't worry about it."
Her discomfort was cute, but I didn't dare smile. She wouldn't like it.
Gina sat next to me with her phone in hand, throwing me stealthy glances.
I wanted to reassure her that I didn't think she aimed her butt at me deliberately, but opted not to say anything. Commenting on the matter would only embarrass her all over again.
She tapped the phone screen and typed a message. Another few seconds passed and she sucked her teeth and muttered before sending another text. Her next phone notification had her scowling after she read the screen. She made a frustrated sound in her throat. "Chase," she grumbled. "You are the absolute limit."
I also knew Chase, her brother, so curiosity made me ask, "Something's wrong?"
She sighed. "Yeah, Chase was supposed to pick me up, but he's been delayed. He has a last-minute meeting or something."
"Where are you going?"
"Chase and I were supposed to go together. That workout made me hungry and now I'll have to sit here—"
"Would you like to grab a bite with me?"
The question came out of my mouth before I thought about it. Usually, after arriving atWorkout Boost, I did my workout and headed straight home. But here I was, offering to take Gina someplace. It would mean having her in my company for a while longer, which was about the only positive side to letting my mouth run away with me.
"I guess I could, since my plans have changed."
"Let's go to the diner down the block." I got to my feet. "Give me a few minutes and I'll put on a tee-shirt."
"No problem."
The men's changing room was nearly empty, so I went directly to my locker and changed my shirt, debating whether to stay in my sweat bottoms. It was an easy decision because Gina was still wearing gym clothes. Idly, I wondered where she was going with Chase dressed like that. Not that it was my business.
She sat in the same spot, smiling at her phone then tapping the screen. Her hair was loose around her shoulders—a black curtain I wanted to run through my fingers. I caught myself rubbing my thumb and fingers together.
"Ready?" I asked when I stood before her.
"Yeah."
I picked up her bag and we walked side by side to the door, which I held open for her. She walked by me, filling my nostrils with the scent of almond and mango.
In response to her scent, I pulled in my breath hard but it wasn't a normal reaction. Since I'd been in this country, I'd come across many women. Some, I spent time with and others I gave a wide berth. For years, I'd kept my mind on my studies because that was my number one priority. I'd finished school for a while now and wasnotseriously concentrating on my career. Now that I had more time on my hands, I was reluctant to commit to anyone. Solitude had grown on me.
Turning my face up to the evening sun, I drew in a deep breath. The atmosphere was always the same—a kind of frenetic energy that was different from my homeland, where things moved at a slower pace. We passed people shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalk, everybody minding their business. Another thing it took me forever to get used to when I first came here.
The restaurant was now in sight, so I put my thoughts aside.
"This is where we're going," I said, touching Gina's back and steering her toward the door. A few people sat inside the coffee shop, where I ate several times each week. I liked it because the food was good and the waitresses were polite. The place was always clean and the atmosphere welcoming. What madeCosmospecial was that they served coffee from different countries in a variety of ways, any time of day. They also served beer and smoothies.
