“And I can show you a few more stretches that might help you.” She swallowed and briefly averted her eyes. “If you want.” Only then did it register that she’d told me this before she hurried out of the back room of the gym.
“Sure.”
A quick nod from her and she swiveled around as if she was going to leave, but then turned back toward me seconds later.
“I… um… I wanted to talk to you.” Her teeth did a hell of a job harassing her bottom lip. “I’m embarrassed to have to bring this up, but….” Her words trailed off, and for a moment, I thought she was going to give up altogether and flee. “I’m going through a divorce, and once my ex finds out I’m working here, he’ll show up and try to cause problems for me.”
“What kind of problems?”
“He’ll try to get me fired. He succeeded at my last job.” She glanced at the ground before picking her head back up, looking me square in the eye, pleading with me with nothing more than a worried gaze. “I really need this job, and I wanted to give you a heads-up. If I ended up getting fired from here, I don’t know—”
I placed my hand on her shoulder, erasing her worry. “Don’t worry about anything.”
“Really?” she asked, a blend of relief and excitement lighting up her beautiful face. Before I could step back, she threw her arms around my waist and pressed herself against me. “Thank you so much, Jackson. I was so worried I’d lose this job as well.”
I counted my breaths as she held on to me, not knowing what to do. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged me. What I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her inreturn, to absorb her energy, but I just stood there with my arms at my sides, my entire body stiffening.
When she finally stepped back, she gasped, the sound a straight shot to my dick. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I’m just so relieved.”
“It’s fine.”
“Okay… well… I have to get back to work,” she said, hesitating a moment before she finally turned and walked away.
When I happened to look across the gym, Lance had a huge smile on his face, and whether he laughed at me because of my stunned reaction or because he knew something I didn’t, it didn’t matter. Throwing him the finger, I hauled ass out of the gym faster than I ever had before, needing air before I fucking suffocated.
16
I couldn’t believe I hugged him.
I.
Hugged.
Jackson.
What was wrong with me? He didn’t seem like the type of man who ever hugged anyone, let alone someone he barely knew. But when he assured me Mitch wouldn’t succeed in getting me fired, I became overwhelmed and lost my sensibilities.
After ordering two replacement treadmills, sanitizer refills, and several mats, I closed out the program I’d been working on and turned off the computer. I leaned back in my seat, a weight lifted that my job wasn’t in jeopardy. I welcomed one less thing to worry about.
As I exited my office, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I’d turned the ringer off after Lance handed it to me in the back room, not wanting to rock any boats with the constant distraction. Sure enough, when I checked, there were ten missed calls from Mitch and three voicemails. I couldn’t bring myself to listen to any of them.
As I stood at the door to my apartment, my cell alerted me to another call. If I answered, would he stop calling? At least for tonight?
I supposed I wouldn’t find out unless I took the call. Pulling my cell free of my pocket, I jabbed the green phone icon.
“Hello?”
“Why do you refuse to answer when I call?” Every ounce of mental energy I had vanished with the sound of his voice.
“I’m busy.”
“With what? You don’t have a job.” A leaden silence descended. Even though Jackson assured me my place here was secure, the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. “Or do you?” The sinister tone he used amplified what I already knew. That he’d try to ruin this for me just like he had the last one. Only this time, he wouldn’t succeed. A sliver of confidence straightened my spine.
“What I do is none of your business anymore.”
“That’s not true, sweetheart.” I cringed at the endearment I used to love. “You’ll always be my business. Always. Don’t forget that.” I didn’t say anything in response because it was pointless. “When are you coming home?”
This man was delusional, and he seemed to be riding the line more and more these days.
