Taking a chance, Jeremy leaned against the counter Benny sat behind. “How’s it working with Gino?”
Color rushed to Benny’s fair cheeks, and he blinked rapidly behind his glasses. “Um, good. We have a good system. He handles the people coming to the desk, and I take all the calls and make the trainer appointments.”
“I’m not talking aboutworkwork.” He dropped his voice. “Have you made that move?”
“Wha-what do you mean?” Red as a ripe tomato, Benny ducked his head, but Jeremy circled around the desk to sit by Benny’s side.
“I won’t spill your secret to him. But you should let him know. You two would make a good couple. I can see it.”
In what Jeremy had come to recognize was a nervous gesture, Benny took off his glasses and polished them on his Hard Core T-shirt. “I couldn’t. You see him. He’s so good-looking and flirty with all the guys who come in here.”
“And?” Jeremy prodded. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” said Benny in that patient tone Jeremy knew Benny used for customers who didn’t understand why the gym didn’t run on their personal schedule, “I’m not his type. Never will be. He likes guys like himself—fun, flirty, and”—he gazed down sadly at his lean arms—“built. I’ll never have muscles like that.” Benny tipped his chin to the weight area where two of the regulars grunted it out, each lifting well over two hundred pounds.
“So what?” Carefully setting his coffee down on the counter, Jeremy scooted his chair closer to Benny. “Those guys have a different body type than you. But I bet you could outrun them. You’re lean and toned. Like Blake. And look at me.” He flexed his arm. “I’m muscular. But we have a great relationship, in and out of bed.” For a second he wondered if that was still the case when he and Blake barely touched each other anymore.
A pink stain tinged Benny’s cheeks. “But Blake is really good-looking. And he has a great job. I’m just a receptionist and still in school. Nothing special.”
Someone, somewhere had done a number on this kid, and Jeremy’s protective instincts kicked in. He’d be damned if a nice guy like Benny let himself live with such crushing doubt about his self-worth. “Don’t let shit like that keep you from who you want to be with. Everyone is special. It has nothing to do with what you look like or what you do for a living. Remember that conversation we had here a few weeks ago? You never know what someone’s like unless you give them a chance to show you. Personally, I think Gino would be lucky to have a guy like you.”
Benny caught his bottom lip between his teeth. “I dunno…maybe.”
Without hesitating, Jeremy took his wallet out and withdrew a business card. “Here. You know my brother has a radio show. If you don’t want to call on-air, he takes phone calls at his office. Tell him you work for me.”
“A psychologist?” His forehead scrunched in confusion. “I don’t need a shrink.”
“Everyone can use someone to talk to sometime.” Jeremy stood, and at that moment, Gino breezed in through the door with a paper bag and two cups of coffee in one of those cardboard trays. “Hey, boss. Here, Benny. I’ll be right back. Got a special delivery—if you know what I mean.” He winked and walked over to the weightlifters, one of whom set down his barbell and took the bag from Gino. Jeremy watched the two men before Gino returned to the front desk, wiggling his ass.
“Tone it down, Gino. I’ve told you before—this isn’t a hookup spot. It’s a gym, and you’re working.” He was a bit harsher than usual, but Jeremy felt sorry for Benny who, with defeat in his eyes, had watched Gino flirt with the weightlifter. “I’m going to be really busy this morning, but if Carter Haywood checks in, come get me, okay?”
“Sure thing.” Gino hesitated. “Pauly ’n me were only kidding around, Jer. You know that.”
“There’s a time and place for everything.” People walked through the front doors, signaling the morning rush had officially begun. Coffee in hand, Jeremy left the two men. “Talk to you guys later.”
The solitude of his office was exactly what he needed at the moment. Before he forgot, Jeremy called his client, who was only too happy to hear from him.
“Mikey. How’s it goin’?”
“Jer, what up?”
“I got a big favor. Do you have time for me and my boyfriend to get massages tonight? Can you come to my place?”
“For you, sure. Normally I don’t do same-day appointments, but with this damn cold weather, I’d almost take anyone.”
“That bad?” Jeremy could sympathize. Even though his members paid a monthly fee and the gym got paid whether people showed up or not, he hated seeing the space empty and the machines not being used. The cold weather was notorious for people not showing up.
“Yeah. I got nothing booked for the week.”
An idea popped into his head. “Lemme ask you something. You ever think about hooking up with someone?”
“You’re cute, Jer, but not my type. Besides, my girlfriend would kill me.”
“You’re a riot, Mikey. But seriously.” The idea took shape in his head, and his excitement grew. “What if I set aside a space for you, and you book clients here? I know you’d get my customers who’d love a nice massage after a good workout.”
“Hmmm. Tell me more. This is interesting.”
“Well, I have a room in the back that I don’t really use, except for storing equipment if it needs repair. We could spiff it up, and you could set up a table or two and do massages. Maybe have a special with one of my training packages. Make up your own packages. Whatever.”
