“Because it only happened once,” I reply smartly and cross my arms. “Listen, Trey, my personal life is personal. And your rule about not banging customers wasn’t broken. He wasn’t a customer. In fact, I could have banged everyone at that event because no one had signed a membership agreement yet.”
“Stop! Please do not talk about banging anyone, let aloneeveryone.” He closes his eyes and tries to shake some clearly uncomfortable image out of his head. After taking a deep breath he looks at me again. “Well, the ‘no sexual contact with members’ rule applies now. He just bought a yearlong membership.”
“What?!”
He nods. “Yep. And clearly he intends to use it. He’s a nice guy too. If he hadn’t boinked my sister, I’d probably like him.”
“Yeah, he’s a charmer. He’ll charm the pants right off you.”
“Apparently.”
Our eyes meet and embarrassment washes over me. I know I’m the color of a fire truck right now, but I ignore it and act inappropriately indignant anyway. Because that’s my go-to when I’ve got no leg to stand on. “Whatever. If you’re going to fire me for something that happened with himbeforehe was a client, then I’ll sue your ass, bro. And I would hate for my future niece or nephew to have to live in a cardboard box while I own your empire.”
He cracks a smile. “You have such a smart mouth, you know that?”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and your child will inherit it,” I say and wink before turning and exiting his office.
Sebastian is still sipping that damn smoothie. I slip behind the bar because I’m covering it while Sara teaches a Pilates class, and I start to clean up the area. It’s pretty immaculate but the alternative is to turn around and just stare at him, and possibly drool, so cleaning it is.
“Come on…” he says to me cajolingly. “Tell me you thought about me. You know you did.”
I pull my eyes from the sink where I’m scrubbing a nonexistent stain. “What are you even doing here? You must be a member at a gym somewhere already.”
“What makes you say that?”
“The fact that I could bounce a quarter off your ass,” I blurt out. “Or your pecs. Or your biceps.”
“Ah, so you have been thinking about me.” He winks. I fight another hot flush.
“Why are you working out here suddenly?”
“I’m not working out.” He shrugs. “I’m doing yoga.”
I give him a glare. He chuckles. “At least now I know how you were so flexible that night.”
I blush instantly. It surprises him. “You’re shy? Now?”
Yes, now. Because you’ve seen me half-naked and twisted up like a pretzel. And you’re referring to it!
“I’m hardly shy.” I look up, trying to give him a hard stare. He is sucking gently on his straw, his eyes twinkling. When he pulls away, a tiny dollop of the smoothie drips onto his bottom lip, and that tongue of his—the one I am intimately acquainted with—slips out to lick it up.
“You’re purple,” he whispers and grins triumphantly.
“I’m still hot from my workout,” I lie and turn my back to him as I organize the trays of fresh fruit behind me.
“I have to get going. Gotta get to work,” he says, and I nod without turning around. I wait but I don’t hear him leave. Finally, I can’t help but turn around. He’s still sitting there, eyes glued to me. He shakes his empty smoothie cup and I reach out with just my arm to take it, keeping my body as far away as possible. Our fingers brush and he takes his other hand and wraps it around mine on the plastic cup. He tugs until I take a few steps forward. Now the only thing separating us is the granite bar top. He smiles. It makes me smile, but my knees are shaking.
“I thought about you, Shay,” he says softly and then he lets go, jumps off the bar stool and walks toward the exit. I stand there watching his cute little butt leave, my hand suspended in midair holding his empty cup. I fight the insane urge to wrap my lips around the straw he’d been sucking on.
Chapter 6
Sebastian
Six hours later I’m leaning against the light post directly outside the front doors to the gym, waiting. The weather’s unseasonably warm. Winter broke early in Seattle this year and it’s already flip-flops and T-shirt weather in April. I’ve never been a fan of the rain here, but Seattle has brought me a lot of joy.
My mom met her new husband here, I have deep bonds with my teammates, the fans are great, Stephanie got clean here, I won a Cup here. I’ve actually started to think of Seattle more as my home than my hometown in New Brunswick or where I grew up in Quebec.
I play aimlessly with my phone as I wait and try not to stress. I don’t usually do this, chase a girl. But she looked incredible this morning in yoga. And Audrey was so excited last night when she suggested I surprise Shay at work this morning. I was full of confidence, and a little whiskey, when I agreed. When I walked into the bar with Chooch I had no idea Audrey worked there. To be honest, I forgot I’d even met her at the gym opening.
