After unloading everything, and starting some laundry, I take a shower, shave again, and put on fresh jeans and a t-shirt. Shit, I gotta hit the gym. I’ve skipped way too many days. Switching my jeans for sweats, I go put in the work at the gym and blast musicin my ears to keep myself in the zone. I don’t call it quits here yet and run to Taylor’s too early. Although, fucking hell, bro, I might need to call it quits just because my muscles are screaming from not coming here for a week.
My abs are burning. Damn arms are like noodles. I’m hungry.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice two women looking and pointing at me in a not-so-discreet way. Once I used to know most of the people in this town, but that’s changed a lot over the past few years. I have no clue who these women are, but they’re approaching me like I should.
“Hi,” the taller one says, dropping her water bottle down on the bench next to mine.
I pretend I can’t hear her and continue counting my reps.
She waits, busying herself in the worst kind of shameless way, and her gaze shifts to her friend who I can see in the mirror’s reflection. I should move to another station. Pick another muscle to focus on. Get out of here.
The taller woman taps her ear, signaling for me to take out my earbuds. I do, because I’m not trying to be a rude asshole. Yet. “Yeah?”
“Sorry to bother you, but are you Flirt In Dirt?”
Damnit. I don’t know what to say, so I go with the truth. “Yeah.”
Her eyes light up and she nods to her friend who saunters over. My gaze flies around the gym. Ah, sweet, there’s a free leg press machine over there. “Have a nice workout.”
The taller one puts her hand on my arm. “Wait. Can we take a selfie?”
“I’d rather not.”
And I don’t want her touching me, so I move away fast.
Why does she look dejected? I’m not being mean. I’m setting boundaries. Isn’t that a good thing? I’m not in the habit of taking pictures with people I don’t know, or letting stranger dangers grope my biceps.
“Okay.” Her cheeks redden. “Well. Bye then.”
I nod and move myself over to the other side of what now feels like a very small gym. When I finish my routine and get back to my truck, I pull up my socials to check my notifications and stats.
Aaaaannd a bubble pops up with:GymBarbie34 tagged you in a post!
Uh oh. Why do I have a feeling GymBarbie34 is the tall girl inside?
Sure enough, I click on the tag and there she is, with me working out in the background.
“I just found him!”it says across the screen and then she zooms in on not my face. Not my back. Myass. I’m bending over, doing squats, having no clue she’s recording me. I’m double cheeked up too. Hitting her comments section, there’s a lot of, “Hey daddy” and “10/10 clappable material” and “I want him to squat over me while I hold my tongue out.”
Closing the app, I get a new worry. Will Taylor be okay with me keeping this account now that we’re together?
I make good money from it. Money, I plan to invest in us. But if she says she’s not comfortable with me doing this anymore, I’ll give it up. Get a second job if I have to. I don’t know. On a whim, I go into my drafts and post one. Might as well make all the moneyI can, while I can.
Heading back home, I take another shower. Switch my laundry. Start a grocery list. It’s only four in the afternoon at this point and I’m driving myself nuts. Fuck it, I’m going to Taylor’s. Maybe she can put me to work pruning plants or setting crystals out in the sun or washing her yoga class mats. I don’t care as long as I’m being useful.
When I pull up to her place, her car’s parked in its normal spot and all her windows are wide open. Her shop sign says, “Come in for a spell”and the door is propped open with a large potted snake plant. Music plays out back, so I meander towards it and find her in the greenhouse, singing and dancing to Fleetwood Mac. She spins around and giggles to herself. Man, I love how carefree Taylor is. From playing naked in the stream under the full moon last night, to wiggling her butt to one of her favorite songs while repotting succulents, she’s perfection. I wish I had an ounce of her positivity.
I think it’s one of the most attractive things about her. She’s the sun and I’m a prickly pear cactus that thrives under her warm rays.
Taylor suddenly turns around, gets startled by my unannounced presence, and jumps back like I’m going to attack. That’s when she knocks over a tray of sprouts, two pots of aloe and a full watering can.
“Damn, woman!”
“Oh my god, you scared the crap out of me!” I rush over to pick up all the things that fell over when she stops me. “Leave it.”
“But…”
“There are more important things you should be doing, Con.”
