I shake my head and stuff in my pocket. “Satisfied?”She nods. “Come on, let me lock up, and I’ll walk you to your car.”
She plays with her watch. “You don’t need to do that.”
“Yes, I do. The lighting is crap out there.”
She follows me through the gym, then waits as I set the code for the alarm. Neither of us speak as our feet crunch on the gravel. When we get to Betty, I can’t help but smile.
“Thank you, Olly, that was unexpected but nice.”
“Any time. So I’ll see you again on Wednesday?”
She nods and smiles before climbing into her car. I wait for her to start the engine and watch as she drives away.
Reaching into my pocket for my keys, I feel the fortune and pull it out. Inside my car, I tug down the sun visor and stick it under the elastic before closing the flap back into place.
Chapter Eight
OLLY
It’s been a busy week between the bar, the gym and my training schedule. My mum always worries I take on too much, but I like to keep busy. I’ve just finished one of my classes when Charlie, my buddy and owner of the bar, comes by the gym.
“Hey mate, you up for sparring?” he asks.
I smile. “Always. Let me just get this sorted, and I’ll be down.”
He leaves me to it, and when I join him downstairs, he’s speaking with Henry and Nathan.
“Hey, Henry, how did the competition go?” Charlie asks.
He shrugs with a soft smile. “It was okay.”
Nathan punches him on the shoulder. “H, you are so modest. He completely smashed it—he’s through to the semi-finals.”
I reach out and connect my knuckles with Henry’s. “Well done, man.” He smiles wide.
Nathan says under his breath, “On your six.”
Meghan, one of our badass trainers, comes up to our group, smiling. “Hi, what’s going on?” she asks, eying Henry. He looks away quickly, and the ever-present smile he harbours slips.
“Just catching up,” Nathan says. He seems a little uncomfortable, which is unlike him. He nods his head towards the weights, then he and Henry flee.
“What was all that about?” I ask Meghan.
She shakes her head, dropping her eyes. “You don’t want to know. I need to get going—catch you later, guys.”
Once she’s out of earshot, Charlie leans in. “Was it me, or was that a bit of a frosty reception?”
I nod, a little dumbfounded myself. Henry and Nathan are not usually like that at all. “Ready to spar?”
“That’s why I’m here.”
I park at Sofia’s deli.
I frequent here at the best of times, but today… I can’t get Rachel out of my head. The bell chimes when I enter, and it’s quiet this time of the day when they’re getting ready to close.
“Olly,” says Soph with a huge smile.
“Hey, beautiful,” I say. She blushes but rolls her eyes, and I can’t help but smile. “Don’t suppose you have any of that lemon drizzle cake left, do you?” I ask, approaching the counter. My eyes do a sweep of its contents, and then I look around for Rachel.
