He thought about it for a while before replying. “I love who she was.”
I shrugged my shoulder because that was fair.
“Can I ask you something now?” he questioned. Before I could say yes, he turned to face me fully.
“You really don’t like me?” he asked sincerely and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“I don’t know you. I know what you show at the gym and it’s going to take more than some muscles to get me to swoon like the rest of the women,” I told him honestly.
“That’s fair,” he shrugged. For the first time he didn’t look like the arrogant trainer from the gym. He looked tired and almost sad.
“You know what’s crazy?” he asked.
“What?”
“I could’ve called somebody to come over or went out and met somebody to fuck, but I didn’t want to. There was a woman on my mind that I wanted, and I knew I couldn’t have her, so I didn’t want anyone else,” he admitted. My stupid heart skipped a beat like it was possible that I was that woman.
“Well, congratulations to her,” I said sarcastically. Even though my palms had begun to sweat and I was suddenly extremely nervous.
“Right lucky her,” he looked at me long enough to make my stomach tighten but didn’t offer any more information about the mystery woman. He stood to his feet and reached out to me so he could help me up.
“Come on,” he said as he held out his hand.
“Where are we going? Are we about to do another lap around the park?” I asked him as I took his hand and let him help me up. When I made it to my feet, he was still holding my hand, and he didn’t bother to let it go.
“No, we are done with laps, let’s go to breakfast,” he said.
“No,” I told him as I pulled my hand from his and looked him stubbornly in the eyes.
“I know you hungry. Your stomach just growled. I’m starving too. I know this place near here that has some healthy options and the food tastes good,” he persisted.
“I don’t go out on dates with married men,” I told him as I thought about the woman who had taken my husband from me and caused the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. There was no way he met her, fell for her, and married her all within six months. They had to have been sneaking around while we were still married. She stole Larry’s heart from me, and I was going to take it right back from her.
“We just talked about this. I told you, I’m not married, I’m separated,” he told me as he looked at me like I had forgotten what he told me less than five minutes ago.
I reached into my fanny pack and pulled out the information for the lawyer I worked for. I placed the card in his open palm and smiled at him, “A separated man is still a married man.” I grabbed my water bottle and walked away.
I looked over my shoulder, and he was standing there staring at me as I walked away.
“Great session, see you tomorrow, same time same place,” I called over my shoulder.
Chapter Nine
Trallis McDaniel
Miami usually gave me an instant dopamine rush, but I felt so withdrawn that even the blue water and white sand couldn’t fix my mood. I checked into my hotel suite that overlooked the ocean, and all I could think about was how lying ass Cozart was supposed to be here with me. I had stupidly requested white rose petals on the bed because I thought this romantic getaway would end with me telling him that I’m pregnant, and us fucking like rabbits. The sad thing about delulu-land was leaving and returning to reality. Palm trees swayed outside my balcony while people laughed at the pool below. The scenery was beautiful but all I could think about was how my plan backfired yesterday and slapped me in the face.
Phase one went off flawlessly. His wife’s information wasn’t hard to find if you knew where to look. I had no idea that Co was supposed to be picking up his children. He helped me execute the plan by being a shitty father. When she stormed into the gym, I wanted to do a backflip watching him stammer for words. Brick tried her best to save him like she always does, and I was so glad it didn’t work. HIS ASS DESERVED TO BE AIRED OUT. It was so hard to keep a straight face. I wanted to cheer like a Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleader, until he dropped a bomb that even I didn’t see coming.
SEPARATED? LIVING APART?!!
That piece of shit was separated, living in his own home, and was on the brink of a divorce but he was still using his marital status like a dirty cop hiding behind a badge. If he had his own place, why the fuck was he sneaking me in and out of hotel rooms in the middle of the night? I had never fucked him in his bed. He had never come to my house. He was separated and we could have been together, while he waited for his divorce to be finalized. Instead, he led me to believe that fucking was all he could offer. I hated him and a busted window that his sister was going to get fixed wasn’t enough punishment for me. I needed him to pay for wasting my time.
I decided to fly down to Miami and rent a car when I arrived, instead of driving like I planned to do. I didn’t want to be in a car for nine hours alone with my thoughts. After slipping out of my travel clothes, I reached for my luggage to find something to slip into. The first thing I touched was a manilla folder full of information for our new members. There were names, social security numbers, addresses, bank account information, copies of social security cards, bank statements, and IDs. I had highlighted a few members I was interested in creating fake accounts for. I closed the folder and placed it on the bed as I went back inside the bag and pulled out a red two-piece bikini, and a pair of Hermes sandals. There was a beachside cabana on the resort, and I wanted to see if it was as beautiful in person as it was on the website. I pulled my long weave into a high ponytail and grabbed a towel on my way out of the door. When I made it to the oversized cabana, I was glad that there were only a few people there. I walked over to the bar and grabbed a dirty martini. I wasn’t pregnant. I could drink as much as I wanted.
The Soca music blasted from the speakers; the sounds of the waves and the seagulls overhead gave the Cabana an island vibe. It felt like I was in Hawaii, enjoying a tropical drink, while sitting inside of a hut. I snapped a selfie and posted it to my social media. I suddenly thought about Brick, she was a nice person, and I felt slightly guilty for causing her window to break. She had been a good friend and boss to me. Unlike her brother, the gym was her life. Watching her struggle to let Zumo take control while she relaxed reminded me that she was used to being the one doing the taking care of. I sent her over the selfie I had just taken and told her that I hoped she was enjoying this mini break. The gym would be back up and running in no time and she would be back to running around like a chicken without a head. She needed these few days to take a breather and put herself first for once.
She texted back a picture of her in bed. I expected her to be at the gym, standing over the contractors telling them how to do their job, so the fact that she was actually home in bed was progress for her. I laughed at her picture and locked my phone, before placing it face down on the bar top.
