“As beautiful as you are young lady, I find it hard to believe that you don’t have someone special.”
“Oh, um. Thank you.” I think.
“Is there someone special? Someone you go to school with?”
“No…” His persistent questions started making me nervous. Please don’t tell me this guy is a creep.
“There is nothing to be ashamed of. You can tell me.” His insistence on knowing about my love life was making me uncomfortable.
“Enjoy your visit, Mr. Martin.” I handed him back his membership card and gave him a fake smile that he seemed to see right through.
“I suppose. I’ll be seeing you, Lake.” He started for the locker rooms and I knew I wouldn’t see him again until next time.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket so I fished it out.
K: Where the fuck r u?
Lake: Working. A girl's gotta eat.
K: Monroe…
Lake: Yes?
K: Where. R. U?
Lake: The gym
He didn’t text back after that so I went back to working. I ended up talking to one of the regulars that Charlie tried to hook me up with on numerous occasions, despite the fact that I just became legal two days ago. He was one of those guys whose muscles had muscles. It made me appreciate Keiran’s body even more. He was lean and muscular and natural.
And not yours.
“Am I any closer to getting you to agree to go out with me? I can show you a really good time if you let me.” I had the feeling he wasn’t just talking about dinner and movie.
“Thanks Chad, but I’m –”
“Taken,” a voice bit out behind me. I knew who it was without turning around. He always did have a knack for sneaking up on me.
“Somehow I don’t think that’s what the lady was about to say. So why don’t you run along, little boy.”
“I’m saying it for her. She’s mine. You want to try to take her from me?” He fists clenched as he stepped toe to toe which Chad.
Was he seriously trying to start a fight?
I looked around for Charlie who seemed to have disappeared. There was no way I would be able to stop them if they fought so I had to try to defuse the situation.
“She doesn’t look like yours. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been over here flirting with my dick.” The words were barely out of Chad’s mouth before he was flipped over the weight bench by a fierce right hook from Keiran. I was pretty sure I saw a couple of teeth fly too.
“Stop! What the hell do you think you are doing?” I grabbed onto Keiran’s arm to stop him from pursuing Chad who was still laid out on the floor, motionless. He ripped his arm away and glared down at me, his face a mask of uncontrolled fury.
“Get your shit and let’s go.”
“What? No.”
“Monroe!” he roared and I nearly jumped out of my skin. His temple was throbbing again and he looked ready to strangle me. Charlie had finally appeared and was attempting to revive Chad.
“I can’t leave my job. Are you insane?”
As soon as the words were out I was hauled over his shoulder and being carted out of the door. A gym full of people and no one stepped forward to stop the unstable teen. Unbelievable. His challenger was double parked outside with the engine running. Something told me he was already planning to do this. It made me long for the Keiran who bullied me from a distance.
“Why did you come here? I told you I was working,” I said while he dumped me into the backseat. A second later I heard the locks engage and he was walking back inside the gym. I unlocked the door and tried to open it but it wouldn’t budge so I tried the other and it did the same. Did he freaking child lock me in?
I contemplated kicking the window in for payback but knew that I wouldn’t get far before he caught me so I climbed into the front seat and by the time I was opening the door, he was walking back out. I hurried back into the backseat but it was too late. He’d already caught me trying to escape.
“How long have you been working there?”
“A year. What gives you the right to jeopardize my job like that? I could be fired.”
“I already took care of that.”