by Lauren Dane
When she looked up and saw him, surprise won over her face followed by a smile. There was nothing else he could do but go inside after she looked at him that way.
“Hi there, sugar.” He strolled up to her table.
“Hi Marc. Listen, I want you to meet my dad. He’s visiting my sister in Atlanta for a week or so and came out to see me as well. Dad, this is Marc Chase. Marc, this is my father Bill Davis.”
Marc shook the other man’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Davis. Liv has spoken of you often. How’s life in Florida treating you?”
“Sit down, boy.” Bill Davis gestured to the place next to Liv, and Marc liked the man even more as he sat. “Florida is good, my lungs are much happier now, although I miss my baby girls. I was just trying to convince Livvy here to move down to be near me.”
Marc didn’t like the feeling in his stomach at the thought of that desk in the mayor’s office being filled by someone else.
“But what would we do without her, Mr. Davis? Maggie might expect me to listen to all that girl talk if Liv wasn’t around.”
Liv snorted. “If I moved down there all his little girlfriends would be put out. He’s the king of his senior community. He thinks he wants me and my sister there but he’s got a harem to take care of him and they’ll put up with a lot more than we will.”
Marc stayed for pie and had to get moving. He had a meeting at the bank about a small business loan. But as he sat waiting to speak to the loan manager, his mind kept returning to the night of the anniversary party. It’d felt good with his body against hers, his hand at the curve of her back, holding her there, warm and soft, the scent of her in his nose. The itch to taste her rode him hard, he’d wanted to kiss her pretty bad but his father had cut in, stopping him before he did it.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought of asking Liv out before. At first she was freshly broken up with Matt and it was too soon. But the year mark had long passed and he’d brought it up to her and she’d deflected it. She didn’t seem to take him or his advances seriously and he’d never really tried to make it more clear.
They called him into the meeting and he cleared his mind and got it back on business. In the end, the papers were relatively simple and Marc signed on the bottom line, in triplicate, and took out a loan he tried not to think about the size of. Some minutes later a few blocks away, he signed the lease on a space that would hold his gym and where he’d also run his personal training business from.
“When do you need me to help paint?” Kyle asked from the doorway.
Marc turned to face his brother. “Don’t offer if you don’t mean it. I’ll put your butt to work.”
“Of course I mean it. This is your dream, Marc. I’m your brother. You helped me on weekends how many times when I was getting the landscaping business up and running? That’s what family does.” Kyle came into the space. “This is a good spot. Central. Good lighting.”
“This your place now?”
“Hey, Matt.” Marc waved and his heart warmed to see Shane darken the doorway as he followed Matt.
“Well, now. This place is nice.” Shane looked around the room.
“The paint is waiting at Pete’s to pick up. The mirrors are ready. The floor people delivered the supplies to Pete’s as well. I took off all next week.” Marc walked around, envisioning just where he’d put everything. It wouldn’t be a large gym but focused on the personal needs of not more than ten people working out at once. The space had been a gym some years ago so there were already two dressing rooms in the back with showers and lockers. He didn’t plan on a juice bar or water aerobics. His place would be simple. But he would work with others to refer out as needed. He could help his clients with nutritional counseling but he’d been in contact with a woman in town to help with cooking classes or even meal delivery for his clients on an as needed basis.
“Okay, we’ll strip the walls before we get the flooring down. Get the paint up, the mirrors in and then do the floors. Where’s the equipment?” Shane, ever the organizer, made Marc smile.
“Murph is letting me store it there until I’m ready.”
“When’s your last day at Murphy’s?”
Murphy’s was the gym in Riverton that he’d worked at for the last five years as a personal trainer.
“The end of the month.”
“Well, tomorrow is Saturday, let’s get in here first thing and get these walls cleaned up. You’re coming to Momma and Daddy’s before The Pumphouse tonight, right?” Kyle asked.
“I wouldn’t miss this announcement for the world. Should I act surprised when Maggie tells us all she’s knocked up?” Marc grinned.
“How’d you know?”
“Kyle.” Matt rolled his eyes. “What other sort of big announcement is there? And she’s been pretty green on and off over the last two months. She hasn’t had a beer that I’ve seen since before Christmas and she’s got a tiny little bump in her belly.”
“And her boobs are bigger,” Marc added.
“Thank you for that, Marc. So much tact.” Shane chuckled. “Congratulations, Kyle. We figured you’d tell us when you were ready. After the miscarriage, we knew you’d want to wait to tell people this time. Although I’m absolutely sure Cassie knows but hasn’t said.”
Kyle laughed. “Count on it. I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone but I know darned well Maggie told Cassie and Liv. Those three are thick as thieves. I was sorry to see Dee and Arthur move to Atlanta, I know Maggie misses her sorely.”
“Yeah. Things are changing. You’re gonna be a daddy. Shane is married and not grumpy all the time. Matt, well Matt is still Matt but you know what I mean.”
“I know I saw you looking at Liv last night like she was a steak and you were a starving man,” Matt said to Marc, eyeing him closely.
“That so? And if I did?” Marc wasn’t sure if he felt defensive or not. He didn’t feel embarrassed though.
Matt sighed. “What’s your game? I may have messed things up with her, but she’s one of my best friends and I don’t want her hurt. After this mess with Brody, she doesn’t need some guy who only wants a one night stand.”
“Look, Matt, you’re my brother so I’m gonna let that insult slide. I like Olivia. She’s gorgeous on the outside but I like her insides too. I want to be her friend. I am her friend. I’m not an asshole.”
“I’m not insulting you. But she’s not a notch on your bedpost.”
“And that’s not an insult?” Marc’s voice rose and Kyle stepped in between them both.
“Whoa. That’s enough. Matt, you’re being insulting. Marc isn’t some slutty user. Have you ever seen one single woman in this town hate him? I’ve never seen him less than respectful to a woman. And Marc, Matt is just trying to say that if you’re not looking for something long term to not start anything with Liv.” Kyle put a hand on each of their shoulders. “You two are brothers. Stop it now.”
Shane grinned. “You’re good at that, Kyle. If you ever get tired of landscaping, you should be a counselor. And, Marc, for the record, I think a woman like Liv is exactly what you need. I’m not trying to convert you to the ways of a married man but I do think it’s time you started thinking about being with a woman for longer than a few weeks at a time.”
“I’m sorry if I offended you, Marc.” Matt patted Marc’s shoulder.
“Me too. Let’s go to Momma and Daddy’s and listen to the squeals of delight before we go play some pool.”
Marc played pool and thought about the whole night. From the elation of finally carving out something for himself to the joy of Kyle and Maggie’s announcement.
He’d been the baby of the family, living in the shadow of the other men in his life. His father, an upstanding pillar of the community. His oldest brother who’d always been the kind of guy you could trust to get your back. Upstanding, intense, loyal to his family. Kyle, good hearted, hard working small business owner, a wonder with the ladies until Maggie came along and now a devoted husband and soon-to-be paren
t. Matt, who liked to pretend he was just an affable, lazy guy but who excelled at everything he’d ever done. Perfect grades in school, highest scores when he went to the academy and well liked and respected at the firehouse.
It was hard to find your identity when your brothers were all such fine men. And he’d been content enough working at Murphy’s, but over the last two years, he’d realized just how much he liked being a personal trainer. He wanted something of his own and closer to home. He wanted to help people live healthier lives in his community.
Maybe it was time for some more changes in his life.
He watched Liv and thought some more. Wondered if the longevity of her appeal to him was a matter of her unavailability or whether she was someone he could actually have a relationship with.
There was really only one way to find out.
“So uh, when did you and Marc start looking at each other like you were imagining each other naked?” Cassie asked as she drank her beer.
Liv started. “What?”
Maggie just raised an eyebrow and Liv sighed. “Okay. Okay. I don’t know. I’ve always thought he was handsome. It’s just flirting. Don’t go picking out china patterns for me. He’s way too young and as I said before, he’s not looking for anything serious or long term and I’m done with men who aren’t. I may look and he may look but that’s all it is. Looking.”
“And I said he’s not too young. He’s what? Six years younger? That’s not a thing. Men go out with women ten, fifteen years younger all the time. And I share a bedroom with the former wiliest bachelor in all the county. Apparently when these Chase boys decide to settle down, they do it for real.” Cassie shrugged.
“You’ve seen Marc right? He’s really hot. He works in a gym, his body is off the chain. He’s got the most beautiful green eyes and I love that his hair is the darkest of all the boys. Nice, sort of just rolled out of bed features too. Of course I’m gonna look. Sheesh. A woman would have to be dead not to look. But that’s all there is to it. Now, moving along to another topic. How did the announcement go?”
“As predicted. Polly is probably out buying furniture for the nursery right now. She insisted that they have a room for the baby at their house for when they babysit and so she or he will have a comfortable place to sleep when we’re having dinner there or whatnot.”
Cassie burst out laughing. “Yeah, like that baby will be put down in a crib with Polly around. I’m glad you’re doing it first. Between Polly, Edward and those boys, you’re never going to be able to hold your own baby.”
“I’m happy for you. You and Kyle are going to be such great parents.” Liv smiled.
“And you two will be the best aunties a baby could ever wish for.”
“Free babysitting for life. What girl could ask for more?” Liv winked. “So when do we start the childbirth classes?”
Maggie laughed. “We’ve got a few months. I’m gonna need you to take a heavy hand to keep the delivery room clear.”
“You got it, ace, I’ll be your hired muscle.” Her best friend and the person she loved most in the world was having a baby. Wow. They were all growing up and life was changing.
A pang sliced through Liv as she wondered when and if she’d be having a baby with a man who adored her as much as Kyle did Maggie. No one had ever looked at her that way, with such love and adoration, she had no real frame of reference at being cherished.
Marc looked down from his place on the ladder to see Olivia walk in.
“Hey there. What brings such a beautiful lady into my gym on such a nice day?”
She looked up and they locked gazes a moment. “You’re just a jack-of-all-trades, aren’t you? You’re an electrician too?”
“Oh this is pretty simple stuff. The lights look better when they’re set into the ceiling instead of hanging, I think.” Finishing up, he came back down and put his toolbox aside. “What can I do for you?”
“Do you have room for another client? I’ve been feeling winded and out of shape doing simple stuff and it’s harder for me to maintain my weight than it used to be. So I figure I could use your help.”
And she was helping keep his business afloat too. He warmed, thinking about her wanting to help him out.
“I don’t see an ounce of fat on you. And I think I’ve looked closely enough.” He winked and she laughed. “Well let’s sit down and talk about your goals and what you’re looking to do with yourself.”
He interviewed her and got a better idea of the kind of services she’d need from him.
“I’m not going to let you slack, you know. I’m a tough taskmaster.”
“And I’m not some weak little girl either. I can take it and my ass and upper arms need it.”
Craning his neck, Marc checked out the area in question. “Honey, your ass is just perfect. Do you want to work out here or at your place?”
“I don’t have the equipment at home so I guess here.”
“Well, let’s get some measurements then.” He stood and indicated the scales.
“Do I have to?” She blanched.
“I don’t know why women are always so freaked by the scale. It’s just one indicator and it doesn’t mean anything at this stage. You have nothing to worry about. Now come on.”
“Should I take my shoes off?”
“Do you want to? It’s not going to make much of a difference you know. If it makes you feel better, you go on. I bet you have pretty toes anyway.”
Marc was very matter-of-fact when he worked with clients. He didn’t coddle or pump up egos for no reason. He gave praise when it was due, and criticism in a constructive manner.
She sighed and stepped on the scale. With her shoes on. He liked her grit.
“You’re well within normal weight range for your height.” He took a body fat measurement and then brought out a tape measure to get her arms, legs, waist, hips and chest. Taking all the numbers down.
He discussed targets with her and they set up a schedule.
“I’ll give you the family discount,” he said, reaching for her credit card. “If you’re not satisfied at the end of one month, I’ll give you a fifty percent refund. But you have to work at it.”
“You are not giving me a discount. You just started your own business. Later, when you’re a mogul here in Petal you can give me a discount. And I told you, I’m not afraid of hard work.”
“I like the set of your mouth when you get uppity.” He gave her the family discount anyway and watched her as she walked out the door and to her car. He jogged to the door.
“Hey!”
She turned and waited.
“Walk tomorrow. You have enough time to get home from work and change out of your clothes. Walk and it’ll be a nice warm up.”
He couldn’t help but love the way her eyes narrowed at him and her hand cocked on her hip. But she only nodded and got in her car, and he laughed as she pulled away.
“Feisty.”
As promised, she showed up the next night—on foot. The walk wasn’t that far and she found that the time enabled her to get rid of her day and begin to focus on working out for herself.
“Good evenin’, Olivia.” Marc handed her a key. “This is for the locker in the dressing room. You can stow your stuff in there. Come on out and we’ll get started.”
There were two other people working on the machines when she emerged from the dressing room. He’d said that there would be other people working out when she was there but he’d be available to her one-on-one when she needed it. Apparently, there were just simple gym members and those who needed less than a one-on-one trainer. She liked seeing his business getting off to a good start. Wanted things to work for him.
He went through the weights with her. Showed her the proper way to lift the weights and to extend her muscles. Instructed her on each machine and made notes in her personal log about her stamina. Which embarrassed her. She was used to being good at things, but she was out of shape and pretty darned sweaty and tired by the time she was done.<
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But she’d be damned if she let that get to her. No, she’d work her ass off to get it in shape because she said she would. And anyway, it would keep her from obsessing about her lack of a love life.
Of course, it did help that he looked so darned good. It was easy to mentally wander off to her happy place while her muscles screamed for mercy. For his part, he hadn’t flirted at all, had kept his behavior professionally genial. Still though, he smelled good and when he leaned over her to adjust the weights on what she thought of as the thigh buster, she wanted to take a bite out of him.
“You’re done for tonight. This will be your workout on Mondays and Fridays. Wednesdays and Saturdays you’ll do aerobic exercise. We’ll go for a run on Wednesday morning before work as planned and Saturdays I’ve got a bike ride set up for my clients who are interested. This week I thought the lake trail would be good. I can get an idea of where you’re all at stamina wise. And then I’ll set up individual appointments with you as necessary. Have you ever tried kickboxing or rowing?”
She just stared at him for long moments until he laughed. “What?”
“Nothing. I’ve just realized I’m paying you to kill me.”
“You’re paying me to extend your life, Olivia. Now go on. I’ll see you Wednesday morning at six. I’ll swing by your place to pick you up. You okay to walk home?”
“It’s five blocks. People are still out and about and it’s Petal.” She softened a bit. “But thank you, I appreciate your asking.”
“Okay then. Take it slow, don’t dawdle but let your muscles cool down.”
Liv had the foolish need to kiss him goodbye but a new client came in. A female one who giggled at him. Gnashing her teeth, Liv remembered herself, pokered up and waved quickly before leaving.
As she walked home, she gave herself a stern talking to about this new infatuation with Marc Chase. She needed to keep in mind who Marc was. No, what Marc was. A very nice, very flirty guy. She wasn’t anything more than another woman to wink at. A woman six years older than he was. She wasn’t Mrs. Robinson and he wasn’t what she was looking for, even if he was interested in her romantically, which he wasn’t.