by Susan Hatler
The sound of breaking glass broke my thoughts and my eyes darted to the dusty air vent.
“Pietro. Look what you do to my desk.” Rudy sounded pretty irritated.
“Relax, Rudy.” No accent. “It’s not like he knocked his drink over on purpose.”
“There is glass all over my office. It is sticky everywhere.” Rudy sounded like he might snap. Must be the tension of losing the gym because Rudy normally kept his cool. “Pietro, just clean up the mess. Go next door, get a mop and bucket, then fix this mess up.”
“I’ll get it.” No accent so it was Nicollò who offered to get the mop.
The mop. It finally registered. The mop’s in here.
The door to Rudy’s office squeaked open and I rolled toward the others momentarily, then scrambled to my feet.
Seconds later, the janitor’s closet door burst open, and in walked the sexiest guy I had ever seen. Dark hair, dark eyes and the body of a Greek statue. Or, an Italian statue as the case may be. Whatever. Either way, in his Armani suit—and one gold chain—I could see the man was built.
He stared at the four of us critically.
We all stood frozen.
Then, the Italian God made eye contact with me. My knees went weak and I pressed a hand to the wall for balance, unable to speak. If this guy was surprised to see us, he hid it well. His mouth twitched and a dimple formed in his left cheek. “Hello.”
Words failed me, but I had to do something so I hurried across the small room, removed the mop from the opposite wall, and handed it to him.
“Thanks.” His dimple deepened and his brown eyes pierced mine as he grasped the mop handle. “I’m Nick.”
Nick. Out of habit, I glanced down at his ring finger. Bare. He was single. My heart drummed a mile a minute and I breathed in deeply to calmly introduce myself. “I’m aaaahchooo!”
Both hands flew to my nose and I squeezed my eyes shut. What. Just. Happened? The dust from the vent. This was Rudy’s fault for canceling the janitor!
I sniffed several times, rubbed my nose, then tilted my head up and opened my eyes.
Nick’s gaze seemed transfixed on me as he reached into his breast pocket, removed a white handkerchief and held it out for me.
My heart melted. What a gentleman. I accepted the handkerchief and daintily dabbed at my nose.
Suddenly, Erica appeared at my side—a hair in front of me actually, holding her hand out to Nick. “I’m Erica Conner and may I just say how thrilling it is to have such an, uh, authoritative man in charge around here.”
It annoyed me that Erica had stepped up when I’d been here first. Still, I wondered why it didn’t grate on my nerves the way it did when she flirted with Matt. Weird, but the competitive part of me wouldn’t let her get away with upstaging me.
I rolled my shoulder so it was slightly in front of Erica’s and broke their handshake. It may have been childish, but it sure felt good.
She narrowed her eyes at me, then she turned back to Nick. “I’m not scheduled to work for another hour so I’d be happy to assist if you need help with…anything.”
Nick turned back to me—ha!—gave a small smile, then held up the mop. “Actually, I’d better get this to Rudy before he has a coronary. Nice to meet you all.”
“It was great meeting you.” Erica gushed. “Welcome to Totally Fit.”
“Thanks,” he said, then stepped out of the closet leaving the door open.
Erica spun toward the three of us and clapped her hands. “Things around here are about to get interesting.”
“Yes, they are,” I said, watching her bounce out of the closet with a huge smile. It still bugged me that she’d made a move on Nick when he’d clearly noticed me first. Wasn’t there a girl friend code on first dibs?
Not that I wanted dibs, necessarily—let’s face it, I couldn’t make a move in any dating direction without authorization from Patti—it just wasn’t right how Erica had jumped in front of me.
“Back to work, people.” Steve clapped his hands. “Especially me, ugh.”
I stood motionless, watching Steve hold his head high as he left.
“Everything okay?”
I jumped, not having noticed Matt come up next to me. “Not really.”
“That’s right,” he said. “I’m sorry your date didn’t go the way you wanted.”
“It’s okay.” Surprisingly, I found that I didn’t really miss Brad at all. Patti’d been right—I hadn’t really been in love with him. Wow. I pictured the figurative bright yellow light bulb flashing above my head. I’d been so excited about finding love that I hadn’t noticed I didn’t have it. What a confusing revelation.
He put a hand on my shoulder. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
My shoulder tingled from where his hand lay. “You’re a good friend, Matt.” A big part of me would rather just hang with Matt and have a good time—forget about finding love, commitment, and that whole elusive mess.
But, I couldn’t give up on true love. That’s what my mom had done.
Nick seemed nice. Maybe he was the type to make a relationship last. That is, if Erica didn’t snatch him up first. For the first time, I felt truly grateful that I’d have to check in with Patti. I’d tell her about Nick and let her point me in the right direction.
CHAPTER THREE
Twenty minutes before my aerobics class started, I stretched out in the aerobics room with Patti, who attended my classes at least once a week. Sitting with my legs out in front of me, I folded my chest onto my knees and decided to spill the news. “I’ve met a guy.”
Patti stared at me blankly as if waiting for the punch line. After a few seconds, she pointed a finger. “You better not have given whoever-this-is your phone number. That would be a violation of The Boyfriend Bylaws and Betty would be mine.”
“No, I didn’t give him my number.” I bent one knee, brought my heel to the inside of my thigh, and reached for the opposite foot. “Although he might already have it.”
Patti twisted her body left until it cracked. “You sneak. Did you have someone else hand your number to him? I hereby invoke Rule Number Six by adding Rule Number Seven: No third party interference.”
Darn. That had been a great loophole I’d missed. “Relax, Patti. He has my number because he just bought Totally Fit. My number must be in my employee file.” Well, assuming Rudy was that organized. I released my foot and turned to Patti. “His name is Nick. He seems like a total gentleman, not to mention he’s insanely gorgeous. Can I get permission to go on a date with him before he asks me out?”
Patti scoffed, stretched her leg out, and reached for her right foot. “No way.”
Why did she have to be so difficult? I was playing by her rules. “What’s the point of waiting until he asks me out, and then calling you? That’s just stupid.”
“Why should you wait? Let’s see. Brad. Paul. Mike. Marcus. And don’t think I didn’t see the wink your co-worker, Matt, gave you at lunch today.”
“Matt?” Sweet, intelligent and, unfortunately, enjoys-playing-the-field Matt? Remembering the way he’d smiled intimately at his lunch date made me ill. “I’m not interested in Matt.”
“You looked awfully jealous of the girl he was with earlier.”
“Well, she didn’t seem right for him,” I said, defensively. She was too…something I couldn’t put my finger on. Time to change the subject. “Nick is different.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” Patti glanced back and waved at several women who entered the aerobics studio. “I’ll even bet he’s The One.”
The way she said it irritated me. “At least I’m willing to take a risk and try to find the right man. Unlike you.”
“Well, put it out there all you want.” Patti stood, put her hands on her hips, and leaned backward in a final stretch. “As long as you follow the bylaws.”
“Fine.” I went to flip on the music. With the beat blaring out, I tried to forget about Patti’s rules and let the energy wash over me. I waved to eve
ryone as I bounced from foot to foot, warming up. Even with The Patti Roadblock, I’d get my happily ever after. Before I could go all warm with pleasure, I immediately thought of Matt.
Deep down, I still wished Matt would change his ways and want a serious relationship. But I’d found out the hard way in life that you can’t control another person. Maybe I should call my mom and have it out with her—again. The mere thought exhausted me.
“Good evening, ladies.” I took position in front of the class. The music blared, and I began pumping my biceps as I tapped my foot. “Are we all ready for a fantastic workout?”
As I started to fall into my usual groove, I spotted Nick, Matt and Steve walk by through the open doorway. Looked like they were heading toward Rudy’s office and I wondered why they were meeting this late at night.
Nick looked back over his shoulder at me so I tightened my abs and flashed him a smile. He seemed nice and definitely interested. Come tomorrow, I’d find out if he was a player or looking to settle down.
“All right, everyone.” I lifted my head, smiled and moved my hips to the beat. “Time to pump up the energy!”
Come tomorrow, I’d work my energy on Nick.
****
After class, I took a quick shower in the locker room, and threw on a clean shirt, jeans, and a hooded sweatshirt for dinner at my Dad and Janet’s house.
I swung my bag over my shoulder and headed out of Totally Fit, waving good-bye to our evening front desk clerk, Carrie. She mostly kept to herself, never joined us if we had an after-hours event, but seemed nice enough—just quiet.
I pushed out the exit door and nearly jerked backward when a hand grabbed a firm hold of my arm.
“Slow down, beautiful.” Matt smiled at me. “What’s your hurry?”
Standing alone in the dark with Matt and catching his sexy spice scented cologne, tugged at something inside me. Just a cruel reminder of what I wanted but couldn’t have with him. “I’m late for dinner at my parents’ house. No time to chat.”
The lights from the Totally Fit sign threw green and blue hued shadows across his face, and he seemed concerned as he stared down at me. It made me wonder, once again, why Matt didn’t want to settle down. The more I thought about it, the more it drove me crazy. I needed to get him out of my head and me off this sidewalk.
“Hold on a sec.” He gave another little tug on my arm when I tried to walk away. “Did I do something to upset you?”
Besides acting sweet, considerate, and constantly invading my thoughts? “No. Why?”
He looked down at the sidewalk and shrugged. “Things used to be great between us. The last couple days you seem, I don’t know, irritated with me.”
We were blocking people’s exit from Totally Fit, so I stepped across the sidewalk and leaned against the red brick building. “I’m not irritated with you. It’s just, well…no, it’s none of my business.”
His jaw worked a moment as if he was thinking. “What’s none of your business?”
“The way you date around,” I blurted. My face heated and I turned away.
“The way I what?” He took a step closer to me.
I hated that I wanted him to step even closer. “You’re selling yourself short. That’s all.”
His brows came together. “What am I missing here?”
A relationship with me. I couldn’t say that though. You couldn’t make someone want to be with only you. Just thinking about what my dad had gone through brought tears to my eyes.
His expression softened. “Mel, what’s wrong?” He reached for my hands. “Do you want to go somewhere and talk?”
His hands were especially warm in the cool evening air and chills radiated up my arms from his touch. No. I would not fall for him. I couldn’t. It wouldn’t last and I’d be the one left hurting in the end.
I jerked my hands out of his, suddenly angry. “You know, it’s hard not to take you seriously when you act like this.”
He frowned and took a step back. “Act? You think this is an act?”
“Of course it’s an act. Last week it’s the brunette at the dance club, at lunch today it’s the girl in the sexy business suit, and tonight…who knows with you? You’re just a—” My cheeks puffed out and all the frustration of the past two days burst from inside me, “You’re such a player!”
His brows flew up. “You think that of me?”
His gaze had always been warm in the past, but the look he gave me left me chilled to my core. My eyes burned and I immediately wanted to take my words back.
His jaw set and he stared at me a moment longer, cold and empty. “Eileen, who you met at The Oasis, is someone I dated twice. I’m single and there’s no law against that. The girl at lunch today was my sister. She’s up from L.A. this week and I wanted to introduce you, but you and your friend busted out of the restaurant so fast I didn’t get the chance.”
His sister? I bit my lip, feeling like a fool. “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“At least now I know what you think of me.” He laughed bitterly. “I thought we were friends but….”
He shook his head. “What have I ever done to give you that impression of me? Just because I’m getting my PhD, do you think I’m in that college dating mode or something?”
“No, I—”
“No. You just think that little of me, of my integrity.” With his jaw tight, he slid his hands in his pockets, and took a step backward. “Have a nice dinner with your parents.”
“Matt….” My lower lip trembled as he hurried down the sidewalk and disappeared around the corner. I leaned against the brick wall for support. He was gone. My eyes were hot and my throat went tight. It felt like my heart had been ripped out.
I’d been wrong about him being a player. My mistake may have cost me his friendship. A mistake I’d made with Erica’s help. As I marched to Betty, I pulled out my cell phone. Erica had some serious explaining to do.
****
At eight o’clock, I screeched Betty into my parents’ driveway and slammed her into park in front of their three-car garage. I hit redial and it went straight to Erica’s voicemail again.
“Me again.” I tried not to sound as angry as I felt. “I don’t care how late it is, just call me.”
I’d thought about canceling on dinner, but with Kaitlin’s “big news,” my parents would freak if I didn’t show. I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror, wiped under my eyes, then combed my hands through my hair, which was still damp.
I hopped out of the car, wanting to get dinner over with as quickly as possible. I didn’t know if I could put on a happy face even though it was expected of me.
When I turned the knob on my parents’ front door, nothing happened. Locked. The muscles in my arms went tight and it was all I could do not to scream. Why-oh-why did they lock the front door when they knew I was coming over?
I rang the bell, vowing that the second Kaitlin spilled her news I’d be out of there. Checking my cell—no return call or text from Erica—I rang again, then finally heard the deadbolt unclick.
As the front door opened, I tried my hardest to paste a perky smile on my face.
Then the door opened and my smile dropped. Standing in my parents’ foyer was Paul DeWitt—the investment counselor who’d broken my heart a month and a half ago.
“Paul,” I said, unable to conceal my shock. I’d never introduced him to Dad and Janet, so how did he know where they lived?
He gave me a nervous look. “Uh, what are you doing here?”
My ex-boyfriend was standing in my parents’ foyer and he was asking me what I was doing here? Had my parents sold the house and forgotten to tell me? This was absolutely, unconditionally, the night from Hades.
I mentally snorted. Hades. That’s great. My memory would pick this moment to remember all things Greek. Where had my brain been during the whole play dough fiasco? Isn’t that just the icing on the Acropolis?
“Hi!” Kaitlin appeared in the doorway and laced her ar
m through Paul’s.
“Hhh…” Gasping wasn’t a great response, but I swear a two-letter word had never been harder to say. “Hhh….”
She smiled, showing off unnaturally white teeth, tossed her long red extensions over her shoulder, and…had she gotten a boob job? They seemed to have doubled in size. “I see you’ve met my darling boyfriend.”
Paul’s face went white and at the same time my stomach heaved.
“This is your sister?” Paul gasped.
Kaitlin nodded enthusiastically, then pulled me into a tight hug. “He didn’t tell you the news, did he?”
“N-no.” I didn’t dare ask what news and didn’t want to know what news. I just turned around ready to hightail it out of there.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Kaitlin grabbed my arm and pulled me through the doorway. “I don’t care what you forgot in your car. We’ve been waiting for you forever and can’t wait another minute. I want to tell Mommy, Daddy and you at the same time. Come on.”
After tripping inside—in addition to my voice, my feet weren’t working so well—Kaitlin released my arm, shut the door and clip-clopped on her heels toward the dining room with Paul in tow.
CHAPTER FOUR
The next morning, I stood outside Totally Fit with my hand on the door, unable to pull it open even though it was five-thirty in the morning and I was freezing cold.
My mind reeled from last night’s events. Kaitlin was engaged to my ex. Kaitlin asked me to be her maid-of-honor—I swear she’d emphasized the word “maid” to rub it in that I was single. Didn’t she have a best friend or a hairdresser or anyone else to ask? Someone who hadn’t seen the groom-to-be naked?