by Eve Vaughn
“Hello?” Lena snapped her fingers in Gloria’s face. “Hey, Earth to Gloria.”
“Huh? Sorry, Mom. I guess my mind wandered,” Gloria apologized.
“I’ll say. What’s going on? Are you having trouble at your job?”
Gloria shook her head. “No, school is great. The kids are well-behaved for the most part and the staff is really supportive.”
Lena frowned. “Well, I know it can’t be my grandbaby because he’s a perfect angel.” She smiled affectionately at her grandson who was quickly stuffing his face so he could get back to the book he’d been reading earlier. He seemed completely oblivious to the conversation going on around him.
“He’s an angel until one of his experiments goes awry and he makes a hole in the wall.”
Lena patted CJ on the arm. That’s okay, one day you’ll look back at it and laugh when he’s a famous scientist who has managed to cure all diseases known to man.”
CJ raised his head and looked at Gloria. “Mom, I’m finished. May I please be excused?”
Gloria raised a brow. “Did you even chew? I don’t even know why you have teeth, if you’re just going to wolf your food down like that.”
“Moooommmm,” he groaned.
“Fine. But don’t make a mess.”
He gulped down his milk before leaving the three adults at the table.
“Okay, now are you going to tell us what’s bothering you,” her mother asked. “Lena Redmond could be very single-minded when she wanted to be. It was how she managed to raise her daughter alone after Gloria’s father had passed away from a work-related accident. Using the money she’d received in a settlement for her husband’s death, Lena had gone back to school and earned her BN and then her Masters to become a Nurse Practitioner. Gloria never wanted for nothing because her mother always made sure she had everything she needed. But, it was also that same determination that never let anything get past her like now.
“Maybe it has to do with that trainer of hers.”
Gloria brought her head up and glared at her friend. She’d told Rae in confidence about her attraction to Landon and how she felt like such a creep for lusting after her former student who didn’t see her in a romantic capacity. There were a few times when she had imagined that he was flirting with her but it was probably all in her head. After their first session together, she’d confessed her thoughts to Rae. Now, she regretted bringing the subject up. “Really Rae?”
“What about this trainer? Is he giving you a hard time?” her mother asked.
“It’s not that, Mom. Landon is great.”
“Landon, is it?” Lena looked at Rae and the two grinned like a couple of conspirators. The last thing Gloria needed was for her mother and best friend to gang up on her. That’s how she had wound up signing up for that stupid dating website in the first place.
“It’s not like that, Mom. Landon used to be one of my former students who now co-owns a few gyms in the area. He’s my new trainer.”
“Don’t forget to mention that this kid is all grown up and you wouldn’t mind him giving you a different kind of workout,” Rae said in a sing-song voice.
“Remind me to never confide in you again. Yes, I find him attractive. But, he’s just my trainer. You know, it’s quite possible to be attracted to someone and not want to act on it.”
“Why ever not dear?” Lena asked. “Is he not single?”
“Mom! Please don’t start. It’s bad enough that the two of you bullied me into signing up for a dating sight. Now, you’re implying that just because I think someone is cute, I want something more than friendship with them. I think a lot of Hollywood actors are attractive but that doesn’t mean I’m going to end up with them.”
“Oh, honey, sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince. Don’t let that creep of an ex-husband and a few bad dates keep you from finding companionship,” Lena advised.
“You two are making something of nothing.”
“Gloria Marie, I haven’t been your mother for 39 years without knowing when you’re not being truthful. So, you have a little crush. What’s wrong with that?”
“Mom, come on. Do we have to talk about this?” She pushed her plate away, her appetite completely gone now.
“If something’s bothering you, then yes, we absolutely do. Besides, I’m very curious to hear about the first man you’ve been interested in since that crusty ass Cordell, broke your heart.”
“Mom!” Gloria exclaimed. Her mother had never quite approved of Cordell when they’d been together but she’d always held her tongue. But after the break up, it was like the floodgate opened and Lena didn’t miss taking a shot at her ex son-in-law. “CJ may hear you.”
Lena rolled her eyes. “If he doesn’t already know his father is a bum, then he will soon enough. Anyway, stop trying to change the subject and tell me about this Landon fellow.”
Gloria sighed in resignation. Rae and her mother were like two dogs with a bone. “There’s really not much to tell. Like I said, he’s a former student of mine from when I taught in Philly. He had come from a troubled background and acted out quite a bit. But, he settled down quite a bit after I started working with him for a while. We lost touch after I got married and moved to Seattle with Cordell. Anyway, when I went to the gym I didn’t recognize him but apparently, he knew who I was right away.”
“He’d changed that much?” her mother asked.
“Yes. He must have hit his growth spurt after I moved away and he was broader, probably from working out so much. And I guess, he grew into his looks. He looked nothing like the boy I remembered. If it weren’t for the distinct color of his eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it was him.”
Lena grinned. “So, he’s handsome now, huh?”
Gloria shrugged. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter because nothing will come of it.”
“Why not?” Rae chimed in. “You’re a woman and he’s a man.”
“Have either of you been listening? He’s a former student. So, I’m significantly older than him.”
Lena frowned. “How much older are you? I was older than your father by a few years but that didn’t stop us.”
“A few years, mom. I don’t think Landon is even 30 yet. I’ll be forty soon.”
“So what? He seems to have his stuff together and he owns a few gyms so he must be doing well for himself. You know, if it were the other way around and he was older than you, no one would bat an eye.”
Her mother had a point but Gloria still couldn’t let it go. “That’s very progressive of you, but you’re running on the assumption that he’s interested in me as well. I don’t even know if he has a girlfriend or not.”
“You said he’s always flirting with you.” Rae said once again sharing more information than Gloria wanted her to.
“You know, you have a big mouth, Rae. And just because he was flirting, it doesn’t mean anything. Maybe that’s his way of getting me to relax around him when we work out. For all I know, he does that with all his female clients. Look, my failed marriage and my disastrous reemergence into the dating pool have taught me that I’m probably better off by myself.”
Lena sighed. “Gloria, sweetie, I know you had it rough with your ex. But, he was never worthy of you. He was too full of himself to see you for the jewel you truly are. And here’s the kicker, he knew you were a better person than him but he just didn’t want you to realize that because then you would have seen that you were too good for him. That’s why he was constantly trying to chip away at your self-esteem. There were many times I wanted to cuss that man out, but I held my tongue out of respect for you. That fool can’t even be bothered to check in on his own son. Cordell is not worth all this angst, baby. As for those dates of yours, assholes are a dime a dozen but when you find the right one, don’t allow something as silly as age to get in the way. As a matter of fact, the man I’m seeing now is younger than me and I love it. Old men are no fun. All they want to do is sit in front of the television.”
&n
bsp; “Mom, you never said you were dating anyone.”
Lena shrugged. “I’ve been seeing Marcus for a few months. I never mentioned it before because it wasn’t anything serious but now he wants to make things official.”
Her mother who was in her early 60’s was still an attractive woman who was active and didn’t look a day older than 40. “When am I going to meet him?" Gloria asked.
“You’ll meet him soon enough. But, we’re not talking about me. I want to know more about this Landon fellow. He must be someone special if he has you mooning over him like this.”
“Mom, I’m serious, can we please just drop the topic. Nothing is going to come out of this. It’s just a silly crush. He’s a good-looking man and I find him extremely attractive.”
“But—“
“Mom, please. I don’t want to discuss this anymore,” Gloria said as firmly as she possibly could while remaining respectful toward her mother.
“Fine. But, I will say this last thing. You’ll never know how he feels about you unless you speak up. You may be surprised. You’re a beautiful woman, Gloria. Celebrate that beauty.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re my mother. You’re supposed to say that.”
“I tell you that all the time,” Rae pointed out.
“But you’re my best friend.”
Rae rolled her eyes. “Fine. We won’t bring it up again until you’re ready to talk about it. But at some point, you have to stop living your life based on what a few assholes have said to you and live your life for you. Say something to Landon about how you feel or not. The worst that can happen is that he’ll tell you he’s not interested and then you’ll know for sure so you won’t continue to tie yourself up in knots. And the best case scenario, you might start something wonderful with great guy. The truth is, sweetie, it’s not your ex or those disaster dates holding you back. It’s you.”
Rae’s observation took Gloria by surprise. Was it true? Was she her own worst enemy?
Chapter Five
“That’s it, Gloria. Just three more.” Landon clapped his hands, encouraging her through the last set of inner thigh presses.
Gloria gritted her teeth from exertion, her hands clenched tightly on the grips as she squeezed the workout equipment between her knees. “This is torture,” she groaned.
“I know your muscles probably feel like giving out, but this is when you have to dig deep. Make these last three count. Come on. I’m not going to let you quit.”
“This is worse than Chinese water torture.” She pushed the apparatus together with her thighs.
“That’s it! Make sure you breathe, though. Give me two more and no cheating.”
She shook her head. “Ugh, I can’t.”
“Can’t is not an acceptable word. Yes, you can.”
Gloria glared, giving him another rep. “You’re a monster.”
He grinned, admiring her spunk. “If that’s what you think, then I guess I’m doing my job. Now on this last one, I want you to hold it for five seconds and really feel the burn.”
Her mouth fell open and she shot him an ‘are-you-out-of-your-mind’ look. “I feel it now.”
So do I, he wanted to say. Landon had trained dozens of clients on every single piece of equipment in the gym, but nothing was more erotic than the sight of Gloria squeezing her legs shut and then opening them wide again. Watching her exercise, made him sweat just as hard as her. Several times during the workout, he’d found excuses to touch her. Although at times it was necessary for him to do just that, Landon made more contact with her than he normally did with his clients. He couldn’t resist the temptation of running his fingers along her soft brown skin. He knew it was a little unprofessional but he was getting a bit frustrated that she couldn’t read the clear signals he was sending. Or, maybe she was just ignoring them which in that case, he’d just have to put it all out on the line.
They’d been working out for a month now and it was getting harder for him to pretend his feelings were just that of a trainer for his client. His lust for her grew stronger every day. It didn’t help matters that she kept him at an emotional distance. He racked his brain trying to think of a way to penetrate the wall she’d erected between them.
He’d have to make his move soon. Gloria consumed his thoughts. He longed to caress every inch of her voluptuous frame and kiss her soft-looking lips until all she could say was his name.
She grunted, finishing the last thigh press. “Whew! You’re sadistic.” She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a laugh. “What did I do to deserve this?” The pretty pout she now wore made his cock stir. More than anything, Landon wanted to take her into his arms, capture that full bottom lip between his teeth and nibble and suck, making her beg for mercy.
He didn’t realize he was staring until she waved her hand in his face. “Earth to Landon…?”
“Huh?” Heat surfaced in his face and he was sure it was bright red. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, “When I go home, I’m going to need a long hot soak in my tub, with lots of bubbles.’ My muscles will be screaming later on.”
Landon clenched his fists, willing his dick to stay down, but the thought of Gloria naked in a bathtub covered in bubbles had his prick jumping to attention. He quickly knelt, pretending to tie his shoe and hoping to God she hadn’t noticed his hard-on.
Sheesh, what was it about this woman that made him react this way? It was almost as if he were in high school all over again. “That sounds relaxing,” he murmured, finally finding his voice.
“Are you okay, Landon?”
He took several deep breaths to make sure his body was under control before he stood up. “I’m fine. Well, it looks like our hour is up. You did a great job tonight. I’m really proud of how hard you’re working.”
She beamed, her dark eyes twinkling. “Thank you. Exercise isn’t my favorite activity, but you make it fun. I doubt I’ll ever be a size two. Hell, I may not even get to ten, but at least you’ve helped me start down the path of healthy living. And for that, I’ll be eternally grateful to you.”
“And that’s the key. A misconception many people have is that skinny equals healthy. There are plenty of thin people with health issues due to a lack of proper nutrition and exercise. Body types are determined by genetics, it’s what we do with them that counts.”
She smiled, lightly touching his arm. “You’re such a sweetheart. You have a way of not making me feel like such a cow.”
He hated to hear Gloria talk about herself in such a derogatory way. Things he’d gleaned from a few conversations they’d had over the past month indicated her ex-husband was most likely the cause of her low self-esteem. If their paths were ever to cross, Landon would like nothing more than to introduce Gloria’s ex to his fist. It was true she was a plus-sized woman, but Gloria was gorgeous—inside and out. If only he could make her see it, too.
“You’re not a cow and I wish you’d stop saying things like that. I think you’re a beautiful woman.” And a desirable one at that, he wanted to say, but didn’t think it would be a good idea to say that just yet. He’d have to be careful in declaring his intentions to Gloria. Considering what she’d experienced in her marriage, she was like a frightened deer when it came to relationships.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. She was obviously taken aback by his statement and it tore at his insides to know she wasn’t used to hearing this about herself. “Landon—”
“Just say thank you, Gloria. I don’t give empty compliments and I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
Her lips tilted into a wide grin, revealing deep dimples. ‘Thank you, Landon. That means a lot, coming from a young, good-looking man. You make me wish I was ten years younger.”
He raised a brow. “Why? You’re only 39 and I’m 29. That’s not much of an age difference.”
“It isn’t if our ages were reversed. No one would bat an eye for a younger woman to be with an older man, but older women dating younger men
are considered cradle robbers.”
A smile tugged the corners of his lips. “You can rob this cradle any time you’d like, Gloria.” Though he’d said the comment lightly, to put her at ease, he meant every word of it. One of these days, he was going to make her see just how much he wanted her.
For a moment, bewilderment entered her eyes and then she shook her head with a laugh. “Landon, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were hitting on me.” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture before collecting her towel and water bottle off the floor.
He exhaled. This was the perfect opening to share his feelings with her. He wasn’t blind to the way she sneaked peeks at him beneath her lashes or the way she’d stare at his body a bit longer than was decent. Not that he minded, he enjoyed her looking at him because it told Landon she was attracted to him, too. He only hoped she wouldn’t allow something as trivial as age or race to deter her from taking a chance on him. “And what if I am—hitting on you, I mean? Would you be averse to my advances?”