by Amy Brent
Then again, there was a reason I had a type. If I took home someone I wasn’t attracted to, it was going to be even more boring for both of us.
And to be honest, no matter how cute Keira was, there was something about her that I just didn’t like. She was too fake, like she was trying too hard. She was the kind of girl who woke up in the morning and spent two hours doing her hair and her makeup and getting dressed. Once, that wouldn’t have bothered me. I would have taken her home and fucked her just the same. But now I was looking for something different, something real.
Maybe that was what growing up was.
I glanced at my watch while she finished five curls on each arm. “Looks like our session is just about finished for the day!” I said brightly. Inside, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had nothing on the books for the rest of the day.
“Well, thank you so much,” Keira said, taking a step closer to me. “You’ve helped me so much already. I can already imagine how fit I’m going to be in a few weeks.”
I wanted to say something about not going for instant results, something about how she might have to be patient—especially if we were only working with five- or ten-pound weights for everything. But I refrained. This was the part where Keira would try to give me her number, and when I didn’t call her, she wouldn’t book another appointment. I only hoped I wouldn’t lose the friend who had referred her in the process.
But I wasn’t going to take Keira home just for the sake of the money I was earning off her friend. Not only was that a bit too close to prostitution for my liking, but it just wasn’t worth it.
Sure enough, Keira sidled closer, putting a hand on my arm. “Wow, you’re really strong,” she said. She giggled. “I knew that of course. It’s just one thing to see it and another thing to feel it.” She cocked her head to the side. “You know how people say you should only do business with your friends? Maybe we should see one another outside the gym at some point, just so I know what kind of man you really are.”
There was something dirty about the way she said that last part, and I knew exactly what she was really going for. I tried not to pull away from her in disgust. In a way, I had to give her props for how bold she was being. She knew what she wanted and went right for it regardless of the consequences. Then again, she’d probably rarely heard the word “no” in her life.
“I’m afraid I can’t see clients outside work,” I told her politely. “It wouldn’t be professional.”
It wasn’t a rule I always adhered to, but it was easy enough to tell to the women I wasn’t interested in.
Keira frowned. “So let’s say I happened to be getting coffee at, say, Benji’s Bakery around three on Tuesday and you just happened to show up. What would happen then?” She smiled at me. “Surely you wouldn’t just walk out and leave, would you?”
I made a mental note to avoid the place, not that I had ever been in there before. “Keira, I’m sorry,” I said. “I like my job, and I don’t want to risk jeopardizing it. And anyway, I have a girlfriend.”
“Oh,” Keira said, pouting a little. “I guess I’ll see you next week.”
“See you next week,” I said, fighting the urge to roll my eyes.
The problem with telling her that something in my contract said I couldn’t go out with her was that she would keep trying. In her head, I must be interested in her and I was just holding myself back. Hopefully, the lie about having a girlfriend would keep her at bay.
I shook my head as she walked away toward the locker room. Instead of watching her sashay away, I turned to find Zach staring at me with a raised eyebrow. Zach was my best friend. We’d known one another since we were in pre-K. He came to the gym nearly every day to bug me as well as to train.
“Hey, man. I didn’t see you come in,” I said, smiling at him.
Zach continued to stare at me. “So, you have a girlfriend, do you? Why haven’t I heard about this?” He paused. “Is that why you never want to go out for beers anymore? When do I get to meet her?”
I laughed and punched him on the arm. “You know very well that I don’t,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I was just trying to get rid of her."
“Why?” Zach asked. “That girl was hot, and she was totally into you.”
I shrugged. “She wasn’t really my type.” When Zach gave me an incredulous look, I added, “I’m tired of the endless string of one-night stands, dude. It’s just getting old.”
Zach didn’t look convinced, but then he shook his head. “I’m glad someone is showing some signs of responsibility,” he muttered.
I looked at him in surprise. “What does that mean?” I asked. “What did you do?”
Had he and Mikayla already had a fight at their new place? They’d never lived together before, even though they’d spent a bunch of time at one another’s places. Maybe she was mad at him for not taking the trash out or something like that.
“Not me,” he said with a sigh. “Abigail.”
I frowned. Abigail was his younger sister. She was five years younger than us, and I’d known her her whole life, although I hadn’t really seen her in a while. We’d all hung out together a lot during college, but since then, we’d drifted apart a little. She and Zach still had dinner together regularly, but our schedules rarely seemed to all work out so that we could all see one another. We needed to fix that.
“What’s Abigail up to these days?” I asked. “She still working in retail?”
“That’s just it,” Zach said, shaking his head. “She got fired from that job. She says it’s just because the company was downsizing, but she was an assistant manager. Who fires the assistant manager when they’re just downsizing? I think there’s more to the story. Anyway, now she’s just fucking around, not doing anything. I was talking to Mom earlier, and apparently, Abigail is getting kicked out of her place and asked about moving back in with our parents. “
I frowned. That didn’t really sound like Abigail. She’d always been a go-getter. I’d joked a couple times that if I could get her into the gym, we could make an Olympic champ out of her. She’d never seemed interested.
Zach was still talking. “She’s twenty-four years old, and apparently, she still doesn’t know how to support herself. If I were the one crawling back to our parents, Dad would probably make me pay rent, but because she’s daddy’s little girl, it’s like she’s done nothing wrong.”
I was sure there was more to the story than what Zach was saying, but I wasn’t about to call him out for being a jerk, especially not right in the middle of the gym. Instead, I just shrugged. “Actually, my roommate just moved out unexpectedly and I could use a new one.”
Zach snorted. “She wouldn’t be able to pay you,” he said. “That’s the whole reason she’s getting evicted.”
“I’m sure we could work something out,” I said. “It’s not like she’ll be unemployed forever.”
“You hope,” Zach said darkly. He shook his head. “If you want her as a roommate, by all means, call her. I’m just glad she hasn’t asked me if she could move in because I would have to tell her no. Mikayla and I don’t really have the space, and she’s been unemployed for, like, a month now. If she was really trying, she could have a job.”
I made a noncommittal noise in response. I knew the job competition in the city was tough, and with rent as high as it was, it was difficult to save up much money, especially if you weren’t working a high-paying job. Abigail had been working in retail, so she probably never had the chance to build up her savings. A month might have been all it took for her to be flat broke and getting evicted.
I thought about how that might feel, having to move back in with my parents at this point in my life. I had nothing against my parents, but I’d been out of college and out of their house for long enough that I knew there was no going back. There were certain freedoms I was used to having.
The thought solidified my decision. “You know what?” I asked Zach. “Give me her number.”
***
After I
finished up my shift at the gym, on the way out to the parking lot, I called Abigail.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Hey, it’s Ian,” I said.
“Ian?” she asked in surprise. “Is something wrong with Zach?”
“No, no,” I said, shaking my head even though she couldn’t see it. Of course, that was the first place her mind went. Why else would I be calling? It wasn’t like she and I ever interacted without her brother there.
I started to wonder whether this was a mistake, inviting her to live with me. But it was too late to second-guess myself now. I was already on the phone with her, so I forged ahead. “I was just calling because Zach mentioned earlier that you needed a place to live, and I have a roommate who just moved out with no warning. I thought maybe you might want to check the place out.”
Abigail laughed bitterly. “That’s a really sweet offer, but I don’t think I’d be much help there. I’m searching for a new place to live because I can’t afford my rent at the moment.”
“Yeah, no, he might have mentioned that,” I said. “But I’ve already covered rent for the month anyway, so I don’t need anything from you. If you’re really worried, you could pay me back later—in installments or something. Whatever works. That would give you a little time to get your feet under you. And anyway, I can cover you for rent for a little while if you need. It’s been pretty busy at the gym lately. But we can discuss all the details when you come by to check out the place.”
“When I come by to check it out?” Abigail asked. “You make it sound like it’s a done deal.”
I shrugged. “I hear your other option is moving back in with your parents. I can’t imagine you really want to do that.”
There was a pause, and for a moment, I was afraid I had gone too far. Finally, Abigail sighed. “You’re right,” she said. “And I really appreciate it.”
“I’ll text you the address,” I said. “I don’t have any clients lined up tomorrow morning, so why don’t you swing by then just to check the place out?”
“Sounds good,” Abigail said. She paused. “And thanks again, Ian. I really do appreciate this.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said before hanging up the phone.
Chapter 3
Abigail
I was a little nervous about going over to Ian’s. I had been there before for a couple parties, but the last time I’d been there had been a while ago. Actually, I had a feeling Zach had something to do with that, like he wanted to keep me away from his best friend. Which was fine; I understood that. I would have been a little weirded out if Zach and Brittany started hanging out, too.
I was surprised Ian suggested I might move in with him. I just hoped he had cleared it with Zach first.
I brushed my hands down my suit jacket and rang the doorbell. Ian answered it right away. “Hey,” he said, giving me a once-over and frowning. “You know, you didn’t have to dress up for this. I mean, you look nice and all, but I’ve known you for years now.”
I laughed and self-consciously smoothed my hands over my suit again. “I’m going door to door handing out my resume after this,” I told him. “I’m dressed up for that.”
“Oh, right. That makes sense,” Ian said. He smiled at me and took a step back so I could come in. “I just made a couple breakfast parfaits. You want one?”
“Sure,” I said, trailing after him into the kitchen.
“So this is the kitchen,” Ian said, and I rolled my eyes.
“I have been here before,” I reminded him.
“I know,” Ian said, grinning at me. “I’m just teasing.” He handed me a glass and led me into the living room. “So probably the only room you haven’t seen is the bedroom.”
“Right,” I said. I shivered a little as his hand connected with my lower back, warmly leading me into a small but well-lit room with a bed in the center of it.
I didn’t want to let on how much I wanted him to tumble me down into that bed. I had been attracted to Ian for a long time now, but that would screw up my chance at living somewhere other than my parents’ place. Also, Zach would never forgive me if I slept with his best friend. So, I pushed those urges away and took a bite of my parfait, trying to cover up any awkwardness on my part.
Meanwhile, Ian explained what had happened to his former roommate, oblivious to my inner thoughts and desires. “Yeah, so Pete had to move out because his off-again, on-again girlfriend just had a baby. Originally they weren’t planning on living together once the baby was born, but I guess the girlfriend didn’t realize how much work it was going to be, raising a kid on her own. Or something. Anyway, he’s gone, so this would be your room.”
Ian was babbling a little, and I wondered whether he was nervous, too. Not that I was going to ask, but I was curious what he had to be nervous about. Maybe he was a terrible roommate. Not like that mattered. I didn’t have any other options.
“It’s nice,” I said, looking around the space and already imagining my things here. I turned back to Ian, biting my lower lip. “But are you sure about this? What if I don’t get a job right away?”
“We’ll figure it out,” Ian said simply. “Like I said over the phone yesterday, I’ve already paid for this month’s rent on my own, so I’m not worried about that. And I can keep floating you.” He paused. “To be honest, it’ll just be nice to have someone normal renting the room, someone I already know. You wouldn’t believe how many obnoxiously passive-aggressive roommates I’ve had over the past couple years.”
I laughed. “If I have a problem, I’ll let you know about it,” I told him. “But you have to do the same.”
“Sure thing,” Ian said, holding out his hand and looking mock-seriously at me. “To always letting the other person know what’s on our minds.”
I shook his hand, feeling another little shiver run down my spine at the contact. It seemed like every time I saw Ian, he was more fit than the previous time, which I supposed made sense since he worked in a gym as a personal trainer. He was always improving himself even while he was improving his clients, but still. Damn.
“So when I do start paying rent, what will it be?” I asked, trying to distract myself. It was going to be tough living with him if I couldn’t stop thinking about how sexy he was. Secretly, I hoped he was super obnoxious as a roommate just so I wouldn’t find myself getting increasingly turned on by him.
“Your part of the rent would be six fifty, including utilities,” Ian said. “It’s a steal for this part of the city, but the place is rent controlled so that’s why.”
“Wow, that’s awesome,” I said. It was slightly more expensive than the previous place I’d lived, but if I could get a decent job, I’d be able to cover that with no problem. I just needed to focus on the “getting a job” part. “And when could I move in?”
Ian shrugged. “Tonight if you wanted,” he said. “As you can see, the previous guy is totally out of here, and I’ve had a cleaner in to tidy it up in preparation for someone else moving in.”
“Cool. I’ll just have to find some way to get my stuff over here,” I said slowly. “Do you have a car?”
“I can do better than that,” Ian said. “One of my buddies has a moving truck company. I’ll see if we can borrow one for tomorrow morning—if that works for you.”
“That would be awesome,” I said. I was surprised by how well the pieces were coming together. It was like fate really wanted me here with him or something. I smiled at the thought.
“Why don’t I call Zach and see if he’ll help us?” Ian suggested.
I wrinkled my nose. “He’s going to say no,” I said. “He thinks I’m being super irresponsible with this whole thing.” I paused. “But I’ve been trying to get a job. I’ve passed out more copies of my resume than you could believe. It’s just that no one seems to be hiring right now.”
“I know how hard it can be to find a job in this city,” Ian said, nodding sympathetically. “But I’m sure you’ll find something soon.”
“I hope so,” I said with a sigh.
“Come on, you’re smart and you’re creative. Plus, you’re pretty. You’d at least make a hot secretary for someone.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help grinning. He was only kidding, but I was still pleased by the compliments. “I guess I should head back to my place and start packing,” I said.
“Here’s a key,” Ian said, pulling one off his key ring.
“Thanks again,” I said sincerely, pocketing the key. “See you around, I guess, roomie.”
“See you around,” Ian said, laughing.
When I got back to my place, I looked around, breathing in and out slowly, trying to calm myself down. This whole month had been such a whirlwind of emotion. I still couldn’t believe I hadn’t netted myself a job. What was wrong with me?
I sat down on the couch even though I knew I needed to start packing, especially if I was going to move everything over to Ian’s the next morning. But I really needed a moment just to veg, so I turned on the TV.
The door burst open. I knew who it was immediately. I could smell the cloying scent of her perfume before I’d even stood up. “Mom.”
I sighed, seeing her standing there with her hands on her hips. She had dropped an empty stack of boxes on the floor, and she looked furious with me.
“I knew you weren’t really trying to get a job,” she said. “Look at this, home in the middle of the day, watching TV. You should be out handing out your resume, or at least scouring the job boards for different opportunities.”
“What do you think I was doing all morning?” I snapped.
“Don’t you take that tone with me,” Mom said. “If you’re going to be moving back in with your father and me, I expect you to show some respect. I came to help you pack your things.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said with false sweetness, “but I don’t need your help, and I’m not moving back in with you guys. I thought I might, but it was never a hundred percent.”