Forever Friend Zoned

by C. Morgan

  “Was she naughty?” I teased before clamping my mouth shut at the ridiculous joke.

  “She might be getting a fulltime position at one of the schools. She’s been working really hard to get a permanent position. This is important to her. I’m excited for her.”

  “I’m sure she’ll do great,” I said and jumped out of the way of a flying kettle bell in the nick of time.

  The gym was especially packed today. I knew how uncomfortable she was when there was a big crowd, and without the safety net of her people around her, she would really be edgy.

  “Is there something going on that I don’t know about?” she asked as she looked around the gym.

  “Not that I know of. I think people are just catching on to this place. It’s a big deal.”

  “Oh.”

  “Why don’t we go in here to do our warmup?” I offered and opened the door to one of the private rooms off the main floor.

  She walked in and looked around. “What is this place?”

  “It’s for trainers to meet privately with their clients.”

  “I’ve never seen the room used.”

  “Most of the time, it’s easier to be out there,” I answered.

  I looked around the small empty room and realized it was very small. Too small. I could smell her perfume. I could hear her breathing. It was all too much for my self-control. I took a deep breath and pushed aside the thoughts of sex.

  “Let’s do some stretches and we’ll get back out there.”

  Together, we went through our normal warmup routine. Watching her stretch her body was not helping me forget all about the fantasies that had kept me company for days. The room was too small. I couldn’t do it. I had to get some distance between us.

  “I think we’re good,” I said and opened the door. I practically ran into the gym in my attempt to get away.

  We walked toward the treadmills only to find they were all being used. “This is crazy,” she murmured. “There are so many people. I think we need to change the time of our sessions.”

  I looked around and noticed almost every machine was in use. I had never seen it so busy. I was going to talk to Fran. She must have run a special or something to get this many people through the door. “We’ll look into that. For today, let’s get out of here. Let’s go for a real run.”

  “A run?” she asked with her nose wrinkled. “Like jogging?”

  “Yes. It will be good to get some fresh air. I love running outside. Running on a treadmill or on a track can get very tedious. Outside is where it’s at.”

  “I’m not exactly a runner. I don’t like it and I’m not good at it.”

  “Alora, you’ve been running since you were a toddler. There’s nothing to it. It’ll feel good to get some fresh air. It’s either that or we stay in here and breathe in all this sweat and testosterone.”

  She curled her lip as she looked around. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

  We walked out of the gym and into the sunny day. The temperature was probably around sixty and perfect for a run. “We can run to the park,” I told her. “There is a nice running path, and you get to look at the water.”

  We started off at a slow clip. She was in better shape than she thought. I knew she could handle a run. She’d been pushing herself pretty damn hard the last few weeks.

  “Do you run a lot?” she asked.

  “Not a lot, but when I have time, I sometimes run to work.”

  “You do? Why?”

  “Because it’s a good way to warmup for the day. Plus, it gives me a chance to think. I like running.”

  “Of course you do,” she mumbled.

  I could hear her breathing heavier. That was a good thing. That was what we needed. I didn’t try to talk to her. I let her focus on her breathing and putting one foot in front of the other. We made it to the park that was a mile away.

  “Let’s walk for a bit,” I said.

  She nodded, unable to talk. I kept our pace fast, letting her heartrate slow down and giving her a chance to catch her breath.

  “Ready to go again?” I asked.

  She made a loud groaning noise that made me laugh. “You’re evil!”

  “Come on,” I said and started jogging in place. “Pretty soon, this is going to be like a literal walk in the park for you. It’s time we started working on your stamina and endurance. The longer you can run, the more calories you will burn.”

  “I hate you,” she called out as we started running again.

  I laughed and kept going. I was pushing her hard. I wanted to prove to her she could do it. Alora was her own worst enemy.

  We went off the beaten path a bit onto some uneven ground. In a flash, Alora went down. She fell to the ground, catching herself with her hands before rolling onto her back. It was right at that moment some college-aged guys happened to be walking by.

  “Get a net,” one of them called. “We’ve got ourselves a beached whale.”

  My fury exploded. Alora’s face turned bright red. She rolled to her side while the others made more horrible comments.

  “Hey, you little fuckers think it’s funny to laugh at an injured woman?” I shouted as I stepped around Alora and walked toward them. “Look at your skinny pale asses. Have you ever run a day in your life?”

  “Fuck you, man,” one of them said.

  I looked him up and down, taking in the skinny jeans and hoodie with the giant disc earring lodged in the lobe of his ear. “Fuck me? Really? Come on. Let’s go for a run around the park just once. If you can do that, I will let you make fun of me and her all you want. Hell, I’ll help you do it.”

  “You’re a loser,” another one said.

  I put out my arms. “Maybe so, but I’m not the one insulting a stranger when she’s down. Does it make you feel better about yourself? Will you go get a latte and talk about how awesome you are because you laughed at someone doing something you wouldn’t dare to try?”

  “Relax, man. It was funny.”

  “It isn’t fucking funny, you assholes. Where are your fucking manners? You see someone fall, you offer to help them up. Get the fuck out of here.”

  I turned my back on them and went back to Alora, who had already gotten to her feet. She was dusting herself off. “Are you okay?” I asked her.

  She nodded, looking at her palms. “This is why I don’t run.”

  “We should have stayed on the path. That was my fault.”

  “No, it’s my fault for being so damn uncoordinated. It’s my fault for letting myself get like this. I should be able to jog. It isn’t rocket science.”

  “Do you know how many times I have fallen?” I asked before bending my arm and pointing to a scar on my forearm. “This one earned me eight stitches. I wiped out on a sidewalk and fell on some glass.” I stuck my leg out and pointed to my knee. “This one, I hit a rock, and although it didn’t need stitches, it had me laid up for a week. Falling is part of running. I guarantee you the best runners in the world have fallen more times than they can count.”

  “Those guys were dicks.”

  “Yes, they were. Fuck them. Ignore them. They’ll never run a day in their life. They don’t matter. I should beat their asses for being such punks.”

  “Hey, that solves nothing,” she said. “Let’s just go. Can we walk back to the gym?”

  “Yes. You did good today, Alora. Really, you did. That was over a mile of running at a pretty good clip. That is no easy feat.”

  “Thanks,” she muttered.

  I was furious with the punks for ruining what was shaping up to be a really nice workout. She had been doing great. Now, they’d ruined it.

  We would go back to the gym and she would leave. They interrupted my time with her. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I should have done something more. Those punks were little pissants that would harass other women. They needed to be taught a lesson and I was the one who could have done it.

  “Motherfuckers,” I hissed under my breath.

  “It’s fi
ne, Jeff. Guys are like that all the time. When you look like me, you get used to the jokes. Just forget about it.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t forget about it. They disrespected you.”

  “I don’t need you to defend my honor.”

  “I want to defend your honor,” I snapped. “You are a beautiful, gracious, fun woman. Never let anyone make you feel less than that.”

  “Thanks, but really, I’m fine. My pride was wounded, but at this point in the game, it’s used to taking some blows.”

  We crossed the street with me behind her. Looking at her ass in those tight workout pants was too much. I saw my chance to spend time with her slipping away. It was now or never.

  I grabbed her hand and pulled her into an alley. I grabbed her face, gently pushed her against the brick wall of a building, and kissed her.

  I wasn’t sure I would ever get the chance to do it. Days spent fantasizing about the first kiss got the best of me. I would worry about regrets later.

  Right now, all I could think about was her.

  Chapter 18

  Alora

  He was kissing me. Holy shit. His mouth. His lips. On. My. Lips. I did not want it to stop. It was too good to be real. I must have hit my head when I fell. I was hallucinating. Daydreaming. Maybe I was dead and on my way to heaven.

  My head rubbed against the brick, telling me I was very much alive and on earth. His mouth pummeled mine. I didn’t know what else to do but go with it. The kiss was hot, and I did not want it to end. I was afraid to move and break the spell he was under—that I was under. We were both under something wild and I wanted to stay right where we were.

  He suddenly stopped and pulled his face away from mine. He looked just as dazed as I felt. “Shit. Sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  He ran his hands over his head. I was still leaning against the wall. I didn’t want to move away. I wasn’t sure I could move away. My legs were shaking. I was kind of hoping that if I stayed exactly where I was, he would give me another kiss. I wouldn’t turn down another one of those kisses.

  “It’s fine,” I said. That was probably not the right thing to say either. “I mean, I didn’t mind. It was okay.”

  The words coming out of my mouth were not what I wanted to say. I wanted to tell him the kiss had been amazing and I would love more of the same. I just didn’t have the guts to say that.

  “I shouldn’t have done that. Those guys got to me. I was riding an adrenaline high. I’m really sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  The regret I heard in his voice was brutal. As if my pride had not taken enough abuse already, hearing him say it was just an adrenaline rush that made him kiss me hurt a little. I licked my lips and pulled away from the wall. “It’s fine. I should get back to the gym.”

  “Alora, I really am sorry for everything. For the fall and those guys and then—”

  “Got it. We’re good.”

  I walked out of the alley and headed for the gym. I used my arms to propel me faster. I wanted to get away from him and the scene of the crime. I was mortified.

  I actually thought he was kissing me because he was attracted to me. He would have kissed anyone in that moment. I knew what that adrenaline rush was like. It made people do crazy things, like kiss strangers after a near-death experience. It happened all the time. There was nothing special about me or the kiss. He was looking for an outlet and my lips happened to be close by.

  When we got back to the gym, I went straight to the locker room and grabbed my bag. I would shower at home. I left without saying goodbye or grabbing a smoothie. I wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

  Thankfully, when I got home, my mom was out. She was supposed to be out late tonight. She and my father had some benefit thing they were attending, which meant no cook. I was on my own and it was glorious.

  I took a quick shower before going downstairs to make myself my own smoothie. I grabbed some of the fresh strawberries and blueberries I picked up at the farmers’ market. I added some orange juice and was even a good girl and added a scoop of the protein powder. I took my smoothie and went into the sunroom and stretched out on a lounge chair.

  I took my first sip and was pleasantly surprised. It tasted great, protein powder and all. I picked up my phone and called Sue.

  “How did it go?” I asked her.

  “Good. Really good.”

  “What are you doing right now?”

  “I just got home. Did you go to the gym?”

  “I did. My parents are gone, and I was thinking about trying out one of those recipes Bunny gave me. Do you want to come over for dinner?”

  “You’re going to cook?” she said.

  “Yes.”

  “Uh, I’m not sure I’m that hungry.”

  “Shut up and get your ass over here.”

  She was laughing when I hung up. I finished my smoothie before going back into the kitchen. It was a very daunting thought to cook an actual meal for myself. I debated calling Bunny and asking for her help. I didn’t do it. This was going to be all me. I wanted to prove to myself I could do something for myself.

  I found some chicken breasts in the fridge. The cook was probably saving them for something else. Too bad. He could buy more. I grabbed my phone and did a quick search for recipes. Once I found one that used the ingredients Bunny recommended, it was time to get down to business.

  I heard the doorbell, announcing Sue’s arrival. “Are you seriously going to cook?” she asked with skepticism.

  I nodded. “I’m going to try. I’ve got the ingredients. Now I just need to find pans.”

  She burst into laughter. “I have got to record this. Alora Springfield in the kitchen attempting to cook is worthy of a video.”

  “Stop it. I’ve made things before.”

  “Frozen pizza, frozen meals, and maybe scrambled eggs.”

  She was right. “This is me turning over a new leaf. I can do this.”

  She sat down on a barstool and cupped her chin in her hand. “All right, let’s see this.”

  I opened a few cupboards and pulled open drawers in a hunt for the right tools. “I need a baking dish,” I said as I read the recipe. “What’s a baking dish?”

  Sue groaned and slid off the stool. She opened a few more cupboards and pulled out a rectangle pan. “This. This is a baking dish. Are you sure you should be using an oven? This could get dangerous.”

  “That’s why you are here,” I told her with a big grin. “How do I turn it on?”

  She rolled her eyes. “What temperature?”

  I looked at my phone again. “Three fifty.”

  “Did you call me over here so I could do the cooking for you?”

  “No. I’m going to do the cooking, but I needed someone on standby to call the fire department.”

  She laughed as she retook her seat. “Did you really go grocery shopping?”

  “This is what I got from the farmers’ market.”

  “Good girl.”

  I grabbed some of the fresh cilantro and started to chop it like it showed on the screen. “Tell me about the job? Did you get it?”

  Her face lit up. “I did!”

  “No!” I shouted. “You did!”

  “I did. I’m officially a teacher. I’m no longer a substitute.”

  “Sue, congratulations! I’m so happy for you. That is awesome. When do you start?”

  “I’m still going to sub for the rest of this school year, but next school year, I will be permanent.”

  I put down my knife and clapped for her. “That is so awesome. You finally get to have a classroom!”

  “I know. I can’t believe it. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this chance, even though it’s only been a couple of years.”

  “We should have gone out to celebrate,” I said.

  “No because then we would eat and drink and blow our diets. This is a much better option. I fit into my new jeans today.”

  “You tried them on?” I shri
eked. “We said we were going to wait another two weeks.”

  “I couldn’t resist. I was feeling skinny and just had to know if it was all in my head or the real thing.”

  “Did they fit like you could breathe and move, or you were able to get them on and that was it?”

  She got off the stool and took a few steps back. She lifted her blouse and did a slow turn. “I sat. I ate. I breathed. They fit.”

  “Oh my god, Sue! Good for you.”

  “You have to try on your jeans.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t. If they don’t fit, it will crush me. I’m not ready.”

  “You’ve been doing way better than I have. You go to the gym every day and you’ve done so good on the diet. I know you’ll fit in them. Hell, you might even need the next size down.”

  “I appreciate the confidence, but I think I’ll wait a little longer.”

  “How was the gym today?”

  “Good,” I said and looked down at the cutting board. I was too embarrassed to tell her about the kiss. I wasn’t too embarrassed to tell her about my fall. That was classic Alora. “I fell on my ass. Well, technically my hands, but it’s all the same.”

  “On the treadmill?”

  “No. The gym was totally packed. No one else showed up. It was just me and Jeff. He wanted to go for an actual run outside. I did okay at first and then I wiped out right in front of a group of college guys. It was humiliating.”

  “Ouch. I can’t believe you went running. That’s so Bunny-like.”

  “Trust me, I doubt it was pretty. I don’t think I looked anything like Bunny.”

  “Just you and the hot trainer, huh?” she teased.

  I sprinkled the herbs over the chicken in the pan. I wanted to tell her about the kiss but I also wanted to keep it just for me. I blew out a breath. “He kissed me,” I said in a quiet voice without looking at her.

  “Who kissed you?”

  I looked at her. “The hot trainer.”

  Her mouth fell open. “I know you did not just tell me the trainer kissed you and it has taken you this long to tell me.”

  “I didn’t know how to tell you and it wasn’t anything. He made sure I knew it wasn’t because he was attracted to me or that he wanted me. It was basically an accident.”