Forever Friend Zoned

by C. Morgan

  She was drunk. I could tell by the babbling. “Are you going to be okay there?”

  “I’m great. I got Mike’s number.”

  “Did he leave?”

  “Yes, he had to work early, but that’s okay. I met Alan and he is just as sexy.”

  I laughed, shaking my head. “You are going wild. Who knew a new dress would change you into this wild woman?”

  “I didn’t but I’m glad I got to find out.”

  “Have fun but be careful. Do not go home with anyone.”

  “Like you?” she teased.

  “Very funny. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  I put my phone back into my purse and walked back to his bedroom. I wasn’t sure if the moment was over. I hoped not. I wanted to pick his brain a little. When I walked back into the room, he was still lying on the bed in all his naked glory.

  I stood in the doorway and admired the view. A sexy smile spread over his face. “Looking at something?”

  “I am.”

  “Do you like what you see?”

  “You know I do.”

  “You’re way over there.” He patted the bed. “It would be way better if you were right here. Although stay there for just a second.” He sat up, sliding to the edge of the bed. “Damn woman, you are fine.”

  I blushed a little, but instead of trying to hide my body, I stood right where I was and let him look. “You are crazy,” I told him when he wiped his mouth.

  “Crazy about that body,” he said and got off the bed. He walked toward me with a slow swagger. He reached out and gently grabbed my hips and pulled me close. He gave me a slow, languid kiss before taking my hand and leading me back to the bed.

  I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy with someone. I hated to compare, but he was way more of a man than Todd would ever be. He had it all.

  And the sex? My mind was still spinning. I never knew it was possible to have multiple orgasms. I certainly heard about them, but I always thought it was one of those myths that women told one another.

  Chapter 29

  Jeff

  I was afraid to say a word. I didn’t want to break the magic spell we were under. This was one of my many fantasies and to have it come true was fucking with my head a little. I was straddling reality and fantasy. I didn’t know what to expect.

  “I let Sue know I was with you. I guess Bunny figured it out.”

  “I feel a little guilty for running out on her, but truthfully, there was no way in hell I was getting back in the car with her. That woman must have learned to drive from Dale Earnhardt or something.”

  She laughed, her breasts bouncing with the action. “I rode with her to the farmers’ market. It wasn’t horrible but I’ve had smoother rides on a rollercoaster.”

  “Good to know it wasn’t just for me.”

  “Sue told me ERock came by the bar looking for you.”

  “Oh shit, I forgot.”

  “How do you know ERock?”

  “He’s my life coach,” I answered. It was the truth. I didn’t need to tell her I knew him in school.

  “No kidding!” she exclaimed. “What a small world. He and I used to be best friends back in junior high.”

  This was another one of those crossroads in life. I could use this moment to tell her I knew that because I was also in school with the two of them, or I could nod and smile.

  I found myself nodding and smiling. “That’s cool. He’s supposed to be helping me, but I blame him for nearly screwing things up with you.”

  I was a coward. I couldn’t tell her who I was. I was afraid to ruin the magical moment we had going on. I would tell her later.

  “According to Sue, he is hot on Bunny’s heels.”

  I groaned. “Oh no.”

  “It doesn’t sound like Bunny is upset with the attention. I haven’t seen him in a long time, but he was a handsome guy. I am not surprised Bunny caught his eye. She tends to have that effect on people.”

  I laughed and nodded. “No kidding. I feel like we need to have little tissue stands around the gym to wipe up the drool.”

  “Thankfully, she’s nice. I would hate to have to hate her.”

  “She’s a good lady. Now that I have said my piece, there is something else I want to ask you about.”

  She winced and nodded. “I’m sure you do.”

  “What’s the deal with your fiancé? I can’t help but feel guilty for sleeping with someone else’s girl.”

  “I’m not with him. Not anymore.”

  “Since when?” I asked. There was a weird feeling in my gut. I didn’t know what was coming next. If she told me since tonight, I was not going to be okay with it. If she slept with me while engaged to Todd, I wasn’t sure I could ever trust her.

  “Since a few months ago.”

  I let out a long sigh of relief. “Then what was tonight about?”

  “Tonight was him trying to get me back. I don’t know why he wants me back. No, that’s not true. He wants me for my money. I was his walking credit card. I was his connection to my father’s business.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Yeah, no kidding. He was verbally abusive and cheated on me more times than I can count. He was a dick. He dumped me because I was too fat. Now he has come crawling back because he’s broke, I assume. He is still living in the apartment my parents paid for.”

  “He’s why you hide,” I said with newfound understanding.

  She looked down at her lap. “He is. He was embarrassed by me. He hated to be seen in public with me and told me so. He took great pleasure in insulting me.”

  “I’m really sorry he did that. He’s an asshole. You are truly stunning. Never be ashamed of your curves. Your curves are rocking.”

  “Thank you for saying that.”

  “I’m not just saying that. I mean it.”

  “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

  “Tonight, did he change his mind about your body? He sure as hell seemed to be enjoying your curves.”

  “I think he was putting on a bit of a show. He was trying to woo his way back in.”

  “Was it working? You certainly seemed to be enjoying his attention.”

  “Jeff, I promise you it wasn’t like that. I wanted him to think I was into it. I flirted and let him think I was really considering his offer to get back together. Trust me, I wasn’t. A month ago, I might have jumped at the chance to have him back, but not now. I’ve just now started to like myself again. I spent months in bed after he left me. It took my dad buying me a gym and practically forcing me to go to get me out of bed. I was angry and I was looking for a little revenge. That’s it.”

  I nodded, believing her story. “Then what was with the bumping and grinding on the dance floor?”

  She grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I had no reason to be upset.”

  “But you were.”

  I smiled. “I was a little jealous.”

  “Todd showing up and acting all possessive made me crazy. I wanted to yell at him and call him a loser, but that would never get to him. I wanted a little payback and thought doing to him what he did to me would be satisfying. It felt good to have the upper hand. My plan was to lead him on, tease him, and then dump him on his ass. I know it’s a total bitch thing to do, but I was so pissed and hurt after he dumped me. If I could give him just a little taste of his own medicine, it would make me feel a little better.”

  “And how did it end? You guys left for a while.” I hated sounding like a jealous boyfriend.

  She smiled, patting my bare leg. “You interrupted my plan.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine. It was cruel. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. I took him outside and let him know it was never going to happen. I got to drop him on his ass. It wasn’t quite as satisfying as I had hoped but it was enough.”

  “Okay, and what about the dude that had his eyes glued to your tits?”

  She burst into laughter and held up both hands
. “That was not my fault. I was acting as Sue’s wingman. I couldn’t shut the guy down and have him take his friend and leave.”

  “His eyes were constantly looking down your top.”

  “I was innocent. It was the dress.”

  “I like that dress, but damn, I hope you never wear it again. I don’t think I can handle it.”

  “You’re very sweet.”

  I squeezed her thigh. “Sweet is not what I’m feeling at the moment.”

  “I’m glad we got to talk,” she said.

  “Me too.” Again, it was like there was a neon sign flashing over her head demanding I take this opportunity to tell her my story.

  “I should probably call a ride,” she said.

  “No. Not yet. There is something else I want to say.”

  “What is it?”

  I bit my lower lip. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t do it. “I think it’s clear we are both attracted to each other.”

  “You could say that.”

  “What does this mean?”

  “What do you want it to mean?” she asked.

  “I would love to give this thing between us a try. I want to see where it could go. I think you’re special and I would really like to get to know you better.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know. I thought we were just going to be friends.”

  “Stop. I fucked up. Blame your buddy ERock.”

  “Why did he tell you we had to be friends only?”

  I said too much. “It was part of me putting myself out there. I was supposed to be working on building friendships without romance.”

  “Lame.”

  “You’re telling me. ERock can kiss my ass. I want to do this. I wanted it from the moment I saw you. I did my best to hide it.”

  “You failed. I saw it, but I really didn’t believe it. Sue told me you were checking me out. I didn’t believe her.”

  I grinned, trailing my finger over her naked thigh. “I was absolutely checking you out. Remember that time I was showing you how to use the kettle bell?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

  “I had a boner so hard I thought for sure you were going to feel it. I had to get away from you before the entire gym saw it.”

  She was laughing and blushing at the same time. “No, I did not feel it. I wish I would have.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t.”

  “You are everything I told myself I didn’t want. I have to tell you, I’m hesitant to do the casual thing.”

  “I’m not proposing casual,” I said.

  “I don’t want to do a friends with benefits thing. I can’t do it. I know that’s probably weird for someone my age, but I’m going to tell you something and I don’t want you to laugh.”

  “You can tell me anything,” I assured her.

  “Todd is the only guy I’ve been with. I was with him for ten years. I thought I was going to marry him. I don’t just get naked and have sex with anyone. I can’t explain what happened with you and I don’t regret it, but it isn’t normal for me.”

  I felt like she’d just given me the greatest gift in the world. I put my hand over my heart. “Alora, I’m not a casual guy. I’ve only dated a handful of women. I’m a one-woman man. I would never cheat on you. Never. That is just not in my DNA.”

  “But if you get tired of this thing, you have to tell me. Please don’t let me find out through someone else. Don’t cheat on me.”

  She sounded so fragile in that moment. I took her hand in mine and looked her right in the eyes. “I will not cheat. I don’t cheat. Period. You have to believe me.”

  “I do and I don’t mean to put my baggage on you. I know this is my issue and I’ll do my best not to constantly hound you about it. I’m going to be insecure. I’m working through that.”

  “I won’t give you any reason to doubt me. I will do my best to make you feel secure. You have to be able to trust that the female clients I work with are just clients. There will never be anything between me and a client. What happened with us was a first for me. I’ve always been good about keeping things separate.”

  “I will avoid being in the gym when you are working with other women. I’ll probably grow claws and pounce if I see someone messing with my man.”

  I kissed the tip of her nose. “Am I your man?”

  “You just said you were.”

  “Then you are my woman, and if that fucking Todd comes around again, I am absolutely going to let him know that.”

  “Oh, you are one of those caveman types.”

  I got off the bed and pounded my fists against my chest. “Damn straight.”

  She was laughing as she stood. Her arms came around me before she kissed me. I was probably the happiest I had ever been in my life. It was incredible to be with her. It was better than any of the fantasies I had. I was going to do everything I could to keep her. She was too good to let go. Todd’s loss was my gain.

  Chapter 30

  Alora

  I was seriously transforming. It wasn’t just my body but me. I was confident and dedicated to making a real change. I was going to eat better and keep working out. Sue wasn’t able to make the gym date today, which was fine. It was an off day. I figured I would get in a little extra time on my own.

  And it meant I got to sneak some time in with Jeff. We’d been dating for a few weeks and things were awesome. I couldn’t stop staring at him. I couldn’t believe out of all the women that came through this gym, he chose me. I wasn’t the prettiest and I sure as hell wasn’t the skinniest, but he chose me. I wanted to get in better shape for him. I wanted him to be proud of me. I knew he liked my body but there was nothing wrong with making some improvements.

  I stepped up to the mat and stood in front of the mirrors. This was one of my least favorite exercises, but Jeff insisted I would love the results. I bent forward and picked up the bar with little five-pound weights on each end. I wasn’t trying to get buff but I wanted to tone up the flabby ass. He didn’t think my ass was flabby, but I did.

  I lifted the bar and placed it on the back of my shoulders like Jeff showed me. I did the first squat and looked up in the mirror. Jeff was watching, even though he was working with another client. He gave me a thumbs-up, letting me know I was doing it right.

  I smiled and did another one. While I did my squats, I casually watched Jeff with his client. The guy he was working with played for the Arizona Cardinals. He was a big dude. A really big dude. I was guessing he was at least six-five and built like a mountain. When Jeff told me the guy had sought him out, I couldn’t believe it. I was so damn proud of him.

  I watched another guy walk by and clap Jeff on the shoulder. They shook hands and exchanged a few words. When the guy turned, I recognized him. He played for the Diamondbacks. Jeff caught me looking again. I gave him a thumbs-up.

  I couldn’t believe how famous he was becoming. Pretty soon, he was going to have his own DVDs and books. I was so proud of him and felt beyond lucky to be the girl he called before he closed his eyes every night. I was the first call he made in the morning too.

  Tonight, we were going out on a real date. It had been tough to find a time when he was completely off. His schedule was all over the board in order to accommodate his clients’ needs. Tonight, we were having a nice dinner and then going back to his place. I spent some time doing a little shopping for the night. I picked out some red lingerie. He had a thing for red after the night in the dress. It was skimpy and sexy and I was both terrified and excited to wear it for him.

  I got back to work, focusing on my form. When I was finished, I moved on to the next exercise in my workout. I felt a little guilty that I was dating the trainer and getting the benefit of his expertise. We spent a lot of time hanging out together at the gym. I got away with it because I was the owner’s daughter. Just one of the perks I was happy to take advantage of.

  After my workout, I headed for the locker room and quickly showered. Jeff was supposed to be done early today,
assuming no one walked in and wanted a session. When I walked out of the locker room, Jeff was leaning against the wall waiting for me. My spirits sank. I could tell by the look on his face something was wrong.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I know we have plans tonight, but I can’t make it.”

  “Why?”

  “The last client, the football player, he wants me to meet the team management.”

  “That’s exciting, but why tonight?”

  “It’s tomorrow morning in Phoenix. We’re going to drive over tonight and stay in a hotel so we can be at the meeting first thing in the morning. I’m so sorry. I really wanted to go out tonight.”

  “We? You and your client?”

  He looked at his feet. “Fran.”

  I growled, feeling feral. “Are you fucking serious?”

  “You can trust me,” he said.

  “I trust you. I don’t trust her.”

  “I know. I won’t go if it makes you uncomfortable. I told you I would never do anything that would make you question me.”

  I would have loved to tell him to cancel the trip but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t hold him back. It was my baggage. I told him I wouldn’t put it on him and I was committed to doing that. “No, don’t you dare hold back for me. Go. Wow them.”

  “You’re amazing,” he said and pulled me into the hallway that led to the locker rooms. He gave me a quick kiss “You’re seriously the best girlfriend a guy could have. As soon as I get back, I promise I will take you out on a real date. Hopefully, we will have something to celebrate.”

  I squeezed his hand and gave him a quick kiss. “Call me tonight.”

  “You know I will. Don’t worry. I’m yours and only yours. I have eyes only for you.”

  “I trust you,” I told him. “Go.”

  We had not taken our relationship public and did what we could to keep the PDA to a minimum when we were at the gym. I left the gym feeling bummed. I was so looking forward to a night with him. I was being selfish. I wanted all his time but I had to share him.

  Knowing I had the night to myself, I stopped by my new favorite market. It had a ton of fresh produce and organic food. I wanted to practice my cooking skills. Jeff had been teaching me new recipes. It was fun cooking with him and had become our thing to do.