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  “Ever do front squats?”

  “No, I haven't.”

  “Okay. They're a little bit different. They still target your legs and ass, but do so a little differently. Let me show you.”

  I pick up the bar and rest it on my shoulders in front of me. Slowly, I descend down, just like as if I was doing a regular squat. I can feel Chelsea's eyes all over my body. She's clearly not here for personal training. She's here because she wants to get a piece of me. I come back up slowly, then re-rack the bar.

  “See? The movement is the same as a regular squat. You just want the bar in front of you. Got it?”

  “I think so, yes.”

  “Good. Now you try. I'll be right behind you to spot you if you need me to.”

  “Don't be afraid to get up close and personal with me, Chad. It'll make me feel safer.”

  Chelsea picks up the bar and rests it on her front shoulders, just as I showed her. I get behind her to give her a spot, but make as little physical contact as possible. This is usually where I get a little touchy-feely with my sexy clients. I just don't have it in me today. My mind is elsewhere. She squats down, pushing her ass back so it's right against my crotch. It's necessary to stick your butt out and keep your back straight when doing squats, but Chelsea goes further than she needs to. She knows exactly what she's doing, but it's not working. Not today.

  I end up showing her a few more exercises to add to her workout routine. All throughout our session, she keeps flirting with me relentlessly. I'm as cold as ice, but it doesn't deter her at all. I can see Jake on the other side of the gym training his client. He keeps looking over at me and Chelsea, giving me different thumbs up variations. The regular thumbs up. The double thumbs up. Jake even shoots me a behind-the-back thumbs up. To anyone who's watching us – and I've caught quite a few people doing it – it probably looks like we're having a lot of fun. This broad's taking every opportunity she gets to touch and flirt with me. Most guys would kill for this experience. I can't wait until the session is over. Fortunately, it almost is.

  “Well, Chelsea, I think that just about does it for our session today. I hope you learned a little bit from me. Incorporate what I've taught you into your workouts and your ass and legs will grow a little more over time.”

  Chelsea steps toward me, runs her hands down my arms and says, “You're so wonderful, Chad. Is there anything I can do to thank you?”

  “There sure is,” I reply.

  “Oh yeah? What?” she asks in a seductive tone, tilting her head to the side.

  “You can say 'thank you, Chad.'”

  “A million thank you's,” she says, putting her arms around me. “But I want to thank you in a more personal way - a more physical way.”

  Chelsea leans in and starts kissing my neck. I go to step back but can't: there's an exercise machine right behind me. Instinctively, I put my arms around her but immediately realize it's sending the wrong message.

  “Chelsea, I can't be doing this.”

  “Then don't do anything. Just let me kiss you.”

  It feels strange resisting the advances of such an attractive girl. I don't think there's a single guy - a single person - in the entire gym that would deny that Chelsea's gorgeous. But I just don't feel a spark between us. Her personality is as boring as her body is flawless. She the exact type of girl that I used to be into. Not anymore, though. Not since I met someone with an amazing personality and a great body.

  Chelsea continues kissing my neck and her lips start traveling to my face. I turn my head to the side, doing my best to avoid her lips reaching mine. When I do, I notice someone else watching us, standing just a few feet away. It's Emma.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Emma

  I can't believe my fucking eyes. Actually, that's not true. I'm not surprised at all. Why should I be surprised to find Chad acting like he always has?

  As I was walking over to tell him I'd accept a second date, I see him making out with one of his clients. I assume she's one of his clients, anyway. Either that or she's one of the many other skanks he's probably got in his life. Either way, I'm disgusted. To think, I was starting to let myself really start to like Chad. What was I thinking?

  “Emma, wait!” he yells, but I'm already walking away.

  Chad comes up from behind me and grabs my arm, spinning me around. I'm sure he's got some kind of bullshit explanation, but I don't wanna hear it. Chad's a smooth talker and I know he's gonna try to sweet talk me.

  “Emma, listen: It's not what it looks like.”

  “Oh no? Cause it looked like you guys were about to start sucking each others' faces. And I was coming over there to tell you that I'd go out with you again.”

  “Great! Then lets go out again tonight.”

  “I'm not going out with you again tonight, Chad. Not tonight, not ever. You know, I'm actually glad that I got to see you with your hands all over another woman. You had me under your spell and I was starting to forget what an asshole you were. This made me see you for what you are.”

  “But, Emma, you don't understand...”

  “Goodbye, Chad.”

  “Em...”

  “Goodbye.”

  I spin back around and storm off to my office. Slamming the door behind me, I shut the blinds and have a seat at my desk. I'm so upset that I almost wanna cry. How could I let myself be so stupid? Assholes like Chad Taylor don't all of a sudden turn into decent guys. He was just gaming me the whole time and I see that now. I still don't understand why he wanted a second date, though. Chad got what he wanted from me. We both did. We had our fun and now it's over. It's my fault for even thinking that maybe there was the possibility of a future between the two of us.

  I don't see Chad for the rest of the afternoon. While I haven’t gone out of my way to avoid him, I’ve certainly tried not to run into him. Fortunately, I manage to succeed. My work day comes to an end and I slip out of Fit World without seeing him. I go home and unload on Claire. That is what best friends are for, after all.

  “Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry to hear all that.”

  “I can't believe I was starting to let myself have feelings for him. I know it was only one date, but we had such a wonderful time. He didn't seem like the asshole Chad I've known him to be. Seeing him with that woman in the gym made me remember who he really is, though.”

  “What did Chad offer as an explanation? You said that he told you it wasn't what it looked like.”

  “I didn't give him the chance to explain himself. I didn't want to hear it.”

  “I'm not taking his side or anything, but maybe you should've let him talk.”

  “Why? So he could lie to me and feed me some bullshit line? Chad's a smooth talker, Claire. It's what he does. He'd find a way to convince me it was totally innocent. I didn't want to give him the chance.”

  “Well, at least you got to have one really great night with him. I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you wanted them to, sweetie.”

  “I honestly don't know how I wanted things to turn out. All I know is that we had a great time and I wanted to see where it led us. Now I realize that it wasn't gonna lead us anywhere.”

  “Do you think that maybe you'll reconsider? Maybe give Chad another chance?”

  “I don't think so. We're done. I was kidding myself, thinking that there could ever be anything serious between us. It's just that I had such a wonderful time on our date. He made me feel so good. So motivated. In fact, I think I'm gonna take his advice.”

  “And what advice is that?”

  “I think I'm gonna start writing my book. You know, the one I've been blabbing about ever since college.”

  “Good for you, Emma! Oh, speaking of college – I almost forgot. Remember Pete from our political science class?”

  “Gay Pete?”

  Claire laughs and replies, “Yeah. Gay Pete. He's coming to visit later in the week.”

  “Oh, Awesome! I miss Pete. He's a lot of fun.
I can't wait to see him. Well, I'm gonna take my anger at Chad and go channel it into something positive. I'm gonna go start writing my book.”

  “You go, girl!”

  I retreat into my room and get cozy in bed with my laptop computer. I've done quite a bit of writing but I've never written a book. I don't even know where to begin. They say the best place to start is the beginning, so I start writing out my story. I'm incredibly motivated and the words just start flowing. I write and write for half the night until I fall asleep with my laptop appropriately still in my lap.

  The next morning, I wake up and talk with Claire for a bit before heading into work. My morning flies by, as always. The afternoon rolls around and Chad's nowhere to be seen. I'll admit, I've been keeping my eyes out for him. Not because I want to see him, but because I want to avoid running into him. It doesn't seem to be a problem, though, cause I don't think he's here today.

  The rest of my work day goes by smoothly. After finishing up my notes on the computer, I grab my stuff and start walking toward the exit. On my way out, Chad's trainer friend, Jake, runs up to me.

  “It's Emma, right?” he asks and starts walking next to me.

  “Yup. It's Jake, right?”

  “That's right. Hey, let me holla at you for a second.”

  “Holla at me?”

  “Yeah. Listen. I know you think you saw Chad fucking around with one of his clients yesterday, but it's not even like that.”

  “Oh, no? What is it even like then?”

  “Chad couldn't stand that girl. She was a fan – a really aggressive fan that was trying to get him to like her.”

  “From where I was standing, it looked like it was working.”

  “Well, it wasn't. Look, I shouldn't even be talking to you. But Chad really seems to like you, for whatever reason. He's my boy and I want him to be happy. And you seem to make him happy, which is why I'm talking to you.”

  “Where is he today, anyway?”

  “He's in New York. Chad got asked to do a public appearance at a grand opening for some new high-class supplement shop. He'll be back on Friday.”

  “So you're telling me that he had no interest in that woman whatsoever? That she was coming on to him?”

  “That's exactly what I'm telling you.”

  “You see, I'd actually believe you if it wasn't for the fact that he had his arms around her. Otherwise, it kinda looked like what you're describing.”

  “Emma, I'm telling you. Chad doesn't give a fuck about that broad. He's into you. Like, really into you. I've never seen him like this before. Give the guy a break.”

  I don't know what to believe. It kinda did look like she was being the aggressor. But Chad did have his arms around her. I've got to think about this some more.

  “We'll see. He's back Friday?”

  “Yup.”

  “Well, thank you for telling me, Jake. You've given me a lot to think about.”

  “Just don't tell Chad that I talked to you.”

  “I won't. Thanks again.”

  “No worries. Later, Emma.”

  I think about what Jake told me the whole ride home from work. Maybe I was too quick to judge the situation. I should've given Chad a chance to explain himself. Even if he was fooling around with that woman, it's not like he's my boyfriend or anything. It still bothers me, though. A lot. More than I wish it would.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Claire yells from the bathroom as I enter our apartment. “How was work?”

  “It was good. Good day. So, listen to this...”

  She pokes her head out of the bathroom and asks, “What?”

  “So, Chad's friend, Jake, comes up to me as I'm on my way out and tells me that Chad wasn't making out with his ridiculously hot client. Jake said that she was relentlessly coming onto him and that he was resisting her every step of the way.”

  “Oh, Emma, that's good news. Right? I mean, isn't it?”

  “If it's true, then yeah. It is.”

  “So what are you gonna do? Are you gonna give Chad another chance?”

  “I haven't decided yet. Jake also told me that Chad really likes me and that he's never seen him like this before.”

  “I think you should give him another chance, sweetie. That's just my opinion. You guys had an amazing time Friday night. I could see it in your face. You were practically glowing all weekend. I've never seen you like that. There's clearly a spark between the two of you and I think you'll regret it if you don't give it a chance to see if it turns into a fire.”

  “I'm gonna think about it for a few days. Chad's out of town until Friday, so I don't have to decide until then.”

  “Good. Sleep on it. Think about it for a few days.”

  “What are you doing tonight?”

  “I'm getting ready to go out with a guy I met the other day. We're going to see a play. He's a very sophisticated older man.”

  “Ooh la la! You're always meeting different guys all the time. Even in college, you made it look so easy. What's your secret?”

  “You know my secret. Talk! That's all there is to it. Unlike you, I talk to everyone I meet, Ms. Introvert.”

  “Love me or hate me, I am who I am.”

  “Well, I love you, Em. And I think that before long, if you give him another chance, Chad will be falling in love with you, too. You're a hard woman to get to know. But once you open up, it's easy to love you. I gotta finish getting ready to go. What are you up to tonight?”

  “I think I'm gonna take my introverted butt into my room and work on my book for a few hours.”

  “Good for you, sweetie. I'm proud of you for finally getting started on it. You've been talking about it for years. Have fun!”

  “You, too. Do you want me to call you at a certain time so you have a reason to escape if you're not having a good time?”

  “That won't be necessary. I know I'm gonna have a great time. Besides, I have no problem telling a guy he sucks and walking out in the middle of a date. But thanks!”

  I head into my room and close the door. After changing into something more comfortable, I cozy up in bed with my laptop. Even if I never go out with Chad again, I still have him to thank for motivating me to start writing this book. Before I get started writing, I can't help myself. I look up Chad on Facebook to see how he's doing in New York. There are several recent pictures of him posing with his fans. They really love and look up to him. I love how inspiring he can be.

  For the next several hours, I work on my book. The whole time, Chad's in the back of my mind. Every once in a while, thoughts of him float into the front. I think about us together on a second date and then a third and a forth. Maybe I'm kidding myself thinking that we could ever have anything serious. Just the thought, though, makes me warm inside. I feel like a schoolgirl with a crush, but it's a good feeling.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Chad

  What a fun week. Well, Monday wasn't so much fun, having Emma catch me with some slut trying to shove her tongue down my throat. But the last few days have been amazing. I love meeting my fans. I must've signed a thousand tee shirts, pictures, and protein powder bottles over the past three days. My life is so fucking awesome. I get paid to work out, travel all over the place, promote supplements, and meet my fans. Life is good. There's only one thing that's missing.

  It's Friday afternoon and I'm walking into Fit World. I'm on a mission – a mission I've been thinking about since Monday. As much fun as I've had over the past few days, I haven't been able to get Emma out of my mind. I need to go explain to her that I wasn't making out with that girl. I was trying to get the fuck away from her.

  “Hey, Chad,” the girl at the front desk says. “How was New York?”

  “Fine,” I say and keep walking.

  “I'd love to hear all about it when you get the...”

  She keeps talking to me, ignoring my obvious body language. When someone walk right past you without making eye contact and a determined look
on their face, you don't keep talking. You shut the fuck up and let them go about their business.

  I'm walking straight to Emma's office. I don't fuck around. When there's something I need to do, I fucking do it, right then and there. This is the first chance I've had to tell Emma the truth. I don't do shit like this over the phone or through text messages. It has to be face-to-face. I don't care if she's with a client. I don't care if she's on the phone with her hundred-year-old grandmother. I'm gonna march in there and tell her the truth about what she saw the other day.