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  Motherfucker. I do care if she's in her office with another guy, kissing and hugging her like crazy. I turn the corner and can see through the window into Emma's office. She's in there with some dude, laughing and smiling. He's got his hands all over her. I feel like I'm gonna puke. Oh, what the fuck! He just grabbed her ass. Fuck this. I'm done.

  I turn and storm off toward my office. I'm so fucking pissed, I wanna punch someone in the face. I really wanna go back there and punch that motherfucker who's all over the girl that I want. But I'm not gonna do that. I have way too much to lose. There are plenty of things I get away with here at Fit World, but fucking up some guy in the dietitian's office wouldn't go over well.

  I feel so fucking stupid. How could I let myself start to have feelings for a woman like that? I've had more pussy thrown at me in the past week than most guys get in their entire lives and I've turned it all down. All of it. I haven't even gotten a blowjob. Not even a nice tug. Because all I could think about was Emma. Well, that's all about to change, now. I can't believe I let myself get hurt like this. How the fuck did I develop feelings for Emma so fast? We only went out on one date. We only had sex one time. Granted, it was the most fulfilling date I've been on in a long time and the sex was amazing. But still.

  As soon as I get out of work today, I'm going crazy. I'm gonna make the old me look like a celibate monk. I'm gonna fuck so many broads this weekend that by the time I'm done, my dick's gonna feel like it's gonna fall off. I'm so fucking angry at myself. This is exactly why I don't let myself catch feelings for any of these girls. I hate dealing with this bullshit. But I really thought that Emma was different. I didn't think she was like all these other skanks that just like me for my body and my fame. I thought I felt a real connection. Man, do I feel stupid.

  I do my best to focus on my clients and not on Emma. There are little pockets of time here and there where I forget about her. But for the most part, I can't get Emma out of my mind. That's exactly what I need to do, though, and I know just how to do it. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until after work to start slaying pussy. All my clients this afternoon are men. Well, all men except a woman who looks like she could be a man.

  “Hey, bro!” Jake says, coming out of nowhere. “How was New York?”

  “It was cool. How've things been around here?”

  “Same as always. Have you talked to Emma at all? I bet it's been long enough that, if you go explain that you weren't really kissing that girl, she might listen to you.”

  “Nope. I haven't talked to her and I'm not going to. What I am gonna do with Emma is forget about her.”

  “What? Why? Did you meet somebody in New York or something?”

  I really don't want to get into it all with Jake. But, it's possible he might know something about the guy who was spinning her around and grabbing her ass. I'll see if he knows anything.

  “No. When I came in today, I was gonna explain myself but I caught her in her office with some dude hugging, kissing, and groping her like crazy. Fuck that. I'm done.”

  “What? Really? Are we talking about the same girl? The shy, quiet dietitian?”

  “Yes, we're talking about the same woman. A woman I was thinking about maybe... You know what? Fuck it. Never mind. It doesn't matter now. I wouldn't care if I never talked to Emma again.”

  “Well, I have a feeling she wants to talk to you.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Cause she's walking right toward us and I don't think she wants to talk to me. I'll leave you two alone.”

  Jake walks off, leaving me standing in the middle of Fit World by myself. I turn to the direction that he was facing and see Emma coming toward me. Part of me wants to just walk off. Part of me wants to ignore her. But that's not my style. I'm comfortable with confrontation. In fact, I thrive during times of conflict.

  “Hey, Chad,” Emma says in her cute, soft-spoken voice. “Can we talk?”

  “What do we have to talk about?”

  “You owe me an explanation from the other day. I'm ready to hear what you have to say now.”

  “You owe me an explanation. I saw you in your office earlier.”

  “What? When? What are you talking about?”

  “Don't even act like you don't know exactly what I'm talking about. I saw you in there with some dude. He had his fucking hands all over you. How do you explain that shit?”

  Emma bursts out laughing. Part of me gets even angrier. Here I am asking for an explanation and instead, I get laughed at. On the other hand, it's cute as hell. I made Emma laugh a few times on our date and she has a laugh unlike any other I've ever heard. Even when I'm angry, there's still a part of me that finds her irresistible.

  “I'm glad you think this is fucking funny,” I say.

  “I'm sorry but it is funny. You wanna know why it's funny?”

  I don't say anything. I just give Emma a look.

  “It's funny,” she continues, “because that was my friend Pete from college. My roommate and I call him 'Gay Pete'. You thought that we were what, fooling around in my office?”

  “That's certainly what it looked like, yeah.”

  Emma chuckles and replies, “We haven't seen each other in a long time. He was happy to see me. Pete always gives me hugs and kisses. It was totally innocent.”

  “I saw him grab your ass. Explain that.”

  “It wasn't the first time Gay Pete grabbed my ass and it probably won't be the last. He knew me when I was overweight. Now, every time he sees me, Pete comments on how good I look and gives my ass a smack or a grab. He's very touchy-feely.”

  I have no reason to doubt Emma. That dude did kinda look like a flamer. I'm not mad at her anymore, but I am still mad at myself. Seeing her with another guy drove me fucking crazy. I've been on one date with this woman and I'm already getting jealous. What's she doing to me? There's a part of me that hates it... but it feels so good. It feels right. Just talking to Emma, being close to her, makes me feel good.

  “I believe you.”

  “Good. It's the truth. Now what about you? How do you explain what I saw on Monday?”

  “I tried to tell you then, but you didn't let me. She's a client – a fan – that was all over me our whole session. I did everything I could to let her know that I wasn't interested but she kept coming at me. You saw us at the worst possible moment.”

  “Why were your arms around her then?”

  “It was just a reflex, I guess. When a girl comes up to me and puts her arms around me, I instinctively put mine around her. I'm being honest, Emma. Nothing happened. I have no interest in that chick.”

  “She was really attractive.”

  “So are tons of other women that I have no interest in.”

  Emma stands there, silent. She eyes me up and down. I can tell that the wheels in her head are turning. She wants to believe me. I can see it in her beautiful brown eyes. Emma looks beautiful, head to toe. I wanna grab her face and start kissing it wildly, but know this isn't the time or place. Eventually, she speaks.

  “I believe you.”

  “Good. It's the honest-to-god truth. You look really fucking cute today. Just sayin'.”

  “You don't look so bad yourself. How was New York?”

  “It was cool. I met a lot of my fans, which I always love. It's kinda like my way of giving back. My fans have given me so much. Everything, really. Without them, I'm nothing.”

  “I think it's great that you have such a connection with all the people you help get in shape. It's really wonderful.”

  “What would be wonderful if you'd let me take you out again tonight.”

  Emma pauses but I can tell the wheels aren't turning. She's already made up her mind. I've seen this look in plenty of women's eyes before. She just wants me to think she's gotta think about it. Here comes her acceptance.

  “That would be wonderful. But if I catch you with your arms around anyone other than me...”

  “Don'
t worry. My hands will be way too busy caressing your body all night long to even have time to give anyone else a handshake. It's a date. Pick you up at, say, eight o'clock?”

  “Eight works. I'll text you my address but I need your number.”

  We exchange numbers and Emma takes off after we say goodbye. Well, that was certainly interesting. I went from never wanting to talk to Emma ever again to asking her on a date tonight. Now I have to figure out where to take her. I really wanna blow Emma's mind. Her work day is over but I still have a couple more clients to train. That gives me a couple hours to put together a night that neither of us will ever forget.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Emma

  I'm really looking forward to my date with Chad. I told Claire all about it and she's thrilled that I’ve decided to go out with him again. Just as I'm going through my closet, trying to pick out an outfit, I get a text from Chad:

  Wear something comfortable on your feet.

  Then, a minute later, I get another text from him.

  Oh, and dress warm.

  Okay, I reply.

  I wonder what he has planned for us. With only a couple hours to figure it out, Chad couldn't have come up with anything too crazy. I go through my closet and all my drawers – twice – and finally decide on what to wear. By the time I'm finally ready, it's almost eight o'clock.

  A few minutes before eight, I head outside to wait for Chad. I'm surprised when he pulls up in an Uber right at eight o'clock. The man's usually late for everything. Chad will probably be late for his own funeral. He opens the door and I get in next to him.

  “Hi, Emma,” he says and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

  “Hi. How were your last few clients?”

  “They were fine. I bet you wanna know where we're going, don't you?”

  “That was gonna be my next question.”

  “Well, you'll just have to wait and see. I'm glad you wore sneakers. You're gonna need them.”

  We're in the Uber for quite a while. Chad and I make small talk the whole time. He tells me about his supplement line and I tell him about how I'm liking being a dietitian so far. I'm enjoying the conversation so much that I hadn't even noticed that we'd left the city. We're driving down a long road going through the woods when the driver pulls off to the side of the road. There's a small rest area with a few parking spots that we pull into.

  “Here we are, boss,” the Uber driver says. “This is it?”

  “Yup. This is the spot. Come on, Emma. Let's go.”

  We get out of the car and I look around. We're in the middle of nowhere. All I see are trees and more trees. It's a clear night and the moon is very bright. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be able to see anything at all. Chad takes out a flashlight and turns it on. He shines it down a path leading into the woods that I hadn't noticed.

  “We're going down there?”

  “Yup.”

  I'm intrigued. I'm also scared, worried, anxious, and a little bit terrified. But I'm even more curious to see where Chad's bringing me. This definitely isn't what I was expecting tonight.

  The Uber driver takes off down the long rural road and we're left by ourselves out here in the woods. I have goosebumps all over my skin. Chad takes me by the hand and starts leading me down a long trail going into the woods. I have no idea where we are or where we're going. I'm completely at Chad's mercy and that excites me. I've never been on a date that started out like this before. I'm already impressed.

  We walk for what feels like hours but is only about twenty minutes. The terrain is rough and we're constantly either going up a hill or down one. A gust of wind whips across my face and the smell of forest I've gotten used to is replaced by something else: the ocean. Almost immediately after the scent hits my nose, I hear waves crashing off in the distance.

  I mentioned to Chad on our first date that I love the ocean. Everything about it is wonderful. He must've remembered. Maybe he's not as self-centered as I've made him out to be. This proves that he not only listened to what I said, but he remembered it, too.

  “You're taking me to the ocean?” I ask.

  “We're almost there, Emma. Don't ruin the surprise.”

  We continue onward for a couple more minutes. The sound of the waves gets louder with each step. I can hear the ocean. I can smell the ocean. But I can't see it, yet. All I see is trees, trees, and more trees. Then, after another minute or two of walking down this trail, we come to the edge of the forest. We're at the top of a huge cliff overlooking a beautiful, secluded beach. The view is simply breathtaking. The moonlight is reflecting off the water and it's bright enough to illuminate the entire beach. I don't know if it's a full moon but, if it isn't, it sure is close. There isn't a cloud in the sky and my darkness-adjusted eyes can see thousands upon thousands of stars. It truly is a sight to behold. I inhale deeply as I look around, trying to soak in every drop of this picturesque landscape.

  “It's pretty, isn't it?” Chad asks.

  “Pretty? Chad, it's... there are no words to describe how amazing this is. How do you know about this place?”

  “I used to come here as a kid. Come on. We're not there yet. We still have to hike down to the beach. Be careful and hold my hand. It can get quite steep.”

  Chad takes me by the hand and starts leading me down another path I hadn't noticed. He wasn't kidding: It's really steep. Fortunately, it only takes us a few minutes to get to the bottom of the cliff. We walk along the beach a little bit and Chad's flashlight catches something shiny up ahead in the sand.

  “What's that?” I ask.

  “You'll see.”

  Normally, I like to know what I'm gonna be doing before I do it. I have to admit, though, the mystery of all this is really doing something for me. And it's doing something to me, too. Even though we're in the dark, barely able to see each other, I feel incredibly turned on right now. If Chad stopped and wanted to have sex with me right here in the sand, I wouldn't say no.

  As we get closer to the shiny object, I realize what it is: a bottle. It's not just a bottle sitting on the beach, though. There's a big towel on the sand with a large basket, two glasses, and a bottle of something, either wine or champagne. Perhaps a more sophisticated woman could tell the difference by the bottle shape or by what the glasses look like. Are wine glasses and champagne glasses two different things? I don't even know. All I do know is that I'm absolutely blown away – assuming this is Chad's doing and we didn't just walk in on someone else's picnic.

  “Here we are,” Chad says.

  “Chad, this is amazing! But how? How could you've possible set this up?”

  “When properly motivated, I can make just about anything happen.”

  “But you were at Fit World. And you just asked me out a few hours ago. How could you have possibly...”

  Chad quiets me by putting a finger over my lips and says, “Don't take all the magic out of it. If I told you how I did it, it wouldn't be as much fun. What do you think?”

  “What do I think? Chad, I love it. This place is amazing. Everything about it is beautiful.”

  Chad shuts off his flashlight and tosses it onto the towel. He takes me by the hands and pulls our bodies together. The breeze coming off the ocean is a bit chilly but Chad's body is very warm. Our lips meet and we exchange a long, passionate kiss.

  “Everything about this place is beautiful, Emma. But none of it is nearly as beautiful as you.”

  It's a good thing we're in the dark. That way Chad can't see that I'm blushing, have goosebumps, and am giving off about a thousand other non-verbal cues to tell him that his words just made me melt inside. I've had guys tell me that I'm pretty before. And I've been on plenty of dates. But I've never felt anything like what I'm feeling right now.

  “I can't believe how sweet you can be, Chad. There's a whole other side of you that the world doesn't know about.”

  “And I plan on keeping it that way. My fans don't want a romantic picnic planner. They
want the cocky, arrogant Chad that they know and love. Let's sit down. We've been hiking for quite a while.”

  We have a seat on the towel. He opens the basket and pulls out a small lantern. Chad turns it on the low setting, giving off just enough light so he can see what he's doing. I take off my sneakers and socks, digging my toes into the sand. It's a little cool, but welcome. My feet are hot from the half hour of hiking it took us to get here from the road. Chad pops open the bottle of what I now know is champagne and pours us each a glass. He hands me mine, then holds his up in the air. I raise mine as well.

  “Here's to not judging people by who they were in high school and giving them a chance to show you who they are on the inside,” he says. I can't quite see because of the lighting, but I can sense a smirk.