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He chuckles. “That sounds interesting. Where do they even have that?”
“Fab Fitness. You should try it sometime,” I ramble to ease the awkwardness shrouding the room. “Not that you need it, obviously.” I grab my handbag from the counter. “Ok, I’m going now.”
He nods and crosses his arms across his spectacular bare chest. “I’ll walk you out.”
“No, really it’s ok.” Because if he walks me out, I might not be able to keep from kissing him again. I move across the kitchen toward the arched entryway and stop mid-stride. “Thank you for holding my hair on the boat.”
He grins, and then I rush out before I do the wrong thing and invite him to come home with me.
FIFTEEN
Kiki
Never sing karaoke while riding a bike...
“You know what today is,” Lola sings in the middle of a crowded parking lot with a little wiggle to her hips. “It’s karaoke spin class, bitches.”
“I’m not singing,” Poppi says, tossing a white gym towel over her shoulder.
“I’m with Poppi,” I say. “I am not singing today.”
There’s no way I can concentrate when my mind is still on Urban’s boat.
“You have to sing,” Lola pouts as we approach the gym doors. “What’s the point of even being here then? We could just go to a regular spin class.”
Poppi’s lips twist into a small smile. “Fine, I might be able to be persuaded to carry a tune before breakfast. But, no Lady Gaga.”
“It’s like you’re literally trying to ruin my life.” Lola opens the glass door, and we follow her through into a glassed area filled with stationary bikes.
“I draw the line at Lady Gaga. Sorry, babe,” Poppi says.
As we select our bikes off to the side of the six rows, a voice says behind me, “I think that one is mine.”
I turn around to see Ellis in black gym shorts and a Bearded Goat Brewery t-shirt smiling at me.
“Ellis, what are you doing here?”
“You invited me.” Poppi and Lola give me major side-eye. “Hi, ladies,” he greets my friends.
The conversation is cut short when a lithe woman with a dark ponytail steps to the front of the class. We climb on our bikes as she welcomes us and gives an overview of what will transpire.
“Just look at the screen if you don’t know the words,” she points behind her. “I’ll be coming around with a microphone, so get ready to sing.”
Lola laughs. “This is gonna be fun.”
I set my water bottle into the little slot on my bike and give Ellis a thumb up. This should be interesting.
The first song starts and Bon Jovi's “Living On A Prayer” Oh good, I don’t even need the screen for this one.
Margaret instructs us to warm up and get that blood pumping. Poppi rolls her eyes with a smile and picks up her speed.
I’m trying my best to concentrate on everything going on around me, but Ellis’ legs cycling beside me are too distracting.
Margaret zig zags around the room and heads over to me and sticks the microphone in my face. “It doesn’t make a difference if we’re naked or not,” I sing with a blush, before belting out the chorus.
In my peripheral, Ellis’ head snaps to me. He grins as Margaret moves on to Lola.
“That’s not the lyric,” he says, “but I like your version better.”
What? I look at the words scrolling on the screen as Margaret continues moving through the class. And oh my god, I was today years old when I learned he’s not saying ‘naked.’
Sweat beads on my forehead, and I can feel the blood pumping. I’m not sure if it’s from cycling or having Ellis next to me. He even sweats sexy.
When Margaret finally sticks the microphone in his face during “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” he very charmingly says, “Oh, no thanks. I’m good.”
I laugh. The fact he even showed up here is worth something. So, I’ll let him slide on not singing. Forty-five minutes later, we end the class on a Madonna number, and I laugh as Poppi carries out the last note. She can’t lie and say she didn’t love this. I know her, she did. We all did.
“So much better than goat yoga,” Poppi says as we leave the spin class room. “What did you think, Ellis?”
“It was different,” he says, opening the door for us.
As people file out into the parking lot around us, I don’t know how to leave. What are the rules here? Do I just say bye? Because I want to flee from the man currently charming my friends. He saves me from the awkwardness. “I should get going.” He looks down at me with promise in his eyes. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Thanks for coming.”
“Wouldn’t have missed an opportunity to see you singing on a bike.” My eyes are stuck to the motion of him raking his teeth across his bottom lip. I feel like he just undressed me in front of my friends. After a quick goodbye to Lola and Poppi, he turns and strides across the lot.
