I spotted him during bench presses, then showed him a few dumbbell exercises he didn’t know.
“You’re good. I might consider paying for a private lesson next time.”
I gestured to myself with both hands and bowed like a circus artist. It made him chuckle.
“Now I need a minute, though.” With a groan, he lowered himself onto a nearby bench and took a swig from his water bottle.
I sat facing him. A sense of urgency came over me, as if I needed to grab this chance because there might not be another. It was now or never.
“What are you hiding from?” I asked.
His eyebrows flew up. “I’m not hiding.”
“You came to the gym on a Saturday night without your bag, dressed like you were headed for a hot date. You’re killing time in here. Why?”
He drank some more, then pressed the cap back on. “You’re observant. Okay, I’ll tell you.”
I waited.
“I’m hiding from my big brother,” he said, winking conspiratorially.
“You have a villainous older brother?”
He snorted at that. And I’d made him laugh twice in under a minute. Another point for me, ka-ching!
“He and his husband are staying at home with my kid while I’m out, and they always make a big deal out of me…” He flipped his wrist and grimaced. “Dating.”
“So youwereon a date.”
He sighed. “Yes. And I cut it short, but I couldn’t go home right away because then I’d have to face the love-life police.”
It was my turn to chuckle. “The love-life police?”
“Mostly my brother, Hugh. His husband is not that bad. I’m hiding here until it’s reasonably late, so I can come home, say that the date was great, and go to bed.”
“It wasn’t great, huh?”
He set the water bottle on the floor and stretched his arms above his head. “It was abysmal.”
“Was he a creep?”
“No. Just boring, full of himself, and sexist.” He sounded so weary when he said it.
An irrational urge to hold his hand or hug him had me gripping the edge of the bench under my ass and pushing my feet into the carpeted floor. “I’m sorry. You deserve better.”
At that, he rolled his eyes. “How would you know what I deserve, Chase?”
I looked him up and down, trying not to make it seem too suggestive. “I have eyes and ears.”
“Oh, do you?”
I shrugged one shoulder. “You’re hot, intelligent, and funny. And you passed the vibe check with flying colors.”
“Vibe check?”
“Yup. You’d be surprised how fast you can learn to spot an asswipe when working in service.”
He laughed. “Not that surprised, no. I’m a nurse.”
