"Well, yeah I'm still here, but… I could also pass it along to Charlie for Soph to give it to you."
I shake my head. "No, it's like missing a limb, I feel practically naked without it," I reply and then my face heats when I hear him stifle a laugh.
"Okay, well, I'm here if you want to come by and grab it."
I thank him and hang up, promising to be there within a half-hour.
When I pull up to the gym, the car park is dark and almost empty. I stare at my phone—nearly nine o'clock. I look around before I exit my car, then jog to the metal staircase on the side of the building.
I get to the door, and it opens, startling me. Olly stands in the threshold, the expanse of the room behind him empty.
"Sorry, did you stay because of me?" I ask and brush past him as I walk in.
He shakes his head. "No, I had to work on the books. I was waiting for my dinner."
I spin to look at him. "Shit, Oliver. I'm sorry."
He laughs it off. When there's a tap on the door, he holds up his finger.
"Hey, thanks man," he says and takes a bag, passing the delivery guy some money. "Keep the change." I don't hear what the delivery guy says as his feet clatter back down the metal steps.
Olly nods his head to me. I follow him up to the same room we were training in earlier. He holds open the door, allowing me to enter first. "It's in the safe," he says in the way of explanation.
I step inside. It's not just an office; it has a kitchenette, sofa and glass coffee table. Very cosy.
Chapter Seven
OLLY
She’s gripping the strap of her bag tightly, and I wonder if this is making her feel uncomfortable—being alone with me.
“This is a nice setup,” she says.
“Yeah, I like it. When I bought into the gym, I had it renovated.”
Her eyes spring to mine. “Oh, I just thought you worked here and at the bar,” she says, almost embarrassed.
I wave to her to take a seat on the sofa and place the takeaway on the counter. “I do, and I’m a partner here. I do a lot of charity fights, so it just came about. And getting this office kitted out was one of the first things I did.”
She nods and sits on the edge of the sofa. I walk over to the safe and type in the code. There’s heavy clang as I open it and reach for her watch. Her eyes light up when I pass it to her. She slips it over her hand and fastens it back onto her wrist, giving it a quick shake.
Staring at it wistfully, she smiles. “My nan got this for my twenty-first birthday. I’m surprised it took me as long as it did to notice I’d forgotten it.”
I nod in understanding. The smell of dinner assails my senses. “Where’s Molly-Mae?”
“I left her in the car,” she says, deadpan.
“Ha, very funny.” I’m unable to hide my smile.
“With her dad tonight.”
I nod and pull out the containers from the bag. “Hey, have you eaten?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder. She shakes her head. “Want some Chinese? There’s plenty.”
I reach in the cabinet to pull out some plates. When she doesn’t answer, I turn back to face her. I think she’s going to say no, but she looks at her watch and then back to me. “Are you sure there’s enough?”
“Absolutely,” I reply. “Choose what you want.”
I hear the air leave the soft leather as she gets up to check out the options. “I’ll just have a bit of everything,” she says, her stomach growling loud enough to hear.
