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“Don’t get too bent out of shape about it,” Clayton said once the two of them were alone. “It’s hard to know what will irritate someone else’s allergies on a regular basis until you’ve spent more time with them. Maybe you two can sort that out during your date with him.”
Snow gazed at Clayton’s handsome face, well-trimmed beard, and soul-deep chocolate brown eyes. She was completely taken aback by his considerate remarks. If Preston had been in the room, he would have criticized Eric and condemned his condition behind his back. “That’s kind of you to say. Especially since he’s your competition.”
Clayton wiped his hands on a towel and shrugged off her praise. “We all knew what we were getting into when we signed up for this. I’m happy to have some time with you now—unless you’d rather I leave you to your workout.” He gestured to the vacant machines.
This is normal,Snow said.For me right now, anyway.In any other situation she would never have been okay with seeing more than one man at a time. But Clayton was right—they’d all agreed to this. He was kind, prudent, and down-to-earth. She could use being around someone easy to talk to right about now.
7
“Both treadmills are free,” she said. “Why don’t you run with me?”
His smile rendered him even more handsome. “You got it.”
He waited for Snow to step onto her treadmill and then made for the one Eric had been ejected from. Luis situated himself across from them for a moment, and Snow did her best to pretend he wasn’t there. Had he gotten footage of Eric’s slipup? Or sneezing fit?
Poor Eric.
“I usually work out with a buddy of mine,” Clayton began, the beeping sound from his treadmill resonating as the track picked up speed. He increased his pace to a jog. “We spot one another when we’re lifting.”
Snow tapped her speed dial as well. “Sounds like a smart idea. I love to run in the mornings before I head to work. But I usually go alone. My favorite is running along the beach in Clearwater while the sun rises, but sometimes I don’t get up early enough.”
“I get that. I’m an early riser myself on good days. Running on the beach sounds amazing. We should do that for our date.”
“That would be great,” Snow said, not minding his presumption. After his politeness, she’d give him that much. And she found she looked forward to it. To getting to know him better.
“What do you do for work?” he asked.
Did he not get her briefing? Then again, maybe he was just making conversation. Snow pumped her arms, letting her body settle into a slow jog. “I work for a theater company in Clearwater. My dream was to always be on stage and while I’m kind of in the background supporting local productions, I get a role here and there.”
“Sounds amazing. I’d love to see you on stage.”
“Thanks. What about you? You’re a dietician, right?”
“Right. I work one-on-one with clients who want a better lifestyle and I base their diet on the medical needs and the nutrition that would best suit what they’re hoping to achieve.”
“Wow, can I get a consultation?” The question was a joke. Mostly. It was only in recent years that Snow had become as health-conscious as she was. After coming scarily close to having diabetes, she’d worked hard to change her diet and had forced herself to get out and run every day until it’d become an addiction.
“You bet,” he grinned, his arms pumping as he jogged a steady pace.
“Are you backed by a facility?” she asked. “Do you work in hospitals or anything like that?”
“Hospitals sometimes. I often meet with elderly clients or even take on personal cases to help diagnose their diet-related issues.” He smirked. “I’m beginning to wonder if our friend Eric might benefit from some dietary changes to help his struggle with allergies.”
“How so?” she asked. The energizing buzz that usually came at this point in her runs began to zip through her and she increased the pace.
“It’s just nice to stop the spread of misinformation. No diet can cure allergies, especially if they’re seasonal, but taking in a variety of simple, unprocessed foods can positively impact anyone.”
“I can vouch for that,” she said.
“What do you do for fun? Besides running with handsome men.”
“You happen to be the first handsome man I’ve run with.”
Clayton cringed. “That came out wrong, didn’t it?” Color flushed his neck.
Snow laughed and placed a hand on his arm. “You’re okay. That’s not the worst thing that’s happened today.”
“Oh? Do you mean one of the other guys?”
