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Growing up, I was never known as an attractive girl. My choice of clothing was considered weird. My body has never been perfect. I’m short and was always the chubby kid. While I have filled out more, I am still self-conscious about my stomach and the jiggle in my underarms. I was hoping joining the gym with the girls would help me tone up like I have been saying I’ll do for years.
Hot Kickboxing Instructor leans forward, and with his height, I have to strain my neck. “You looking to join? I teach a women’s self-defense class on Monday nights. You should come check it out. It’s fun, but you also learn a lot of techniques that can be useful.”
Biting my lip, I duck my head. “Maybe. I’ve never done a class before. Is it okay for beginners?”
“It’s perfect for beginners. Stop by. It’s at seven, but if you come earlier, we can grab a drink at the juice bar or something.”
Instant guilt washes over me as I realize I may have been flirting with this guy. “Oh, um, I kind of have a boyfriend.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Kind of?”
Shrugging, I answer, “It’s been a complicated relationship, but I would like to come to the class. I think it’d be good to learn some self-defense.”
He nods, taking a step back. “Yeah, for sure stop in. It fills up quickly, so I would still be sure to come early. If you have any friends, bring them too. Learning self-defense is always useful.” He gives me a kind smile and sticks his hand out. “I’m Andres, by the way.”
I accept his offer, and my small hand gets swallowed up in his. “Emree. And thank you. I’ll see you Monday.”
He walks away and I watch him, smiling that I was asked out by a handsome, older man. Never has that happened. Until college, I had never had a guy ask me on a date or even kissed someone. While I have been on a few dates here and there and have had some hookups since attending Braxton University, I have been longing for a relationship. I’m twenty-one years old and never had a boyfriend. While the guys I went on dates with said I was nice and sweet, they didn’t want to be in a relationship with me but would rather text me in the middle of the night for a booty call.
When I saw Conrad Dugray my freshman year in our math class for the first time, I thought I was dreaming. No man had ever been that perfect looking. He is tall, a couple inches over six feet, and has the most intoxicating eyes. They’re a dark brown, almost black, and compared to his tanned skin and blond hair, they feel out of place, yet fit him. When he walked into our class talking to a friend of his, he passed right by me. I was far too used to people, men especially, not seeing me, but Conrad did. He glanced down at me sitting at my desk and smiled, showing off a set of straight, sparkling teeth. As he made his way by, he winked one of those dark eyes at me and then took his seat with his friend.
That was the moment my crush on Conrad Dugray developed. As the years went by, I came to learn that the boy I fell hard for was a player, on and off the field. Conrad is the starting left defender for the Braxton University soccer team, and at this school, soccer is everything. We lack a winning football team and with it being Florida, college hockey isn’t too popular. We have a decent baseball team, but their season is in the spring. Fall at Braxton is all about soccer.
When I finally got up the courage to approach Conrad last fall, I never knew it would lead to where we are now. What started as a hookup at his party led to us now dating. We had a few hiccups along the way, including me walking in on him kissing a girl we all detest. Conrad was persistent that he did not want to be in a relationship, but I told him I deserved more than what he was giving me. It wasn’t until Conrad’s roommate and my best friend’s boyfriend, Camden, told me to stand my ground with him and tell him he needed to let me go or finally take a chance at a relationship. He chose me, and for the last six months, we’ve had a great time together.
“Girl, what are you doing all the way over here? We’ve been looking for you,” Jules asks as she and Blaire come down the hallway.
I smile at them. “Was enjoying the nice view of a men’s kickboxing class.”
“Well, well, well, you have my interest.” Jules is smiling and has a gleam in her eyes. “I’m going through a crazy dry spell. Did you see any potential in there?”
“Plenty,” I tell her. “Actually, the instructor asked me out. He said they have a women’s self-defense class he teaches Monday nights. We should all go.”
Blaire’s eyes are wide. “Wait, he asked you out? You didn’t say yes, did you?”
I roll my eyes at my best friend. “Of course not. I wouldn’t do that to Conrad. But the self-defense class does sound interesting and maybe we can learn a thing or two.”
“I’m in,” Jules answers. “Since you’re both off the market, maybe Hot Instructor will ask me out.”
Jules is beautiful, so I am sure she will have no problem catching his attention. Her medium-length hair is thick and jet black and always silky straight. She is tall and has impossibly long legs. Her body is fit and her skin is a glowing medium-brown shade. Jules spent her high school years playing volleyball and you can tell by her athletic build. Back during Halloween, she was dressed as Princess Leia in a gold bikini, and Blaire and I were envious of her toned stomach. That’s when she told us about Pilates and how we should come to a class with her. I don’t care how in shape it can make me. I won’t ever be doing that again. My soft stomach and I will live our lives happily together forever.
Blaire bites her lip. “Um, I’ll need to check with Camden. He was talking about going to see his mom before spring break since we’ll be gone, but I’m not sure what day.”
“Tell him you’re booked Monday for girls’ night. He’ll understand.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yes, because that has worked so well in the past. Remember when we tried to have a girls-only night on the Saturday after my birthday? He showed up at the country club with Maddox and Levi as if it was a total coincidence.” That was a good night. Jules and I wanted to take Blaire out for her twenty-first birthday since she was the last in our group to be able to drink legally, but we wanted to do so without the swarm of guys that always surrounded us. Camden couldn’t let Blaire out of his sight for more than ten minutes, though, and he swooped in, taking her from us.
“Your man needs to get over his obsession with you and let us have our friend sometimes.”
“Don’t even give him any ideas, Em. I love how much he cares about me.”
“Whatever. You both done with your torture workout? I wanted to go to the mall and try to find a new bikini for our trip.”
Jules smirks. “Trying to find something sexy for Conrad?”
I can’t help but smile. “Maybe.” While I do need a new bathing suit for our spring break beach trip, I will definitely have the beautiful man I’ll be spending my nights with in mind when picking one out.
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