I hung up the phone. It had been three weeks since Tanya had approached me with her idea. Given what she’d dug up on April, it sounded good to me, but we had to be cagy. I had to wait for April to make the first move so I didn’t tip our hand. Good to her word, April had called me again to see if I’d changed my mind about giving her some private training. She was certainly tenacious.

The three-week wait had been brutal. The rumors were starting to go viral. I’d put a statement up on the Neil Gibson Fitness Center website and NeilGibsonFitness.com categorically denying the rumors, which had fueled the controversy. I had a few people defending me, but the tide of public opinion was beginning to turn against me. The publisher called me and placed a hold on the book. They hadn’t canceled it, but they wanted to wait and see how the controversy played out, and then address it in book.

Two days ago, I’d appeared on Lunch with Diane, a local puff news show, to address the rumors. Once again, I firmly denied any and all claims of harassment and had pointed out that all the rumors were from nameless, faceless individuals. I challenged whomever was making the claims to come forward and make their accusations public, but until they did, I’d argued they were exactly what they were, a smear campaign designed to tarnish my good name.

The thing that hurt the most was Harker. She meant nothing to me, but having her dodge the kiss for the first time stung. After that, I’d stopped offering it, but I’d been offering her the kiss, and she’d gladly accepted it, for more than two years. Her rejection told me everything I needed to know. It wasn’t the fact she didn’t want my friendly little kiss anymore that bothered me; it was the fact she didn’t want my friendly little kiss anymore because her opinion of me was beginning to change.

I spoke with Tanya almost nightly. She sympathized with my plight, but there was little she could do. She’d run completely out of leads. I knew she felt bad about her failure, but I reminded her she’d warned me at the beginning that finding who was behind all this was iffy at best.

She was the sole bright spot in all the turmoil. I wouldn’t say we were dating. Technically she was still working for me, but we had grabbed a few lunches and dinners together and pretended they were business meetings. We even talked a little business at them, but in reality, we were having meals together because we wanted to. Our meetings were completely above reproach. A quick kiss in greeting and departure, much like those I gave Harker, was all I allowed myself. I wanted more, much more, and I could sense she did as well, but by unspoken agreement, we remained professional.

I wanted this case over. Not only was it ruining my reputation, but also because it was preventing me from pursuing a relationship with Tanya. I wasn’t in love with her, but I had never felt such a strong attraction to a woman before. I didn’t know if she felt the same about me, but I wanted to find out. Now that April had finally called, maybe we could make some progress.

The moment I hung up with April I dialed Tanya.

“Neil,” she said, sounding busy.

“Is this a good time?”

“Waiting for this ass-hat to leave so I can follow him.”

“Want me to call back later?”

“No. Go ahead.”

“I just spoke with April. It’s a go. I know it’s short notice, but six o’clock at the fitness center on Merryweather.”

“She went for it?” she asked.

I smiled at the sudden excitement in her voice. “Yeah.”

“Great! I’ll meet you there at five to get you wired up.”

“Okay, I’ll see you there.”

I slipped the tiny camera through the bottom buttonhole of my dark blue Neil Gibson Fitness Center polo. I couldn’t believe how tiny the thing was. The entire kit, something Tanya occasionally used in her job, was smaller than a package of gum. The lens of the camera was the size of a pencil point, and it had interchangeable buttons that screwed on the front. She’d selected one nearest to what was on my shirt, and after attaching the button, handed me the camera. The button wasn’t a perfect match, but you wouldn’t notice the difference with a casual glance. Once I had it in place, she placed a bit of two-sided tape on the back of the camera and pressed it into my shirt. She adjusted my shirt, took a step back as she evaluated her handy work, and nodded. I looked down. Except for feeling a lump, I couldn’t even tell the camera was there.

“You’re set. Can you turn it on?”

I felt for the switch through the fabric of my shirt and found it. “Got it.”

“As soon as she walks in, start recording. I’ll be about two minutes behind her.” She patted me on the arm. “Break a leg,” she said before turning and walking out of the office.

“Are you sure this is legal?”

She made a noncommittal sound as she shrugged. “It’s a grey area. California is a two-party state, but we’re not going to try to use the footage in court unless she gives up something really juicy. If she does, we’ll argue that in a public place like this, she has no right or expectation of privacy, which makes it legal. If that won’t fly, I’ll say it’s part of the discovery process for your case. We still won’t be able to use it in court, but we can use it to prevent her from committing perjury.”

“You can do that?”

She nodded. “There was a case in 1988 that established precedence.”

I stared at her a moment. “How do you know all this stuff?”

She patted my chest. “I know my way around the law when it comes to collecting evidence. It’s going to be fine. Trust me.”

I had almost an hour to kill, so I wandered through the workout area and chatted up the clients. I always enjoyed listening to people’s success stories. I found a beautiful woman, slim and well built, that claimed to have lost nearly a hundred pounds after joining my website, my fitness center, and following my advice. I gave her a one-man standing ovation and asked her if she’d be willing tell her story and shoot a commercial for me. She agreed, and I got her name and phone number so I could contact her later. She was the kind of person that made everything I did worthwhile.

It was a little after six. I was starting to get fidgety when April showed up. She was dressed in a skirt and tight-fitting blouse with a plunging neckline that showed off her ample cleavage to terrific effect. Her breasts couldn’t possibly be natural, but she was proud of them and showed them off whenever the opportunity arose. I turned on the camera and excused myself from the guest I was speaking with.

“Neil, so good to see you again!” April cried, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I hope this means you’re considering my offer.”

“Considering it. I suppose you’ve been keeping up with my troubles?” I asked as I took her arm and pulled her to the side, away from the door, where we’d have a bit of privacy.

She smiled with some private joke. “Yeah. I know it’s not funny, but you, of all people.” She lowered her voice. “I almost wish they were true, then maybe I’d have a chance.”

“You don’t believe them?”

“Are you kidding? You’re so uptight if I shoved a lump a coal up your ass, you’d shit a diamond. I respect you for it, but you know you don’t have to worry about that with me, right? It’s only sexual harassment if I object…and I won’t.”

“Yeah, as you’ve made perfectly clear. That’s what I want to talk to you about.”

She sighed in exasperation. “That again? For fuck’s sake, Neil, would it be so bad? I can make it well worth your time.” She smiled at me mischievously. “And I can pay you well too.”

“I told you, I don’t sleep with clients and I don’t sleep with married women.”

“And I told you, it’s an open marriage. I’m free to fuck anyone I want, and so is he. What’s the big deal? Most guys jump at the chance. Easy sex, no complications.” She lowered her voice to a purr. “Don’t you have enough complications in your life right now? I promise, you’ll enjoy it, and I’ll take good care of you. When I’m done with you, you’ll be so relaxed you won’t give a shit about the rumors.” She started to drag her finger down the front of my shirt, but I grabbed her hand so she wouldn’t feel the camera. “Ooh,” she cooed, “I like a forceful man, a man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to take it. I think you’re man enough to take whatever you want from me, don’t you?” She gave me another bedroom smile. “You might not even have to take it…unless that’s what you like.”

I rolled my eyes and released her hand. “That’s not how I operate, and you know it.”

“Unfortunately.”

“If I agree to train you, you agree to keep it strictly professional?”

“If that’s really what you want.” She lowered her voice to a seductive whisper. “You know I’ll do anything you want. Anything.”

“Being professional is enough.”

“There’s one muscle I bet you can work like a professional.”

I sighed dramatically as I once again rolled my eyes and looked away. “You don’t know when to quit, do you?”

She grinned. “I always get what I want, Neil. Eventually. I always have.”

“Not this time. I thought maybe you’d changed, but you haven’t.”

All the seductive teasing left her face. Her expression hardened, and she glared at me a moment. “What is it with you? Is this some kind of game? You invite me here on the pretext of considering my offer, then you pretend to be offended? You know what I want. I like sex games, but not this kind. I know you’re not gay, so what is it? You just like fucking with me? I’m too old? You seeing someone? What?”

She was exhausting. “None of your business. What does it matter, if we’re keeping it professional?”

Before she could answer, Tanya pranced in. “Hey, babe! I’m ready for my lessons!” she said before she kissed me briefly.

The plan was to pretend Tanya and I were lovers, but deny it, and let April form her own opinion. Tanya said the best lies were those that had elements of truth in them.

“Give me minute, okay? As soon as I’m done with Ms. Rumson, I’ll come help you get set up.”

Tanya winked at me then flounced across the floor toward the weight machines. April glared after her.

“One of yours?” she demanded.

“Just a client. I’m giving her some pointers on her workout.”

“Uh-huh. Is she the reason?”

“None of your business. This was a mistake. We’re done here. I don’t need your money that badly.”

She glared at me as she sucked on her teeth. “You’ll sleep with her, and she’s a client, but not me?”

“I’m not sleeping with her, but even if I were, it’s still none of your business. I need to go. She’s paid for this time.”

“I’ll buy her time out.”

“April, no, wait!” I wasn’t pretending anymore. She really did get on my nerves, and this only served to remind me of why I stopped training her.

April stepped around me and stomped toward Tanya as I followed. She was taking the bait.

“There you are,” Tanya smiled as we approached. She was already on the machine. “I’m ready for you,” she purred, her tone giving some extra meaning to the four words.

“I want to buy your time with Neil,” April said, pulling out her wallet.

“What? No. I paid for the time, I’m going to use it.”

I stepped around April to stand beside Tanya so the camera was on April. “You need to go.”

“What’s it going to take? How much time did you buy?”

“An hour, but I don’t want your money.” She looked at me. “Who is this woman?”

“Here’s a grand,” April said, pulling out hundreds and holding them out. “Now beat it.”

“A former client,” I said to Tanya before returning my attention to April. “April, you need to go.”

“Just like that? You preach at me about your moral standard, but you’re fucking her?”

I heard a couple of people gasp in surprise. “She has nothing to do with it. The problem isn’t her, it’s your attitude,” I snapped. Some of the staff was coming in aide, but I waved them away.

“How dare you? He’s doing no such thing!” Tanya snarled, talking over me as she stood.

April glared at Tanya. “I have business with Neil, so take the money and get lost.”

April was four inches taller and a lot heavier than Tanya, but Tanya stepped in close. “I paid for this time, and I’m not giving it up.”

“Listen, you bitch—”

“Who’re you calling a bitch?” Tanya sneered, cutting her off.

This was getting out of hand. I couldn’t tell if Tanya was still playing her part or not. “April, you need to go!”

“Not until you tell me why you’ll fuck her but not me,” April hissed, her voice low enough so only we could hear. “I can outfuck this scrawny ass bitch any day of the week.”

“Fuck you, you plastic-titted whore,” Tanya murmured, her voice low and tight.

“You’d better shut your mouth before I shut if for you.”

“You think you can take me? If you want to rumble, take your shot.”

I stepped between the two women. “April, get out!” I snarled, pointing at the door.

“Fine! Fuck you very much! You can take your fucking morality and shove it up your ass.”

“Good riddance!” Tanya sneered. “He doesn’t need you. You’re probably the one spreading all those false rumors about him.”

April smiled, but it didn’t touch her eyes. “Honey, if I come at someone, I do it straight on. I don’t sneak around.” She glanced around at the guests staring at the three of us. “If there weren’t so many eyes around, you’d find that out for yourself.”

“You want a piece of me? We can take this outside.”

“Nobody’s going outside. Sit down,” I growled, glaring at Tanya. “April, get out of here and don’t come back. And don’t call me anymore. That bridge is burned.”

She smiled unpleasantly. “Fine. Have it your way.” She dragged a finger along my jawline before I jerked my head away. “You don’t know what you’re missing.” She turned and sneered at Tanya. “I’m twice the woman she’ll ever be.”

“Twice as fat, you mean,” Tanya murmured with a nasty smile of her own.

April gave her the finger before she turned and stomped out. I let out a slow breath.

“Now, throw me out,” Tanya murmured. “For the audience.”

“You,” I growled. “Out. Your membership is revoked.” I pointed at the door.

“What? I didn’t do anything! I was just sitting here minding my own business.”

I had this covered. “You violated our no profanity policy. Now pack your stuff and get out!”

“Fine! I’m just minding my own business and this bitch comes in and starts fucking with me, and you throw me out! I’m never setting foot in one of these places again!” She grabbed her bag and stormed out.

I followed her to the door, as if I was escorting her out, but it was really to make sure the two women didn’t tie up in the parking lot. She banged through the door as I saw April’s Jag howl away. The support staff joined me at the door.

“Holy crap, what was all that about?” Doug asked.

“Were they fighting over you?” Mandy added before I could answer.

“I don’t know, and no. April, the older of the two, used to be a private client of mine.”

“What happened?” Mandy asked.

I snorted and looked at her. “Do I really need to answer that?”

They looked at each other and smiled. “No, guess not,” Doug said quietly. “Why was she here?”

“She wanted to hire me again. I said no. She didn’t like it.”

“She thought you were sleeping with a guest?”

“I guess.”

Mandy and Doug looked at each other. “Have you seen that other woman before?” Mandy asked.

Doug shook his head. “No. Have you?”

“No,” Mandy replied, and they both looked at me.

I sighed in relief as people began to resume their activities. “I invited her to try the place out, but don’t worry, I don’t think you’ll be seeing her again.”

I’d left the fitness center soon after Tanya. As agreed, we met for a quick dinner at EatRite Delight and returned to my apartment to see what the camera had captured. When we arrived, she’d brought up her laptop, downloaded the file to her computer, and now we were watching the video and snickering. We’d watched it three times, trying to tease out the truth. Fine! I’m just minding my own business and this bitch comes in and starts fucking with me, and you throw me out! I’m never setting foot in one of these places again! Tanya’s voice said from the computer.

Tanya stopped the video and set the computer on the side table. “What do you think? She guilty or not?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

She nodded. “I don’t think so either. I think she was telling the truth when she said she would come at you straight on.”

“Yeah. I think if you two had been alone she might have taken a swing at you.”

“That would have been a mistake. I was ready for her.”

“I could tell. That was some performance. I couldn’t tell if you were acting.”

She smirked. “I’d like to thank the Academy…”

I chuckled. “Were you mad?”

“Not really. Oh, sure, I didn’t like being called a bitch, and I especially didn’t like being called a scrawny ass bitch. I worked hard for this ass.”

“And a lovely ass it is, too.”

“Why thank you,” she teased.

“I noticed that the first day in your office. Trust me, every guy who sees you walk past notices, even in your suits. But when you wear jeans… wowser!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should. What’s next?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. That was my last gasp. Maybe if we see a flurry of activity, or if something hits in the next day or so that sounds similar, maybe we can use that as leverage, but if she’s not the one seeding the rumors, and I don’t think she is anymore, then I’m afraid I’ve struck out. I’m sorry.”

I nodded in understanding. “Send me a bill and we’ll settle up, but can you be available to pick it back up again if something else breaks?”

“Of course.”

I nodded again. “I can’t decide if I’m relieved or disappointed.”

“Oh, please don’t be disappointed. I’m not sure I can stand that, and I did warn you. But what do you mean, ‘relieved?’”

“If you’re not working for me anymore, does that mean we can go out on a proper date?”

She smiled. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask me and find out?”

“Ms. Jacobs, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner tomorrow night?”

“Why, Mr. Gibson, I’d be delighted.”

I smiled at her, took her face in my hands, and pulled her gently into a kiss. A real kiss. She opened her mouth in invitation and I took her tongue. It wasn’t even eight yet, but I didn’t care. Taking her to bed this early would give us more time to enjoy each other before we fell asleep. The kiss deepened, and I gently stroked a nipple with my finger, her soft intake of breath fueling the fire raging inside me.

Then her fucking phone rang.

She pulled back from the kiss. “No!” she groaned, her face scrunching in irritated disappointment as she rose to retrieve her phone. “Clearview Investigations.”

As she listened to the phone, I watched her. I could see the disappointment cross her face as she tipped her head back and closed her eyes, her phone still at her ear.

“No, that’s okay. I’m on it. Thanks for calling me, but I need at least thirty minutes to get in position. Stall him if you can.” Another pause. “Yes, I’m leaving now. Thirty minutes.”

She looked at me, and I wondered if she was as disappointed at I was. From the look of her face, I would say the answer was yes.

“I have to go. Work.”

“Want to come back when you’re done?” I asked as she gathered her stuff.

“God, yes, but I don’t know how late I’ll be.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

She gave me a quick kiss. “You’re sweet, but I can’t. We’re on for dinner tomorrow, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Save it until then.” She smiled, and it went straight to my cock. “Then the next time you talk to April Rumson, you can tell her how this scrawny ass bitch rocked your world.” She gave me another kiss and then was gone.

I watched her leave, aching for what we almost had and her promise for tomorrow. After she was gone, I was so out of sorts I didn’t know what to do. I finally went into my extra bedroom and worked out, hard, until I was bathed in sweat and panting in exhaustion.

After my workout I showered. I thought about taking the edge off, but decided not to. I’d known Tanya for barely a month, but I felt like our first time together would be special, and I wanted to save the sexual energy for her. If she was going to try to rock my world, it only seemed fair that I would try to rock hers.

Once I finished showering, I prepared a banana and yogurt smoothie and flopped onto the couch. I flipped through channels but found nothing of interest. I paused on the local news as I went to wash my glass. I almost the missed the segment because of the running water.

“No…” I murmured as a woman I’d never seen before spouted off on the television about how I’d groped her.