Chapter 5

Vivian stared at the phone. What was that?

She shook her head and finished doing her makeup and getting dressed because she had to meet her best friend Gwen at a local bistro in half an hour. She arrived with only a few minutes to spare and waved at Gwen as she weaved her way through the small dining space to the table where Gwen already sat.

Gwen was three inches taller than Vivian, with long blond hair and baby-blue eyes. She was the proverbial sun-kissed California girl.

“Hey!” Vivian greeted her with a hug.

“Hey, Viv! What’s that silly grin on your face?”

Vivian balked. “Just happy it’s finally the weekend.”

The waitress approached and she ordered an orange juice and they both ordered seafood salads.

“So, what’s the big surprise? You’ve had me on tenterhooks for days.” Vivian grinned at her friend.

A huge smile light up Gwen’s face as she exclaimed, “I’m pregnant!”

“Congratulations! That’s awesome news, ” Vivian gasped with joy.

Gwen was a probation officer and had recently fallen in love with one of her probationers. Vivian remembered the whirlwind romance between them. Against all odds – moral, ethical and legal – they’d managed to work it out. Fernando had secured a job as head of security at a logistics company after helping the police to capture his former gang members. And six months later they’d gotten married.

Vivian sighed. She wanted someone special, too. But not some arrogant jerk trying to boss her around.

“I’m so happy; I can hardly stand it. Now, tell me what put that smile upon your face when you walked in here.” Gwen had the annoying habit of seeing straight through to her soul.

“I might have met a really hot guy. But unfortunately that comes with a side of arrogant and bossy.”

“So why the smile,” Gwen raised her eyebrows.

“I’m not smiling. In fact I should probably cry instead.” Vivian said, taking a big sip of her orange juice.

“Cry? I’m afraid I’m not following.” Gwen pierced the air with her spill-it-or-I’ll-grill-you glance.

“It’s a long story.”

“I have plenty of time,” Gwen answered and leaned back to allow the waitress to serve their seafood salads. When Vivian had finished her story, Gwen squirmed in her seat. “Rock Martens. Ohmygod! I’m such a fan! Is he as hot in reality as he is in photos? And is he as friendly as everyone says?”

“Friendly? I’d say arrogant. Obnoxious. Bossy. And irritated that I broke his ankle.” Vivian sighed. Despite her attempt to not like him, her girlie parts woke at the pure mention of his name.

“You didn’t?” Gwen gasped the question.

“I did. Yeah. But now comes the worst part. I offered to race a triathlon in his place.”

Gwen almost fell of her chair laughing.

“Hey, what’s that?” Vivian prodded her friend in the ribs.

“You? A triathlon? Do you know that involves running six point two miles?” Gwen was still laughing, the deep guffaws alternating between gasps for breath.

“Six point two miles? Are you sure?” Vivian paled. The longest she’d run in her life was one mile. In high school.

“Yeah. The Olympic distance, which is considered short. I mean, you didn’t offer to race an Iron Man distance, right?”

Vivian felt all her blood leaving her head and leaned back to fight the rising dizziness. She whispered, “I’m not sure. How long‘s the Ironman distance?”

“I don’t know the exact distances, but around two point five miles swimming, more than a hundred miles biking and after all that fun and frolic, running a marathon,” Gwen answered and finally stopped laughing as she stared at Vivian’s pale and shocked face.

“A marathon? No. No. Can’t be. Rock said he’d train me and two months would be enough to get in shape for the race,” Vivian’s said, her voice a strangled whisper.

“He’ll train you? Girl, he must have a crush on you. Do you know how many women would sell their right arm to be trained by him?”

“They can gladly have him. As I already mentioned, he’s bossy and arrogant. Not my type of guy.” Vivian scowled and dug into her seafood salad.

“Well then I don’t know why your eyes light up every time you mention him,” Gwen teased.

“They don’t. You’re imagining things, just because you want to match me with someone.” Vivian knew it wasn’t true, but this Rock was so not her type. And if her stupid body didn’t realize it, she had to keep telling it.

They both dug into their food until Gwen took up the topic again, refusing to let it die the quick death it deserved. “How is he supposed to train you when he’s on crutches?”

“I have no idea, but I’ll find out tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow morning?” Gwen asked.

“Yes, at nine.” Vivian furrowed her brows.

“He managed to make you get up early on a Sunday morning? To do sports, no less? I need to meet that extraordinary specimen of man?“ Gwen teased her with the barrage of questions.

“No you don’t… there’s nothing about him. He’s totally overrated. Other girls might find him sexy as hell, not me. I’m only doing this because I feel kind of guilty for his broken ankle.” That was only half a lie. Just who are you trying to convince, Vivian? Gwen, or yourself?

Gwen giggled. “Sure. But, hey look on the bright side. That man has been voted sexiest man alive three years in a row and you’re going to have him all to yourself. I wouldn’t say no to that kind of eye-candy…”

Fernando, Gwen’s husband, chose that very moment to arrive. As he bent down and kissed her, he asked, “Talking about me, sweetheart?”

Fernando would easily qualify for the title sexiest man alive with his dark hair, dark brown bedroom eyes and boyish grin. Pair that with well-sculpted biceps and broad shoulders and he received more than his share of admiring glances.

“No, about Rock Martens.” Gwen flushed and moved aside on the bench to make space for him to sit.

Fernando wrapped an arm around her and teased, “We’ve been married for less than half a year and you’re already letting your eyes wander? I’m devastated.”

Gwen turned and whispered something into his ear that Vivian couldn’t understand. Fernando got that disgusting lovesick glance in his eyes and kissed his wife on the mouth.

Vivian cleared her throat. “Hello. I’m here, too.”

The pair broke up and laughed.

“How could I forget? The woman who threatened to tear me into pieces should I ever hurt her best friend.” Fernando hugged her.

“The offer is still valid,” Vivian answered, air-kissing his cheek. “Congratulations on the baby.”

Fernando grinned like a kid on Christmas day. “We’re so happy. Gwen couldn’t wait to give everyone the good news, even though she’s only in her second month.”

The waitress came and interrupted them, taking his order.

“So why are you two drooling over Rock Martens? That guy’s a hero.”

“Viv ran him over and broke his ankle. Then she offered to run a triathlon in his place,” Gwen blurted out.

Fernando was stunned speechless. “Wow.”

“Yes, unfortunately I did,” Vivian said.

It took Fernando a minute or two to process the information. Like every one of her friends he knew all too well how much she detested running. After thinking through the situation he offered to ask his friend Ben, the owner of a fitness studio and former MMA fighter for advice.

“That’s sweet of you, but Rock offered to train me himself.” Vivian tried her best to hide the way her pulse ratcheted up at the mere thought of Rock.

“He did?” Fernando shared a look with his wife and then glanced at Viv. “That’s a pretty good indicator of a crush on you.”

“No way.” Vivian felt a blush stain her cheeks. “He’s only interested in me looking good for the race.”

“I bet,” Gwen said with a girlish giggle. “He’ll personally see you’re in the best shape possible.”

Vivian scowled at her friends as they continued to tease her. “I have absolutely no interest in the man.”

“So why do this? Aside from the fact that you’re attracted to him?” Gwen asked.

“I’m not. He kind of pushed me into it.”

“How so?” Fernando asked, raising his eyebrows.

“He might have hinted that I couldn’t run the race…” Vivian sighed.

“Ah! I get it. He challenged you and you couldn’t resist rising to the bait. Smart man. I already like him.” Fernando grinned and cuddled his wife.

“I wouldn’t contribute that to intelligence.” Vivian responded emptying her glass of orange juice in one long gulp.

Fernando and Gwen shared another look and then both burst out laughing.

“I’d say he’s smarter than the average man. He’s definitely got your number,” Gwen said, giggling again.

“Enough teasing now. Or I’ll never talk to you guys again,” Vivian threatened and turned her attention back to her salad.

She wasn’t the least interested in Rock Martens, despite the way he made her insides queasy with the look in his brown eyes. She didn’t even like brown eyes. Nor beards. And she definitely wasn’t one of those superficial girls to swoon over a hunky male.

No way.