- Gemma -
his didn’t feel like a love I’d known before.
It was too light, too giddy.
It was everything I always wanted in high school and never had. The stolen moments, the cheeky gropes in dark corners, the knowing but supportive looks from the rest of the staff. Granted, I didn’t love that they knew, but after a week of me blushing every time someone saw me talking to Alex at work, it would’ve been naïve of me to think they didn’t.
But it wasn’t having any negative effects. If anything, the staff seemed extra focused knowing I had eyes on the floor. And Alex didn’t seem to mind.
Most importantly, it wasn’t interfering with his work. He was still hustling on the job and being supportive of me in my new role.
To be honest, I was happier than I’d ever been, and I felt a million miles away from the woman I used to be, the woman who stayed in that abusive relationship for so long and couldn’t see how much more she deserved.
I lifted the walkie-talkie on my desk. “André?”
“Boss,” he said a moment later.
“How many members are still on the floor?” I released the button on the side of the device and waited for his answer.
“About six,” he said. “Probably about the same for the locker rooms.”
“Thanks.” I glanced at the clock. “Let’s see if we can get organized enough to walk out with the members at ten.”
“Challenge accepted,” he said. “I’ll alert the troops.”
I smiled and set the walkie-talkie aside. The novelty of them hadn’t worn off, and I looked forward to getting them for the whole team someday. For now, though, only André had one so I could nurture him in his new role as floor manager, my previous position.
After all, I was determined to give the staff what Mary never did: encouragement, training, and a vision for their future with the company.
I was reviewing the exercise class attendance rates when there was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Alex stuck his head in.
I blushed like a fool. “What can I do for you?”
He closed the door behind him. “Get me one of those walkie-talkies, and I’ll tell you.”
“So dirty you can’t say it to my face, huh?”
“Says the woman who can barely make eye contact.”
My eyes flicked up at him, and my mind flashed back to the shower sex we’d had that morning, to the way the water streamed down his abs to where my lips were wrapped around his—
“We need to talk.”
His serious tone snapped me back to the present so fast I nearly got whiplash. “I was afraid this was coming.”
“Afraid what was coming?”
“Look—” I folded my arms on the desk. “I know I haven’t said it back yet—”
“Said what?”
“Never mind,” I said, feeling foolish.
“It’s not about that,” he said, reading my mind. “I haven’t been saying it because I need to hear it. I’ve been saying it because it’s true.”
I cocked my head.
“And because you blow my mind.” His eyes dropped to my chest before rising again.
“Shall I guess then?”
He clenched his jaw like he wasn’t really in the mood for games. “You’re not going to guess.”
I crinkled my nose. “Spoilsport.”
“Fine.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Guess.”
“You’re finally going to let me see your place?”
His glanced down at his feet. “I know that’s been bothering you.”
“I dropped enough hints.”
He folded his arms.
“You’re handing in your notice?”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Because you’re too distracted at this location?”
“Sort of.”
My face fell. “What? I was joking.”
“I haven’t been entirely upfront with you.”
My eyes grew wide. “About?”
He sighed. “About…everything.”
“What do you mean everything?”
“I mean—”
The walkie-talkie fuzzed to life beside me. “Gemma?”
Alex’s eyes dropped to the device.
My chest tightened, but I kept my attention on him. “Go on.”
“Gemma?” André asked again.
I stood up. “Actually, let’s talk after work. Whatever it is, your timing is all wrong.”
“Please, Gemma. I really need to tell you something.”
“Not now,” I said, fixing my eyes on him. “Not here.”
“Gemma? Are you there? Gemma? There’s a guy outside dumping trash all over your car.”
Alex turned on his heels and was fifteen paces ahead of me by the time I reached the front door.
Outside, André was already calling the cops while several gym members stood gaping at the scene.
“Hey!” Alex shouted across the parking lot.
Ray’s car was running a few spaces away from mine, and he was shaking a garbage bag over my hood when Alex grabbed him and threw the first punch.
I watched Ray stumble back, tripping over the trash at his feet before smacking into the side of my car and sliding to the ground.
I didn’t know what to do. All I knew was that part of me wanted Alex to hit him again. Harder. Like he used to always hit me the second time. “Stop!” I yelled when Ray got up to throw a punch.
Alex ducked and grabbed his waist, slamming him into my car so hard I feared I’d have a Ray-shaped dent in my back door.
“Stop!” I screamed at both of them. “Please!”
I could barely watch as the violence escalated, terrified not only that harm would come to Alex but that there would be repercussions for any injuries Ray sustained. “Stop it!” I cried, André holding me back as Alex thrust an uppercut straight into Ray’s stomach.
Red and blue lights lit up the lot a moment later.
“This has nothing to do with you,” Ray panted from the ground.
Alex stood over him like a silverback gorilla, his stance wide and his shoulders square.
“We’ll take it from here,” a female officer said as she approached the space between the cars.
Alex looked like he was about to walk away, but he bent down to grab the half-empty garbage bag and dumped it over Ray’s head instead.
I stood frozen in place while one of the officers wrestled Ray onto his belly while the other ordered Alex to put his hands on the car.
They got cuffed at the same time.
“There’s been a mistake,” I said, rushing towards Alex, who was being led to one of the police cars. “He was only trying to help.”
“Taking the law into your own hands is an offense, ma’am.”
Don’t ma’am me! I thought, clenching my hands into tight fists. “Excuse me, but this is one of my employees, and I demand that you release him right now.”
“It’s fine, Gemma. Relax,” Alex said, his hands cuffed behind his back and his face redder than I’d ever seen it. “It’s just standard procedure.”
I could see a bruise coming up on his cheek and shot daggers at Ray across the parking lot.
“If you really want to help, ma’am, you can start by telling me who owns the premises.”
“I do,” Alex and I said at the same time.
The cop and I both looked at Alex.
“I own these premises,” he said again. “This is my gym.”
My brow furrowed. “That’s not true,” I said, searching his eyes to try and figure out why he would say such a thing.
“The man you need to be questioning is over there, though,” Alex said, nodding towards Ray. “This isn’t the first time he’s trashed this woman’s car.”
“This woman?!” I hissed.
“How about you leave the questioning to us,” the cop said, opening the back door of his cruiser and pushing Alex inside.
“I tried to tell you,” he said, his eyes on mine. “I wanted to sooner, but—”
The cop shut the door between us and went to check in with his partner, announcing on the way that he’d collect witness statements in a few minutes.
“I can explain,” Alex said, his voice muffled by the window between us.
I looked up to keep the tears in my eyes and glanced over my shoulder. André and three other employees were staring at me, their eyes full of pity. How could I have been so naïve? How could I have allowed myself to see only what I wanted to see all over again?
“Everything else is true,” he said through the glass.
I stared at him, feeling so foolish it felt like I was suddenly in my old, familiar skin.
His eyes pleaded with me. “I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
“Don’t,” I said, backing away. “Please don’t.”