Chapter Seventeen - Lucas

Samantha and I have been starting to go jogging together in the evenings several days a week. I’d thought it would only be a one-time thing, but the more time I spend with Samantha, the more time I want to spend with her.

I’m really enjoying her company and getting to know her. But I’m worried that, eventually, our competition is going to come back to ruin it. The gym is only a couple of months from its grand opening. I can’t imagine she’ll much want to see me after that. I know it’s ridiculous to pursue anything with her, even a casual friendship, given the circumstances.

But I want to pursue it – and not as a friendship. Paul was right about my motives after all, I guess. I’m more interested in Samantha than I have been in any woman in a very long time. Ever since she mentioned that she isn’t seeing anyone a few days ago when we were talking about time to fit into her exercise routine, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her romantically.

I find myself scheduling my days around excuses to see her or call her. I find myself looking forward to our jogs together all day. I’m even headed to another class at her fitness center today, my third one thus far. I still feel out of place participating, and it’s still not exactly my ideal exercise routine, but it is much more fun and much more challenging than I would have thought. It also provides a great opportunity to see Samantha.

I know Paul knows that something is up with me. He keeps making little comments that let me know he’s been observing me. I’ll tell him soon enough, but I’m just not sure what the best way to play the situation is. How do you pursue a woman you might be able to be responsible for bankrupting? Does it make me a massive dick to want to continue despite knowing the probable outcome? Do I care? Should I care? What kind of dangerous game am I playing here, anyway?

I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ve never been one to back down from finding my way through a challenge.

***

After my class, a dance movement class that works up a decent sweat and gets my heart pumping pretty fast, I catch Samantha watching me again. I grin. I’m glad she knows I’m here. I’m sure Cheryl tells her every time I come in. I’m sure her whole staff has just as many questions for her as Paul has for me. I’m hoping that neither one of us knows quite how to answer them yet. I’m hoping we’re both feeling the same attraction to each other and trying to figure out how to handle it, given everything.

“Back for more?” Samantha asks, walking up to me.

“I might have to get a monthly pass,” I say, smirking.

She shakes her head. “Can you afford that?” she asks, teasing.

I laugh. “I think I can budget it in somehow,” I say, making Samantha laugh too.

“Are we still on for jogging later?” she asks.

“I was counting on it,” I say. Samantha flushes a little. Her hair is a little looser today, falling down over her face softly and framing her gorgeous features. I instinctively want to touch it, thread my hands in her hair, and pull her close.

“Good,” I say. “And maybe one of these days, if we keep this up, I’ll get you into Invigoration.”

“Never going to happen,” Samantha says with another laugh, and I can’t help but think about how much it makes me want to kiss her. I’ve been caught off guard so many times lately by how much I want to kiss her. I’ve thought about it a few times after our jogs, sitting on the bench where we always catch our breath. Sitting around the lake all sweaty after a lap doesn’t seem like a very romantic time to make a move, though.

Normally, when I’m interested in a woman, I’m quick about asking her out. I’ve never been shy about going after what I want in any area of my life. I’ve always been bold and direct, and it’s served me well, what with the success of the business and all. With Samantha, though, I want to make sure the timing of things is right.

It’s not just that we’re still business rivals – it’s that this could all fall apart at any minute, and something about Samantha makes me want to take my time. It’s caught me off guard because I’m bold but never impulsive. Even though this is so unexpected and tenuous, I feel sure that dating Samantha could turn into something serious.

And as much as it’s absolutely the wrong time to be thinking things like that, I think I’m ready for that. Samantha makes me feel like I am. And even without our complicated situation, it all makes me want to go slower than I normally would because every step just feels like it means more with Samantha.

“We’ll see about that,” I say, my eyes on her lips. She bites her lips like she’s noticed my gaze, and I follow the motion of her teeth and tongue.

“Never,” she repeats. “I haven’t even been on a piece of equipment like that in years.”

“I’d be happy to show you,” I say, a little teasing, a smirk on my face. I mean it flirtatiously, and I think she knows it.

Samantha puts a hand on her hip like she had the day we first met, and my eyes follow that too. “Not going to happen,” she says, “but I will see you on our jog later.”

I grin. I would never have thought that taking a woman for a jog would feel more like an exciting date than spending money in fancy nightclubs, but somehow, it does. Just spending time with Samantha at all feels like more than anything I could’ve aspired to in wanting to pursue a relationship.

I’d say it must be the company, but isn’t that our problem? For the first time in my life, I don’t know what the bold move is to overcome that challenge.