CHAPTER EIGHT
Chad
“Here are your menus,” the waiter says. “I'll be back in a few minutes to see if you're ready to order.”
“Thank you,” Emma says.
She's unlike any of the girls I usually go out with. Emma's every bit as sexy, but in a very different way. She doesn't put it out there for the world to see. If the girls I usually date are peacocks, Emma's a swan or a dove or something. What the fuck am I talking about? Even being around this girl makes me think differently. I have to be careful with this one.
“Everything looks so good,” she says. “Is there anything you'd recommend?”
“Everything here is good,” I say. “Whatever you get, you'll love.”
Watching Emma look through the menu is like watching a fat kid in a candy store who can only pick one thing. She's looking over every single item. If it was anyone else, I'd be incredibly annoyed. She should be paying attention to me, not the goddamn menu. But Emma actually looks kinda cute doing it. She's very deliberate. I see that in some of my clients. It can be a good thing, at times. Other times, though, it's not.
“You know what you want?” I ask.
“No, do you? I haven't even looked at everything yet.”
“Yes, I do. There's such a thing as choice paralysis. Too many choices and you can't decide. Everything here is amazing. Just pick the first thing that looks good to you.”
“But everything looks good.”
“What looks the best?”
“The chicken and broccoli Alfredo looks really good.”
“It is. Get that.”
Emma smiles and says, “Okay. I guess I'll go with the chicken and broccoli Alfredo then.”
“Good. Now back to focusing on me!”
Emma laughs. I know she thinks I'm cocky and narcissistic. Most people do. When I joke about it with women, they usually at least find it funny. Most get turned on by it. I got a laugh out of Emma, which is good enough for me.
“So, tell me about your weight loss journey,” I say. “You obviously changed your diet. What about exercise? Cardio? Weights?”
“No weights. Just a lot of cardio. Running mostly, but some other stuff, too.”
“Have you ever lifted weights?”
“I don't think so. No.”
“Emma! Lifting weights is the best. It helps you build muscle, burn fat, get stronger – I could go on and on. There are literally too many benefits to list!”
“I don't know. It just always seemed like lifting weights was a guy's thing. I wouldn't know where to begin.”
“Hmmm. If only you had access to one of the most famous personal trainers in the fucking world.”
“What are you saying? You'll show me how to lift weights?”
“If you ask me nicely.”
Emma gives me a dirty look. I smile.
“Why don't we go to the gym after we have dinner. I'll show you a few key exercises.”
“You wanna go to our work while we’re on a date?”
“It doesn't have to be Fit World. There's a gym right down the street from here. Come on. It'll be fun. And it'll only make you a better dietitian.”
The waiter comes along and we order our food. Emma and I keep talking while we wait. Usually, the more I get to know a girl, the less interested I become. With Emma, the exact opposite is happening. The more I learn about her, the more I wanna know. I don't know what the fuck's wrong with me. There's just something about her that makes me feel different. It's a good different, for sure. But different than anything I've ever felt for any girl.
Our food arrives and the conversation slows a bit. We continue to talk, but the conversation's more laid back. Emma tells me what it's like to be a dietitian and I tell her what a day in the life of Chad Taylor's like. Most women just assume that my life is awesome – and it is – but they don't ask the kinds of questions that Emma's been asking. Thought-provoking questions. Ones that can't be answered with one or two words. I'm not used to it, but I like it.
Emma's phone rings and she tells me that it's Claire, her roommate. She says she has to take it and excuses herself from the table. A minute later, Emma returns.
“Everything alright?” I ask.
“Everything's fine, thank you,” she replies and smiles.
Looks like I just passed the save-me-from-this-terrible-date test. I've been out with enough women to know about all their little tricks. In case things aren't going great, the friend calls halfway through the date, offering an excuse to bail. Emma didn't pull the ripcord. That means she's having a good time.
We finish our meals and the waiter asks if we'd like dessert. Both Emma and I eat pretty healthy, so we decline. I wouldn't mind licking strawberry syrup off Emma's stomach, though. If I had to guess, I'd say she's never had anything but the most vanilla of sex. I can't wait to show her what it's like to be with an experienced, adventurous man in the bedroom. One that knows how to take charge and be dominant. Women like Emma – the quiet, reserved type – are always the kinkiest in the bedroom. They just need a man like me to come along and bring it out of them.
“Well, that was absolutely delicious,” Emma says. “This place was a great idea. I'm afraid to see what the bill looks like, though.”
“Have no fear, my dear,” I say, getting a quick half-smile out of Emma. “I'll take care of the bill. After all, I invited you here.”
“Thank you, Chad. You're a real gentleman. It feels weird saying it but, right now at least, it's true.”
“Yeah, well don't get used to it. And don't tell anyone else. I have a reputation to maintain, you know. Are you ready to go get a little sweaty?”
“I just realized: I don't have anything to change into. Neither do you for that matter. We can't work out in what we're wearing.”
She's right. I didn't think of that. Neither of us have our workout clothes with us. If we leave each other to go back home and change, the momentum of the date is gonna disappear. Generally, I don't like spending a lot of money on dates. Unless I'm shopping for myself or something, that is. But for Emma, I'm gonna make an exception.
“There's a clothing store right next to the gym down the street. I'll buy each of us some gym clothes.”
“I can't let you buy me an entire outfit, Chad. Thank you, but that's too much.”
“You know how much money I've made so far this year?”
“No, but I have a feeling you're gonna tell me.”
“Too much. Between the personal training, endorsements, sponsorships, and the new supplement line I'm launching, I have more money than I know what to do with. Besides, you already let me buy you an expensive dinner. It would be rude to say no.”
“That doesn't make sense. How would it be rude?”
“I don't fucking know, Emma. All I know is we're having a good time, right?”
After a brief pause, Emma agrees.
“So let's keep that going. Come on. It'll be fun picking out a new outfit. We'll find you something that really shows off that sexy fucking body of yours.”
Emma's eyes widen. That got her attention.
“You're around gorgeous women all the time with bodies that put mine to shame. Besides, you haven't even really seen my body. I don't dress provocatively like the girls in all your Instagram pictures.”
“Yet,” I say and smirk.
“Yet? Yet what?”
“I haven't seen your body yet.”
“Aren't we confident!”
“Yes we are.” I take her hand and hold it between both of mine. Looking Emma right in her beautiful eyes and slowing the cadence of my voice, I say, “Come on. Learning about some basic weight lifting principles will help you be a better dietitian. It will help you write a better book. And we're both gonna have an amazing time in the process. Don't worry about the money. I have too much of it. What do you say?”
Reluctantly, Emma agrees. With a little eye contact and physical touch, there are few things I can't get a woman to agree to. I pay the bill and we walk a couple blocks to a clothing store. We split up, her going to the women's section and me going to the men's. Within a couple minutes, I've picked out an outfit for myself. I go join Emma and help her pick something out.
“I don't know what to get,” she says.
“How about this?” I suggest, grabbing the first thing I see off the rack.
She laughs and says, “Oh, I don't think so. That'll be way too tight.”
“That's the point. It'll show off your curves.”
“You're calling me 'curvy?' Isn't that just another way of saying 'fat?'”
“I didn't call you 'curvy.' I said you have curves because you do.” I walk right up to Emma and put one hand at the top of her back and one at the top of her chest. Slowly, I move them down her body, putting emphasis on her tits and ass. “Bam! Bam! That's what I'm talking about. Those curves. You're curvy in all the right places. Certainly not fat.”
Emma blushes. I wasn't totally sure how she was gonna respond to me putting my hands on her body but she didn't seem to mind. Usually, I don't question myself: I just act. With Emma, though, I'm second guessing myself left and right. It's exciting.
“Can I try it on?” she asks.
“Of course. The dressing room is over there.”
Emma disappears into the dressing room and I have a seat while I wait. I'm eager to see what she looks like in the outfit I picked out. It's a tight pink top with black just-as-tight sweatpants. Almost like yoga pants but a little different. She comes out a minute later and I'm blown away. Emma's always dressed so modestly. I've never seen her wearing anything nearly as revealing. She looks fucking gorgeous.
“Well?” she asks. It's obvious, between her voice and body language, that Emma's a bit self-conscious.
“You look stunning. That's the outfit for you.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, for sure. Let's grab some sneakers and socks then get outta here.”
We find Emma a cute pair of pink and black sneakers that match her outfit perfectly. I get myself a pair to match mine and we head to the checkout counter. After I pay for everything, we walk down to the twenty-four hour gym. It's nowhere near as big as Fit World, but it'll do. The guy behind the counter recognizes me from YouTube and lets us come in and workout for free. Of course, it’s only after I take a picture with him. Emma and I go into the locker rooms and get changed. I'm done before her so I go get us a couple of water bottles from the machine. When she finally comes out a few minutes later, I'm blown away again. Emma looks so fucking good in that outfit that I wanna tear it off and fuck her right in the middle of the gym.