Chapter One
Eva
OKAY, SATAN. TODAY it is.
The vein at my temple throbs in response to my father’s announcement. I want to kill him, but I’m certain patricide remains illegal in the United States. Blowing out a long breath to compose myself, I tighten my grip on the phone and stifle the urge to let out a string of curse words that would make a Navy SEAL blush and clutch his Glock. Instead, I speak calmly. “You agreed to help me get settled. For a year at least. What’s changed?”
My father sighs on the other end of the line. “Well, the more I think about it the more I think this move is a bad idea. Giving you money would just enable you to make poor choices, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did that.”
He’s telling me this after I left my job in Philadelphia and relocated to Los Angeles, which I did based in part on his promise to help fund my move. Manipulation 101 is in session, and he’s mastered the material so well he could write encyclopedic volumes about it. “It doesn’t bother you at all that you’re reneging on a commitment?”
After a brief pause, he speaks in a soothing voice. “Sweetie, don’t be mad at me. The money will be here when you return.”
When you return. In other words, he’s expecting me to fail in LA and come crawling back to Philadelphia before long.
“As soon as you’re ready to take those accounting courses,” he continues, “I’ll gladly pay for them. But if you really want nothing more than to be a fitness instructor, it should be on you to make it work, don’t you think?”
Stay calm and don’t say anything you’ll regret, Eva. He’s trying to provoke you. Or he wants you to beg him to reconsider. “Right.” My tone is clipped and emotionless. “Okay, I need to get to work. My first class starts at six.”
“Give me a call when you’re not busy, okay?”
“Of course I will, Dad.” But in my head, I make plans to busy myself from now until eternity. “Take care of yourself.”
“You do the same, sweetheart.”
I end the call and shove my phone into the gym bag my best friend, Tori, gave me as a welcome gift. Rolling my shoulders to ease the tension in them, I scan the living area of my new one-bedroom apartment and mentally calculate how long I’ll be able to afford it. Without my father’s financial help, the answer is not long at all. Bye-bye, lovely fireplace. Au revoir, cute terrace overlooking my quaint neighborhood. Hasta la vista, community garden that doubles as a singles hangout.
No, I’m not going to let him steal my joy. Inspecting my reflection in the mirror, I set aside my financial woes and focus on the positives: I’m a single woman with a nice apartment and a fun job who’s embarking on an adventure in a new city. Also, my ass looks amazing in these yoga pants.
Satan can shove it.
WHEN I ARRIVE at Every Body, my new place of employment in West Hollywood, Tori waves at me from behind the reception desk, the studio’s general manager, Valeria, by her side. “You can’t begin to understand how happy I am to see you walk through that door and know that you’ll be working here now. My heart can’t take it.”
I’m just as thrilled as she is, honestly. Tori left town over a year ago to join the love of her life, megastar Carter Stone, in California. Philly wasn’t the same without her. When she brought me in to tour the space a few months ago, I could easily picture myself working here. “We’re stuck with each other, chica—for better or worse.”
She rounds the desk, hands me a manila envelope, and tackle-hugs me. “This is going to be great.”
My arms hang loosely at my sides, and my check is smashed against her chest. Damn, this bitch is tall. “Tori, I need air.”
“Oh, sorry about that.” She draws back, scans me from head to toe, and points at the envelope. “Your ID, access card, locker combo, and office codes are all in there. Valeria will get you copies of your employment forms. You know your way around, right? Because my class starts in a few minutes.”
I roll my eyes at her. “You have four exercise studios in a five thousand square foot space, woman. I think I can figure this place out on my own.”
She bumps my hip with hers. “Fine. I’ll introduce you in Advanced Zumba at five. The people in that class can’t wait to get started. I’ve been talking you up for weeks.”
A wave of jitters hits me. Advanced Zumba has always been one of my most popular classes, but what if the regulars here don’t like it? What if the music doesn’t suit their tastes? We did a few trial runs while I was considering Tori’s job offer, but maybe the students were just being polite when they said they enjoyed themselves. I don’t want to let Tori down.
Goodness, Satan’s working overtime today. I rub my temples, knowing I’m overthinking everything. Kill the drama, Eva.
After placing my belongings in a locker in the staff room, I stroll through the fitness center, trying to familiarize myself with the layout. It’s early afternoon, and the place isn’t packed yet. I duck into the studio where I’ll be teaching most of my classes and walk along the perimeter. Twice the size of my exercise room in Philly, it’s bright and airy, with floor-to-ceiling mirrors along the front and back, a soft blue wall to the right of the stage, and a glass door and frosted wall to the left. It’s perfect, and according to Tori, mostly mine.
I step onto the stage, its suspended wood floor easy on my joints, and bend at the waist to stretch my lower back.
A whoosh of cool air brushes over my shoulders. I straighten and turn to the door, my mouth falling open when I see Tori’s cousin Anthony watching me. His dark eyes are flickering with amusement, and his pretty lips are pursed in interest.
He strides into my room like he owns it, the outline of his long muscular legs visible through his navy blue dress slacks. If he were wearing thick black-rimmed glasses, I’d wonder if he were this decade’s Clark Kent.
“If you wanted to get my attention, all you had to do was say hello,” he says.
I cross my arms over my chest and smirk at him. “This might be hard for you to grasp, but some of us are perfectly capable of existing without your attention.”
He smiles at me as he removes his jacket. “But existing pales in comparison to living, no?”
I chew on my bottom lip to stop myself from making a smart-ass comment. Anthony can’t fathom anyone would be immune to his charms. I look between us, taking in the differences in our appearance. Wait. Why is he here? “Um, if you’re looking for Tori, she’s in Studio A.”
He drapes his jacket over a chair by the stage and stuffs his very large hands in his pockets. “I’m not looking for Tori. I’m teaching a free self-defense class for women at five.”
“Here?” I ask.
“Here.”
“In this room?”
He nods. “Yes, in this studio. Two times a week for the next six weeks.” He drops his chin a fraction, his eyes downcast. “Just my way of giving back.”
Right. How convenient that the class is geared to women. Very Anthony, indeed. “And sharing your many gifts with the ladies, I assume.”
He snorts under his breath, and then he gives me a playful smile. “That, too. So get used to this handsome face, Eva. We’ll be seeing each other a lot.”
My eyes flutter closed. “Lovely.”
Well played, Satan. Well played.