by Kacey Shea
“Alright, I’ll be your partner.” We smiled and shook hands.
“Now, set up a meeting with this woman as soon as you can. I’m bored as hell and need something to do other than throw drunk asses out of bars.” Jon actually seemed excited about this client prospect, which bolstered my own confidence. It was time to see what Stacey needed us to do.
“Wait, we need a cool name. If we’re going to sound legit, we need to have a cool name.” Jonathan rolled his eyes.
“We don’t need a cool name, Evie. We don’t even really need a name.”
“No, we do need a cool name. Every successful business has good branding, and what are we without a good, catchy name? I mean, we should probably have a tagline too.” Jon laughed at me as I tried to come up with something catchy.
“How about J&E Investigators—we find the assholes so they don’t go anywhere near yours.” Jon chuckled loudly at his own idea and it was my turn to roll my eyes. “J&E, huh. Why can’t it be E&J? Do you always have to be first?”
“Nah, Evie, I don’t have to be first. I just think it sounds better. We could be super official sounding and go with something like ‘Beltran & Harper, Incorporated’ or ‘Harper & Beltran.’ I like that. It has a nice ring to it.”
“Yeah, and our tagline could be something like, Harper & Beltran Investigators—let us do the stalking so you don’t seem like the crazy one.” We both laughed over that and I stood to grab my phone. “Because nothing starts off a great relationship better than hiring an investigator to conduct a background check. I swear some people have too much money.” I shook my head at the thought, but Jon’s face turned contemplative.
“No, let’s not judge our clients. We don’t know their past experiences or their reasons. Everyone has secrets. Everyone has a past. There are some really bad people in the world. I’ve seen that evil first hand. If we can help someone avoid pain by doing a little investigating, and make some money while we do it, I say that’s a damn fine way to make a living.”
Jon was right. Who was I to judge? I took my phone into my room and set up an appointment to meet with Stacey.
The next morning we met Stacey Mills-Sandoval at a quaint hipster coffee shop and I continually reminded myself over and over of Jon’s words. Don’t judge, don’t judge. I was totally judging.
Stacey was the sole heiress to the Mills-Sandoval fortune and commercial real estate empire. The twenty-one-year-old spent much of her time pursuing a career in modeling. She was attractive on first impression, but after listening to her go on and on for the past twenty minutes, I noticed her nose was a little too big for her face, her smile too forced, hair dyed slightly too blond, and her breasts most noticeably too large and most definitely cosmetically enhanced. I actually felt sorry for her, because that had to hurt. It had to be really uncomfortable carrying those girls around day in and day out on her tiny, petite frame.
Stacey was a spoiled little rich girl who had grown into a spoiled little adult. See, me, judging.
“So, like, my thing is that I need to find a soulmate. I mean, my beauty isn’t going to last forever and I want to look damn good in my wedding photos, if you know what I mean?” She paused to look down at her cell phone and send off a text before continuing. “Sorry, so like, I have no time for little boys. My thing is I want a man, one who keeps himself in shape and has aspirations. Life goals, you know what I mean?” She eyed Jon a little too eagerly for my taste and then checked her pinging phone once more. This conversation had been going nowhere for entirely too long.
“Stacey, we’re interested in the job and would like to take you on as a client. Why don’t you tell us exactly who we will be investigating and what information you want us to find, and I’m sure we can get started on this right away.” I hoped this direction would help wrap things up.
“Okay, so like, there’s this trainer at my gym and everyone is talking about him, his name is Tate Reynolds, but like, he’s really private so no one knows what he does when he’s not at the gym. He’s like the best trainer they have, and really professional so like, I can’t tell if he wants to get with me or not. My thing is, I need to find out if he’s single, if he’s straight, is he married? Does he have a kid? I mean, I don’t do kids, and my thing is, I need a man who hasn’t knocked up his past girlfriend, you know what I mean?” Oh dear god, please shoot me now. Jon saved me from trying to reply nicely to her.
“Got it. Sexual preference, relationship status, look into all past relationships, current living situation, extracurricular activities and find out if he’s sired any children. We can do that.” I was glad for his summary until he added, “Anything else?”
“So like, my thing is, I need to know that he doesn’t need my money. Like, I can’t date anyone poor or in debt, because I’d never know if they wanted me for me, you know what I mean? Also, like, I have an image to uphold with my family being pillars in the community. It just looks bad for me to be gallivanting around with some charity case, you know what I mean?” Stacey glanced down to continue her important job of texting. I made a face at Jon to show my complete irritation. A grin spread across his face.
“Okay, Miss Mills-Sandoval, I think that’s all we need for now. We have your contact information and will have our lawyers send over our contract, all standard. Please have your lawyers review before you sign if that makes you more comfortable. As soon as we receive the contract and the transfer of our retainer, we will get started and keep you posted of progress throughout the investigation.” Stacey’s eyes snapped up at Jon’s mention of lawyers and a giant grin lit her heavily made up face.
“Oh yes, I’m impressed. Kate mentioned you were the best. I should have known she wasn’t lying. You know, if you do well by me, I know lots of important people who would also be in need of your services. Kate is just the greatest. She didn’t mention how she found you though. How do you know her?”
“We like to keep things professional, and can’t discuss our personal life or any past clients. We wouldn’t be great PIs if we did.” He flashed Stacey another charming grin and she returned his smile. I was relieved; I had no desire to spend any more time with this woman. As if he could read my mind, Jon stood and I followed his lead. “We’ll be in touch.” We both shook her hand and hurried out the door and to my car.
I closed the driver’s door, buckled up and turned the ignition key. My head was pounding with a headache from having to listen to that woman’s mindless, self-centered chatter. I turned to check my mirrors before backing out of the space when Jon piped in, “So like, my thing is, I need a fucking drink even though I’m not an alcoholic and it’s not even ten in the morning, like, you know what I mean?”
We both burst out laughing and continued to make Stacey comments the entire way home. One thing was sure; Stacey Mills-Sandoval was not going to be a boring client. I just hoped we wouldn’t want to kill ourselves before we finished the job.
“OKAY, WHAT’S THE GAME PLAN?” I had just opened my front door to reveal my partner in crime for the day, or partner in undercover, if you will. I’m sure my mouth was still hanging open as I tried to take in Kate’s gym outfit. Bright, neon pink, skin tight leggings paired with matching lipstick, headband, and sports bra. Her slim waist and rock hard abs on full display with a confidence only Kate could carry. Her hair was blown out and she looked flawless. I was only confused at how she was going to work out and maintain the look.
“What? You don’t like my outfit? I think I look smoking.” Kate smiled as she pulled down her black shades to further assess my clothing choices. “Oh my God, Evie. What in the hell are you wearing?”
I had thrown on black yoga pants, which had admittedly never been worn to a yoga class, along with a faded gray t-shirt from our Alma Matter, the University of Colorado. I wasn’t wearing any makeup and had pulled my hair back into its usual low ponytail. “We’re supposed to be doing re-con on this Tate guy, not causing a spectacle, Kate! How are we supposed to sneak around and ask questions when every eye
in the gym is going to be focused on you?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it that way.” She contemplated. “I guess I can cause a distraction. Allow you to sneak around unnoticed. Well, no one is going to notice you wearing that getup, so you are all set, Evie.” I gave her a stern look as she continued, “I can’t go to a gym if I have to dress like that. If I’m lucky I could meet my next playmate and I need to be prepared. Hopefully he’ll be covered in muscles and tattoos.” She smiled at me as I shook my head in frustration.
“Fine. Wear what you want, but please behave yourself.” I turned to lock the door and followed her out to the car. “Jonathan is already at the gym. He said it would look suspicious if we all came together and he wanted to get a good lift in—his words not mine—before the gym got busy.”
We buckled up and started the short drive to Lift Me Up, the newest trendy gym located in the recently renovated downtown district. I never kept up on the shops and businesses in this area, but with Kate’s job she made it a point to know all the latest and greatest hot spots. She filled me in on how this place had only opened two months ago and already it was the go-to gym in the area for singles in their twenties and thirties. They only hired the most good looking, fit, and talented trainers and offered all sorts of group classes, from Pilates and yoga to spin and kickboxing. So far their marketing plan seemed to be working. The trainer we were looking into was scheduled to teach a spin class this Saturday morning.
We pulled into the parking lot and I gripped the wheel. My nervous energy hit me in the gut like a ton of bricks. I was going to puke. Noticing my distress, Kate placed her hand on my arm. “It’s going to be fine, Evie. Just walk in and treat this like any other job. Be your determined, professional, take charge self. You’ve got this.” I smiled at her words of encouragement as she continued. “And worst case scenario, you trip, fall flat on your face, and we all laugh about it later!” I laughed. “Oh thank you so much, Kate. That’s a comforting thought.”
“I do what I can. Oh, oh! I know what will be fun. Let’s come up with code words!” She was practically jumping up and down in her seat. Kate had watched too many bad cop dramas. Her attempt to calm my nerves was working though. I grinned at her enthusiasm.
“Okay, we can have code words. What are you thinking?”
“Hmmm . . . well, let’s say you need me to cause a scene. You say flamingo.”
“Flamingo?”
“Yeah, well, animal names are hard to forget. Besides I’m wearing my pink outfit today,” she stated, as if that explanation made complete and perfect sense. Kate always knew how to lighten things up when I was anxious. It was one of the reasons I loved her.
“Okay, flamingo it is. But let’s say I need to get out of a situation, like you know how awkward I can be when meeting someone new, and I need your help ASAP. We need a code for that.” My nerves were coming back in full force. Just breathe. I closed my eyes, taking slow deep breaths in and out of my mouth.
“Yeah, okay. Let’s see. We need a phrase that you wouldn’t normally say. One that wouldn’t come up casually since this would be a full retreat situation. How about you say ‘shrimp on the barbie’ in your horrible Australian accent if that happens? People are probably going to think you’re crazy at that point anyway.”
We were still giggling as we exited my car and walked through the doors of Lift Me Up. As I surveyed our surroundings, I was immediately impressed. The décor was urban and industrial, displaying metal beams and high ceilings with exposed duct work. However, it was really clean, and the shades of green and blue used on the walls along with hardwood flooring entertained a Zen-like feeling. The large, open entryway we walked into had a front workspace counter. Behind the counter were glass windows stretching from floor to ceiling and exposed the free weights, resistance machines, and treadmill sections of the gym. To the right and left were doors leading to what looked to be at least four studio classrooms.
An attractive young woman with a nose ring, big almond shaped eyes, and gorgeous long, jet black hair looked up and smiled at us from behind the counter. “Good morning, welcome to Lift Me Up. My name is Carrie. What can I help you with?” We walked to the counter.
“Hi, my friend and I have heard great things about this place and were wondering if we could try a class today?”
“We’ve heard amazing things about the spin class.” Kate added with a wink, causing Carrie to grin.
“Oh yes, so you’ve heard about our prized trainer already? Well, just to warn you, he’s not just a hot bod. He’s one of the best trainers I’ve ever worked with, so be ready to not be able to walk tomorrow and to shed at least a gallon of sweat.” She reached under the desk and pulled out two forms before placing the papers in front of us. “Please just fill these out and I’d be happy to show you around the facility and go over membership options while you wait. The spin class doesn’t start for another thirty minutes, so we have plenty of time.” She stepped away to answer the ringing phone.
Kate and I focused on filling out the insurance waiver and emergency contact forms over the next few minutes. As we finished, I noticed an older gentleman wearing a gym polo greet Carrie. “Good morning, Nick,” she replied and then introduced us as she took our completed forms. “Evelyn and Kate, this is Nick Bradshaw. He is the brilliant mind and owner of this fine establishment.” She turned to Nick, “Kate and Evelyn heard about our classes and are here to try the spin class this morning.”
Nick smiled in a most charming way, generous laugh lines framing his eyes and mouth. “Why don’t you show these beautiful ladies around then, and I’ll keep things running up here?” Carrie nodded and motioned for us to follow her.
While walking through the building Carrie was outgoing and friendly, asking each of us about our fitness goals and favorite types of exercise. When we passed through the free weight section I noticed Jonathan right away. He was completely focused on his repetitions, moving back and forth quickly between sets of bicep curls and pull ups. He had his ear buds in and a ball cap pulled down low on his head, shading his eyes from plain view. He wore a fitted T-shirt and a pair of sweats hung low on his hips. Each time he went to hang for the pull ups, a few inches of his trim waistline peeked through.
I was slightly embarrassed to be admiring my best friend this way but couldn’t seem to peel my eyes away. He was a sight to behold, and when I looked around I took note that I was not the only pair of eyes drawn to him. Even our tour guide, Carrie, seemed to have a hard time focusing on her task at hand.
“Hey there, hot stuff!” Kate couldn’t seem to resist calling out as we walked by, earning us a quick smile and wink from Jon.
“Oh, wow! He’s got a great smile,” Carrie whispered reverently.
“I think he’s got more than just a nice smile; he’s got a nice everything!” Kate teased. I had to grin as Carrie looked at us with embarrassment and quickly apologized. “Excuse me. That was completely unprofessional. I’m so sorry. We make it a point not to ogle guests.”
“We won’t hold it against you.” I smiled warmly at Carrie as we made our way back to the front where all the studios were located. Each studio had windows that faced the exterior of the building, allowing full view to anyone walking down the street. I’m sure it was a way to obtain free advertising, but it seemed like a stupid set up to me. I could do without the window view. I hated people watching me workout. I already knew I was horribly uncoordinated and slightly out of shape. I didn’t think others should be subjected to watching me. I guess I was just a private person, and working out was something I preferred to do within the privacy of my own home.
When we arrived back at the studios, the front room had completely filled with guests in the short time we were gone. The space was packed with people chatting loudly amongst their individual circles of friends. The crowd gathered consisted of ninety percent good looking women in all different shapes, sizes, and ages. The remaining ten percent were attractive, athletic men, and if I wa
s a betting woman I would wager the majority were homosexual. I looked down at my dopey workout clothes and wondered if I should have taken a lead from Kate. In my hope to go unnoticed, I actually stood out the most in this crowd. Carrie shook our hands and excused herself to head back to the front desk. Kate noticed one of her clients from across the crowd and went over to say hello, leaving me in the middle of the crowd, feeling more than a little self-conscious and out of my element.
The area was packed tightly and I could no longer see Kate from where I stood. When the full volume around me hushed and turned to whispers, I looked around to see what had quieted the crowd. The change in atmosphere was palpable. A man wearing oversized black sweatpants paired with a pale blue fitted long sleeve shirt strutted through the crowd and towards the studio door.
The first thing I noticed about him was his eyes. They appeared soft and kind, a beautiful shade of green framed by dark lashes that would make any girl jealous. The softness in his eyes stood out in sharp contrast to the hard lines of his toned muscles which were visible even through his shirt.
He was tall, I would guess at least six feet, with broad shoulders and short brown hair that wasn’t styled and stood in all directions. He had scruffy facial hair like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, and two dimples that appeared each time he smiled. Which it seemed he did often. He greeted several people with that smile as he strolled in my direction. So, this must be the elusive Tate Reynolds. Well, I could certainly see what the fuss was all about. If you googled ‘perfect male body,’ I had no doubt this man would be in the top search results.
As he passed by his eyes locked with mine for a split second and I swear I felt my insides turn to goo. Ugh, I would not be one of these ridiculous gym groupies. I chastised myself for getting caught up in his beautiful looks and started following the shuffle of people as we filtered through the now open spin studio door.
