by Eve Vaughn
“Well, uh, it was great seeing you again and I’m so happy for all your success, but I think I should be going. I have quite a few papers to grade.”
He smiled, brushing his fingers over her arm. “Don’t you want to work out? I mean, that is why you’re here, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but I think I’ll have to reschedule.”
“Why? I know you requested to work with a woman, but I promise—I’ll make this a fun experience for you.”
How could she get out of this without looking like an idiot? She couldn’t very well tell him how attracted she was to him.
Life had a way of throwing curve balls. Why did the first man she’d found attractive have to be her former student? One who was ten years her junior! This had to be wrong on so many levels. “I just don’t think it would be a good idea.”
The smile fell from his lips. The jovial gleam in his deep green eyes had completely vanished. “I see. Well, if that’s what you’d prefer, I’ll look through the book and we can go over the availability of some of our female trainers.”
She’d hurt him in her attempt to shield herself. It hadn’t been her intention. Gloria knew she was being stupid, but dammit, how in the world would she get through a decent workout with him if her mind was full of carnal images? Perhaps, if she thought of him as the boy she once knew instead of the man he’d become, it just might work.
This was Landon, after all. Why not work out with him? Nothing would come of this attraction she felt for him anyway. Gloria seriously doubted she was his type.
Landon walked behind the desk and pulled out a large black binder. “I’m sure we can find someone in here to suit your needs.” His voice was deadpan, all emotion gone.
Gloria bit her bottom lip. Should she say something or forever hold her peace?
“I think I may have found someone for you. Her name is Sally. She’s been with us for a couple years and she’s really great with people. I have no doubt the two of you will get along.”
“Landon, I…Well, maybe we can work out this one time. I’m here, aren’t I?” She shifted her feet, trying to quell the nervousness building within the pit of her stomach.
He lifted one dark blond brow. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to do something you’re uncomfortable with. Please don’t feel pressured into working out with me because we know each other. The most important thing is ensuring you’ll be comfortable with your trainer.”
Landon was giving her an out and part of her said take it, but the other half couldn’t walk away from him so easily. “I believe, I’ll do just fine with you. I was being silly. I’d love to begin my training.”
His smile returned, making beads of sweat pop out of her pores. Her pulse raced. Sweet Lord above, that man was gorgeous.
“Great, I’ll be sure to make this an unforgettable experience.”
That’s exactly what she was afraid of.
Chapter Three
“Okay, before we begin our workout, I like to do a whole body and health assessment on my clients. If you don’t mind following me to my office, we can begin.”
Gloria raised a brow. “Why do we have to go to your office?”
“I can take your information down better that way. As you can see, there are a row of cubicles to the side where the trainers do their first session evaluations with their clients. I have my own office which is a perk of being the boss.” He winked at her. “Relax, Gloria. I won’t bite…unless you want me to.”
She giggled. “Stop it. I’m old enough to be your mom.”
Landon raised a brow. “Not even close.”
“Okay, maybe an older Aunt. I bet you’re popular with the ladies around here, if you flirt like that with all of your clients.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that she was the only client he’d ever flirted with. He usually kept things very professional but it was just something about Gloria that brought out the tiger in him. She was his prey and he wanted nothing more than to chase. But, something told him to go slow. She seemed skittish enough without him making things any more awkward. Besides, for all he knew his interest in her was completely one-sided. “Actually, you’d be the first.”
She snorted with a roll of her eyes. “You’re full of it. Okay, take me to your office.”
Landon decided not to push the issue any further so he led her upstairs and closed the door once they were in his office. “Please have a seat.” He pointed to the chair in front of his desk. He couldn’t help but notice the way her breasts jiggled as she plopped down in the seat and he quickly sat down behind his desk before she noticed the beginning of a hard on in his pants.
“So, I noticed that you have a 30 day free membership but unfortunately that doesn’t include the personal training.”
“That’s okay. I knew that the training would be extra.”
“But I can deeply discount the sessions, if you’re interested in being a beta tester for a new program we’re adding on to our training services.”
She raised a brow. “How much of a discount?”
“100%”
“Wow that seems very generous. But what’s the catch? You’re not doing this because we have history?”
“I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t part of the reason but Pete, my partner, and I have been expanding the business and making our gyms stand out from other workout facilities. We want this to be a full immersive experience for our clients. So, we’ve been working in conjunction with some very talented chefs to create a meal plan program. A few of our long time clients are testing the products which in include healthy but delicious meals that will leave you completely satisfied. No calorie counting and it’s full of the nutrients your body needs. If it’s successful with our beta testers, then we intend to offer it to all those who are interested in purchasing the plan. And based on the feedback, the most popular meals will be included on the menu for the restaurants we’re opening in the gyms.”
“Wow, that’s an ambitious endeavor.”
“We have to think big in order to compete in this market.”
“Well, I don’t see why I shouldn’t do this. Okay, Landon, sign me up.”
“Great. Your first set of meal kits will be delivered to you next week. In the meantime, I can provide you with a chart of food that will boost your energy and make you feel better.”
“Sounds good.”
“Now that that’s out of the way, why not tell me your goals. Why do you want to work with a trainer? Is it for weight loss, to build stamina or just feel better in general?”
Gloria shrugged. “I guess it’s all three of those things. As you can see, I’ve put on quite a bit of weight since you last saw me.”
“You’re a little heavier, yes, but I don’t see anything wrong with what I’m looking at.” He couldn’t help licking his lips as he eyed her generous curves. He liked his women to look like women. And Gloria was all woman.
She squirmed in her chair. “Well, uh, what now?”
“You tell me what areas you want to focus on.”
“I’d like to lose some belly fat and slim down my waist line. And just firm up arms and thighs.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I guess that only leaves the weigh in. Now mind you, the only times you’ll be weighed is at the beginning of our time and then our last session or per your request. Because it’s not about the number on the scale, but how you feel and how your clothes fit.”
“That seems like a different take on weight loss.”
“Not really. Because you can see two people who weight exactly the same thing but their bodies look completely different. You have to take many things into consideration like age, gender, body type, and ethnicity. All of these are factors in a person’s individual weight loss journey.”
“Wow, you seem to really know your stuff.”
“Well, I double majored in business and in physical education and I’ve taken a few physiology classes before getting my certifications to become a trainer.”
“Oh wow. That sounds impressive.”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “When I went to college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life as far as a long term career at first. I was just happy to get accepted somewhere which would enable me to rise above my circumstances. Pete, was my roommate and he was a bit of a gym rat. I started going to the gym with him and I really got into it. One day, a woman saw me working out and asked me how to get her arms more toned. I showed her one of the exercises I did and I liked the interaction. It was kind of like teaching but it incorporated something I enjoyed doing. So, I guess in a way, I’m a teacher like you.” He beamed, pleased that he could show Gloria that he wasn’t the punk kid she used to know.
She smiled back, revealing the dimples that enhanced her beauty. How he was going to get through this training session without bending her over and riding that luscious backside would be a feat of his willpower.
“I probably said it already but I’ve very proud of you.”
“That really means a lot coming from you. You’re still teaching, I take it?”
“Yes, tenth grade English. I was fortunate to get a job in a really great school district. And on the plus side, the high school is only ten minutes away. And my son’s school is within walking distance.”
“How old is your son?”
“He’s 9 going on 30 and he’s so smart, it’s scary. He’s already skipped a grade and is in the gifted program but I’m afraid that his school work is still not much of a challenge to him. I’m considering getting him tested to possibly transfer him to high school. But, I’m worried because he’s still a little boy and those older kids would chew him up and spit him out.”
“That’s amazing, but I’m sure with you as his mother he’ll be just fine. Maybe give it until the end of the school year before you make a decision. What does his father think about it?” Landon really wasn’t interested in hearing about Gloria’s ex but he needed to know if she was still as enamored with that asshole as she was all those years ago.
Gloria snorted and rolled her eyes. “Cordell could care less. He can barely be bothered to pay his child support on time. He has his sexy new wife and apparently, he’s living his best life. He maybe calls CJ once a month, if that.”
“And, how do you feel about that?”
“Angry, of course. CJ doesn’t bring it up much but I know his father’s absence bothers him. My baby is so sensitive that he thinks by mentioning Cordell that it would hurt my feelings. I feel awful about that. I want him to be able to share his feelings with me but I don’t want to push it either. I try not to say anything negative about my ex because I figure CJ will eventually realize the truth in the long run, if he hasn’t already.”
Landon was angry on Gloria and CJ’s behalf. What kind of man would abandon the responsibility of his child let alone leave a woman like Gloria. If she was his, he’d treat her like the goddess she is and never let her go. “I’m sorry you’re dealing with that but if I may be frank, you’re better off without someone like him. Besides, there are plenty of men out there who would love to be with you and treat you like gold.” He stared at her pointedly not bothering to hide his admiration for her. Maybe it was crazy that he was still so wildly attracted to Gloria after all this time but now that she was here and available, he didn’t see why he shouldn’t take a chance. When they’d met he’d been too young and she wasn’t single. She’d only seen him as a boy but now it was time that she got to know the man.
For her part, Gloria squirmed in her chair which made it seem as if she was uncomfortable but perhaps she was already aware of him as a man. Or, it could be wishful thinking on his part. Whichever reason it was, he realized he’d have to tread lightly and go slow. It was obvious that she bore some residual wounds from her marriage and he needed to handle her with care. “Uh, well, enough about me. We should probably get the weigh in over with. I mean, you probably have time constraints and other clients after me.”
“Actually, you’re my only client today so that won’t be an issue. But yeah, let’s do this.”
Gloria seemed hesitant to get on the scale but he assured her that it would be okay. Once that part was over and he didn’t make a big deal about it, she visibly relaxed. Afterward, Landon led her back down stairs and showed her the equipment they would work on then demonstrated some exercises for her to follow. Once they got into the workout, Landon was all business but he couldn’t help admiring the way her ass looked when she did squats or the way she bit her bottom lip when she pushed through a challenging move. He had to think about off-putting scenarios just to keep himself from getting hard. Once they made it through the workout, Landon was sweating almost as hard as Gloria but for entirely different reasons.
He was happy when she wanted to reschedule with him instead of with a female trainer. It was something he was looking forward to. Though he was sad their time had ended, Landon breathed a sigh of relief to see her go because that woman did things to his libido that made him feel like a teenager all over again.
As he headed back to his office, he ran into Pete.
“Hey, man. You were with that client for quite a while.”
“Yes, she was a first timer so I had to give her a thorough assessment.”
Pete smirked. “Seems to me you were assessing her alright. I didn’t realize you were a chubby chaser.”
Landon glared at his friend. Pete was a decent guy but sometimes he could be shallow as hell. “Watch what you say about her.” He didn’t bother to keep the aggression from his voice.
Pete held up his hands and widened his eyes. “Whoa. No need to get angry. I’ve just never seen you look at one of the clients like that before. You can’t blame me for being surprised when I’ve never seen you date anyone who looked like her before.”
Landon crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you mean someone like her?”
“Come on, you know exactly what I mean. You’re not blind,” Pete shot back defensively.
“Because she’s black?”
“You know I’m not a racist. Stop being so obtuse, man. I never thought you liked someone that big.”
“This is my last warning. Watch what the fuck you say about Gloria!”
“Gloria?” Pete snorted. “You act like you guys are old friends or something. Who is this woman to you anyway?”
Landon looked his friend square in the eyes and said with determination, “My future wife.” And with that, he walked past Pete making sure to bump his shoulder.
Chapter Four
“What’s the matter, hun? You’ve barely touched your meal. I know this is your favorite.” Lena Redmond looked at her daughter’s plate which consisted of barbeque pork ribs, collard greens and candied yams.
Ever since she’d moved back to the east coast with her son, Gloria resumed having Sunday dinners with her mother again. Rae joined them for the free meal but Lena never minded because she always cooked enough to feed an army.
“I guess don’t have much of an appetite.” She pushed her food around her plate with her fork. In most circumstances, she would have finished this plate and gotten a second helping because her mother was an amazing cook but for some reason her appetite simply wasn’t there.
“Well, whatever you don’t finish, I’ll eat,” Rae piped up with her mouth full of ribs.
“Don’t speak with your mouth open, Rae.” Lena scolded gently before turning her attention back to her daughter. “Sweetie, something is obviously wrong because your head hasn’t been with us since you arrived.”
What was wrong with her? Gloria couldn’t quite pinpoint when she fell into this funk but it was around the time she started going to the gym. She’d had two workout sessions with Landon and though he’d been nothing but professional with her, she couldn’t help but think that he was flirting with her at times. He’d always compliment her and tell her how nice she looked.
And then, there was the way he’d look at her with that intense green stare of his as if he was
interested in her as a woman and not just his old mentor and gym client. She’d get wet and not just with sweat. But surely, she had to be imagining things because there was no way he could possibly want her. Cordell had pretty much drilled it into her head that no man would find someone like her anything other than sloppy and unappealing. Landon was just being nice she was certain.
She had to be nuts for even thinking about her former student like that anyway. He was ten years her junior, attractive and probably had a type that looked nothing like her. But, why did that thought depress her so much?
