Their Secret Bargain

by Kay Lyons

  Whereas my Victoria’s Secret days are so over.

  Jenn tugged on the belt of her robe again. Did it make her hips look even bigger? Maybe she should leave it loose, so she didn’t emphasize the obvious?

  “I am the owner,” he agreed. “Which means my people run the gym. I realize you might not remember all of our discussion last night…”

  “I remember it.” She wished she didn’t, but she did.

  “Good. But let’s clarify some things. Your deal is with me in regard to my son, which means, if anyone trains you, it’ll be me.”

  She got the impression that he wasn’t happy about the decision, but he was sticking to it. Why, she didn’t understand. If he was the owner, couldn’t he make one of his trainers take on the job?

  Nick looked around the entry, over her head, then headed down the hall to where her kitchen counter could be seen. She followed blindly, stumbling and wincing because every step made her head hurt more. “But—”

  “You’re wasting time. Get your act together, Ms. Rose. Fourteen minutes.”

  She lost patience. “No! Oh, geez.” She grabbed her head and held fast. “I can’t. Not today. Not after last night. I just told you, this was a mistake.”

  He swung around. “We have a deal. Unless you can come up with a life-threatening illness to explain why I can’t train you, you’re out of luck.”

  She faltered, unable to find the words she needed. Who could argue, hungover and looking so horrible? “I’ve changed my mind. That’s good enough reason to me. I don’t want to do this. I don’t know what I was thinking. Obviously, I wasn’t thinking clearly, or I would’ve known better than to think it was possible to lose thirty pounds in two months.”

  “It’s possible.”

  That caught her attention and her rambling excuses came to a halt in her brain as she focused on his comment. “It is? Really?”

  “Really. I don’t recommend it, because slower is better, but it can be done. Especially if a person is morbidly obese, which you’re not. Your loss will probably happen more slowly. But it won’t happen at all if you don’t want to work with me. And why is that?”

  Did he really have to ask? “You want the truth?”

  “I’m not leaving without it.”

  She inhaled shakily and tried to pretend she was talking to an errant second grader instead of a forceful, dynamic man bent on making her keep her word. “Fine, I’ll—I’ll tell you. I don’t want you training me because, well, it’s obvious you don’t have a clue what I’m going through.” She couldn’t maintain eye contact. “I mean, look at you. We’re two totally different people and it’ll never work because you can’t possibly understand where I’m coming from. And when I don’t lose fast enough, I’ll be disappointed and when I’m disappointed or upset, I eat. So then I’ll binge and all I’ve managed to accomplish will be for nothing and then—”

  “Stop to take a breath, why don’t you?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Let me get this straight. You’re afraid of—”

  “Please, just go.”

  He didn’t budge. “So that’s it? You’re giving up before we even get started?”

  “Listen, I know what it’s like to fail, and I don’t want to fail at this, too. I can’t…I just can’t take another failure right now, okay?”

  Nick stared at her, his expression softening a tad. No, that had to be her imagination. Nothing about Nick Tulane was soft.

  “Huh.”

  She waited for the punch line, but when it didn’t come, she gritted her teeth. “Huh, what?”

  “I thought you had more spunk, that’s what. Especially after last night. It’s sad to think that the only way you have a backbone is if you have some alcohol in you.”

  Her mouth dropped. “I have a backbone.” It was just semi-crushed and alcohol-saturated at the moment.

  “Then prove it. I saw it last night when you talked to your ex, but I’m sure not seeing it now.”

  Doubts overwhelmed her, and with good reason. “I wasn’t myself last night.”

  “I guess not.” Nick stepped close and surprised her by sliding a hand under her chin, lifting her face toward his before he dropped his hands to his hips and glared at her, his expression every bit as intimidating as the drill sergeant he claimed to be. “What about that dress? The vacation you mentioned? Where was it to—Paradise Island?”

  She glanced down. “What about them?”

  “You going to hand them over to Dixon and the woman he tossed you aside for?”

  Anger filled her. “No.”

  “What was that?”

  “No,” she stated more firmly, ignoring the corresponding thud in her head. “I’m not handing Todd anything, but—”

  “You give up now, before we even take a walk, and that’s exactly what you’re doing, Jennifer Rose.”

  Chapter 6

  HE SAID HER FIRST AND last name as if he were calling her by her first and middle name. Smooth, fluid. His voice low and husky. Soothing and coaxing and, oh, so tempting. Did she dare to believe him?

  “You can work out and be healthy. But you have to want to do it.”

  “I do.”

  “That’s not true if you can give up so easily.”

  He was crazy. She wasn’t drunk now and she knew good and well it was going to take a lot more than spunk and backbone to get the weight off her. She wasn’t a picky eater. If only. No, she liked to eat. Her father used to tell her that she was on a see-food diet. Whenever she saw food, she ate it.

  As if in response to the topic, her stomach now growled long and loud. Heat crept into her face and she hated the stupid tears that were stinging her eyes. Her gaze shifted to where her fantasy gown hung at the mantel edge, there for her to admire as she’d sucked down her champagne.

  Following her stare, Nick whistled. “That it?”

  She nodded, mutely.

  “I gotta tell you, sweetheart, that’s one sexy dress.”

  Yeah, it was. That was the point. To feel sexy and to be sexy. Act it, live it. Did Nick have any idea how embarrassing it was that he now knew it didn’t come close to fitting her body or her state of mind? That she wanted to be the woman who’d wear that sexy dress, but inside she felt like the chunky burgundy-red couch beside it?

  “Give me the summer and you’ll see some great results. If you’re not happy, I’ll buy you another new dress that shows off every one of your luscious curves. It’s the least I can do if you get Matt back on track with his schoolwork. What do you say?”

  Luscious curves? She knew it was the flirt in him. Guys like Nick Tulane did that, especially in his profession. He had to flatter his clients, get them motivated so that they’d continue to patronize his gym. But he actually seemed to believe he could do it. That she could do it. And that was powerful, to have someone who believed in her.

  Her heart beat too fast, making her head ache still more. She breathed deep and sighed, feeling as if she was teetering on the edge of a cliff. One wrong move and she’d fall, but if she made the right one…Could she really change? Succeed? She was so tired of being the way she was. Tired of her clothes not fitting, of eating her way through the evenings in an attempt to make herself feel better, only to discover she felt worse. Tired of feeling like such a failure.

  You can do this. You know you can do this. You want to do this! Here’s your chance! Take it!

  “Well? Are you up for the challenge?”

  Swallowing, she released the air in her lungs and nodded once. “Where do we start?”

  DO YOU HAVE PLANS TONIGHT?” Nick asked just before noon.

  Jenn lowered the cold water bottle she’d been holding pressed to her head and frowned at him as they made their way inside her house. “Huh?”

  “Do you have plans tonight? A date?”

  “Um…No.” She tried to ignore the trickle of sweat that was slowly making its way down her neck onto her chest, lower, into the V of her T-shirt. Was it her imagination or was Nick watching its descent?r />
  She turned away on shaky legs, unable to believe she’d walked three miles instead of spending the morning in bed. Between all the water Nick had forced into her, the pain relievers she’d downed and the concoction he’d given her to “cure” her hangover, her headache was gone. But her body was ripe and soaked with sweat. Ick. A second shower was definitely on the agenda.

  “I thought we could fix dinner here together. Let Matt get to know you. Next week I’ll be overloaded at the garage when everyone decides to bring their cars for a checkup before vacation. I figured we could kill three birds with one stone.”

  “Three?” A bird sounded good right now. Roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Mashed potatoes and gravy. Stuffing. What was it about saying the word diet that immediately made her crave food? She headed for the kitchen. Dinner was a long time away.

  Nick shut the front door and followed her. “Yeah. Remember Suzanne’s stipulation? We need to be seen together and Beauty is small enough that parking my truck outside your house for an hour or so will definitely stir some interest. With Dixon, if no one else.”

  “You don’t have to worry about honoring Suzanne’s stipulation. You know how she is.”

  Nick grinned, the flash of the smile breaking over his tanned features wreaking havoc on her heart rate. She stumbled and nearly bumped into the wall.

  You’re not known for your grace, Jennifer. Megan is the dancer in the family.

  “That I do, which is exactly why I’m upholding my end of our deal. Is it a date?”

  Her face burned with embarrassment over her clumsiness and also the memory of her father’s comments, and she hoped he blamed the excess color on their morning trek.

  Would it really hurt for Todd to think she could attract such a gorgeous man as Nick? Even as a friend? “Yeah, sure. If you like.”

  Why not? She needed to meet Matt, and thanks to Nick’s relentless prodding and demands he’d already seen her at her worst. First, this morning fresh out of bed, and now covered in sweat and trembling from exhaustion. Three miles. Her legs felt weak and rubbery, but that was a good start, right?

  “We’ll pick you up at four.”

  “But I thought you said you were coming here for dinner?”

  “We are. But first we’re going grocery shopping for healthy food to replace all the unhealthy stuff you’ll be getting rid of.”

  “Um…Getting rid of?” For the first time since she’d entered her kitchen she noticed the bagged groceries that were covering her countertop. “You did that?”

  “Yeah. I did a little snooping in your fridge and cabinets while you showered earlier. We’ve got some purging to do.”

  “But that’s my food.”

  “We’ll get more food this afternoon. Healthy food,” he said pointedly. Then he walked over and gathered up the bags, eleven in total.

  Sugar, flour, cake mixes, cereal. Not the pasta! “But—”

  He gave her a look that forbade any protest. “It’s a life choice, Jenn. This—” he held up the bags, his arms straining slightly from the weight “—or that dress. Which do you choose?”

  She’d always known that life wasn’t fair, but this bit the big one. She was a smart college-educated woman. She knew the food in those bags wasn’t good for her and that she needed to eat healthier, but one glance at that packaged chocolate cake and she felt the pull of familiar comfort. And she wanted it. What about the times when she needed a friend and was too embarrassed to call Suzanne or her mother to talk about Todd’s behavior? Food had been her friend. And seeing Nick carrying those friends out the door brought more than a little spike of panic. “But shouldn’t we take this slow?” She ceased her protest at his piercing stare. “Fine. Whatever. I choose the dress.”

  “What? I couldn’t hear you with your teeth clenched.”

  “The dress.”

  “Thatta girl. Now, say goodbye to processed foods.”

  She closed her eyes, as if that would make it easier.

  Then her stomach growled. And growled. And Nick kept going, carrying her best friends out the door.

  Her hands fisted. You can do this.

  NICK FROWNED as he watched Jenn try to draw his son into a conversation. Matt had barely said a word to either of them since he’d been introduced and told that he wasn’t going to have to attend summer school. He’d seen the relief in his son’s expression. So what was the problem now? The kid still wasn’t happy.

  “Oh, come on. I won’t make your whole summer miserable.”

  Jenn smiled at Matt, the teasing curve to her lips drawing Nick’s attention away from the road to the ripe fullness of her mouth.

  She wasn’t his type. He preferred his women a little less uptight and a little more active, but there was something about her and the wounded look in her eyes that got to him. Maybe because he saw that same hollowness in the mirror every morning. Knew what it was like to not appreciate the image that stared back.

  Jenn didn’t like her physical appearance, but Nick didn’t like the part of himself that never measured up to his family’s standard, to his brothers and sister and their well-educated careers. A grease monkey didn’t compare to physicians, a globe-trotting travel writer, an attorney and whatever it was Luke did so well with computers.

  Somebody’s gotta be the black sheep. Might as well be you.

  Jenn leaned over the seat of the truck and nudged Matt’s shoulder. “You’ll only be miserable when I make you eat worms and snails and stuff like that.”

  For the first time Nick saw Matt struggling to hold back a grin.

  “Oh! I just thought of something. Your dad mentioned that you like guitar and country music. Is that true?”

  Matt gave her a hesitant nod and a shrug. “Sort of.”

  “Well, I was on the university campus the other day and saw a Keith Ashton poster. He’s going to perform there.”

  Matt’s eyes widened, duly impressed. “He’s good.”

  “I know. I have a few of his songs. It’s a small venue, too, and it makes me think that a field trip might be in order. Going to see his performance live might be the reward you could earn after working and studying hard all summer, don’t you think?”

  “I wouldn’t mind hearing him in concert myself,” Nick added, not about to let Jenn fork over the money required for those tickets. They wouldn’t come cheap, and he could afford it better than she could. Everyone knew teachers were underpaid for all they put up with in a day.

  “But what if I don’t do good on the papers and stuff you make me do? Do I still get to go?”

  “Will you—”

  “No,” Nick stated firmly, watching Jenn’s expression change from coaxing to mulish.

  “But Dad—”

  “The concert is a reward, like Ms. Rose said. It’s something you have to earn. If you don’t earn it, you don’t get to go.”

  Jenn shifted on the seat beside him, obviously upset by his decision. But he didn’t care. Matt needed something to prod him along and telling him he’d get to go to the concert either way wasn’t incentive in his opinion.

  Nick pulled into the grocery-store lot and parked.

  “Why were you on the campus?” Matt asked as he climbed out of the truck.

  Nick rounded the vehicle in time to hear Jenn’s response.

  “I’m taking a psychology class to put toward my master’s degree.”

  “But you’re already a teacher. Didn’t you graduate?”

  She laughed softly. “Yes, I did. But I like going to school and I love learning, and the degree would mean a pay raise and more options for the future.”

  Jenn fell into step beside Matt and the three of them headed toward the entrance. Nick saw their image in the reflection of the windows. They looked like a family. Dad, Mom and kid. The sight branded itself in his head.

  He’d known last night that the next couple months would be hard. She was a brainy teacher, whereas he was a high-school dropout. Spending so much time together meant that he’d have to fi
nd something to talk to her about because workout techniques and diet changes could only take up so much time. But he’d already figured out that Jennifer Rose had a wicked sense of humor, which came out in her dry wit. She had personality. And hips that swayed with every step.

  He smiled again. No doubt about it, Jennifer Rose was curvy and soft and womanly, definitely appealing. But too smart for him. Facts were facts. Who signed up for a psych class on her summer off? Who wanted to study and spend hot, lazy summer days with her nose in a book? When he’d asked what her schedule was like for the summer, he hadn’t considered the possibility that she’d be in school. Voluntarily to boot. Who did that?

  “I hate school.”

  “Now, don’t say that. School is fun. And so long as a person tries to learn new things, their possibilities in life are limitless. With the right education and hard work, you can be anything you want. Go any place you want. I take classes most every summer.”

  “But why?”

  Good question. Nick waited for her answer, the divide between them widening.

  “To keep busy.”

  Every summer? She couldn’t find anything better to do?

  “You want to go to class?”

  She laughed, the sound throaty and feminine and full of humor. “Yes, I do. And you want to hear something more amazing? I pay to go to school.”

  “Nu-uh.”

  “Yes, I do. It costs a lot of money to go to college, but I think a good education is worth it. And it’s a great way to meet people. My ex-husband and I actually met in class a long time ago.”

  “Not a great recommendation there,” Nick murmured low, so only she could hear. But it was true. How had she wound up with someone like Todd Dixon?

  Jenn made a wry face and acknowledged that with a nod.

  “Why don’t you do that, Dad? Don’t you like school? You could meet people. Maybe even a girl. Paul’s had three moms, so far, but I haven’t had any. Maybe if you went to college you’d meet me a mom.”