well as my shoulder.
I watch as she passes Jonathan, gives him a flick of her hair and a warm smile, before hurrying over to me.
Ah, she likes him I quickly realize. For a second I puzzle over what that has to do with me, after all I don’t know him. You made him laugh my internal voice prods, confirmed by Sandra’s next words when out of everyone’s hearing range.
“I don’t know what you said to make him laugh, and it doesn’t matter,” she growls the words out, while painfully grasping my elbow to drag me further away. “Keep your beady eyes off of him.”
Wrenching my arm out of her grip, I stop and stare at her. “If you’re interested in him, tell him. Don’t come along hassling me because he laughed.” I growl back furiously. I will never let someone treat me like shit again echoes in my head.
“Buck up or get lost, your choice. I’m only here for the class. Now piss off!” I shout the last part, creating deafening silence and all eyes to land on the two of us. I will feel mortified in a few minutes, give or take, but at this moment, I’m too annoyed to care.
This realization makes me pause. I don’t care about making a scene. Of bringing attention to me being bullied, and more importantly standing up for myself. Feeling proud of myself, I walk away.
It would have gone perfectly, if I didn’t walk straight into a very hard brick wall of a man’s unmovable chest.
Bouncing off it I’m steadied by strong hands, I look up into the hazel eyes of Mark Jenkins. Suddenly I badly wish for the floor to open and swallow me whole.
****
Steadying the woman, who’d bounced off my chest, my hands tighten around her upper arms. There’s no way I’m letting my little waitress escape without knowing she’s okay. The woman who’d quietly threatened her is still glaring, though looking slightly confused.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Thank you.” She adds, as if an afterthought. “Now if you don’t mind releasing me I have to go,” she informs me, while trying to step out of my grip.
Looking down at her, I’m about to reassure her when I realize, nothing I say will do so. I’ve seen those dark shadows in others eyes. Not knowing what or most likely who caused them, I release her, stepping to the side so she can pass.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Is all I say. I watch my words penetrate her brain and register. See a flicker of surprise, a quick flash of her beautiful eyes as they connect with mine, and an ever so slight, barely there flicker of a smile and inclination of her head.
“I’m sorry about the lasagna,” is her simple reply, before walking past me, and into the changing rooms.
For some reason I can’t explain to myself, her simple response makes my day. A grin spreads across my face, pleasure races through my body. The shout of my name startles me.
Glancing up, I see my friend bearing down on me. I watch in amusement, looks of longing on a number of the women’s faces, as they watch him move.
“Mark, I’m glad you could make it,” Jonathan informs me, a huge grin spreads across his face, as he slaps me on the shoulder. “Let me give you a quick look around.” With a final nod toward the women, he guides me toward the other end of the room and a closed door.
Pushing through it, we enter a fully equipped gym, filled with weights, treadmills, kickboxing equipment, and a sparring ring.
“Very nice,” I mutter looking around in appreciation. “So what exactly do you need me for?” I cross my arms while looking at my friend, before letting my gaze flicker once more around the gym, and out the door, toward where the women had been sparring. Once more my gaze comes back to rest on Jonathan.
A smile starts to spread across his face. “I want, no need two things from you,” he replies, glances out the door, “Make that three. First what was going on when you came in, between the two women?”
“One of the women threatened the other to stay away from you.
I watch as she passes Jonathan, gives him a flick of her hair and a warm smile, before hurrying over to me.
Ah, she likes him I quickly realize. For a second I puzzle over what that has to do with me, after all I don’t know him. You made him laugh my internal voice prods, confirmed by Sandra’s next words when out of everyone’s hearing range.
“I don’t know what you said to make him laugh, and it doesn’t matter,” she growls the words out, while painfully grasping my elbow to drag me further away. “Keep your beady eyes off of him.”
Wrenching my arm out of her grip, I stop and stare at her. “If you’re interested in him, tell him. Don’t come along hassling me because he laughed.” I growl back furiously. I will never let someone treat me like shit again echoes in my head.
“Buck up or get lost, your choice. I’m only here for the class. Now piss off!” I shout the last part, creating deafening silence and all eyes to land on the two of us. I will feel mortified in a few minutes, give or take, but at this moment, I’m too annoyed to care.
This realization makes me pause. I don’t care about making a scene. Of bringing attention to me being bullied, and more importantly standing up for myself. Feeling proud of myself, I walk away.
It would have gone perfectly, if I didn’t walk straight into a very hard brick wall of a man’s unmovable chest.
Bouncing off it I’m steadied by strong hands, I look up into the hazel eyes of Mark Jenkins. Suddenly I badly wish for the floor to open and swallow me whole.
****
Steadying the woman, who’d bounced off my chest, my hands tighten around her upper arms. There’s no way I’m letting my little waitress escape without knowing she’s okay. The woman who’d quietly threatened her is still glaring, though looking slightly confused.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Thank you.” She adds, as if an afterthought. “Now if you don’t mind releasing me I have to go,” she informs me, while trying to step out of my grip.
Looking down at her, I’m about to reassure her when I realize, nothing I say will do so. I’ve seen those dark shadows in others eyes. Not knowing what or most likely who caused them, I release her, stepping to the side so she can pass.
“I’m glad you’re okay.” Is all I say. I watch my words penetrate her brain and register. See a flicker of surprise, a quick flash of her beautiful eyes as they connect with mine, and an ever so slight, barely there flicker of a smile and inclination of her head.
“I’m sorry about the lasagna,” is her simple reply, before walking past me, and into the changing rooms.
For some reason I can’t explain to myself, her simple response makes my day. A grin spreads across my face, pleasure races through my body. The shout of my name startles me.
Glancing up, I see my friend bearing down on me. I watch in amusement, looks of longing on a number of the women’s faces, as they watch him move.
“Mark, I’m glad you could make it,” Jonathan informs me, a huge grin spreads across his face, as he slaps me on the shoulder. “Let me give you a quick look around.” With a final nod toward the women, he guides me toward the other end of the room and a closed door.
Pushing through it, we enter a fully equipped gym, filled with weights, treadmills, kickboxing equipment, and a sparring ring.
“Very nice,” I mutter looking around in appreciation. “So what exactly do you need me for?” I cross my arms while looking at my friend, before letting my gaze flicker once more around the gym, and out the door, toward where the women had been sparring. Once more my gaze comes back to rest on Jonathan.
A smile starts to spread across his face. “I want, no need two things from you,” he replies, glances out the door, “Make that three. First what was going on when you came in, between the two women?”
“One of the women threatened the other to stay away from you.
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