have tried everything.
I push in my ear buds and started Metallica, feeling the drumbeat accelerating my heart beat. I took off in a slow jog and then ran for the next fifty minutes, not caring about anything. I ran longer than I had in a long time, clearing my mind. There wasn’t anything but music in my brain. Sweat dripped down my body and through my shirt, by the time I slowed it to cool down. Yeah, I felt good.
I get off and walk to the pull-up bar to get some arm work in before my abs.
I jump up to the bar and begin pulling myself up when I notice the only other person in the gym now was the blonde. But now I got a good look at her face. And she did mine as well.
Ryann.
I watched as she walked up just as sweaty as I was, but amazingly, she looked just as good as she did when she wasn’t.
“Hey, Trevor.”
“Hey.” I continued to do my breathing and my pull-ups. She watched as my body went up and then down.
“Do you stay here?” she asks, and I stop at the ground to finish our conversation. Clearly, it wasn’t something I could do and talk at the same time.
“Yeah, for now anyway until I find a condo. St. Luke’s booked it for me.”
“My mom works here … she has for years.”
“That’s cool,” I respond.
“Well, it was good to see you.” She waves like she is going to take a running leap to get away from me.
“Ryann?” I ask and walk after her.
“Yeah …” She turns.
“I wanted to thank you again for the dessert. I really enjoyed it … Hence why I am here …” I smile and pat my stomach.
She snorts. “Hardly, Trevor.”
I follow her eyes down to my stomach and then back up biting her lip just a bit. She seemed to like what she saw, but she wasn’t going to let me know that with words.
“I’m the one that needs to work out more.” She frowns.
I move a little closer. “I disagree, I think you look … beautiful.”
And I lift my eyebrows so that she gets the message loud and clear. And I meant it. My flirting has come out in full force, and the playfulness she brings out in me actually turns me on.
She smiles like my compliment made a difference but is making her slightly uncomfortable. “Thank you even if I don’t believe you. Maybe you can come into Smith’s one day this weekend if you aren’t too busy.”
“Maybe.” I smile but decided to play hardball. Why? Because it felt good to see someone eyeing me, interested, who thinks I’m beautiful.
I watch her walk out with a smile on her face, a smile that made me aware of my unhappiness and thinking about wanting something more.
I wanted to know everything about her. And then more. Or maybe not. Really, it wouldn’t hurt to be friends, though, right?
----
Ryann
The shift at Smith’s tonight was dragging out, thanks to one difficult customer after another. Everyone seemed to be agitated, including me. I heard Trevor’s dad was not doing well at all from my mom who had spoken with Jackie. She was worried and even made him some soup and fresh bread to deliver. I dropped it off for Mom but had to leave it on the porch since no one answered the door. I was worried about him, Margaret, and Trevor—more for his parents than for Trevor. Losing a loved one, especially when you have been so distant and holding a grudge against them can only make things worse.
Lou was a chatterbox. His loneliness was becoming more and more apparent. Tonight, he was telling me about the love of his life who he lost due to being a big chicken shit.
“Shocked to hear an ole geezer like me had a love, ain’t it?”
“Not at all, Lewis.”
“Well, I did. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She lives here in Austin, and I see her every once in a while. We are decent to each other, but she will never forgive me for what I did, and I can’t blame her. Hell, I can’t even forgive myself. I guess that is why my old bag of bones comes here most nights. Can’t stand to be in my own company. At least, here I can
I push in my ear buds and started Metallica, feeling the drumbeat accelerating my heart beat. I took off in a slow jog and then ran for the next fifty minutes, not caring about anything. I ran longer than I had in a long time, clearing my mind. There wasn’t anything but music in my brain. Sweat dripped down my body and through my shirt, by the time I slowed it to cool down. Yeah, I felt good.
I get off and walk to the pull-up bar to get some arm work in before my abs.
I jump up to the bar and begin pulling myself up when I notice the only other person in the gym now was the blonde. But now I got a good look at her face. And she did mine as well.
Ryann.
I watched as she walked up just as sweaty as I was, but amazingly, she looked just as good as she did when she wasn’t.
“Hey, Trevor.”
“Hey.” I continued to do my breathing and my pull-ups. She watched as my body went up and then down.
“Do you stay here?” she asks, and I stop at the ground to finish our conversation. Clearly, it wasn’t something I could do and talk at the same time.
“Yeah, for now anyway until I find a condo. St. Luke’s booked it for me.”
“My mom works here … she has for years.”
“That’s cool,” I respond.
“Well, it was good to see you.” She waves like she is going to take a running leap to get away from me.
“Ryann?” I ask and walk after her.
“Yeah …” She turns.
“I wanted to thank you again for the dessert. I really enjoyed it … Hence why I am here …” I smile and pat my stomach.
She snorts. “Hardly, Trevor.”
I follow her eyes down to my stomach and then back up biting her lip just a bit. She seemed to like what she saw, but she wasn’t going to let me know that with words.
“I’m the one that needs to work out more.” She frowns.
I move a little closer. “I disagree, I think you look … beautiful.”
And I lift my eyebrows so that she gets the message loud and clear. And I meant it. My flirting has come out in full force, and the playfulness she brings out in me actually turns me on.
She smiles like my compliment made a difference but is making her slightly uncomfortable. “Thank you even if I don’t believe you. Maybe you can come into Smith’s one day this weekend if you aren’t too busy.”
“Maybe.” I smile but decided to play hardball. Why? Because it felt good to see someone eyeing me, interested, who thinks I’m beautiful.
I watch her walk out with a smile on her face, a smile that made me aware of my unhappiness and thinking about wanting something more.
I wanted to know everything about her. And then more. Or maybe not. Really, it wouldn’t hurt to be friends, though, right?
----
Ryann
The shift at Smith’s tonight was dragging out, thanks to one difficult customer after another. Everyone seemed to be agitated, including me. I heard Trevor’s dad was not doing well at all from my mom who had spoken with Jackie. She was worried and even made him some soup and fresh bread to deliver. I dropped it off for Mom but had to leave it on the porch since no one answered the door. I was worried about him, Margaret, and Trevor—more for his parents than for Trevor. Losing a loved one, especially when you have been so distant and holding a grudge against them can only make things worse.
Lou was a chatterbox. His loneliness was becoming more and more apparent. Tonight, he was telling me about the love of his life who he lost due to being a big chicken shit.
“Shocked to hear an ole geezer like me had a love, ain’t it?”
“Not at all, Lewis.”
“Well, I did. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She lives here in Austin, and I see her every once in a while. We are decent to each other, but she will never forgive me for what I did, and I can’t blame her. Hell, I can’t even forgive myself. I guess that is why my old bag of bones comes here most nights. Can’t stand to be in my own company. At least, here I can
Similar Books
