Addicted (The Addicted Series, #1)(77)

About two hours later I was decked out. The clerk, a skinny little guy who a month ago I would have tried to punk out, looked at my shoulders and chest in admiration. "Wow man, you getting ready to hit it hard, aren't you?"

"That obvious?" I asked, an unfamiliar smile coming to my face. "Yeah, planning on finding a new gym. New gym, new gear, know what I mean?"

"Yeah. Good luck," he said, bagging my purchases. "You need anything else?"

"Nah, I'm cool. Have a good one, dude."

Walking out into the mall, I realized that for the first time in years, I felt mostly at peace. Even with the situation with Krystal tearing inside my gut, I felt happier than I'd been since my teenage years. It was actually pretty f*cking awesome, if you know what I mean. I pulled out my cell phone, and pulled up Kimberly's number. I had programmed it in from the memory on Krystal's home phone, but hadn't had a reason to call her yet. Well, here goes nothing.

The phone rang a few times, and just when I thought it was going to kick over to an answering machine, she picked up. "Hello Julian."

"Kimberly? How'd you know it was me?" I asked, surprised. "I mean, I've never called you from this phone before."

"Krystal gave me your number after the last time you called. I thought as long as you were in town, it'd be a good idea to have it." It was one of those surprising things about her that I was still getting used to about my stepsister and her best friend. They always seemed to be one step ahead in terms of planning and were always keeping me off guard. "What can I do for you? Did you lock yourself out of the apartment?"

"No, not yet," I said with a laugh. "Although I'm not surprised you'd expect that. No, I was talking with Krystal before she left for the airport, and she said you might be able to help me out. I'm looking for a place I can get a good weight training session in, and she said you used to date a football player. She thought you might know."

Kimberly was silent for a moment, which I had come to understand was her way of thinking. "Yeah. You looking to head North or South for the gym?"

"Doesn't matter to me. If it's a good place, I don't really care."

"Okay, two places come to mind. First is over by Wrigley Field, about two or three blocks away, called Quads Gym. It's the place my ex-ex-ex-he-was-a-total-*-of-a-boyfriend went to. It's used by a famous old powerlifter, guy named Ed Coan. Down on West 35th is a place called Lance's Gym. Where are you right now?"

"I'm closer to Quads. I decided to do some shopping at Riverpoint Center. By the way, you want me to pick up anything for you? Krystal said you like getting over to Costco when you can."

I heard the thaw and surprise in Kimberly's voice as she replied. She still was suspicious of me, but seemed to be accepting me more, kind of. "Thanks, but no, I'm good. Just went by on Saturday. Anything else?"

"Nope, not right at the moment. Thanks Kimberly. Actually, one other thing. Uhm, I really don't know how to cook, and ordering another pizza for myself is kind of stupid. Now, I'm not sure how to ask this without it sounding like I'm hitting on you which I'm totally not, but would you maybe like to get some dinner tonight or something?"

Kimberly laughed and I could hear the total thaw in my ear. "Yeah, sure. As long as you're paying, of course. Krystal may not want your money, but I won't say no. I'll take all the free Chinese takeout I can get. You got my address?"

"Uh, no. I just know you told me Edgewater."

"I'll text you the street number. Probably best if you take a taxi, the bus and El connections are confusing unless you know what you're doing. Thanks, Julian."

I hung up my phone, and headed out. Kimberly was right. While the El and the bus service wasn't as bad as the Southern California systems, you had to be more experienced, or at least more patient, than I was to be able to get around well. As I looked for a taxi, I should have remembered Quads Gym. Ed Coan is one of the greatest powerlifters of all time, and one of those guys that everyone at Metroflex, my gym in Los Angeles, looked up to. "Yo, taxi!"





Chapter 11


Krystal




A nervous sweat ran down the small of my back as I walked into Kitchen Stadium for the first time. Shannon, my boss, glanced around as well. "Yeah buddy," she whispered under her breath. "Tomorrow, this is all ours."

I nodded and walked over to what we had planned would be my station. I touched the cutting board and looked at the array of knives on the magnetized strip above the surface. "I kind of prefer our own kitchen more though," I said. "Although I guess it'd be a bit unfair to do it there."

The rest of the team also hit their stations up, and we spent the next twenty minutes talking through our various game plans for the next day. After we were done, Shannon called me over. "Krystal, are you okay? You've been a bit off this past week, and I need to know if you're going to be on point tomorrow."

"Yes Chef, I'll be fine," I said quietly. "Just, you know my stepbrother is in town, and he's staying at my place. It's kind of thrown me off a bit. But I'll be focused and ready tomorrow."

"Okay. You know, I had some doubts when Horst said you'd be a good add to our team, you being so new and all. But he's been dead on, you've been great. Now get your head in the game tomorrow, and we're all going home as champions."