Stepbrother Bad Boy's Baby Boxed Set(30)

I looked down at my feet, wondering what I could do, when suddenly a twinge of cramp hit my right quad, and I unconsciously rolled to my side, curling and stretching out the muscle before it could fully harden up. It hit me, and I knew what I wanted to do. There was definitely one thing that I was good at. I let the quad relax, and picked up my phone again, this time to dial Los Angeles. "Yo Randy, it's JC. Hey man, wondering if you can give me some advice. Yeah, yeah, I know. But seriously, what would it take to become a personal trainer?"



* * *



Krystal



I got back to my room at just after nine o'clock, following a drink with the team and a wonderful ninety minute massage and spa treatment. The masseuse, a big boned German girl name Gretl, had worked my back and shoulders until I thought the bones would break, but she released tension and muscular knots I didn't even know I had, some of which I thought might have gone back months or maybe even years. Despite Shannon saying she'd pick up the tab, I gave the girl an extra fifty dollars for great service before changing and making my way upstairs to my room. While in the elevator, I got a text message. How'd it go? If you have some time, give me a Skype call? Julian.

Intrigued, I turned on my laptop when I got into my room, and pulled up Skype. I was surprised to see that Julian had sent me a friend request, and I clicked add. He was listed as online, so I called. He answered quickly, and I could tell from the background that he was in the living room of the apartment. "So? Did you win?" he asked, smiling.

God he has a perfect smile. He looks happy, it's amazing, I thought. I'll be honest when I say it caused my heart to skip a beat, and I smiled in return. "Keep it a secret, it's not airing until Thanksgiving, but yes we did. Shannon sprung for a spa treatment for me. I just got back. How was your day?"

"It's been a monumental couple of days," he said. "Last night I had dinner with Kimberly at her apartment."

I regret to say I felt a momentary twinge of jealousy, but it died as soon as it flared when I saw the look in his eyes. "How was it?"

"Kim showed me the truth about my mother...about my dad," Julian said simply. "It.... it changed a lot of things inside me."

The admission was earth shaking, and I felt my hands clench in my lap. "Julian, I'm sorry. Forgive me for not telling you."

"No need, I wasn't ready at the time," he replied. "Also, she kind of clued me in on some other things too. Krystal, I think it's time for me to do something with my life, you know?"

"I think that'd be great Julian," I replied.

"Krystal, you remember a week ago when you came home late and we watched that video together?" Julian asked, suddenly looking a bit nervous. "At the end, we almost, well, we were going to kiss until I said no and nearly ran out of the room?"

"I remember," I whispered, "how could I not?"

"Well, I said no then because I didn't deserve to kiss you. I still don't know if I do, but...I think I'm falling in love with you. And I don't mean like family, but as a man and a woman."

The silence after he said it was deafening. I could hear something crack, and looked down, realizing I'd popped my knuckles without knowing it, I'd been squeezing my hand so hard. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins, and my heart was loud in my ears as I looked at Julian, so handsome, so open, so vulnerable and yes, even a bit scared as he bore his heart to me. There was only one answer I could think of, and it came out so naturally it didn't even seem to be my voice until I saw him smile.

"Julian, I think I'm falling in love with you too."





Chapter 14





Julian





I hadn't been back to Chicago O'Hare Airport since flying in, but as luck would have it, my cab driver was the exact same guy who'd given me a ride from the airport my first day in Chicago. "Hey, how's it going big man?" he asked as I slide into the back seat of his cab. "How's Chicago treating ya?"

"Chicago's been great," I replied. "Gotta say, it's a lovely city."

"You're tellin' me. You get down to Wrigley yet?"

I shook my head, chuckling. Did this guy have a memory that filed away every conversation with customers, or did he just say the same thing to everyone? "Not yet. I was down in the neighborhood the other day to check out a gym, but the Cubs were on a road trip."

"Ah, that's a shame. When you get a chance though, you should go. I can tell by your look, you've found yourself a lady. Congratulations."

I blinked in surprise. "Is it that clear on my face? Damn, people in California say I'm one of those unreadable types."

The cabbie laughed as we pulled onto the Interstate heading to the airport. "Maybe in other things my friend, but love..... I've been driving a cab for twenty years, and love is one of those things that is easy to see. She's high quality, I take it?"

"Very. Best in the world, in my opinion. Going to O'Hare to pick her up from a business trip."

"That's the only opinion that counts, ain't it?" the cabbie said. "Well, congratulations. I'll get you to the airport as quick as I can."

The cab driver was true to his word, and I was outside the terminal a half hour before Krystal's flight was supposed to come in. I stood at the curb, not sure what to do, when suddenly it hit me. I turned to the driver, who was waiting for his next fare. "Hey man, does O'Hare have a flower shop or anything like that?"