We Told Six Lies(23)

“You don’t work out?” I said, finding my voice. Because seeing you unsure summoned my courage.

You shrugged one slender shoulder. Scrunched your nose. “Not really my thing.”

“Well, we have a package that—” Duane started.

“Why not?” I interrupted, not taking my eyes off you.

“Why bother?” you answered. “What? Am I going to get ripped? I don’t have the body for it.”

“It’s as much about the mind as it is the body.”

Chad looked at me, and I could tell he thought I’d said the wrong thing.

I didn’t care. I liked the way you smiled at me, so relieved I wasn’t mad at you for coming inside.

You folded your arms and smirked. “I’m in college. Hotel management. I don’t have time to get to the gym.”

“Hotel management?” I asked, surprised, and also wondering if you were actually interested in that. “Bet that does take a lot of studying. I can see how you wouldn’t have time for running on a treadmill.” I walked toward you. Leaned across the counter on my forearms.

“Right.” You lifted your chin, then your eyebrow, like you’d won, but I could tell you were also wondering if you’d worked me into a corner.

“Except that cardiovascular exercise creates new brain cells, reduces stress, sharpens memory, and leads to higher productivity.” I wave all that away. “But you don’t need any of those things.”

You laughed, and it shot a hole through my heart. I mean really, Molly, there I was, bleeding internally, and you were smiling and shaking your head.

“All right, what do these things cost, then?” you asked.

Duane started to step forward, but you held up your hand. “Just give me a sheet or something. I’ll look at it in the car.”

Duane handed you a pamphlet, and you shoved it into your back pocket.

“Can I call you to follow up?” I asked.

You pursed your lips like you were debating this.

“Just if we have any specials going on,” I added.

“All right.” You nodded, and Duane asked you to fill something out.

“I’m going to my car now,” you said, and pointed outside.

“Thanks for coming in,” Chad said, too loudly.

As soon as you swung through the door, Chad slapped me on the back, too hard.

“Look at you, you little prodigy,” Chad said, and waggled his eyebrows at Duane. “If that girl signs up, she won’t work out past a week. Best kind of members. Only half our members come on a regular basis, and that’s the way we need it.”

The phone rang as Chad talked, and Duane told him it was Rachel.

“Be right back,” Chad said, and marched toward his office.

Duane pulled out a bottle of orange liquid and sprayed down the counter. “Guess you’ll be working here. Kiss your social life goodbye. I always thought I’d meet so many chicks, but once you’re wearing this stupid-ass polo, they don’t even look at you.”

I glanced out the door, trying to see where you went, wondering if you were in your car or standing just outside.

“Did you see that chick, though?” Duane asked. “I would wreck her, man.”

Squirt, squirt.

Wipe, wipe.

My eyes flicked toward Duane, a part of my brain waking up that I didn’t know existed.

“I usually like fit girls, you know? But I’d be willing to make an exception.”

You don’t know Molly, I thought. You don’t know shit.

“Hey, dude, let me call to follow up,” Duane said, and I started breathing faster. “I bet I could close that shit.”

Squirt, squirt.

Duane bumped me with his elbow, and my fists clenched into tight balls.

I closed my eyes. He had to stop talking about you, Molly. I didn’t know what I’d do if he didn’t— “Oh, man. I think she’s still out there.” Duane grabbed something. I couldn’t see what because I still had my back to him. I couldn’t turn around or he’d know I was about to blow.

“I’m gonna go out there and clean the windows,” he said. “Then you bet your ass I’m gonna ask her out. Chad doesn’t like it when we hit on members, but hey, she ain’t a member yet.”

He came to stand beside me, leaned over the counter. “That’s her next to the car right there,” he said, his breath smelling like stale coffee. “Can you tell how big her titties are? I can’t really—”

I spun around, my shoulder slamming into Duane’s with enough force to take him off his feet. He flew backward and landed on his rear, the orange bottle rolling away from him.

“The fuck, dude?” he yelled.

“My bad.” I almost reached down to offer him a hand up, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. “I, uh…I thought Chad was calling me.”

As Duane was climbing to his feet, Chad appeared.

“I moved too quick,” I continued. “Sorry, man.”

Duane brushed himself off, still wearing a frown. “It’s cool.”

Chad roared with laughter. “This kid nearly sold a girl who doesn’t work out a gym membership, and he laid you out during his interview? Talk about a solid hire.”

I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Does that mean I have a job?”