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Finn stops us on the other side of the huge boxing ring. A small reception area with glass display cases faces the left wall. Different gear hangs on hooks above the counter but it’s barely noticeable. Unfortunately, it looks like the store was an afterthought. It’s facing in a different direction than the only doors in and out of the gym. The space is nice, resting against the walls built to accommodate changing and restrooms, but it’s hidden away—in my opinion.
Opposite the counter is a weightlifting area complete with two bench presses and free weight dumbbells on a rack. Next to that area is where I saw people grappling the other day.
“Unfortunately,” Finn says, “I haven’t been able to put as much work into it as I’d like. After the Crew left, we started getting really busy, and this is one of the things that fell through the cracks. I don’t know if you can tell, but Jax thinks it’s a complete waste of time.”
I’m still studying the area when my gaze snags on a huge poster of a ripped girl with purple boxing gloves. “Hey, is that—?”
“Kyla,” Finn finishes. “Uppercut Princess,” he muses. “She was amazing. One of the best fighters I’ve ever seen, and I’m not making the distinction of female fighter, I’m saying fighters period. She could hang with the guys no problem.”
Her name is splayed vertically across the left-hand side of the poster, making it look like an enlarged trading card. The girl is gorgeous. Positively beautiful muscles cut across her body. Her projection of strength is something to be admired, and I absolutely have body envy staring at her. “She’s a ten, for sure,” I tell him.
Finn chuckles. “She was beating guys off with a stick, and even then, she kept four for herself.”
I laugh at that. “I still can’t believe my cousin Jacob is with her. He was always so tightly wound, I’m surprised. I don’t see him sharing, I guess.”
The corners of Finn’s lips pull up. “He really adored her. They all do,” he muses. “I got her to pose for this poster. She’ll never say it was because of her, but she’s the reason we have so many clients now.” He leans toward me. “Between you and me, she was already badass when she got here. Some people just have it, you know?”
His shoulder brushes mine, and a thrill chases down my arm, goosebumps rising in its wake. I try to ignore it but fail miserably. I peek over, watching the spot where we connect and then follow the corded muscle up his shoulder to his neck, over the strong line of his jaw, and eventually to his eyes. He greets me with the same intensity.
“It was her determination,” he says. “Something you have too.”
“Please. I am definitely not that cool.”
I attempt to turn back to her poster, but Finn catches my chin, moving my stare back to his. “Don’t sell yourself short. I certainly haven’t.”
I tell myself not to. I beg myself, but my gaze drifts down to his pouty lower lip anyway. My heart starts a crazy rhythm, everything in me pleading to lean forward. Instinct would take back over then. We’d come together in a clash of lips, just like we have before.
Instead, the bell rings above the door, and Finn steps away. I blink out of the trance and stare up at his rosy cheeks. “I have to get ready.” His eyes give me a sincere apology that has me grinning like a crazy person. “Do whatever you want with the store. I trust you.”
With that, he jogs toward the office, and I grip the side of the counter, so I don’t pool into a mushy pile of feelings. No one needs that embarrassment in arguably a place made in masculinity.
For the next couple of hours, I acquaint myself with the store, its products and pricing, while the gym comes to life. The most predominant sound is fists thumping against pads. The thunk, thunk, thunk never ends. In second place, are Jax and Finn’s loud voices. They rise above the chaos as they coach and mold one athlete after another. At times, I get so caught up in watching them work that I lose myself in their intensity. Then, one of them will look up at me, and I’ll pretend like I wasn’t just watching them like a creeper. Jax, despite his general orneriness is a caring coach. Intense, sure. He doesn’t take as much shit as Finn does, but then again, that’s just Finn’s easygoing personality. He jokes with the athletes, getting them to work harder and faster because he’s a genuinely likable person.
Every time the bell sounds above the door, I glance up. I almost die when Jared and Jaz stride inside. Jax greets them as Finn is currently in the boxing ring with an entire class. He points me out to Jaz but then sends Jared in the direction of the changing rooms.
Jaz practically runs over to me, hair feathering out from her face. I come around the counter to embrace her. “I’ve missed you, bitch,” she breathes.
I smile into the side of her head. “It’s been two days.”
“Two days too fucking long.”
I hear that.
She breaks away, taking in the shop behind me. “What are you doing?”
“Finn told me I could work on their merchandise and that sounded like a perfect way to pass the time since I have to be here anyway.”
“You don’t want to get in the ring?”
We both laugh. I’m not saying no, never, but I’m also saying I’m not going to go making a fool of myself in front of my crush, so... There’s that.
“So....?” she pushes. As expected, Jaz wants to get right down to the nitty gritty.
I peer behind her, watching as her boyfriend approaches the boxing ring. “Is Jared taking a class?”
“Stop changing the subject, but yes. I mentioned wanting to visit you on my day off, and he said he’d been wanting to take a class with these guys, anyway, so here we are. Now spill,” she says, widening her eyes.
I pull her to the other side of the counter, out of most everyone’s line of sight except for the one guy who’s using the free weights. The smile I can’t take off my face is two-sided. First, I’m beyond ecstatic about what happened. Yet, who knows if we’ll ever get to do it again.