Page 58 of Somewhere in the Sunset

“After what you just put me through? No chance in hell.”

“It’s not my problem you haven’t hit the gym in over a year. Look at the chick deadlifting three plates over there. She puts you to shame.” Cameron nods across the gym and I throw a quick glimpse over my shoulder.

There is, unbelievably, a girl deadlifting six plates in total with ease. I tear my eyes away just as fast, because although I’m checking her out with admiration, no guy ever wants to bethatguy in the gym. But then I do a double take. I look back a second time. As the girl finishes off her set, the friend by her side does a little applaud. I recognize both of them.

“That’s Gracie,” I blurt, throwing down the weights in my hands.

Cameron shoves me out of the way for a better look. “YourGracie can deadlift over three hundred pounds?”

“No.That’s her friend. Maddie.”

“Well, introduce us then!” Cameron says, and he breaks into stride.

Brooks laughs and nudges me forward. “Just be thankful for the break.”

In their defense, I don’t have to worry about Cameron and Brooks acting up. They’re both chill guys. If Adam was here,however, I’d be much more nervous about officially introducing Gracie to my friends. They were at the club too, but Gracie was only a blip on their radar then. Even mine, admittedly. I didn’t pay any attention to her in the club.

“Hey, you,” I say, tapping Gracie on the shoulder.

She jumps in fear and spins around, her hand over her heart. Her panic instantly disappears when she realizes it’s only me, and her parted lips transform into a grin instead. “Weston!”

“Looks like we decided to make our gym debuts on the same afternoon.”

Gracie isn’t the only one who’s been slacking with working out recently, but breakups do that to you. They throw your life into turmoil, and taking care of your mental health becomes the priority. Gracie has mentioned more than once her plans to hit the gym again, but out ofallthe gyms in San Francisco, what are the chances we already go to the same one? I reckon about the same chances of me being the cop dispatched to check out a noise complaint made against her. Some greater force is adamant on throwing us together, but I’m not complaining.

“Hey, Maddie,” I say, and Maddie blows out a breath and waves. She was more than happy to help me out the day she served me at the register in Zara, letting me know where exactly I could find Gracie, so she seems pretty cool.

“Three-fifteen .?.?. Damn,” Cameron says appreciatively, counting the plates. “You did that effortlessly.”

Maddie blushes. “You were watching?”

“Personal trainer, this hunk. If you lift heavy, he’ll notice,” I say, gesturing to Cameron. Brooks stands a little awkwardly to the side, and I can’t help but laugh. “I just realized all of us have already met. Gracie, Maddie .?.?. These are my friends. Cameron. Brooks. They were also gatecrashing your booth that night at the club.”

“Where’s the other guy?” Maddie asks, adjusting her glasses. “The one you punched in the face.”

“Adam? Oh, he’s a slob. The gym’s his worst nightmare.”

Maddie exchanges a knowing look with Gracie and they both laugh. Maddie says, “Same for Elena. That explains why they bonded so well.” She ducks down and begins dragging a plate off the barbell she has set up on the lifting platform, and Cameron and Brooks instinct-ively assist her.

“I didn’t know this was your gym,” Gracie says, shuffling up close. “I’ve been coming here for years, and I don’t think I’ve ever noticed you.”

“Neither of us were even capable of noticing anyone else until a month ago,” I say, then tilt my head a degree to the side as I study her with a dopey fucking grin.

She’s so cute. She’s wearing little booty shorts and a sports bra, and I don’t even hide the fact that I’m checking her out. My gaze travels up and down her body more than once. Her legs are toned in such a defined way that I question how she possibly struggled biking uphill last week. She’s wearing a pair of old Nikes and there’s a blue scrunchie around her wrist, though her hair is already scraped back into a high ponytail, her bangs framing her face. She’s not wearing any makeup, but she doesn’t need to. Her skin glows with a layer of perspiration, and I don’t know if it’s pheromones or what, but the desire to touch her, to kiss her, to feel her, suddenly becomes uncontrollable.

A hue of red tints Gracie’s cheeks. “Weston,” she says shyly, stealing a glance at our friends. The three of them are still unloading the barbell.

“I don’t mind coming to the gym if it means I get to look at you,” I say, emphasizing the smolder in my eyes as I reach out for her wrist, guiding her in a small circle. She complies, offering me a spin. “Damn.”

“Someone’s feeling extremely flirty today,” she remarks, and the twinkle in her blue eyes is unmistakable.

“You make it easy, Gracie Taylor.”

I slide my hand from her wrist down into hers, interlocking our fingers. Everyone who matters to me now knows about Gracie and that’s so freeing. I’m not sure exactly what Gracie has been telling her own friends about our situation, but she doesn’t try to tear her hand from mine in front of Maddie, and that says a lot.

“The roses,” Gracie murmurs, and I shake my head to silence her.

“You’ve already thanked me a thousand times. Don’t you dare do it again,” I warn her.

---