Page 9 of Six Wishes

CHAPTER5

That’s so hot

Van

My alarm goes off at four forty-five in the morning on the dot. As soon as I hear it, my eyes snap open and I am wide awake. I have always been like this, could never understand people who hit the snooze button. I had a girlfriend years ago who used to do that all the time, and I just wanted to take her phone and throw it against the wall when she’d still not move after the third time it’d go off.

I don’t plan on taking a shower since I’m going to sweat up a storm during my workout routine. I walk to the bathroom where I use the toilet, wash my hands, and brush my teeth, then walk back to make my bed.

After I got my workout gear on, I look around to make sure that everything is in order. The dirty laundry is in the basket, there are no wrinkles in the comforter covering the bed, and the two decorative pillows are perfectly placed.

I throw on my workout clothes and shoes, and I am ready to go. Since my house is on Byrd Lake, I am very close to the gym that Chloe mentioned last night. I stick my wireless earbuds in, and get my blood pumping with some heavy metal that is coming from my phone. With all that settled, I exit the house through the garage and use the app on my phone to make sure the house doors are locked.

After a few careful stretches where I am mindful of my fucked up knee, I start jogging down my driveway. I think I have time for a couple of laps before I head to the gym.

I am on my second lap when I see a car pulling into the driveway at Byrd’s Gym. Creative, I know. It is still dark outside, so I take my phone out to check the time. Six twenty-one. My eyes go back to the car where I see now a long and lithe figure is stepping out. My lips stretch into a grin. I know that body. Not as well as I’d want to, but baby steps.

“You’re early,” I call across the parking lot and she jumps about a foot off the ground.

“Jesus Christ,” she presses her right hand to her chest and turns around slowly. “Van,” she falls back against her car. “I could’ve had a heart attack!” she screeches at me, making me laugh.

“Sorry, I just didn’t expect to see you here this early,” I scratch the back of my head and we continue staring at each other.

“What are you doing here? And this early too,” Chloe watches me carefully, like I got some ulterior motives to be here. And, as it turns out, I do have ulterior motives to be here. However, I want it to be noted that I normally do work out at this gym after I am done jogging around the neighborhood. Our schedules must’ve never matched.

“I actually own a house on Byrd Lake,” I shrug. “So I come to this very gym all the time.”

“I… You… Really?” she seems to be at a loss for words.

“Really,” I grin and start walking in her direction. “Shall we?” I put an arm out to allow her to step ahead of me. Chloe grabs her small duffle bag from the car, closes the door and locks it, then she is finally ready to break into a sweat.

I can’t wait for us to sweat together, I tell myself and smirk as I check out her ass. It’s a really nice ass she’s got too. And the way it’s covered in spandex does things to me. Her legs are insanely long and toned, and the booty shorts she’s got on should definitely be illegal.

She scans her gym card to unlock the front door, and we’re in. She heads toward where the lockers are, and I am on her heels. I cannot get over her level of hotness, and I will do everything in my power to get as much time with her as possible.

“Van,” she jumps again when she turns around and runs into me. “What are you doing?”

“Just making sure you’re safe in here,” I shrug and grin, then stick my hands in the pockets of my shorts.

“Well,” she lets out a frustrated sigh, “as you can see, I am perfectly fine.”

She bends down to look for something in her bag, and it’s taking everything in me not to groan out loud. When she comes back up, I notice that she is holding a smart watch that she proceeds to strap onto her right wrist.

“Shouldn’t that go on the left?” I point with my chin, a little confused. Everyone I know who wears a watch wears it on their left wrist.

“Oh,” she lifts her arm like to check the time. “I am left handed, so I wear it on my right arm.” She puts it up and laughs with a shrug.

“You’re left handed?” My eyes are sure to be big right now, and she seems to be amused by it.

“I am,” she rocks back and forth on her heels. Her fingers start fidgeting with the zipper of her light hoodie, and it’s like she’s unsure of herself right now.

“That’s so hot,” I mutter in amazement.

The confusion on her face is obvious, and she is not quite sure what to make of me. I’m not sure either at this point. I feel like maybe I hit my head and I don’t remember.

“What’s hot?”

“You,” I manage to mumble out as I step closer to her. It’s like I’m in a trance. This girl put a goddamn spell on me. What am I going to do now? She needs to reverse it. Stat. “You’re hot with your left handed stuff.”

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