Page 38 of Christmas with my Three Best Friends

“Thanks. You look fantastic, by the way,” she says, extracting a gym pass out of her wallet. “You’ve dropped some more pounds since I last saw you.”

“Yeah, it’s a work in progress. I haven’t checked the scale lately, though. I don’t like to define myself by the number on that thing.”

“That’s a good outlook. How have you been?” Roxanne asks.

“Oh, crazy busy with this place,” I reply. “Just a lot of work, self-work, and more work in between, but I like where it’s going, so there’s no better motivation. How about you?”

She puts on a wide grin, and I can’t ignore the shivers suddenly running down my spine. I don’t know if she does it on purpose or it’s just part of her nature, but Roxanne has a way of creeping the hell out of me with her intensity. From what Marius told me, she tends to be a passionate woman, and not necessarily in a good way. On top of that, she holds an incredible amount of disdain for anyone she may perceive as competition.

“I’m determined to patch things up with Marius. I don’t know if he’s mentioned the conversation we had the other day,” she says. “He seemed pretty open to giving it another try.”

I know she’s lying through her teeth since Marius clearly said he has no intention of ever letting her back into his life. But damn the doubt that has been slithering through my heart lately.

“Really? He didn’t mention it,” I reply.

“Yeah. I apologized for my past behavior. That was my greatest hurdle, truth be told. Marius is such a good and honorable man. He was faithful to me, regardless of all the floozies he’s inadvertently surrounded by at this gym. I let my own insecurities get in the way, but I’ve been working on myself over the past couple of months. I’m in a better mindset.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re working on yourself.”

“The fact of the matter is… What Marius and I have, it’s unique and strong. The time we’ve had apart has only strengthened our bond. I felt it between us the minute I walked in here the other day, and he’s been so responsive to my messages, as well.”

“He has?” I may have just given myself away here, but the words came out before I could put a lid on. “You talk on the phone, then.”

“Oh, just a few texts here and there,” she says. “I know he’s coming around. We were even talking about having lunch one of these days.” She pauses and measures me from head to toe. “I gotta say, Shay, you look absolutely stunning. I mean, you obviously still have some work to do, but you’ve got curves in all the right places.”

For a moment I’m absolutely stunned into silence. Did this bitch just call me fat?

“At least you’re not Marius’s type; otherwise, I would’ve had to worry about you.” Roxanne laughs lightly. And there it is. The carefully measured dose of venom she’s been saving for me. “He likes his women petite and slim. It’s a good thing you’re just friends, huh?”

I’ve been so focused on giving Roxanne the deadliest stare I can muster that I didn’t notice Vincent coming through the double doors. “Actually, Shay is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met, and any man would be lucky to have her.” He gives me a playful wink. “Good morning, beautiful. I’m here for a brief sauna session before I head into the office. Can I get a locker key?”

“Good morning,” I manage, then hand him a key.

He watches me closely as I scan his pass and leave it in the appropriate box, while Roxanne’s lips remain pressed into a thin, tight line.

“As I was saying, Shay doesn’t need to be concerned about being anyone’s type,” Vincent adds. “She’s so much more than her looks, unlike some women,” he says, staring pointedly at Roxanne.

“Yeah, whatever,” Roxanne scoffs and heads into the women’s locker room.

I can’t believe I’m actually thinking this—thank the stars Vincent showed up and cut her off.

“I meant every word,” Vincent assures me with a stern nod. “Granted, I overheard some of the conversation and figured she was trying to make you feel bad. Small-minded people do that. I used to do that, remember?”

“I could never forget,” I reply bluntly.

He’s about to say something else, but Jax comes out of the martial arts room wearing only a pair of dark green shorts and a sheen of sweat covering his muscular torso, tattoos glistening under the overhead lights. “Shay,” he says. “We need to talk.”

As if summoned by the universe itself, Alice finally arrives with a sheepish smile and a high-pitched voice, rushing into the reception desk as if nobody noticed how late she actually is.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” she mumbles, quick to take her coat off before she gives Vincent a warm and bubbly smile. “Hi, there. How can I help you?”

“He’s already taken care of,” I reply and leave her with her duties.

Vincent watches me and Jax as we go into my office. I can feel his eyes on the back of my head. My skin prickles all over, but I keep my head up high and my ego intact. Besides, there’s something about Jax’s attitude that puts me on a different kind of edge. Less than an hour into my workday, and I’m already overwhelmed and hyper-stimulated. It’s going to be a long end of the week, that much is painfully obvious.

As soon as I close the door, Jax stops in the middle of my office and turns around, a grim look on his face. “What’s the deal with that clown, Shay?”

“Who, Vincent?”

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