I thought it would be disastrous for our professional relationship. To my astonishment, it’s only brought us closer. It’s pretty difficult to untangle, truth be told. I’m still embarrassed out of my mind about it, but I’m rolling with the punches. Marius is infinitely closer to me. Sweeter. He follows me with his gaze whenever I’m around. I can feel him staring even when I’ve got my back turned. We shared an incredible moment the other day. When I remember those precious minutes, I feel the heat rising. That fire burns voraciously, the flames consuming me on the inside. I need more. So much more.

Shaking the thoughts away, I remind myself that there’s a crisis here to focus on. I didn’t even get a minute to myself for coffee, so it’s the next thing on my to-do list. The customers continue to arrive, so I sign them in while the coffee machine brews my magic potion. The early birds are already migrating from the lockers into the gym. Hip hop music blares through the speakers, a compilation of fast-paced trap-style pieces designed to awaken and motivate the crap out of our gym rats.

As soon as I take my first sip of hot coffee, I see Alice coming in. She looks pretty in her uniform—a black and red polo shirt with our logo and a pair of black jeans, her black hair pulled back into a tight bun, but she’s clearly just fallen out of bed.

“For Christ’s sake, Alice!” I snap.

“What? I didn’t hear the alarm clock!” she replies, frowning as she walks behind the reception desk. “I think I need a new phone or something, but you don’t pay me enough for that.”

The audacity is enough to send the blood boiling right up to my temples. “Are you serious? You’re half an hour late repeatedly, and you’re blaming us?” I reply harshly. “Alice, this can’t keep happening. I understand you’ve got a life outside of work, and I wholly encourage that because I have a life, too, but so do our customers. You’re late at their expense. Some of them called me, and I drove up here in a panic to open the gym because they were outside waiting! Do you not realize how embarrassing that is for us? For you?”

“They could come in later,” she mutters, unable to look me in the eyes. This wretched pride is going to be the death of her, I know it. “Who the hell comes to the gym at six in the morning, huh?”

“People who pay your salary,” I shoot back. “You could always find another job. No one’s keeping you here against your will.”

Alice looks up and raises a contemptuous eyebrow. I know she hooked up with Richard long before we started the gym, but I’m pretty sure she still relies on him to bail her out when she does something stupid. Her tardiness is likely to cost us customers, though. And I doubt Richard takes kindly to anyone who makes his bank account bleed, no matter how pretty she is or how good she may have been in bed.

“I’m not leaving. I’ll try to get a new phone on a new plan, maybe,” Alice says.

“You’re making it sound like you’re doing us a favor,” I scoff.

If there is one thing I absolutely despise, it’s people who don’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else, especially when it’s their behavior hurting or inconveniencing them. I didn’t get this far to let Alice’s lack of professionalism destroy what I’ve worked so hard for. I’m putting my foot down with Richard if he doesn’t do something about it. Unfortunately, he makes all the hiring and firing decisions.

“It’s fine,” Alice says with a nonchalant shrug. “I mean, you opened the gym, so it’s fine.”

But Richard comes in, smiling and ready to start his workday, completely unaware of what just happened. Usually, I’d be just as pleased and as bright as he is, but this morning just ain’t it.

“Hey, ladies! How’s everything going?” he says, coffee in hand.

“Good morning, Rickie, baby! you’re looking fine as usual!” Alice exclaims, giddy and fluttering her fake eyelashes. She’s getting on my nerves.

“Good morning, Richard. Alice was late. Almost forty minutes. Again,” I say bluntly, then take another sip from my coffee while she gives me the hardest glare I’ve ever had to contend with. “Clients called me from outside the gym. I had to drive over and open for them. I’m pretty sure a few won’t be back.” I look him squarely in the eye. “We need to address this. Now.”

For a long, quiet moment, Richard’s enthusiasm sours, his gaze bouncing between Alice and me. The air thickens in the reception area, and even my coffee tastes bad in the aftermath of the drama.

“Alice, can you tell me why you were late?” Richard decides to calmly ask.

Granted, he didn’t have to rush over here to open the gym. I reckon he would’ve chewed her head off if it had been him instead of me. Yet Alice either doesn’t realize the kind of trouble she’s in, or she doesn’t really care as she stands up and straightens her back, making sure her boobs perk up through the polo shirt. I’m guessing this strategy works with most men, but to my surprise, Richard seems immune, his eyes never leaving hers.

She puts on a sheepish smile. “I had trouble with the alarm on my phone, Rickie. I’d buy a new one, but I can’t afford it.”

“You could buy an alarm clock instead,” he replies gently. “A ten-dollar one to simply plug in. I need you to put in more effort into this job.”

“Okay, I’ll do that, Rickie.”

“Richard, please. If you’re late again, I’ll have to cut your pay,” Richard states, his lips thin in irritation. “And if I have to cut your pay more than once, I’m sure you won’t like it. You’ve got student loans, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ll just get one of those plug-in alarm clocks,” Alice replies, her voice a little less flirtatious.

“I think that’s a good idea,” he tells her.

It’s a dismissal of sorts, though Alice doesn’t see it that way. She lights up like a firefly when he’s around, and while I understand the brief and intimate history between them, I can tell he’s not into her the way she’d want him to be. Oddly enough, the thought brings me a sense of relief. Ever since that email went out, and Richard’s attitude toward me has consistently changed, I’ve become a lot more observant of the women constantly hovering around him.

Richard moves closer to me, takes my arm, and we move away from the reception desk and Alice. His leather-and-musk cologne breaches my olfactory senses and drowns me in my dreams of last night. I almost felt his hands on me, his lips on mine. I almost felt him stretching me, screwing me out of my head.

“Sorry you had to come in earlier than usual,” he says, his tone lower, sweeter he looks deep into my eyes. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Just a tad grouchy,” I chuckle. I can feel Alice glowering at us, but I deliberately ignore her, secretly enjoying the shift in Richard’s attention. “How’s your morning so far? I hope I didn’t ruin it.”