Page 13 of Submit

Older than me by five years - he’s thirty to my twenty-five, we met at a Stanford business symposium where he was giving a talk. It was my last year of undergrad. Will was twenty-seven at the time. I was totally taken with his business savvy and stayed after his lecture to ask a couple of questions.

Things progressed quickly after we met and his company moved him across the country to New Hampshire. It was a dream come true because I’d always planned to move closer to my hometown once I graduated. When he asked me to come with him, it was a no-brainer. I was so excited to move back to the east coast and to my parents, may they rest in peace.

We settled in to the daily grind. I had a couple of jobs that left me feeling empty and like my business degree should be doing some kind of good in the world, not just making me rich. For a while, I was jealous of Will’s job bringing wind power to the world so we can become less dependent on fossil fuels, but over the past several months, I’ve come to realize it’s less about the world and more about the dollar signs for them too.

Will’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “Lib, I love you. Things will get better.”

I’ve been hearing that an awful lot lately and I’m just not sure I believe it anymore.

Six

I NEED SOME GIRL TIME. And I definitely need to get back into my gym routine. When I pad into the kitchen for some coffee on Monday morning, Will’s already at the table pouring over documents and rubbing his eyes.

A break would probably do him some good. I know he hasn’t hit the gym since we moved to New Hampshire - spending all his time in the office instead. I also know he’ll most likely decline, but I make the offer anyway.

“Hey, Will, why don’t you come to the gym with me this morning? We’ll be back by nine thirty and I’ll make breakfast while you pick up where you left off?” I wave my hand at the documents on the table before turning to fill up a water bottle.

To my utter amazement, he sounds interested. “Really? I could probably use a little exercise. Maybe it will help me focus. My mind is all over the place right now.” He runs upstairs to change and I fill a water bottle for him as well. I’m sure Johanna won’t mind if he tags along and I really do think it will be good for him. I’ll let him do his thing while I hang out and meet the other girls.

~

“LIBBY, HI!” Johanna’s petite frame jogs over to Will and I in the sloshy parking lot. A little rain has turned this dirt lot into a swamp. When she reaches us, she pulls me into a hug and that’s when I notice the two girls behind her. Her enthusiasm at my presence helps me relax. Meeting a new girl-gang as an adult is nerve-wracking as hell.

The gym is a three-story tall, concrete shell of a building. It’s completely open to the air which is cool and the view is breathtaking as it sits right next to the water. I think it’s the remnant of a resort that went bankrupt before it was finished…either that or someone bombed the shit out of this place at some point.

People are everywhere: stretching on mats, lifting weights off racks, and using a manner of other various items for exercise around the open space.

“Hi, Johanna! This is my fiancé, Willem.” I turn to Will and repeat the introduction.

“Oh, hi!” She beams at me before turning to face Will. “Nice to meet you.” She does introductions for her friends Alida and Elke, and then Will gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and says he’s going to grab some weights; he’ll catch up with me later.

Johanna, Alida, and Elke accept me into their group right away and it’s such a wonderful feeling. I listen to them talk about their routine and jump right in.

Thirty minutes into the workout, we hear loud grunts and what sounds like the smack of several heavy bags being punched somewhere above us.

The building is a V shape and we are on the first floor of one of the long straight stretches. From where I’m standing, I can see the bend in the building and all along the far side.

As I stand there watching, several men come into view all dressed in black riot gear. Masks, helmets, knee pads, tactical vests…the works.

My initial thought is that something is wrong and I’m in danger. Alida must sense my tension since she’s working out next to me. “It’s okay,” she chuckles beside me. “Those are the island prison guards and the governor’s security team. They train here once a month to go over tactical drills and restraint techniques. A lot of the guys are members here too, but right now they’re working on the clock.”

“Oh,” I sigh, feeling silly for automatically thinking the worst. “Thanks for the explanation. I was freaking out a little.” I give her a sheepish smile. Aruba is overall, a very safe place. There are bad people everywhere but there are also good people everywhere too. The island is small and depends a lot on tourist dollars so violent crimes tend to stay to a minimum.

Already eighty degrees at eight forty-five in the morning, I’m working up a decent sweat and rip my tank top over my head, leaving me in my neon pink sports bra and black spandex shorts. I pull out one of the mats and get ready to do an ab routine when something catches my eye.

I look across to the second story of the building and see someone watching me. My breath catches in my throat as I recognize his jawline even from here.

Casper is staring right at me, his helmet in one hand, braced against his hip, and a bottle of water in the other. I thought the half-worn wetsuit was enough to make my blood boil but in his tactical gear, Casper is deadly…both to my hormones and the criminals he’s apparently in charge of. He’s older than me for sure. His body screamsman. The faint lines around his eyes, the confidence in his stance, and the stubble on his face are telltale signs that he’s long since left boyhood behind.

The wall of the second story is low enough that I can see the way his thighs cause the fabric of his pants to strain. His narrow waist is accentuated by how the tactical vest stops at the bottom of his ribcage. He gives no indication that he recognizes me but it seems like we stare at each other forever.

Will comes over to me, breaking the spell. “Do you have much longer? I need to head back soon.”

It takes a great effort to tear my eyes away from Casper and look at Will and I’m thankful they can’t see each other because of the angle. As soon as I lay eyes on Will, I immediately look back up to find the spot where Casper stood a moment ago only to realize he’s disappeared.

“Lib?” he says, obviously aware of my fleeting attention span.

“Oh, um, yeah, I can finish up.” I give my head a quick shake and smile at Will. From behind me, I hear Johanna whine.

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