Page 24 of Bodybuilders for the BBW

“Fuuuck, you’re dating Dave’s ex?”

“Have to be an improvement on that dickhead.”

“She seemed nice, too nice for that idiot.” Brent, the station commander’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me. “So you better be good to her.”

“I’m trying to make sure I’m not late, for one,” I said. “So if you’ll excuse me?”

I pushed past the lot of them, making for the door, but of course, my dear colleagues needed to have one last jab.

“Romance the shit out of her, Windy! Then maybe you’ll stop being such a miserable prick.”

Was that the answer to all my problems? I didn’t know, sliding behind the wheel of my car and turning the key in the ignition. The world seemed grey, bland, except when I was fighting fires or talking to Katie, and it was past time for me to work out if there was something real between us or just some fantasy that lived in my head.

I pulledup the front of the veterinary surgery, and for a moment I just gripped the steering wheel tightly. I’d agreed readily when my best friends suggested we look for a girl to share, and it wasn’t just due to our brutal schedules. Some blokes had a way with the ladies, but not me. The plastic of the steering wheel made a small sound of protest, forcing me to pull back and get out of the car. I could do this, I told myself as I walked up the path leading to the surgery. Katie had already said yes. Just needed to turn on the charm, get her talking, and?—

“Oh.” I looked up to see Katie had come out the front door, a bunch of keys in her hands. She was obviously ready to lock up, but instead stared at me. Was the blue shirt the wrong one? Mum said the colour made my eyes pop, but— “You said… I thought…”

Katie was studying my appearance like all the world’s secrets could be found within. Her eyes met mine and I was gone, ready to dive into those dark depths and just sink into their warmth. I watched her hand go to her forehead.

“This is a real date?”

Fuck, I thought I’d prepared for everything. I’d inspected the menu, looked at photos of the interior and checked to see if it looked nice. In my mind, I’d played a million scenarios in my head, but not this one. I thought I was clear about what I wanted. I thought… I shook my head sharply, then dared to smile at her.

“Well, it is if you want it to be.”

Chapter13

Katie

How the hell was I on another date without even realising it?

My hand went to my forehead, feeling a headache start up almost instantly. How had I missed the signs? I took in Rhett’s freshly combed hair, the very nice blue shirt, and had his eyes always been that blue? I shook my head, trying to dislodge that errant thought. I couldn’t go out to dinner with one of Dave’s workmates. I?—

Couldn’t I?

What loyalty did I owe Dave? My brows jerked down. None. No, less than none.

“Look, we’ve obviously got our wires crossed,” Rhett said, and I felt like I was watching his lips move, but not really taking in what he was saying. “I thought I was being clear about what this was when I asked you out to dinner.”

“I thought you meant a quarter pounder in a McDonalds car park,” I squeaked out. “I’m not dressed properly for…” God, I was jumping the gun here. He’d said dinner, but by the way he was dressed, it looked like somewhere fancy. “Wherever you wanted to go. Like pet shop, then some cheap takeaway?—”

“Hey.” Suddenly he was standing right in front of me and two massive hands came to rest on my shoulders. His palms burned through the thin fabric of my blouse. “If that’s what you want, we can do that.” I looked up and saw exactly how blue Rhett’s eyes were. Deep, cornflower blue, that’s why I had mistaken them for brown. They crinkled around the edges as he smiled down at me. “Whatever you want. I’ll cancel the reservation.”

“Reservation…?”

OK, now I was just being pathetic. I wanted to kick my own arse for being shocked he’d go to that kind of trouble. I was worth dinner reservations, dates, everything, that’s what I’d vowed on New Year’s Eve, right?

He took a step closer, and it felt like the world narrowed down to just the small space between us. His hands gave my shoulders a gentle squeeze before he pulled away.

“We don’t have to go anywhere fancy,” he said in a low rumbly voice that I felt all the way down to my toes. “The restaurant isn’t what’s important. You are.”

My vow to stop dating and work on myself evaporated before my eyes, leaving just this. Rhett was always nice to me when I went to the station to meet up with Dave, but I’d never guessed there was something more there. I wanted to know now what he was thinking, feeling, so perhaps that’s why I nodded.

“Let’s…” Go to dinner, have a good time, I wanted to say. See if there’s anything here. “Go to the pet store and then see how we feel after that.” My eyes narrowed as something occurred to me. “You are actually getting a dog, right? That wasn’t just an attempt to get me to go out on a date with you?”

That smile, those dimples popping, I blinked, suddenly dazzled, but he shook his head.

“I’d never lie to you, Katie.” The mood shifted then, both our smiles fading, but that didn’t stop him from staring into my eyes. “We are getting a dog. My housemate found one he had to have, but… Does he know I’m here, getting supplies for the dog?” He shrugged, his hands shoved into his pockets. “I may have left that part out.”

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