Page 109 of Take Hold of Me

Wills

Rose Morgan and Cole Manchesterinvite you to share in the joy of their wedding, the nineteenth of November….

I flip the invitation over and over. It arrived the day after my life went to shit.

When my temper unleashed on Wade Block, resulting in my former boss at the PI agency smoothing things over with the police.

When I lied to Emilie and said the most hateful things to her, cutting her out of my life for her own good.

Pain and emptiness war with each other inside me, but I tamp down the feelings. The same way I’ve shut down all my emotions.

“Hey there, W,” Zak says as he breezes into my office. I put the wedding invitation into my desk drawer as he continues, “There’s some new prospects at registration. A couple of hot ladies. Want me to show them around or do you want to have the honors?”

I sigh. I take newbies at Complete on tours, but only when I have no other alternative. “Nah. Why don’t you do it? Maybe pick up another personal training client.”

Zak wiggles his eyebrows. “Sure you don’t want to join me? We could see which of us they’d rather train under. I mean, with.”

A sour chuckle escapes my lips at Zak’s antics. He tries to bring me out of my funk. Too bad I’m a lost cause. “Nah. I don’t want to show you up that badly. Not good form to make the employees look bad.”

Zak punches me on the arm, then shakes his hand. “Damn, dude. You’re getting more jacked every time I see you.”

“Don’t forget that. Now go and make nice and sign up some new clients.”

He salutes and leaves me alone. He’s a good guy who deserves a better boss than me. I’ve dumped way too much responsibility on his shoulders while I try to get my head out of my ass.

Like that’s happening anytime soon.

I flip through the reports on my desk. Even though I took over a full week into September, the numbers are higher than this time last month. I can’t take total credit for the increase, but I’m not tanking the place. I have to keep the doors open, for Three.

At least I’m making good on one of my promises. Too bad it came after she’s no longer here to see it.

I toss the reports back on my desk and check my calendar—my next therapy appointment isn’t for a couple of days. After everything went down with Emilie, I reached out to David like a dog with its tail between its legs and asked him for his therapist’s info. He made no secret about seeing someone to help him through Three’s death and he’s getting back on his feet after two years. So what if it takes me longer to start getting over the angel who came into my life like a lightning bolt? Angels aren’t meant to stay with mere mortals such as myself. Not sure how much progress I’m making against my demons, but I have to start somewhere. My therapist sure has his work cut out for him.

Shaking my head to clear it, I leave my office for the workout area. Machines are humming with clients and the rock wall has a good number of people on it. Music pumps everyone up as they tend to their evening workouts. Complete is as it should be. At least I haven’t ruined this.Yet.

Zak leads the potential clients over to the classroom area, where a spin class is going on. He gestures toward the closed doors for physical therapy—my newest addition—and massage, which produce two of the gym’s highest profit margins. My eyes stray to the juice and smoothie bar, another profit center. Several clients chat while enjoying their beverages. “Ninja Heroes” runs on the flat-screen television overhead.

I nod and smile as I walk through Complete. I’ve learned to put on my own professional mask—something I learned courtesy of Emilie—as I can’t let anyone see how broken I am. They’d run for the hills and never want to step foot inside here if I exposed my true darkness.

“Wills, can you please help me with the elliptical?” A young woman in skin-tight workout gear approaches me, her color high. She plays with her ponytail.

“Sure thing.”

I ignore her flirting. Nothing’s going to happen between us, for her own sake. Not to mention I have nothing left to give since Emilie took the best of me when she walked out the door. The best of me? What a joke. As if I ever had anything good inside.

Arriving at the elliptical, I answer the woman’s questions. When she’s set up and doing a good job, I leave her be.

I make my way to the weights and start warming up. David highly recommended that I work out with my clients to let them feel like we’re all in it together, like he used to do. I’ve adopted his suggestion, mainly because it allows me to be seen among the clients without having to actually interact with them.

I start by doing deadlifts. Zak wasn’t wrong about my getting more jacked. Twice daily workouts are a by-product of being an antisocial gym owner.

When I finish the final reps, I grab a towel with the Complete logo emblazoned on it and head for the locker room. After a quick shower, I relax my muscles in the sauna. Another refuge away from prying eyes. Nearing the end of my ten minutes, Leo, a regular, opens the door. The guy’s nearing fifty but works out like a fiend, making him look at least ten years younger.

“Hi there, Wills.”

I nod. “Leo.”

“Just finished doing my circuit. Place is hopping for nine o’clock.”

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