Page 9 of Uncovering Love: The Wedding

IT’S BEEN ONE OF THOSEweeks in which Evie and I are ships passing in the night. I’ve been booked with clients and we won’t have a day off together until Sunday. Last night we babysat for my sister, and two nights ago she worked late with Jon. I was up this morning to teach spin and train clients before she was even awake. By the time I came home she’d already left for work. Now I’m back at the club for my evening clients but wishing for some one-on-one time with my woman.

I’m counting down the days until she’s my wife, but even better are the two weeks we’re taking off to explore up and down the West Coast. Two weeks of Evie all to myself. It’s what pushes me through another night of classes and training clients.

Lindsay is back for her third session tonight and she’s quickly become a client I actually look forward to. She has a great sense of humor, and works hard doing anything I ask and then some. After her session, I have a break in clients and then two more hours before I can head home. I shoot Evie a quick text to let her know I miss her while Lindsay finishes her reps on the leg press.

“You’re distracted tonight. Everything okay?” She says, wiping her brow with a towel and taking a quick sip of water while I change up the weight on her machine.

“Sorry. Long week.”

“Hear you there. And it’s only Thursday.”

“Which is kinda like my hump day since I work Saturdays. Three sets of ten.”

She winces and sets her legs for more repetitions. “I guess that comes with the job.”

“It does.” I nod and count aloud each push of her legs. “Good job. Let’s finish up with pull ups.”

“Fine, but only because I’m paying you,” she smarts and I have to laugh.

She follows as I lead the way to an empty bar. “What? Come on! You know you love them. I’m sure you wake up every day dreaming of the next chance you’ll have to pull your body weight over a bar.”

“Yep. That’s it.” She nods with the most serious of expressions. “I think about it more than food, or Netflix, or even sex.”

“Damn, girl. You really like pull ups,” I tease, and when she bursts into laughter I can’t help but do the same.

“Tate.” Evie’s voice is a total surprise and it takes a beat before my brain communicates to my legs that my fiancé is here in the flesh.

“Evie!” I say and even though I’m at work and should remain professional, I take two steps forward, cup her jaw in my palm and steal a kiss. It’s not a peck either, and I don’t pull away until Lindsay clears her throat behind us and one of my co-workers lets loose a whistle.

Evie pulls her lips up with a smile as her cheeks darken with a blush. “Sorry, I know you’re working but I brought you dinner. I just needed to see you.”

“I needed to see you, too. Thank you.” I step back and glance over my shoulder at my client. Shit, I need to get back to work. “Lindsay, this is my fiancé, Evie.”

Lindsay smiles and her eyes crinkle with laughter as she offers Evie a wave. “Nice to meet you. You’ve got yourself a good one.”

“That I do,” Evie agrees, but she studies Lindsay a moment before she turns to me. “Sorry, I’ll let you get back to it. See you at home?”

I check my watch. “Actually, if you want to wait fifteen minutes or so, I have an hour break.”

Her smile brightens. “Of course.”

“Tate, why don’t you go have dinner now. I’ll finish up myself,” Lindsay offers.

“Oh, no. I can’t do that,” I decline, because I won’t shortcut a session, even for more time with Evie. I take pride in my work and my professionalism.

“It’s fine, really. I promise I won’t cheat on my reps.” She strokes her pointer finger across her chest in an X. “Besides, I owe you one from when you stayed late for me on Friday.”

That’s true, it would be fair, and there’s not much coaching involved with her as it is. She knows how to do a pull up. I let my lips pull wide with my smile. “Deal. But you don’t leave until you give a full twenty.”

“Yes, sir.” She mock salutes.

A chuckle leaves my mouth as I turn, wrapping my arm around Evie to pull her to my side. “Thank you for the surprise visit.”

“I hope it’s okay. I hate how we’ve been missing each other these past few days.”

“Me, too. Things good with work?”

“Oh, fine. Business as usual. You seem busier than normal.”

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