Page 25 of Gym Bros
Breathing. Right. I need to do that.
I huff a laugh because I’m staring, and it’s embarrassing. “I got a dog today.”
“Oh?”
Okay, random.
“Yeah—I adopted her. I feel bad for leaving her, but I didn’t want to cancel.”
What am I talking about? I didn’t even think about canceling.
“We can reschedule.”
“No, I just mean, it’s on my mind. Sorry. Rambling. How’s your day?”
“Uh…fine.”
A good looking guy with two full sleeves of cohesive and well done tattoos comes up behind Calyx, and I shift my attention. He’s buff, but I’m bigger, and I make my immediate calculations about how easily I could take him if it came down to it.
The hairs on my neck rise, and a jolt of adrenaline streaks through me as he puts a hand on Calyx’s shoulder. “See you tomorrow.”
“Saber,” I say, holding out my hand somewhat aggressively.
The dark-haired guy stares at me a moment then shakes my hand. “Ryan.” He says it pointedly, as though he wants to draw a stark contrast between the normalcy of his name and the silliness of mine.
I tip my chin up and don’t let it get to me. Or I try not to, but my grip tightens before I release his hand. “Calyx is training me,” I say for no reason.
“Yeah,” he says.
I glance at Calyx who’s standing with his arms crossed and a curious look on his face. “You ready?” he asks me.
“How do you guys know each other?” I ask, nodding my chin at Ryan.
“We met here.”
“You know, you look familiar,” I tell Ryan.
“Yeah?” he asks.
It clicks. I’ve seen him on TikTok. He’s one of the Finance Bros. Shit. He does thirst trap videos where he leans against a wall shirtless holding his cat while he gives money-making tips and strategies. He shows up on my FYP a lot actually, and I think originally it was because I follow a lot of people with good tattoos. It’s the watch he’s wearing that makes it come together for me. A vintage Rolex.
“Billion dollar black cat, right?”
Calyx snorts, and when I look at him, he’s covering his mouth, but there’s a definite sparkle in his eyes.
“Are you actually?” I ask.
Ryan looks confused.
“A billionaire?”
“Jesus,” Calyx mutters, his body shifting away like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“Still working on it.”
What? Was that rude, too? Maybe someone should putmein a crate until I learn how to behave.
“Just kidding, man,” I say. “Nice to meet you.”
