Page 10 of Isolated
And at this point, after the way the ceremony today had left me feeling, I realized that perhaps it was wise to accept all the help I could get.
If I stood a chance at finding her any time soon, maybe I needed to take a more active role. I didn’t think I’d be heading to Mom’s place asking her to set me up on a blind date, but with any luck, there might be one woman left in Steel Ridge who needed the help of a private investigator.
FOUR
Iris
The start of the week was always exciting.
I’d never been the kind of person who dreaded a Monday morning.
And after such a great weekend, I wasn’t surprised that I woke up fifteen minutes before my alarm this morning, feeling energized and ready to get my day started.
So, that’s what I did.
I hopped out of bed and went through my usual Monday morning routine. Before I knew it, I was out the door and on my way to the gym.
Four days a week, barring any unexpected circumstances, I woke early enough to be able to go to the gym and get a workout in. I loved lifting weights. I loved the way it made me feel. That was why I didn’t mind getting up and making it happen before I had to head to work for the day.
Maybe that made me crazy—Kasey and Steph had indicated as much—but I liked my routine.
And today was no different.
In fact, today felt like a great day to kick things up a notch.
But perhaps the reason my friends couldn’t grasp just how much I enjoyed my time at the gym was because I hadn’t been completely honest with them.
It had started off being purely about the physical benefits for me. At some point, it became about something else.
Going to the gym gave me the opportunity to see Landen, my gym buddy. While there was no question that I loved having the hour or so to look at and talk to him, I could admit that it stung he was nothing more than just my gym buddy. Sometimes, I even hated thinking of him like that. But in an effort not to give myself any false hope, I refused to call him what I really wanted—my crush.
He was… Gosh, he was perfect. He was beyond handsome, with his buzzed black hair, dark brown eyes, and muscular physique. His shoulders were broad, his hips were narrow, and his arms were like three of mine combined, only far more defined in comparison.
Though he was always friendly toward me, there was something about him that was so serious. I’d witnessed the occasional quirk of his lips—small, friendly smiles that didn’t even show his teeth—but not genuine amusement and laughter. Sometimes, it seemed as though he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Then again, considering he was a private investigator, it wasn’t completely unreasonable to assume he dealt with cases that took a toll on him. Maybe that seriousness wassimply a side effect of the job. I’d never once asked him to tell me any specific details about his job—I didn’t think he could reveal that kind of information anyway—but I’d certainly had moments when I wished I could have offered myself up as a sounding board for him. Or even just someone to help distract him from whatever cases might be bringing him down.
Unfortunately, Landen didn’t seem even remotely interested in ever making that happen. In fact, he appeared to be completely content with our arrangement, which had been nothing more than friendly gym buddies who offered the occasional spot during the heavier, riskier lifting sessions.
“This looks ambitious today.”
Hearing that smooth, seductive voice, I spun around and saw Landen making his approach. There was that hint of a smile playing at his lips as he came to a stop a couple of feet away and shifted his attention from the weights that I’d just put on the squat rack to me.
I beamed at him. Landen’s semi-serious nature didn’t impact my ability to be myself. And if ever there was a day to feel genuinely excited, today was it.
“Is it the amount of weight that’s got you saying that, or is it because I’m here early enough to have it already on the bar?”
“Well, I was referring to the increased weight, but I guess, now that you mention it, it’s not the only thing. Was it extra coffee that put a bit of a bounce in your step this morning?”
Standing too far away from him to be able to shove him playfully like I wanted, I could only roll my eyes inresponse. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not a coffee drinker?”
“Until I can believe that it’s possible anyone can wake up and be as bubbly and motivated as you without drinking it.”
“I’m not sure how I can convince you that’s the case, if you’re in need of physical proof,” I lied.
Yes, I lied.
Because I’d had the thought in the back of my mind for a long time that if Landen truly didn’t believe I could wake up like this, he could certainly find a way to spend the night at my place and wake up next to me.
