never saw me. I was able to stare at her without openly staring. I pretended to be looking around. She looked the same but different. I would recognize her walk anywhere and the way she always tilted her head when she was trying to figure something out. Fran was carrying on about the amount of money they spent buying all the top machinery in the industry. Some I had never seen before.
We rounded a corner, walking past a row of treadmills. Alora slapped the machine she’d hopelessly been trying to use and walked toward the wide-open part of the gym that was used for kettle-bell exercises and the battle ropes. I had to hold back my laughter when she bent down and picked up one of the ropes. With both hands, she tried to bounce it.
She must have realized she was doing something wrong and struggled to pick up the other rope. I wanted to help the poor woman. I noticed a few of the other people working out in the gym watching her as well. She ended up dropping the ropes on the floor and leaving the main gym. I watched her through the glass as she walked up to the juice bar and sat down on one of the stools.
She’d given up. I wasn’t sure why no one offered to help her or why she wasn’t using a trainer if she was that clueless about how the gym worked. In that moment, watching her and being transported back in time, I made a decision.
“Fran, I’ll do it.”
She stopped walking. “What?”
“I’ll take the job.”
Her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“I knew you’d be sold once you saw the equipment in here. Meatheads like us can’t resist a good machine.”
I smiled. “Yes, you’re right.”
I didn’t tell her it wasn’t the machines that I couldn’t resist. It was Alora. The girl who broke my heart twelve years ago.
“Let’s go to my office. We’ll go over the details and get the ball rolling. You will not be disappointed, Jeff. This place is awesome, and I know you will love working here.”
I slowly nodded, following her out of the gym. I took one last look at Alora sitting at the juice bar. She was smiling at the man mixing her smoothie. She had the same features with a more womanly figure, but not much else had changed. I remembered her dark brown eyes framed by beautiful dark lashes. I remembered how her nose crinkled when she smiled and how she laughed.
Seeing her again was like running smack into my past. It was a chapter of my life I had closed the book on, but now I was back. I was probably making a huge mistake, but I needed to know her again. I wanted to know who she’d become and why she was wandering around a gym she was obviously unfamiliar with. I picked up on a hint of loneliness.
I wanted to know why the most beautiful woman in the world was lonely.
Chapter 2
Alora
I parked my Beamer in the five-car garage and headed inside. I was hoping to sneak in without anyone noticing. Living with my parents at the ripe age of twenty-six was embarrassing. It was even more embarrassing to still be told what to do. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I listened like a good little girl.
I was hoping I could get down the hall and to the stairs unseen. I didn’t have the energy to deal with my overbearing mother. I was tired. Not physically tired because lord knew I didn’t actually do anything at the gym. Those machines required an engineering degree to use.
I needed to get a degree or hire a tutor. The gym was supposed to be for me. That was a can of worms I didn’t want to get too deep into, but the gym was supposed to be mine. I had a feeling there was an ulterior motive to the purchase of the gym. Yes, it would be a good business for me to run, but it was still in my father’s name. My father, Mr. Real Estate Developer of the Year in the Phoenix area.
“Alora, is that you?” my mother called out.
I grimaced. Obviously, it was me. She knew that. “Yes, Mom.”
I heard heels on the tile floor and knew she was coming. She smiled when she saw me in my workout gear. “How was it?”
“Good.”
“Your cheeks are flushed. Let’s get you some water. You need to stay hydrated.”