I lied. I lied to Brooks.
I told him that I rather bang my head against the wall 100 times than stare at his ass, but I didn't mean it.
Because right now, I'm staring.
He's been running on the treadmill for 20 minutes and, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's hotter than Jimmy lifting weights. Brooks' t-shirt is sweaty enough so that it's sticking to his skin, showcasing his perfectly sculpted back muscles. And he makes running on a 8.0 speed look easy.
"Rem," a voice calls out.
It's Jimmy's, and he's making his way towards me.
I round the front desk, assuming that he needs something, and tuck the loose pieces of hair behind my ear once I've made it in front of him.
"Hey," I beam. "How was your workout?"
"So good," he confirms, which isn't surprising considering his tank is drenched. "Thanks again for bringing me that extra water bottle. I really needed it."
"Oh," I say, dropping my hand down, "don't sweat it." I pause, realizing my words. "No pun intended."
He starts laughing at my attempt to be funny and it seems genuine, so I start laughing with him, and then I segue.
"Listen, Jimmy. If you're not busy sometime this week, what do you say we grab dinner after work one day?"
And there she is. The old Remi. The cool, calm and collected Remi Baker.
My heart starts racing as I wait on him to answer, and then he finally says:
"I'd love that."
"You what?" I ask, my eyes wide, my jaw agape. Did he just say:
"I'd love that," he repeats with an innocent chuckle.
"You would?" I ask.
"Yeah," he smiles.
I clap my hands together, not giving a crap about how excited I seem. "Amazing!"
"Here," he says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Put your number in."
My fingers shake out of elation as they press on the keyboard. "There you go," I say once I'm done typing.
He looks down at his phone and smiles before locking the screen and placing it back into his pocket.
"I'll text you tomorrow with a place and time," he tells me.
"Sounds great!"
"Bye, Rem," he smiles.
"Bye," I smile, giving a little shimmy once he's walked away.
A few minutes later, my phone lights up with a text:
Unknown Number: It's Jimmy :)
YOU ARE READING
Under the Stars (Sequel to Across the Pond)
Romance*The sequel to Across the Pond* Brooks Caldwell is the bane of my existence. Has been ever since I've known him. And, of course, luck would have it that I'm forced to spend my entire summer in his presence when I'm offered a job at the posh country...
