STRIPTEASED (Roommate Reverse Harem Romance)

As I wrapped up the text with Maddie, I hopped on my laptop to look up some nearby gyms.

“I found this coupon online,” I said, self-consciously wiping the smudged screen of my phone before sliding it across the counter. The blonde with the high ponytail and pert breasts seemed to be the female version of the twins—perfect skin, great figure, and no body fat in evidence anywhere. I, on the other hand, was already a bit grimy. It had taken me about thirty minutes to walk here in the midday sun.

She stared at my screen, not touching it. “This entitles you to full use of the facilities, including classes, for three days. After that, you have to sign up for a membership. Fill this out.”

One long, perfectly manicured finger slid a form my way. I took a pen from the container on the counter and started writing. She hovered in her sports bra and leggings, making me feel all the more self-conscious in my oversized t-shirt and shorts. I wouldn’t have worn her outfit in public for a million dollars—even if I had been able to fit into it—but I had to admit she looked amazing. Most of the women at the gym did, and I was getting more body-conscious by the second.

Before signing the bottom of the form, I hesitated. If I was this uncomfortable just filling out the paperwork, how on earth was I going to make it through an actual workout here—let alone three days of them? But I was getting ahead of myself. I was here now, and I could make it through one exercise session. I scribbled my name and slid the paper back to her.

She handed me a temporary card. “Let me know if you decide to become a member.”

Clearly, I was dismissed, but there was one thing I wanted to know. “Um, are Austin and Denver here?” I hadn’t purposefully sought out their gym, but theirs was the only one nearby that offered a free trial.

The blonde sighed as if I was keeping her from negotiating world peace. “Austin’s booked months in advance, and he doesn’t train beginners.” Her tone indicated that she clearly felt I was in that category. Which, okay, I was, but she didn’t have to say it like that. “The schedule of classes is over there by the locker rooms. Denver’s fill up fast.”

I followed her gaze. “Thanks,” I said, and picked up my bag, about to leave. But then I turned back to the woman. “But I’m actually not looking for a personal trainer or a class. I just thought, if they were here, I could say hi.”

One corner of the woman’s mouth turned upward in a nasty half smile. “So that’s why you’re here. The twins are very busy and popular. They don’t have time to pose for a selfie with every fangirl who’s salivated over the sight of them on the stage.”

Shock filled me. “No, that’s not—” I trailed off at her disdainful glance. Obviously, she thought that there was no other reason a woman like me might have come to a gym.

Part of me wanted to walk out the door and never look back. Probably a month or two ago, I would have. But things had changed since then. I’d given up the life I’d known and moved to a new city. I’d survived—more or less—the realization that the man I’d moved for was complete scum. And whether Miss Priss believed it or not, I’d made friends with four funny, passionate, sexy men.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and located the women’s locker room. Finding an empty locker, I put my things in and then did a few stretches. It had been a long time since high school gym class, but when I was done, I felt slightly more limber.

Slightly.

A treadmill seemed a pretty safe way to start since I could control the speed. I purposely chose one as far from the front desk as possible. After five minutes at a low speed and no incline, I felt as if I could do this. After ten minutes at a slightly higher speed and incline, I felt as if I was going to die.

Gingerly, I stepped off the machine, panting and rubbing my face with a towel. Obviously I was more out of shape than I thought.

Still breathing harder than normal, I wandered over to the weight machines. It was the middle of the afternoon so they weren’t very busy. I tried one in which you opened and closed your thighs to lift a stack of weights—a small stack of weights in my case. That wasn’t too hard, but I suspected I might feel the stretch more tomorrow. Then I tried a seated exercise in which I pulled down a long handle, but no matter how I adjusted my form it made my back twitch, and it seemed wiser to move on to something else.