One to Love (One to Hold 4)

Rook Callahan was not what I expected to meet at my job interview at the Jungle Gym Friday afternoon. He was a head taller than me and built like a mountain. Black tattoos showed faintly on his ripped arms, which rested in front of him on the desk as he studied my resume. A heavy, stainless watch was on his wrist.

I’d spent two days poring over the Help Wanted section, looking for anything that didn’t require a lot of background information—restaurants, garages, cranberry bogs. Most places wanted references, and I was lucky to have Doc, even if he wasn’t always available to take phone calls.

“You say you’ve never worked at a health club before?” His black eyes cut to me.

“No.” I held his stare a moment before I looked down at my hands, running my thumb over the bold 21 inked on the back of my right one. A blue, red, and green network of vines and a skull covered my forearm above it, and I was glad he had ink as well. That was one additional bit of prejudice I didn’t need. “I’ve used gyms quite a bit, but I’ve never worked at one.”

“You’ve got one reference listed. This somebody related to you?”

“No.” Looking up again, I met his gaze head-on. “References are difficult. If I can speak for myself, I’m a hard worker, and I’m only looking for honest work. Nothing more.”

He chewed the inside of his bottom lip as he looked back to the sheet in front of him. Then he leaned back in his chair and ran a large hand over his close-cropped hair.

“You used to be a fighter?”

My insides clenched, and I wanted to push us quickly through this part of the conversation. “Years ago. I had to... I was forced to quit.”

For whatever reason, that admission changed him. The hard intimidation softened, and he leaned forward to stand, circling the desk so that he was in front of it, facing me.

“When I played ball, I knew a lot of guys forced to quit for whatever reason.” He paused and looked at the door as if reliving it. “They’d get mixed up in some shit or the other. Couldn’t let it go.”

His words were probably meant to build a bridge, but I could feel the heat rising in my chest, that old anger sparking to life. I tightened my jaw, searching my brain for one of Doc’s mantras, hoping to head off whatever he might say next.

“I just need a job.” My voice was flat.

Bridge unbuilt, intimidation back. I was far more comfortable with that arrangement. “Any of your shit going to come to my gym?”

“No, sir,” I answered fast. “It’s in the past. Over.”

He nodded once. “I’ll give you a shot, a probationary period. You

show me we need you up here, that you won’t cause any problems, and I’ll see about making it permanent.”

“Fair enough.” I stood and held out my hand.

He stared at it before pushing off the desk and going to his office door. “I’ll give you the tour.”

I put my unshook hand in my pocket and followed him down the short hall. He paused at a set of double-glass doors to the right. “Through here are racquetball courts and on the other side is the group fitness center. The women’s lockers are behind that. You’ll take care of them after hours—mornings, evenings, you decide. Not when the women are present.”

I nodded. “Understood.”

He continued a few steps, and we were near the center entrance, where a large juice bar was situated.

“Mariska works the bar. She’s off Fridays, but we can usually handle the traffic. Keep the floors mopped and the trash emptied back here. She can handle wiping down the counters.”

I nodded, and a very blonde, very stacked female stepped into the center of the bar area. She had the kind of body that made any guy’s dick twitch, and by the way she moved, I could tell she knew it.

“This is my wife Tammy.”

She was also officially off-limits, not that I was interested in romance of any kind. I did a quick nod before looking down.

“Nice to meet you.” Her voice was smooth and friendly. “You our new maintenance guy?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Rook lingered, and when he spoke again, his voice was low. “Where’s Kenny?”

“Left early. Said she wasn’t feeling well.” The way she answered, it seemed they were communicating something else. I glanced up at them and noticed my new boss’s frown.