I bit the inside of my lip. “Yeah.”
“Okay, another lie. More than a kiss happened, then. The orgasms were from him?” I groaned and she smacked my arm. “Stop making me piece it together and do it for me. Did you guys have sex?”
I looked over at her. “No, we did not have sex. Honestly, Ave, I don’t even know how it happened. Look how closely we work together, how many hours we spend one-on-one, six days a week. We just started talking one day during a private session and it carried on from there. He’s actually a really decent guy when he’s not in coach mode. Talking to him feels natural…I like it.”
I told her everything that happened while I drove to our destination, not leaving out one detail or word, including the note I just found hours earlier. Deep down, Avery was trustworthy, but telling her was terrifying due to the nature of the situation, another reason why I kept it to myself. I couldn’t skate over this slip though. And surprisingly it lifted a weight from my chest.
Pulling into a shopping center, I parked my truck and looked over. Avery sat stone-faced. She didn’t move a muscle as she stared through the front windshield.
“Avery? Are you okay?”
She slowly turned my way, exorcist style, and said in a low voice, “You’re going to hell for this.”
My face dropped and I punched her arm. “No, I’m not. Stop acting like a fool. Let’s go eat. I only have so much time.”
We both hopped out and walked side by side toward a small outdoor restaurant. After such a grueling workout, I was famished, but my stomach was in knots so a salad was probably best.
“My cup is brimming, Ria, about to spill over. I didn’t grab a tall enough glass. Then again, I don’t think there’s one tall enough for the juice you just poured me. I wasn’t prepared for this onslaught of thoughts running a marathon in my head!” she exaggeratedly exclaimed.
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
“Please tell me you don’t have serious feelings for him,” she pleaded once we were seated. I looked around for listening ears and was thankful the outdoor tables were somewhat empty.
“Truthfully, I don’t know. Do I like him? Yes, more so than I probably should. And before you say another word, believe me, I know how morally wrong it is. But I can’t help it.”
“You know it could never go anywhere, right? It just isn’t possible.”
I shrugged.
“You’re smart, think about it.” Distress etched her face. Avery took a sip of water. “Do you plan on having sex with him?”
I told her the truth. “I don’t plan on it, but if it just happens, then I guess I will. Yes.”
She gave me a comical stare. “It doesn’t just happen, Adrianna. You can’t just accidently fall and a dick slips into you. It doesn’t work like that.”
“Shh…” I said with a finger pressed to my smiling lips.
“Well, it doesn’t!”
Before Avery could continue, a waitress appeared at our table. She took our lunch orders and then turned toward me.
“What kind of dressing would you like with your salad?” She rattled off a list of them when Avery spoke up for me.
“She’ll have the Russian! She loves that slightly spicy, thick, creamy consistency in her mouth.”
My jaw dropped and my cheeks were hotter than ever. I gave my best friend a murderous glare and wondered where the hell she came from. The waitress gave me a bewildered look and I confirmed it with a tight lipped smile. I asked for the dressing on the side and grilled chicken to be added.
“You’re an asshole, you know that,” I said when the waitress walked away.
Avery laughed loudly. “I had to! Okay, listen, I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate for a minute.”
“Oh God.”
“Even though I’m pretty pissed you didn’t tell me, I completely understand why you didn’t. I probably would’ve done the same. Thing is, whatever is going on between the both of you, I’d really consider stopping it now. This isn’t just some older guy you randomly met in a giant skyscraper building you both work in. This is a coach who owns a reputable business and has a steady girlfriend. Not to mention, that pesky little age difference. Maybe if you were older, then I wouldn’t say anything. But you’re not. You need to really think about your actions and the ramifications you both will be faced with if you guys get caught. It could get ugly. It would be wise to stop while you’re ahead instead of throwing it all away on some flavor of the month.”
“Flavor of the month? Avery, where do you come up with these lines?”
She grinned, shrugging her shoulders. “My mom.”