Shine With Me (With Me in Seattle 15.5)

A sexy brunette vampire hunter is hard to forget. “I mean, I know she used to be an actress. I haven’t seen her in anything in a while. That’s about it. I don’t pay attention to that shit.”

“You just proved my point.”

“When would you need me to start?”

“Monday.”

I sigh and rub a hand down my face. “That’s in four days, Luke.”

“She just took the role last night, man. You were my first call this morning. What do you say?”

A hundred grand.

“I’d better get off the phone so I can shuffle things around and be ready by Monday. But just to warn you, I’ll need at least half a day each week to handle office work at my desk. This place doesn’t run itself.”

“Understood. You’ll have time for that. I’ll have you meet Sabrina at our place on Alki Beach. She’ll be staying in Natalie’s old house while she’s in Seattle.”

“What am I working with here? How much weight does she have to lose?”

“Not much. I’d say it’s mostly sculpting and strength training. She needs to be ready for the role of a kick-ass FBI agent hunting a killer.”

That actually tells me a lot. I make some notes, ideas already taking shape in my head.

“Text me the address, and I’ll be there at eight on Monday morning.”

“Excellent. I’ll have the money wired to you today.”

“You can pay me after the job is done,” I reply. “I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Half now, and half later,” he says. “Thanks, Ben.”

He hangs up, and I pull up my schedule then scowl. I have twenty clients to juggle. Some won’t be pleased that they’re being passed to someone else. By doing this, I run the risk of losing a few. I hope they understand.

Two hours and a migraine later, my schedule is cleared, my trainers are busier than ever, and I only lost two customers.

Not too bad, all in all.

I walk out of the office to the ring and watch as Nate McKenna jabs at his sparring partner. It makes me proud to know that the former owner’s son still comes to work out. That I’ve done something right here.

After knocking the other man down, Nate comes out of the ring and pulls off his gloves. “How’s it going, Ben?”

I walk with him off to the side where no one else can hear and tell him about my new client.

“Congratulations,” Nate says. “That’ll be challenging and something great to add to your resume.”

“Why do I feel like I’m abandoning my gym?”

Nate laughs. “You’re not. You’re bringing in significant money to help the business, and I suspect you’ll be in here working out with her most days. I think it’s a great idea. Now, I’d better get to the office before my wife fires me.”

I laugh and walk Nate to the door.

“She’s crazy about you.”

He grins as he reaches his motorcycle and swings a leg over, settling in the seat.

“I know.” He winks. “Have a good day.”

He waves and pulls out of the parking lot, and I turn to see my first client of the day waiting by the door.

“Hey there, handsomest man in America,” Honey says with a wink. Honey is her given name. She’s forty-eight, married to a man twenty years her senior, and has had more plastic surgery than I can shake a stick at.

She’s the gym bunny cliché, in her tight workout clothes and overbleached hair. She hits on me relentlessly but has never touched me inappropriately. Which means, I haven’t had a good reason to drop her—just general annoyance. But the second she tries something, she’s out of here.

“Good morning, Honey,” I reply and hold the door open for her. She walks ahead of me, putting more sway in her hips than necessary before glancing back to see if I’m watching her. “Before we get started, I have to talk to you. Today is going to be our last day together for a while.”

She frowns and looks down, her eyes sparkling when she raises her gaze to me again. “Are you saying you can’t work with me anymore because your feelings for me are too personal to continue seeing me on a professional level? Because I feel the same way, Ben. I’ve felt the connection for months, and I think it’s absolutely the best if we stop seeing each other this way so we can pursue something more…personal.”

I swallow hard, sigh, and then pinch the bridge of my nose.

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

“I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Honey, but that’s not the reason. I have another job coming up that requires my full attention. Besides, you’re a married woman and clearly out of my league.”

Her eyes narrow. “You won’t make time just for me?”

“I’ve had to shuffle all of my clients to other trainers. I’m happy to do that for you, as well. I just hired Kara, and she’s excellent. She’s been training for five years, and I think she’ll be a great fit for you.”